Once beloved family homes, important medical institutions or popular tourist attractions, these abandoned buildings are full of stories, secrets – and maybe the odd spirit, too.
From a long disused psychiatric asylum to a tuberculosis sanatorium and a deserted theme park, these awesome abandoned buildings are sure to send shivers down your spine.
Click or scroll on as we reveal the spookiest abandoned buildings around the world...
Looking down on Eastern State Penitentiary, you'd be forgiven for feeling a little uncomfortable. The eerie and expansive building boasts a dramatic star-shaped layout and is enclosed by soaring concrete walls.
The prison opened its doors in 1829 and soon became one of the most expensive and populated prisons in the United States. At the time, many believed that crime was the result of environment, so the new facility focussed on "confinement in solitude with labour". Essentially, they thought solitude would make the convicts penitent, hence the word 'penitentiary'.
Despite its secure cells and intimidating exterior walls, more than 100 people escaped from Eastern State during its 142-year history. In 1945, 12 men escaped through a tunnel they’d dug from the prison to Fairmount Avenue and 22nd Street.
It isn't hard to understand why many were keen to flee. After visiting in 1842, author Charles Dickens described the penitentiary’s practices as “rigid, strict and hopeless", stating the way the prisoners were treated was "cruel and wrong". The first of several investigations into the prison's punishment practices were undertaken in 1834.
The prison housed numerous notable criminals over the decades, including infamous gangster Al Capone and William Francis "Slick Willie" Sutton, one of the most famous bank robbers in American history. The penitentiary was named an historic property by the City of Philadelphia in 1958, and a National Historic Landmark in 1965.
In January 1970, the prison was closed and abandoned. The City of Philadelphia bought the building in 1980 for just over $400k ($1.6m/£1.2m today). Today, it's a museum and visitors can step inside the cold, dingy cells. Would you dare?
Berry Pomeroy Castle in Devon, England, is thought to be one of the most haunted locations in Britain. The castle was built during the later 15th century by the Pomeroy family. Later, the Seymour family built a modest early Elizabethan mansion within the castle's walls.
They enlarged the home in around 1600, but they soon ran out of money and the mansion was never finished. By 1700, it had been abandoned.
By 1697, the building had all but been dismantled. "Timber beams were removed whole; flagstone floors lifted; lead and tiles stripped from roofs; glass torn from windows, their leading being melted down", explains English Heritage.
In the late 18th century, the ruins became popular with visitors and rumours began swirling about its supposed sinister history. These stories were influenced by Edward Montague's The Castle of Berry Pomeroy, a Gothic novel of murder and ghostly revenge.
Despite this folklore being mostly based on fiction, many believe the place to be haunted. According to ghost hunt event organisers Haunted Rooms, many people have reported ghostly phenomena and apparitions at the castle.
One of these ghosts, The White Lady, is said to be the restless soul of Margaret Pomeroy. Margaret was apparently held captive in the dungeons of St. Margaret’s Tower by her sister, Eleanor, and starved to death. She is thought to haunt the dungeons and has been seen waving to visitors.
Sprawling and spooky in equal measure, Beechworth Asylum (also known as Mayday Hills) has become a hotspot for ghost hunters, with the current owners running ghost tours for brave explorers. Known for paranormal activity, countless visitors have reported seeing ghostly apparitions and hearing whispers or unexplained footsteps.
The psychiatric hospital, which is located in the rural town of Beechworth, Australia, opened in October 1867. The facility was once one of the largest of its kind, with 67 buildings. At its peak, it reportedly housed 1,200 patients and 500 staff members.
The asylum is positioned at the top of a hill, since it was believed that altitude would "cleanse the patients of their illnesses". A "ha-ha wall" runs around the perimeter of the grounds – a trench-like barrier that prevented patients from escaping.
During their time in the institution, male patients worked as labourers, undertaking jobs like carpentry, painting and shoe-making, while women were put to work doing domestic activities, such as laundry and sewing. But, sadly, the patients here likely didn't enjoy their stay...
Many of the unfortunate souls who were incarcerated at Beechworth were restrained in shackles and straitjackets, placed in isolation boxes and forced to go through electroconvulsive therapy. As a result, 9,000 people died during its 128 years of operation.
The hospital was decommissioned in 1995 and has been vacant ever since; its rooms are still filled with furniture and surgical equipment. YouTuber, Lukie Mc, was brave enough to explore the abandoned asylum during a private tour. Would you follow in his footsteps?
What could be spookier than a disused funeral home? Positioned in rural Wilcox County, Georgia, the Community Funeral Home was once a place where locals would go to arrange a fond farewell for their loved ones.
Today, it's a deserted reminder of those who came before us. Captured by photographer Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast, the funeral home is equal parts eerie, fascinating and unusual.
According to Leland's research, the home was established in the 2000s and quickly expanded to include a second chapel and additional rooms for guests. Sadly, shortly after the home was extended, it closed down for good, with no explanation.
The building has sat abandoned for over 10 years and, remarkably, its interior remains almost untouched. Leland described the place as "a time capsule of mourning rituals and community care".
Those brave enough to step inside will find legal documents, chapel furniture, embalming equipment (including fluids and tools), and eerily empty caskets.
According to Leland, the home was purchased by a funeral director in 2024 and, following renovations, is set to reopen under a new name.
When in operation, funfairs and theme parks are places of laughter and excitement. But, when they're left abandoned, they quickly turn into the stuff of nightmares.
Enter Nara Dreamland. The amusement park opened in 1961 and was inspired by Disneyland. But sadly, by 2006 the park's visitor numbers had declined significantly and it was officially shut down.
Not only was the theme park abandoned, but every single object, ride and installation was left there to decay. In 2023, journalist Michael Turtle visited the vacant park.
"The ticket booths still stand next to the ride entrances, the carriages still sit on the tracks of the rollercoasters, even the chairs and the coffee machines are still in the restaurants," he said of his visit.
Nara Dreamland isn't the only abandoned theme park in Japan, either. In Nikko, you'll find Western Village, a western-themed amusement park that opened in 1973.
It closed in 2007 and was quickly overtaken by Mother Nature. Featuring everything from a replica of Mount Rushmore to a mock general store, barbershop, church, sheriff’s station and prison, the deserted theme park is equally as spine-chilling as Nara Dreamland.
As creepy as it is fascinating, Beelitz-Heilstätten lies about an hour outside of Berlin, Germany. Between 1902 and the 1930s, it operated as a tuberculosis sanatorium. At the time, this highly contagious and infectious disease was spreading rapidly around Berlin. It was responsible for one in every three deaths during its peak.
The building was later used as a military hospital during World War I. After the end of World War II, it officially became a Soviet military hospital and operated as such until 1995, when it was abandoned.
Despite its current state, the hospital is said to have offered patients a “spa getaway”. Those confined to its walls were separated by gender and undertook a range of holistic treatments to help cure their ailments, including saltwater steam inhalation, cold-water walking and silent afternoons in the once-idyllic grounds.
Today, the ominous structure is open as a museum. There’s a treetop walk that visitors can explore, taking in the full scale and spookiness of this historic site.
Those brave enough can explore the surgery building, the derelict dining room and numerous eerie spaces that appear to have been left untouched for decades.
Some say former patients still wander the wards and many visitors seek out the Schleicher von Beelitz, or Sneaker of Beelitz. He is said to have roamed the halls since the late ‘90s, masquerading as a ghost to deter vandals and bad behaviour. Legend has it that he lurks in crawl spaces, crying out for his mother in a child’s voice. Or, he camouflages himself and leaps out at tourists, with an axe in his hands.
Take one look at this photograph and you'll realise that it isn't the abandoned buildings of La Isla de la Muñecas that make it spooky – it's the countless dolls that are tied to them and the surrounding trees.
La Isla de las Muñecas translates to 'Island of the Dead Dolls' it and can be found in the canals of Xochimilco, south of Mexico City. With a long and sad history, the island would be a seriously poignant place to visit.
According to legend, a farmer known as Julián Santana started the phenomenon in 1950. Julián reportedly discovered the body of a girl who had drowned in the water surrounding the island.
Shortly after, he found an abandoned doll. Unsurprisingly, the experience affected him greatly. According to his nephew, Anastasio, Julián began to be frequented by spirits and even started hearing the cries of a woman.
In a bid to scare off these spirits, Julián began hanging dolls from the trees on the island. He soon became obsessed, sourcing abandoned toys from across Mexico City and hanging them throughout the island to protect himself from further paranormal activity.
In a sad and shocking twist, Julián's body was reportedly discovered floating in the water, in the same place where the unfortunate girl was said to have been found years before. Anastasio inherited the island and is said to allow visitors to take a look around in exchange for a small fee.