I love history, architecture and anything spooky, so a fascination with abandoned buildings—especially the ones that possess an eerie beauty—is natural for me. There’s something really stirring and captivating about a place that was once-gorgeous falling into disarray. The forgotten tokens, some small (like papers, a doll) and some huge (like a grand piano), add a Miss Havisham quality that tugs at the heart.
I am often amazed by the abandoned places I’ve seen with my own eyes in major metropolitan cities. I’ve seen examples everywhere I go, and that’s surprising: Chicago, St. Louis, New York. Often times crumbling relics of the past are surrounded by occupied structures in the present. Why hasn’t anyone resurrected that building, I always wonder. Why is no one concerned about it? It depresses me, but it also fascinates me.
Ballroom, Lee Plaza Hotel, Detroit (via)
Church, Gary, Indiana (via)
Highland Park police station, Detroit (via)
City Hall subway station, NYC (via)
City Hall subway station, NYC (via)
Hyde Park hospital, Illinois (via)
Chicago (via)
Michigan Central Building, Detroit (via)
Farewell Building, Detroit (via)
David Broderick Building, Detroit (via)
Cathedral, Philadelphia (via)
David Whitney Building, Detroit (via)
United Artist Theater, Detroit (via)
Ballroom, American Hotel, Detroit (via)
Amusement park, South Korea (via)
Roller coaster, Japan (via)
Amusement park, Japan (via)
Once-lovely apartment buildings, Detroit (via)
Biology classroom, Wilbur Wright High School, Detroit (via)
Amusement park, China (via)
Amusement park, China (via)
Danvers State Hospital (via)
Love love LOVE this post!! I could spend days looking at abandoned buildings. I agree – it is so very sad to know that at one time they were beautiful and occupied. But, there is just something about the creepy calm in these photographs, many of them still beautiful…and part of me always wants to go and fix them up and return them to their former glory! I used to want to turn everything into a wedding venue, so perhaps that's why.
If I had an unthinkable amount of money burning a hole in my pocket, I think restoring old buildings would definitely become a hobby of mine. 🙂
Oh! And check out this place in Liberty, MO – once abandoned, then purchased and rehabbed into a winery! http://www.belvoirwinery.com/ SUCH history (kind of a creepy one, too – they say it's haunted). I wanted to turn it into a venue before I knew it was owned and had plans. 🙂
Thanks for sharing that winery! I will have to check it out. Abandoned-building-turned-beautiful plus wine? My two favorite things.
Great photos! I love your blog!
your blog is so nice. keep posting! can we follow each other?
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Wow, what stunning and evocative images. Detroit sure has a large number of abandoned buildings; it seems such a waste.