Eerie Abandoned Places In America You Need To Visit
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

Eerie Abandoned Places In America You Need To Visit

It's impressive to see how a place can be reclaimed by nature over a short period of time.

367
Eerie Abandoned Places In America You Need To Visit
Edinchavez

If you've ever taken the time to explore an abandoned ruin then you know the rush you feel when you first arrive. It's almost like stepping into another world. I've always found abandoned places to be serene in some odd way, so I spend a lot of time looking up these places. These are some of my favorite abandoned buildings in the U.S.A.

Six Flags Amusement Park, Louisiana

Hurricane Katrina caused a catastrophic amount of damage to both people, property, and the businesses in New Orleans. Six Flags was no different. The park has been closed to the public since the storms' destruction. Massive roller coasters, water rides, and countless buildings are still scattered around the remains of the park. The water damage to the property is quite severe, which you can tell from the inside to the remaining structures. Costs to repair the park outweighed its worth, which has left it in disrepair to this day. Offers have been made to purchase the park, but they have all been declined by the current owners.

Pennhurst Asylum/Boys School, Pennsylvania

If you ever want to get a good glimpse into the horrors that went on inside some of Americas mental facilities in the early 1900's, just watch 'Suffer The Little Children.' It was a news segment that would play about the Pennhurst boys school and the state hospital. What can easily be considered one of the most horrific places in Pennsylvania, if not all of North America. This isn't your typical insane asylum, a majority of these patients were children. In the early 1960's the facility had been open over 50 years and now held around 3,000 patients. This was a lot more people than the facility had room for, they only had 9 doctors on the staff at the time. It's pretty heartbreaking to think of how these people use to be treated, but the good side to this horror story is that the news clips made peoples stomachs turn. This lead to an uproar in the community, and eventually the end of Pennhurst entirely. In 1987 it closed its doors as a hospital for good. Pennhurst is still standing today, but it isn't exactly abandoned. A lovely man bought the property, and instead of tearing it down decided it was the perfect spot for a haunted house. (I give this man serious props for that inventive idea!)

North Brother Island, New York

A 20-mile island sits decaying near The Bronx, and surprisingly it's not well known. The island was uninhabited until 1885 when Riverside Hospital moved there. It was a hospital that focused mostly on treating and isolating smallpox victims. It expanded over time and focused on treating other diseases, including Tuberculosis. Typhoid Mary was one of the patients at the hospital, staying until her death in 1938. After World War 2 the hospital was converted into veterans housing, and eventually a rehab facility. The rehab center was shut down when it was found that patients weren't getting any better and the staff was corrupt. It's been converted into a bird sanctuary and is currently off-limits to the public, but that doesn't stop adventurous urban explorers from finding their way to its shores.


Central State Hospital, Indiana

This location is widely considered to be Indiana's most haunted spot for various reasons. Central state opened its doors in 1848. They housed only 5 patients when they first opened, but that number quickly grew. Central state was the only mental asylum in the mid-west at the time, so patients from the surrounding states would be sent to them. This would quickly cause over-crowding in the facility. The lack of staff to care for the influx of patients made for wide-spread neglect. In 1905 other mental health facilities opened which helped relieve them of the over-crowding problem. The negligence of the patients was another story, however. At that time we didn't have a grasp on what mental illnesses actually were, so we developed heinous methods of fixing these individuals. Central state used Shock therapy, lobotomized people, and even tied unruly patients in the hospitals' tunnels by chains until they would calm down. Eventually, the rumors of central states patient abuse got out, and in 1994 the facility was officially shut down. The patients were sent home to family, or for the less fortunate soul the streets of Indianapolis. The buildings that held the patients have been torn down a few years ago, but that doesn't mean that it's all gone! The power-plant that ran the facility is still on the property for one main reason. It's connected to the pathology building, which now holds the Indiana Medical History Museum. The administration building is also still on the property, but it has been renovated into student housing for a nearby school.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

49900
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

31825
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

955330
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

180503
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments