56 abandoned places around the world and the eerie stories behind them

Ciara Appelbaum,Madeline Diamond,Lindsay DeMunnoJun 3, 2020, 02:36 IST

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia.MISHELLA/Shutterstock

From castles to churches, structures all over the world have been left to waste away.
Some were left empty after radioactive disasters or volcanic eruptions forced residents to flee, while others fell into disrepair after changes in government led to shortages in funds.
Here are 56 locations — including residential buildings, places of worship, venues, and entire towns — that remain abandoned.

Every abandoned building has a story about how it got that way, whether it's an urban legend or the truth.

Rotting, crumbling, or completely invaded by nature, abandoned buildings can be as creepy as they are fascinating.

From ancient ruins uncovered underneath ash to mental hospitals that have been left to rot, we've rounded up 56 abandoned buildings around the world and the history behind them.

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The Pontiac Silverdome, Michigan

The Pontiac Silverdome once hosted the Super Dome. Carlos Osorio / AP

Graun Church Tower, Lake Reschen, Italy

Only the tower of this church still remains above water on Lake Reschen. w.deframe/Shutterstock

Ross Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India

Ross Island was originally a British settlement. Matyas Rehak/Shutterstock

Maunsell Sea & Air Forts, Thames and Mersey estuaries, United Kingdom

These forts have been abandoned since that 1950s. Skyfly Video Ltd/Shutterstock

Kolmanskop, Namibia

A building invaded by sand dunes in Kolmanskop. Kanuman/Shutterstock

The Orpheum Theatre, New Bedford, Massachusetts

This theater was once lavishly decorated, but it has been abandoned since 1962. New Bedford Orpheum Rising Project/Facebook

Haludovo Palace Hotel, Krk, Croatia

The Haludovo Palace Hotel was a luxurious retreat on the Mediterranean Sea in the 1970s. AP Photo/Darko Bandic

Bannerman Castle, Beacon, New York

Bannerman Castle today. Felix Lipov/Shutterstock

Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat was evacuated during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. Kateryna Upit / Shutterstock

Military Hospital in Beelitz, Germany

Beelitz-Heilstätten (Beelitz Sanatorium) once treated Adolf Hitler. Pixeljoy / Shutterstock

Jonestown, Guyana

Jonestown has been taken over by the dense jungle. Tomas van Houtryve/AP

The Abandoned City Hall Subway Stop in New York

You can see City Hall station if you stay on the 6 train after its last stop. Felix Lipov / Shutterstock

Buzludzha Monument, Bulgaria

The Buzludzha Monument was once the House of the Bulgarian Communist Party. Milen Dobrev / Shutterstock

Simacem, North Sumatra, Indonesia

An abandoned classroom in Simacem, Indonesia. Binsar Bakkara / AP

Coal plant in Lynch, Kentucky

Lynch, Kentucky, once had around 10,000 residents. David Goldman / AP

Abandoned Submarine Base in Balaklava, Ukraine

The once top-secret submarine base is now a museum. A_Lesik / Shutterstock

Humberstone, Chile

Humberstone was left so suddenly that it appears frozen in time. Shutterstock / JeremyRichards

Michigan Central Station in Detroit, Michigan

Michigan Central Station in Detroit used to be the tallest train station in the world. Matt Ragen / Shutterstock

Athens Olympic Village, Athens, Greece

A deserted training pool in Athens' Olympic Village. AP

Rum Orphanage, Büyükada, Istanbul, Turkey

Despite being made of wood, Rum Orphanage in Turkey still stands today. Official/Shutterstock

Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii today. Shutterstock

Prora, Rügen, Germany

Prora is a three-mile-long abandoned Nazi resort. Sean Gallup / Getty Images

Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas

Toppled stadium seats in the Houston Astrodome. Pat Sullivan / AP

Mys Aniva lighthouse, Sakhalin Island, Russia

This lighthouse is located on an isolated island in Russia. DmitrySerbin/Shutterstock

Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous prison in the world. Associated Press

St. Nicholas Church, Mavrovo Lake, Macedonia

The St. Nicholas Church is sometimes semi-submerged in water. jordeangjelovik/Shutterstock

Dome Homes, Marco Island, Florida

This collection of dome-shaped homes now sits offshore. L S Clayton/Shutterstock

City Methodist Church, Gary, Indiana

This church has been used in several movies, including "A Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Transformers 3." Boyd Hendrikse/Shutterstock

Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Louisville, Kentucky

This hospital housed patients from a tuberculosis outbreak in the early 1900s. Today, you can visit the building on a ghost tour. Dylan Lovan/AP

Sathorn Unique Building "Ghost Tower," Bangkok, Thailand

The “Ghost Tower” is a popular destination for urban explorers. Nopkamon Tanayakorn/Shutterstock

Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea

The Ryugyong Hotel is the tallest unoccupied building in the world. Ho New/Reuters

Bodie, California

This ghost town will take you back to the Wild West. elleon/iStock

Teufelsberg, Berlin, Germany

These strange dome structures sit atop a manmade hill in Berlin. Reuters/Hannibal Hanschke

New York State Pavilion, Flushing Meadows, New York

If you've driven past these fairgrounds in Queens, New York, you've probably wondered what these oddly-shaped structures are. JaysonPhotography/Shutterstock

Nara Dreamland, Nara, Japan

Nara Dreamland was inspired by Disneyland but went abandoned for around 10 years. Merabet Hichem / Shutterstock

Centro Financiero Confinanzas, Caracas, Venezuela

This skyscraper in Caracas remains unfinished. Centro Financiero Confinanzas/Wikipedia

Centralia, Pennsylvania

Centralia has been on fire for over 50 years. AP Photo/Michael Rubinkam

Garnet, Montana

These log cabins in Montana have stood the test of time. MISHELLA/Shutterstock

Craco, Italy

Craco survived earthquakes and landslides before being abandoned in 1991. Stee/Shutterstock

Canfranc International Railway Station, Canfranc, Spain

Canfranc was once the biggest train station in Europe upon opening in 1928. LIMA Charles/Shutterstock

Floating Forest, Sydney, Australia

The SS Ayrfield has gone from military ship to a beautiful forest on the water. RRong/Shutterstock

Crookham Court Manor School, New York

The school closed down after high-profile child abuse cases. Sherman Cahal / Shutterstock

Letchworth Village, Rockland County, New York

Most of the buildings in Letchworth Village are partially demolished. Nicholas Haydu/Shutterstock

Hotels in Varosha, Famagusta, Cyprus

Once popular tourist destinations, these beach side hotels are now vacant. Wayne Wootton/Shutterstock

Spreepark amusement park, Berlin, Germany

The once bustling Spreepark amusement park is now empty and overgrown. RobertKuehne/Shutterstock

Hashima Island, Japan

This ghostly abandoned island was used as the villain's lair in a James Bond movie. Michel Godimus / Shutterstock

The Olympic Aquatics Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Aquatics Stadium in Rio. Pilar Olivares/Reuters

Chateau Miranda, Celles, Belgium

Chateau Miranda is an abandoned orphanage. rphstock / Shutterstock

Gwrych Castle, North Wales

Gwrych Castle was built in the early 1800s. Gail Johnson / Shutterstock

Holy Family Orphanage, Marquette, Michigan

Holy Family Orphanage closed in 1965. Flickr / Chad Johnson

The Moynaq Ship Graveyard, Uzbekistan

This was once one of the largest lakes in the world. Shutterstock

Willard Asylum, Willard, New York, USA

Hundreds of empty suitcases were found. Freaktography/Shutterstock

St. George's Basilica, Lukova, Czech Republic

Ghostly figures line the pews in St. George's Basilica. CharlitoCZ/Shutterstock

Petite Ceinture, Paris, France

Paris' abandoned railroad. Remy de la Mauviniere/AP

Enchanted Forest Playland, Toledo, Ohio

The park closed after only 5 years. Seth Lawless

Rhyolite, Nevada

The Ryholite Mercantile building. Jimtake/ Shutterstock

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