Amazing abandoned American places then and now
Sites with stories to tell

From ghost towns to former hospitals, mines and even subway stations, America has a whole host of abandoned places which give a fascinating insight into its past. But just what did these places look like back in the day? Join us as we peel back the layers of history and reveal what these places looked like before they were abandoned.
Bannack, Montana, 1920

Bannack, Montana, modern-day

By the 1940s Bannack was a ghost town, and it could have fallen victim to vandalism had it not been declared a State Park in 1954. Today, the strikingly well-preserved remains of wooden houses, mining equipment and community buildings make this one of the most compelling Gold Rush towns in western America.
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Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1934

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, modern-day

Why were these inhumane methods used? The Quakers believed that if prisoners were forced into solitary confinement – eating, sleeping and exercising alone, and reading the only book that was allowed, the Bible – they would be forced into deep inward reflection and repent for their crimes. In fact, by all accounts these conditions were unbearable. The penitentiary closed in 1971, after 142 years in operation. It reopened as a museum in 1994, allowing visitors to wander through its haunting corridors and peek inside its tiny, isolating cells.
Bodie, California, 1934

Bodie, California, modern-day

Shakespeare, New Mexico, c.1930s

Shakespeare, New Mexico, modern-day

Yet Shakespeare never returned to its mid-1870s heyday, when there were as many as 3,000 people living here. After the 1893 depression, the mines had to shut and the town was all but abandoned. Today, it’s recognised as a National Historic Site and visitors can book onto a scheduled tour.
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Calico, California, 1882

Calico, California, 2008

Mirroring the fate of other gold- and silver-rush towns across the nation, Calico suffered when the price of silver plummeted in the mid-1890s and mining officially ended here in 1907. Although a cyanide plant was built a decade later, that was also short-lived and the town was left to decay in the 1930s. Thankfully, restorations beginning in the 1950s – courtesy of local farmer Walter Knott, who bought the town – have helped keep Calico’s history alive.
Quincy Mine, Hancock, Michigan, 1900

Quincy Mine, Hancock, Michigan, modern-day

But all good things have to come to an end, and in 1945 the Michigan mine ceased operations. Today it’s protected by the Quincy Mine Hoist Association, which typically runs guided tours for visitors, which include underground exploration of the mine itself and access to the working cog rail tram.
Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, Jersey City, New Jersey, 1909

More than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. While most people know about its Great Hall, where newly arrived people were processed, it’s also home to America’s first public health hospital. After entering the island, immigrants received a check-up. Those with conditions deemed a threat to public health were turned away, and anyone else who required treatment were sent to this hospital. The Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital treated more than 10,000 patients a year at its peak in 1914.
Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, Jersey City, New Jersey, modern-day

The number of patients began to dwindle after the early 1900s and it eventually closed in 1930. Although the facility was repurposed as a military hospital in the decades that followed, it was finally abandoned entirely in the 1950s. Today, those wishing to visit can take part in a 90-minute tour, run by the Save Ellis Island organisation.
Old Joliet Prison, Joliet, Illinois, 1931

Recognise this spooky-looking former prison? That’s because it’s had on-screen appearances in films and TV series such as The Blues Brothers and Prison Break. Built in the 1850s, it’s an enormous facility, with 24 buildings and 25-foot-tall (7.6m) surrounding walls. Conditions were cramped and unsanitary – it didn’t even have running water or toilets in cells until 1910 – and it was the site of numerous hangings and executions.
Old Joliet Prison, Joliet, Illinois, modern-day

When nearby Stateville Penitentiary opened in the 1920s, Old Joliet was supposed to close, but it remained in operation until 2002. Today, its buildings are well-preserved, despite having been abandoned for almost two decades, and visitors can take a walking tour of the facility.
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama, 1906

Built during the 1880s by railroad magnate Colonel James Sloss, Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces was created at the peak of America’s industrial era. It quickly grew to become one of the world’s largest producers of pig iron by the beginning of the First World War. But the workforce at Sloss was extremely segregated, with all managerial roles being held by white people and African-Americans providing all the hard labour.
Sloss Furnaces, Birmingham, Alabama, modern-day

The original mining complex was replaced throughout the early 20th century, and the oldest building we can see today dates back to 1902. In the 1960s, air pollution in Birmingham was chronic and the introduction of the US Clean Air Act ruled that out-of-date mining facilities had to shut. Local preservationists lobbied for Sloss Furnaces to become a historic site and in 1977, the government issued $3.3 million (£2.5m) to preserve it. Today, the abandoned relic stands as an intriguing insight into America’s industrial past.
West Virginia Penitentiary, Moundsville, West Virginia, 1900

West Virginia Penitentiary, Moundsville, West Virginia, modern-day

The penitentiary was the site of 93 executions, which were done by public hanging up until 1931, and it closed its doors for good in 1995. Since then, the abandoned site has developed a reputation for being haunted by its former inmates: visitors have reported seeing ghosts, hearing voices and experiencing a feeling of being watched while they wander its spooky interior. Today, West Virginia Penitentiary has a number of tour options for those wishing to learn about its chilling history.
Kennecott, McCarthy, Alaska, 1964

Named after the glacier near which it’s located, the town of Kennecott (also known as Kennicott) was founded after copper was discovered in the area in the early 1900s. In fact, a whopping $200 million (£150m) worth of copper was extracted here between 1911 and 1938. But supplies of copper ore began to shrink by the 1920s and the company that owned Kennecott’s mine diversified into other areas.
Kennecott, McCarthy, Alaska, modern-day

Bannerman Castle, Pollepel Island, New York, 1917

Sitting on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River, Bannerman Castle was built by Scotsman Francis Bannerman in 1901 as a place to store army equipment and weapons. Along with his family, Bannerman had established a thriving business in military supplies: in fact, half of all commemorative cannons in the US are said to have been purchased from them.
Bannerman Castle, Pollepel Island, New York, modern-day

As well as the storage site, a smaller building on the island was created and used as the Bannermans’ holiday home. Two years after Francis’ death in 1918, a gunpowder explosion badly damaged the property, then in 1950 the ferry that ran between the island and the mainland sank. Abandoned since 1957, the haunting castle has fallen victim to vandalism and graffiti over the years, although it’s currently protected by the Bannerman Castle Trust.
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City Hall subway station, New York City, New York, 1904

City Hall subway station, New York City, New York, modern-day

But it was the architectural features which made City Hall subway station so stunning that were also responsible for its downfall. When the design of subway cars changed in later decades, the station’s curved ceilings weren’t able to accommodate their shape, and in 1945 it was forced to close. Today, passengers can’t use the stop but they can travel through it, if they stay on board the 6 train after Brooklyn Bridge.
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