There are places on our planet that look like they come directly out of horror stories. It’s interesting to see that certain things and places that once belonged to thriving communities are being taken back by Mother Nature. I guess that’s just the natural order of things, but at least there are some pretty great pictures. Take a look at this amazing collection of abandoned places found on all corners of the Earth.
1. Kolmanskop, Namibia
Kolmanskop was home to one of the most well-known diamond mines in recent history. German miners flocked to this city and soon hospitals, schools, and the first tram in Africa were built. As the diamond mine became void of its resources, miners and their families packed up and headed southward near the Orange River where the largest diamond mine known to man became fair game.
2. 102-Year-Old Floating Forest in Sydney, Australia
The boat you see in the picture is the SS Aryfield, just one of the abandoned boats left in Homebush Bay in Sydney. The Bay used to be used as a ship wrecking yard where boats from all around the world came to be dismantled. When operations ceased, the remaining ships were left to decay. Basically, Homebush Bay has become a floating graveyard for decommissioned ships.
3. Last House on Holland Island, U.S.A
The lone house on a small part of Holland Island tells a tale of a fierce battle between man and nature. The house, built in 1888, handled itself bravely against erosion along the shoreline on Holland Island for several decades. Despite the last owner’s best efforts to protect his property, the surging waters and weak soil had the last say and dragged his home and land away from Holland Island.
4. Abandoned Wooden Houses, Russia
Russia’s forests hide some of the most beautiful wooden houses ever built. These constructions have remained uninhabited for years due to their unfortunate location in practically the middle of nowhere, Russia. These buildings, still with intact ornate fixtures and decaying furniture, have become somewhat of an attraction for foreigners and locals who can brave the harsh sub-zero tundra.
5. Underwater City in Shicheng, China
The 1,300-plus-year-old ruins of an ancient city lost in time was not an outcome of global warming but rather a man-made phenomenon for the betterment of modern civilization. In 1959, the local government decided to construct a new hydroelectric power station was needed to fulfill the demand of the growing population. A dam was constructed and the rushing waters soon submerged Shicheng in more than 100 feet of water.
6. The Abandoned City Hall Subway Stop in New York, U.S.A.
City Hall Loop, opened in 1904, was once a lavish terminal station that served around 600 passengers a day. Passenger travel through this station was discontinued after 40 years of operation due to the dramatic increase in New York’s population. Today, you can only visit the station during very specific times of the year. It used to be a popular destination where locals and travelers could look at the intricate designs of the past, but it closed due to security reasons in the mid-20th century.
7. Salto Hotel, Colombia
Hotel del Salto was built in Bogota, Columbia, in the early 20th century by famous architect Carlos Arturo Tapias. It was one of the most luxurious hotels in the country that housed the famous, the powerful, and the corrupt. Unfortunately, due to the increasing pollution in the nearby Bogota River, people lost interest in visiting the hotel, and in the 1990s it became abandoned.
8. Abandoned Military Hospital in Beelitz, Germany
Beelitz-Heilstätten is the now-abandoned where Hitler was tended to after receiving wounds during World War I. The hospital was converted into a military hospital when the war broke out. It was considered the leading hospital for treating neurological disorders and tuberculosis after the Axis’ fall in World War II.
9. Abandoned Church in the Snow, Canada
From the outside, the church may look like it’s still active, albeit in need of major renovations, but the church has actually been abandoned for quite some time. Within the church, we can still find the chairs perfectly lined up, a few bibles scattered here and there, and a perfectly good pulpit awaiting its pastor for Sunday’s sermon.
10. Hashima Island, Japan
Hashima Island is just one out of more than 500 abandoned islands belonging to the Nagasaki Prefecture. The island remains a symbol of Japan’s industrialization, though it stains the country’s history with its forced slavery during World War 2. The 6.3-hectare island was home to one of the country’s undersea coal mines. Today, many of the buildings have been repaired, and the island has been opened up to the public and travelers.
11. Abandoned Train Station, Abkhazia, Georgia
The ruins of this train station in Georgia connected passengers travelers from the country going to Russia. The 63-mile lone railway has been left for dead since the War in Abkhazia between 1992 and 1993. Although there are clear signs of decay and deterioration, the interior of the station still reflects some of its former glory.
12. The Haunting New Bedford Orpheum, U.S.A.
The Orpheum Theater was originally called the Majestic Opera House. Its construction coincidentally began on the day of the Titanic’s demise – something that many people considered a bad omen. At its peak, it was able to seat 1,500 people and was used only for the most special events in the northeastern US. It closed its doors in 1959.
13. Fishing village at Gouqi Island, China
Gouqi Island is just one of nearly 400 islands belonging to the Shengi Islands and a minor part of the Zhoushan Archipelago. It was one of the largest fishing villages of the Archipelago, but it unfortunately became abandoned due to polluted waters and a general disinterest in the area’s catches. It remains one of the most well-preserved islands of the Zhoushan Archipelago.
14. The Initiation Wells in the Town of Sintra, Portugal
The Quinta de Regaleira estate is an ancient site that contains the ruins of a castle, chapel, and amazing stuccoes, but it’s the pair of wells that really brings in an influx of thousands of visitors annually. The wells, known together as the Initiation Wells, had a symbolic meaning of death and rebirth. The spiral design of the well depicts the nine circles of Hell and the nine circles of Paradise.
15. The Crystal Mill in Crystal, Colorado
This old mill was a powerhouse constructed in the late 1800s. With its large horizontal waterwheel, it could supply energy for miners working in several silver mining sites in the area. As the silver rush died down, so did the need of the mill, and eventually it fell into disuse in 1917.
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