Once home to 10,000 people, Bodie boomed in the 1870s and 1880s, when gold was found in the hills surrounding Mono Lake. It’s now a State Historic Park, with some parts of the town preserved in a state of “arrested decay”—think … Read More
United States
Bannerman Castle – New York
Scottish immigrant Francis Bannerman achieved his American dream and made a mint collecting and selling army surplus goods (cannons, Civil War uniforms, etc.). After a major purchase following the Spanish-American Civil War, Bannerman had to find a larger space to … Read More
Six Flags – New Orleans – United States
The Six Flags in New Orleans was one of the architectural casualties of Hurricane Katrina. The park was flooded, and the water remained stagnant there for several weeks. The park is currently a pastel wasteland, full of skeletal roller coasters, … Read More
Eastern State Penitentiary – Philadelphia
The castle-like Eastern State Penitentiary was built in 1829 and immediately took solitary confinement to new levels. Prisoners lived alone, exercised alone, and ate alone; when an inmate left his cell, a guard would cover their head with a hood so he … Read More
Kennecott – Alaska
Nearly $200 million worth of copper was processed in Kennecott (located in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park) from 1911 to 1938, a self-contained mining town with its own hospital, skating rink, tennis court, and dairy. But most of the buildings have now … Read More
City Methodist Church – Gary – Indiana
Famous for being the birthplace of Michael Jackson (and setting of The Music Man, obviously), Gary, Indiana also happens to be the site of one of the prettiest, eeriest, most abandoned churches in the country. Originally built in 1926 with money donated … Read More
Dome Homes – Marco Island – Florida
If Luke Skywalker lived in Florida, you could probably find him meditating in one of the Dome Homes off the tip of Marco Island. The alien-looking houses were actually the brainchild of a retired oil tycoon, who built the structures in 1981 to … Read More
Glacier National Park – United States
The name of this park would give you an idea of a place full of glaciers, but sadly one of the most beautiful parks in the United States is quickly losing the one thing for which it is known- glaciers! … Read More