If you’re looking for a thrilling and unforgettable road trip, these spots are for you. Abandoned places have a unique appeal. They are a mix of weird, beautiful, and creepy, as they show the remnants of civilization that were left behind.
We’ve already explored many stunningly weird abandoned places around the world. But you don’t need to travel far to find them — there are many decaying, abandoned structures right here in the USA.
These are 7 cases of weird (and sometimes creepy) abandoned places in America. You can even go to most of them — but be careful, it’s at your own peril.
The Abandoned Six Flags Park in New Orleans, Louisiana
The theme park in New Orleans that was part of Six Flags opened as Jazzland in 2000. The renowned amusement park chain took over it in 2003 and ran it for two years.
And then Hurricane Katrina hit.
The storm devastated the amusement park and left it in debris. The Six Flags company faced a nightmare of insurance claims that took years to clear.
In the meantime, the forsaken park became a regular spot for urban explorers, graffiti creators, and other temporary visitors. Despite numerous plans to restore the park, it has stayed in ruins until now.
But you might want to move quickly if you want to explore the ruined amusement park. Recently, a plan to change the place into a shopping center was approved — and this time they say they’re really going to do it.
The Burning Ghost Town of Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia, Pennsylvania, was once a thriving mining town. But in 1962, the enormous underground coal reserves under the town started burning — and they’ve been burning ever since.
Now, more than 60 years later, the flame under Centralia is still alive. The town is basically abandoned and has been removed from the U.S. zip code registry.
Yet, you can visit Centralia. There’s nothing barring you from discovering its spooky beauty.
And just how spooky? Well, Centralia inspired the famous Silent Hill horror video game and movie series. That’s enough.
If you do visit Centralia, though, be polite and stay on the streets. Many of the buildings are still privately owned — and there are even nine registered permanent residents in the town, despite it no longer officially existing.
Murphy’s Ranch — Santa Monica, California
You don’t have to venture to the heart of the Third Reich to discover an abandoned Nazi compound. You just have to go to California.
In the early part of WWII, a mysterious German named “Herr Schmidt” led Winona and Norman Stephens to think that Germany would inevitably win the war. He persuaded them to build a place where they and other Nazi admirers could be safe until the Germans overtook the U.S.
Of course, that never happened. So, the supposed self-supporting Nazi paradise now stays abandoned in Santa Monica.
It was a splendid waste of $4 million. But at least the Stephens’ misguided romances with their Ubermensch masters left a cool set of ruins to explore.
The Abandoned City Hall Station in New York City
New York City’s subway stations already look pretty post-apocalyptic. But if you want to see what they really look like when people are gone, the City Hall Station can show you.
The station opened in 1904 and was abandoned in 1945 due to low usage. Yet, it hasn’t been torn down and still sits under the city.
City Hall Station isn’t open to the public and we strongly advise that you don’t try to sneak into it. You could catch a glimpse of it if you stayed on the line 6 train after it goes past its final stop at Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall, but it’s better if you don’t anger the conductors.
Also, you’ll probably get a big fine if you got caught, so don’t.
Santa Claus, Arizona
A strange idea came to life in 1937: a holiday resort town in the Arizona desert, inspired by Santa Claus. It was a bizarre thought experiment, but it became a reality.
The idea survived the planning stage and Santa Claus came to life. It was amazing that the place stayed open until the ‘70s before being deserted.
The town’s buildings, such as Santa’s “Land Office”, still stand today. You can visit them, but the place is surrounded by barbed wire.
You might not encounter anyone if you attempted to get past, but we don’t advise doing that. The wire could cut you, and the crumbling buildings are very unsafe to be near.
The Dome Homes — Cape Romano, Florida
A series of weird concrete domes emerge from the ocean near Cape Romano, Florida. Some people say they’re from outer space, while others believe they belonged to a mysterious cult. The truth is that they’re the leftovers of a strange single-family home built in 1980.
The owners lived in them until 1993, and then they stopped visiting them as often. The home was almost deserted when Hurricane Wilma damaged them. The buildings have never been torn down, so they are still there, gradually being submerged by rising sea levels and sinking land.
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse — Tillamook, Oregon
The nickname of Tillamook Rock Lighthouse is Terrible Tilly. That gives you a good idea of what the place is like.
The lighthouse keeper faced terrible working conditions at the lighthouse, which operated from 1881 to 1957. The isolated building endured constant Pacific storms, isolating the lighthouse keeper from all civilization for weeks or months at a time.
There are rumors that one of them lost their sanity. The place has not become much less creepy after its closure. It’s now a repository for cremated remains and currently holds the ashes of 30 people.