The world is full of places that are just waiting to be explored! While many of us have some much-needed destinations on our travel bucket lists, there are some that may not be attainable due to travel restrictions, cost, or the mere fact that they simply do not exist anymore! Countless destinations across the globe have seen thousands upon thousands of visitors, however, many of them have not been able to stand the test of time.

Whether it be due to natural disaster, war, or attractions closing down due to the lack of funding, there are so many once-popular destinations that have simply seen the last of their days. If you want to visit somewhere, it's best to do it while you still can! Because if you wait, that destination might find itself joining the ranks of these 25 places once soaring with crowds, only to be deserted.

25 Land of the Oz Theme Park - North Carolina

The Land of the Oz Theme Park was a massive tourist attraction located in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Although the park was once booming with visitors, it slowly came to a decline in the 1980s, leading to the theme park officially shutting its doors to the public after countless years of success, says Business Insider. Although the park itself was no longer in operation, it remained quite a sight to see as most of the props and characters were left behind after its closing. According to the Charlotte Observer, the owners of the land have begun to offer special tours on select days of the year for die-hard Oz fans.

24 City Hall Subway - New York City

City Hall Subway, located in New York City, is considered to be the first station in all of New York City. Being one of the busiest stations during its creation in 1904, the subway stop, which once saw thousands of faces a day, has now simply become forgotten. According to New York City Feelings, although the station is no longer in working order, many people continue to sneak their way to the underground station despite it being completely off limits to the public. Although the historic subway station is definitely a sight to see, we don't recommend sneaking through the underground tunnels in order to find it, especially at night!

23 San Zhi - Taiwan

It is safe to say that these structures would easily cause one to tilt their head in confusion, but believe it or not, these homes were once quite the hot spot for travelers visiting San Zhi, Taiwan. According to Failed Architecture, these pod-like homes could surely be used as a prop in any sci-fi film, however, they were actually used by tourists as vacation homes, and at the time, were seen as very cool and funky. The homes were later decommissioned in the 1980s leading to them no longer being in use, their look went from cool and funky to spooky and unsettling, and rightfully so. Although they may appear quite eerie, they do make for quite a sight to see, especially if you are into alien themed flicks!

22 Six Flags - New Orleans

The Six Flags New Orleans was a once thriving amusement park that saw thousands of visitors each day. According to This Is Insider, the theme park was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 which also desolated the city of New Orleans. Despite the park's success, it was left in total abandonment following the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The park was submerged underwater for weeks, much like the rest of the city, leaving most of the rides to rust and ruin. The park was left in abandonment on the side of the New Orleans freeway, which can be seen from cars passing by, says the source.

21 Jet Star Roller Coaster - New Jersey

The Jet Star Rollercoaster was once a huge spot for coaster fans! Located in New Jersey, United States, the coaster fell victim to the damaging Hurricane Sandy, which hit numerous east coast states including New York City, and Jersey City, which felt the effects of the storm for months after. According to USA Today, the Jet Star coaster, which was left submerged in the ocean for nearly six months after the hurricane, was finally removed out of the Atlantic and swiped from history for good. The coaster was an iconic monument that stood as a symbol for countless nights of fun on the pier of Jersey City but is nothing more than an empty lot now.

20 Salto Hotel - Colombia

The Salto Hotel, located in Tequendama Falls, Colombia, has stood tall since its opening in 1928. According to Sobify, the hotel, also known as the Tequendama Falls Hotel, underwent construction in order to turn into an 8-floor hotel by 1950. Although the hotel saw thousands of tourists and visitors during its time, it sadly came to a close in the early 1990s after interest in the waterfall decreased. The hotel remained completely abandoned for nearly two decades before turning into a museum in 2012. Countless visitors take a trip up to the museum throughout the year to get a glimpse at the historic yet spooky exterior.

19 Centralia - Pennsylvania

Centralia, located in central Pennsylvania, was once a thriving mining community that had a popular of nearly two thousand people. According to the Exploration Project, the buzzing town had everything one would need from several hotels, banks, theaters, and its very own school district, however, it has since become quite the ghost town! Centralia has since become home to a fire that has been raging for over 50 years, says the source, leading to a town-wide evacuation, that has led Centralia to become the least populated municipality in all of Pennsylvania. According to Road Trippers, a mysterious fire first started in 1962 by a landfill burning, has continuously raged through the city ever since.

18 Craco - Italy

Craco, Italy, located in the province of Matera, was home to countless residents, however, it was evacuated in the 1960s due to massive landslides that left the town in complete ruins. Residents who occupied the town, had to seek refuge in neighboring villages, as the place they once called home turned into nothing but a ghost town. According to Ancient-Origins, the site of Craco is accessible via certain tours and has even been featured in a few films, including Passion of the Christ. We can only imagine how beautiful this town truly was during its existence, however, it is still worth a trip over if you're into ancient Italian ruins!

17 Kolmanskop - Namibia

Namibia, which is located in the south portion of Africa, has one area that was once booming with life, that is now a complete ghost town. This location is known as Kolmanskop, which is a small town that once had a thriving community due to its heavy presence of diamonds. According to Travel News Namibia, the diamond industry brought a furry of wealth to the area, however, after WWII ended, the supply of diamonds became quite scarce, leading to a drop in the town's economy. With that being said, it was only a matter of time that the entire village was left in total abandonment, leaving behind nothing but sand.

16 Pripyat - Ukraine

Pripyat is quite a well-known area, however, it was a booming location in Ukraine prior to the unfortunate events that led to its total abandonment. According to Ukraine Trek, a failed safety test at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant led to a catastrophic nuclear explosion in 1986, wiping out the surrounding areas. Residents who lived in Pripyat were forced to evacuate immediately and never return due to the highly dangerous radioactive levels. The nuclear blast was so powerful, that the town is still completely off limits to this very day! Although it may be closed, there are still tours that visitors can take in specific areas deemed safe, however, living in Pripyat is no longer possible, even three decades later.

15 Hashima Island - Japan

Hashima Island, located in Japan, is yet another city that became a completely deserted ghost town. According to All That Is Interesting, Hashima Island first became deserted in the early 1900s and remains to be isolated to this day. The once buzzing island located off the coast of mainland Japan that was home to countless coal mines, saw the last of its day when the country of Japan switched from coal power to cheaper and more renewable energy, leading to the abandonment of the island. Although it was left for nothing, many people still visit this destination to bear witness to the "spooky" energy the island now gives off.

14 Sarajevo Bobsled Track - Bosnia

Bosnia, which was home to the 1984 Winter Olympics, did a stellar job at hosting the winter events! The country went as far as undergoing countless renovations in order to get the city in order for sporting events about to take place. One area that the country truly went all out for was their newly constructed bobsled track that attracted tens of thousands of spectators to the events, claims Trover. Although it was once a hot spot for sports fanatics, the track was later used as an artillery barracks during a regional war in the 1990s. According to the source, the bobsled track was later forgotten about and used as a canvas for graffiti artists instead.

13 Nara Dreamland - Japan

Nara Dreamland was once one of the most popular theme parks in all of Japan! According to Dezeen, the theme park was originally modeled after Disneyland when it first opened in the early 1960s, but only set itself up for failure when Japan opened up their own Disney theme park years later. Due to the lack of visitors, the theme park came to a close in 2006, where it remains in complete abandonment. Although the park is permanently closed, it is still very much remembered amongst the locals and is visited quite often by tourists and local residents as a means to get some pretty gnarly pics of the deserted amusement park.

12 Kennecott - Alaska

Kennecott, a town located in Chitina, Alaska, was once the richest known copper mine in all of the United States, but is now a completely deserted ghost town. According to National Park Science, the town was flourishing full of mine workers and was home to countless shops, train connections and blooming life, however, in 1938, the town was abruptly abandoned by its citizens due to the lack of copper deposits causing the mine to completely shut down. In addition to the mine shutting down, the railroad also discontinued, meaning no one was able to travel easily to and from Kennecott, making it a true ghost town.

11 Shicheng Underwater City - China

Although this may not look real, you better believe it is! Many have referred to this majestic underwater city as the Chinese version of the Lost City of Atlantis, however, it is so much more. According to Daily Star, the city of Shicheng first become submerged under the waters of Lake Qiandao in 1959 from flooding after making way for a hydroelectric power plant. Although this city remains over a hundred feet below water, it's ancient roots still fascinate many enough to scuba dive and witness all its glory. According to the source, the city was first built nearly 1,300 years ago, meaning that this underwater city is full of history waiting to be explored!

10 Cooling Tower - Belgium

The Cooling Tower, located in the countryside of Charleroi, Belgium, was once used as an efficient cooling power plant. Although the giant tower was once a popular plant for complex heating and cooling methods, it is no longer in operation today. According to Atlas Obscura, the plant could cool up to a half a million gallons of water per minute, making it one of the most successful plants in Europe at the time. Despite its success, the plant closed in 2007, leaving behind its massive structure, which is a hot-spot for photographers nowadays.

9 Kilamba New City - Angola

Kilamba New City, located in Angola, is a colorful town that was expected to be a flourishing city, however, the city itself never even saw one single resident. According to The Chromologist, the city was built on the instruction of Angolan president, Joe Eduardo dos Santos, who created the city in order to replace the slums that surrounded the capital city of Luanda. Although this was meant to be a success, the cost of living in Kilamba New City, was far too much for the average Angolan. Due to the excessive pricing and problems accessing mortgages, the city sat completely empty, and still is to this very day!

8 Pyramiden - Norway

Pyramiden, located in Norway, is a Soviet ghost town in the Arctic Circle. The town was once one of the most flourishing coal-mining areas on the northern edge of the world, however, the successful mining town didn't last for very long. According to The Barent Observer, the town, which was considered to have been abandoned overnight, actually became deserted over the course of a few months. Due to constant muddy erosions and nutrient-poor soil, the town made it difficult to live in, causing residents to slowly trickle away until its total abandonment in 1988. The town itself still sees some visitors to this day, providing them with a glimpse into Soviet-era life and culture.

7 Cahaba - Alabama

Cahaba is known to be the most famous ghost town in all of Alabama, however, it wasn't always a deserted location. Located in Dallas County, Alabama, the small town served as the states first capital, however, due to countless floods, and decay, the historical town could no longer stand the test of time, says OnlyInYourState. Residents of Cahaba found alternative housing in neighboring towns, that weren't affected by the floods. Although much of the town at the time was unlivable, it has since turned into a historic site featuring countless buildings and homes that were built back in the 1860s, including the Old Cahaba Archeological Park, which is often visited by tourists.

6 Michigan Central Station - Detroit

The Michigan Central Station, located in Michigan, Detroit, was built in 1913, and quickly turned into a Detroit landmark! According to Michigan Radio, it served as one of the most popular stations for public travel throughout the state up until its closure in 1988. Although the once-popular station saw thousands of people each day, the decline in mass public transit at the time, led to its unfortunate demise. The building's exterior is quite notable, and has been featured in numerous films, including Eminem's '8 Mile', and has turned into a favorable spot for landscape and architecture photographers!