One of the most amazing experiences when traveling is the discovery of new places. It is unique when one discovers abandoned towns, cities, buildings, and villages, especially. This offers a time travel experience with an understanding of what was once there, and what's left today. It also offers a chance to learn about the history of such places.
The United States is a big country with many places to visit. One unique experience is finding ghost towns. Ghost towns do not have to be ancient; there are modern-day ghost towns that were abandoned not long ago. The stories behind such towns are fascinating to learn.
10 Thurmond, West Virginia
The story of Thurmond town in West Virginia started a long time ago as it grew due to coal mining, which brought a lot more revenue than other areas. With the coal bringing in a lot of money and resources, the town slowly grew to have several amenities such as banks and a railway line. In the early days of the 20th Century, the town grew further into modern life with a movie theater, stores, banks, hotels, and restaurants. However, things changed with the depletion of coal, and it has since mostly been a ghost town.
9 St. Elmo, Colorado
St. Elmo is a town that grew due to gold mining around 1880. The town gained an excellent population with over 2,000 residents. There were dance halls, stores, and so much more in no time. The town continued thriving until 1910 when it was closed. However, later on, it was reopened and parts of the town were rebuilt again. This led to many people visiting; however, now it has remained simply a tourist attraction.
8 Cahaba, AL
The town of Cahaba was used for trading purposes before the civil war as it is strategically located where the Cahaba rivers and Alabama meet. This placement created a good place for people to meet and do business. However, things turned when in 1900, the town was hit by a flood, effectively causing the residents to abandon it. Currently, the town remains in ruins, and the streets are empty.
7 Bodie, California
The main reason that the ghost town of Bodie can be considered a modern abandoned town is the number of facilities it had before its closure. The town was established around 1859 when it started as a mining camp. With time it grew to have all amenities due to money flow from gold. After mining resources were depleted, people started abandoning the place slowly. The last mine was, however, closed in 1942. The town is now a tourist attraction site since it has 110 structures to visit.
6 Goldfield, Arizona
Goldfield is a town established in Arizona as a result of gold mining hence its name. It all started around the 1800s. However, the mining went on to 1898, but the gold depleted. It was later renamed in 1921 and abandoned again in 1926. Another change came in 1988 when the town became a tourist attraction. Currently, it offers several activities for visitors, such as a reptile exhibit, horseback riding, and zipline.
5 North Brother Island, New York
This ghost town of North Brother Island in New York is one of those places one will look at and wonder what exactly happened. It is a town between Queens and the Bronx on the East River. The town was once a great environment with a thriving population, modern life, and activities. Its primary service was Riverside Hospital. It is in this hospital that Typhoid Mary died in 1938. It later became a rehabilitation center for war veterans until the 1960s. However, the town was abandoned after that and is now in ruins.
4 Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia is one of the most known modern abandoned towns in the United States. It started as a coal mining site and became a community in the 20th Century. Things changed for the town of Centralia around 1962 when there was an underground fire. It is for this reason that the town was completely abandoned. Before the town was abandoned, it had several modern towns and amenities, including a church that still stands today.
3 Glenrio, New Mexico
Glenrio is a town between New Mexico and Texas, right on the border. Settlement in this town started around the 1900s. It was at first a small farm, but slowly it grew into a town, especially with its location becoming a stopover for people using Route 66. However, the town of Glenrio changed during the 1970s when more roads were constructed, reducing the number of people using route 66. What followed later was people slowly abandoning the town.
2 Bannack, Montana
The Bannack town in Montana also started as a mining site that slowly grew into one. There was money flowing into the town from mining which led to the town's development with several amenities and beautiful buildings. However, things started changing with gold depleting, and the town became a hotbed for murderers and robbery. This led to people leaving the town around 1950. However, more than 60 structures are still standing in this ghost town.
1 Santa Claus, AZ
Found in the middle of the Mojave Desert, Santa Claus is a town that started around 1937 as people tried buying the town. It later became a friendly tourist attraction, and people visited the town frequently as it was developing. However, the dream never came to be as the town was abandoned due to poor desert conditions. What is left is white and red buildings that are turning into ruins.