# Is it illegal to explore an abandoned building? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 6, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192 "2003-06-06T23:06:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [June 8, 2003, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/21 "2003-06-08T11:47:57Z")
Hobos & derelicts make use of abandoned buildings. So do junkies. It might not be a good idea to meet some of these people alone, at night, in an isolated area that is seldom patrolled by the Law, when nobody knows where you are. IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/22 "2003-06-08T12:23:12Z")
When I was 16, a buddy of mine wandered through an abandoned museum near the Astrodome. I was constructed to look like a castle and quite inviting. A private security guard, the owner, both with shotguns pointing at us, and a mean looking dog (a german sheppard, I think), were facing us when we obeyed the order to come out. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/23 "2003-06-08T12:25:36Z")
Forgot to finish, he let us go with a warning, and our parents phone number. ---
**Author:** ![waltcatb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@waltcatb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waltcatb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/24 "2003-06-08T17:58:26Z")
Yes, it is against the law to enter an abandon building. My son was arrested for it with 3 other boys. ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/25 "2003-06-08T18:05:34Z")
They can be charged with trespassing, B&E (breaking and entering) and burglary. If they are minors, they may end up with a juvenile delinquent record. ---
**Author:** ![xvxdarkknightxvx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/34f0e0/32.png) [@xvxdarkknightxvx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xvxdarkknightxvx)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/26 "2003-06-08T18:22:11Z")
**ñañi** , does this asylum happen to be in Menlo Park (Edison), New Jersey? ---
**Author:** ![waltcatb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@waltcatb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waltcatb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/27 "2003-06-08T22:27:43Z")
No, xvx, it happened in Pennsylvania and they were arrested for going into an old abandoned building. ---
**Author:** ![waltcatb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@waltcatb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waltcatb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/28 "2003-06-08T22:30:14Z")
Right,Cillasi. They were only 12 and 13 years old. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/29 "2003-06-08T22:32:27Z")
You meddling kids! ---
**Author:** ![waltcatb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@waltcatb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waltcatb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/30 "2003-06-08T23:38:41Z")
Astro, just shows you what is happing in the world today. Years ago the Cops would have brought you home to Mom & Dad for a good spanking. And you would never do it again. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2003, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/31 "2003-06-08T23:43:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by waltcatb \* > \*\*Astro, just shows you what is happing in the world today. Years ago the Cops would have brought you home to Mom & Dad for a good spanking. And you would never do it again. \*\* A perfectly good Scooby aside lost… like tears in the rain. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/32 "2003-06-09T00:34:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\*Anybody remember the Iowa farmerwho had an abandoned house on his property? he boarded it up, and put “NO TRESPASSING” signs up…but somelocal kids kept breaking in. So he wired up a shotgun to blast smeone breaking in via the door…and the dumbass kid sued him and won! > \*\* Those kids should have just left it alone for years and waitied until the farmer got old and came down with Alzheimers, and one day went to check on the old farmhouse, and . . . ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Salads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mr\_Salads](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Salads)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192/33 "2003-06-09T01:07:37Z")
I filmed a 16mm short at an abandoned movie theater. It was up for sale, though, so I don’t know if I did anything wrong. We didn’t steal anything obviously; we took some shots of it and left. But if it’s shown at festivals, I’m wondering about that… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-illegal-to-explore-an-abandoned-building/180192.md?page=1)