# Have you ever explored an abandoned place? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989 "2012-05-05T14:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/41 "2012-05-06T14:41:29Z")
I’ve wandered around some old ghost towns in Colorado. Really just mining camps from the late 1800’s (“town” is a bit of at stretch). I’m going back up there next month to try to reach a few places I’ve heard about. I’m not a heavy-duty offroader, so sometimes I give up when roads get too iffy. If I find anything, I’ll post the pics. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/42 "2012-05-06T15:26:40Z")
An abandoned nuclear power plant in Cienfuegos Cuba. > **[Juragua Nuclear Power Plant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juragua_Nuclear_Power_Plant)** > > Juragua Nuclear Power Plant was a nuclear power plant under construction in Cuba when a suspension of construction was announced in 1992 following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the termination of Soviet economic aid to Cuba. Russia and Cuba sought third-country financing to complete the plant in the mid-1990s but in 2000 the two countries agreed to abandon the project. > A workers' town, Ciudad Nuclear, was built next to the plant and is inhabited today with many buildings left in a half-fi... A buddy of mine and I rented a car in Havana about 10 years ago, and we were wandering around Cuba. We got lost in Cienfuegos and stopped the car to explore this unknown, to us, structure. The gate was open and abandoned, so we starting walking towards the power plant. Once we realized what it was, we chickened out and left. Did not know at the time if the place was radioactive or not. The outbuildings had a lot of graffiti , discarded bottles and condoms, so we assumed the local teens must use it as a place to party. ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/43 "2012-05-06T16:45:24Z")
> [@Mithras](#): > > Years ago, I went through the abandoned Torrance Hospital at night. It’s still there, but supposedly there’s a more aggressive effort to keep people out now. It’s an abandoned psychiatric hospital with an open, newer one within walking distance. It’s been closed for decades and the creepiest place I’ve ever been. The plaster’s peeling from the walls, beds are scattered in some rooms, as I recall there’s a shower room on one of the underground floors, and the boiler room was something else. If you’ve ever played a Silent Hill game, Torrance was the only real place that’s given me a similar feeling of dread as one of those. FWIW, Silent Hill is based very closely on Centralia, PA: > **[6 Fictional Places You Didn't Know Actually Existed](https://www.cracked.com/article_19621_6-fictional-places-you-didnt-know-actually-existed.html)** > > Part of what makes fantasy and sci-fi appealing is that it's not just a bunch of characters -- it's a whole world. One you want to live in. And while that's not possible, you can come pretty close, because it turns out a lot of these fantasy settings... (scroll down) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/44 "2012-05-06T18:37:14Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Oddly we did the same, in the early 70’s, and found nothing but a homeless dude, who did threaten us with a bamboo 'spear". Interesting. As I mentioned, our “guard” wasn’t uniformed, but he definitely wasn’t homeless. He was clean cut; dark T-shirt and jeans weren’t ratty looking; his gun was a Beretta type pistol in a belt holster. To us, he looked and acted like a private watchman of some sort. I’m surprised by how clearly I remember all this. BY THE WAY… have you ever seen any photos of the place? All I’ve ever come up with is one low quality shot of some wide outdoor steps. . ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/45 "2012-05-06T21:07:48Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > [resisting urge to post tasteless mother joke] > > The [National Park Seminary](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Seminary_Historic_District) in Silver Spring, MD. It was once a girl’s school and it was bought by the military in the early 40s to be used as a supplementary facility for Walter Reed Army Hospital but they never actually did anything with the property. When I was in high school in the mid-90s it was a popular place to hang out as it was a complex of really cool buildings (see pics at bottom of Wikipedia page). The structures were all shuttered but it was simple enough to pry back a plywood sheet and climb in to explore. It was in pretty bad condition, as it had been ignored for decades, but it was just a really cool place. > > It has since been renovated and developed into condos (but the original buildings still exist). I had to look at some of the links, but it appears to be the same place I worked as an overnight guard at in the late 70’s. It got a bit spooky at night and the pool area and the dorms were the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/46 "2012-05-06T21:13:00Z")
An abandoned cemetery, circa 1930s, for African Americans. Graves collapsing in on themselves. I walked around, realized a grave could collapse under my feet, reflected upon how isolated it was, & left in good order. ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/47 "2012-05-06T21:28:16Z")
[This](http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/) is the forum for urban exploring in the UK - some superb photographs there and just a fantastic site all-round. Also good advice if you want to go and explore some abandoned sites. There can be a bit of a lame, middle class voyeurism vibe to it IMO. _To think - people once worked here in this abandoned factory. Hold my ipad whilst I change this camera lens_. At least in terms of making ‘urb-exing’ your hobby. But bottom line is it’s fascinating to explore and document these old places. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/48 "2012-05-07T02:28:37Z")
Been to Centralia. It isn’t remotely like Silent Hill. Of late, there isn’t much there at all. When you visit websites devoted to the place, be aware that the cemeteries, cracks in the earth, etcetera, are all atop one hill and don’t amount to more than a city block. The area is lively with other thriving villages in plain sight. If you didn’t know that you were “in” Centralia you could blithely drive through without realizing it. That said, the local people were very friendly and happy to talk at length about local history when I visited. I had a great time, and I’m sure you would too, but it isn’t at all eerie or scary or disturbing. There is, in fact, a really cool amusement park not too far away. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/49 "2012-05-07T04:44:32Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Interesting. As I mentioned, our “guard” wasn’t uniformed, but he definitely wasn’t homeless. He was clean cut; dark T-shirt and jeans weren’t ratty looking; his gun was a Beretta type pistol in a belt holster. To us, he looked and acted like a private watchman of some sort. I’m surprised by how clearly I remember all this. > > BY THE WAY… have you ever seen any photos of the place? All I’ve ever come up with is one low quality shot of some wide outdoor steps. > . There’s two locations for “the Houdini Mansion ruins” so that may be a problem. You can get a fairly good shot from Google earth. The “real” place is on the right hand or upper side of the street. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/50 "2012-05-07T15:48:28Z")
I’ve been part of an exploration team assessing the viability of reopening an old section of a gold mine, workings that had been abandoned in the 70s. Around 750m underground, I think. There was fungus growing on the old prop stacks! Most of the main trackway was waist-deep under water! And because this wasn’t a well-ventilated level, it got hot. Like, 40+ deg. C hot! Fun times. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/51 "2012-05-07T15:58:54Z")
I was in an abandoned hospital for work, doing some training. Not old, just abandoned. About 3/4 of the lights were out, so me and another guy had some down time and were walking around with flashlights. We found ourselves in an OR, which still had the big lights hanging from the ceiling and everything. I thought that was pretty cool, then it occurred to me: People had died right were I was standing. Really creepy. The bright side of that trip was that I found a cabinet labeled ‘Anal Dressings’. I took the tag. And after all, if you’re going to toss a salad, isn’t anal dressing the perfect thing? ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/52 "2012-05-07T16:15:03Z")
I explored an old house in the woods with Sunday comics for wallpaper. I was worried about falling through the floor. The house is gone now. ---
**Author:** ![Raza](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raza/32/213_2.png) [@Raza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raza)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/53 "2012-05-07T19:29:53Z")
Not “abandoned” as in disowned, but for all other purposes: old launch complexes on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Especially somber: the old complex 34, where Grissom, White, and Chaffee died in the Apollo 1 fiasco. It was amazing going through the old blockhouses, the flame chutes, escape tunnels, and all the other stuff in and around launch complexes of various sizes and ages. When I was there, many of the complexes had been unused for decades. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Lord\_Il\_Palazzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Il_Palazzo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2012, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989/54 "2012-05-07T19:50:50Z")
Not really abandoned, but a couple years ago I did once let myself get talked into spending the night in an [allegedly haunted former prison](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Penitentiary). A few rooms near the entrance where kept up as an information center and museum, but the remainder was unlit, uncleaned and left more or less untouched since the prison shut down in the mid-90s. It was definitely creepy, though I didn’t see anything I’d ever think to call supernatureal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-explored-an-abandoned-place/620989.md?page=2)