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5 Creepiest Ghost Towns You Wouldn’t Want To Visit
The creepiest ghost town, deserted city, or abandoned city is a place that was once a village, town, or city with visible buildings and infrastructure like roads. These places often become ghost towns because the activities that used to support them, usually industrial or agricultural, have stopped due to reasons like depleted ore deposits from mining. Natural or human-caused disasters like floods, droughts, extreme weather, government actions, lawlessness, war, pollution, or nuclear incidents can also cause towns to decline.
When considering mysterious ghost towns, some should definitely be avoided. These empty towns have mysterious feelings and stories, making them unsuitable for a vacation. Here are a few of these unsettling locations you’d probably prefer not to visit during your travels. When planning your next adventure, choose vibrant destinations with captivating sights. However, certain places with creepy atmospheres are best left unexplored.
In this article, RNN will highlight a few of the creepiest ghost towns you wouldn’t want to visit during your vacation plans.
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5. Bodie, California
Bodieis a ghost situated in California’s Bodie Hills to the east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, transformed into a lively town in 1876 following the discovery of gold. By 1879, its population ranged from 7,000 to 10,000. However, it gradually declined and earned the status of a ghost town by 1915. The Bodie Historic District holds the designation of a National Historic Landmark. In the 1940s, vandalism threats emerged, leading to the hiring of caretakers. It gained recognition as a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and subsequently became Bodie State Historic Park in 1962.
Presently, it retains 170 structures and is recognized as California’s official state gold rush ghost town. Accessible via SR 270, the roads are closed during winter due to heavy snowfall. Bodie is now preserved in a state of decay, featuring approximately 110 structures, including an operational gold mill. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the streets and interiors, observing original items.
4. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia stands as one of the creepiest ghost towns you’d avoid visiting. Situated in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, USA, it was once a bustling borough, now nearly deserted. It’s in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population dropped dramatically, from 1,000 residents in 1980 to just five in 2020, due to an ongoing coal mine fire beneath the town since 1962. Within the Bloomsburg–Berwick metropolitan area, Centralia claims the title of Pennsylvania’s least populated municipality. Conyngham Township completely encompasses this town.
Wikipedia states that in 1992, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania took over all borough property using eminent domain. By 2002, the Postal Service had stopped using Centralia’s ZIP Code. On October 29, 2013, state and local authorities reached an agreement with the remaining seven residents. This agreement permits residents to stay in Centralia until they pass away. After their deaths, their homes will be taken through eminent domain.
3. Oradour-sur-Glane
Oradour-sur-Glane pronounced as [ɔʁaduʁ syʁ ɡlan] in French and Orador de Glana in Occitan, stands as a commune in the Haute-Vienne department of New Aquitaine in west-central France. Additionally, it serves as the name for the primary village in the commune.
Back on 10 June 1944, just four days after D-Day, a group of troops from the 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich, a unit of Nazi Germany’s Waffen-SS, destroyed the original village. This horrific act resulted in the massacre of 643 people, among whom 247 were children. Following World War II, a new village was constructed nearby. However, President Charles de Gaulle ensured the preservation of the original village as a permanent memorial. Adjacent to the historic site, the Centre de la mémoire d’Oradour museum can be found.
2. Calico, California
Calico, once a mining town, now stands as a ghost town in San Bernardino County, California, United States. Situated in the Calico Mountains within Southern California’s Mojave Desert, it emerged in 1881 as a silver mining settlement. Over time, it transformed into Calico Ghost Town, a county park.
Calico rests near Barstow and Yermo, just 3 miles (4.8 km) away, accessible from Interstate 15. On the Calico Peaks behind it, the letters CALICO are prominently displayed. Walter Knott acquired Calico during the 1950s and meticulously restored its structures to mirror their 1880s appearance, except for the five original buildings. Notably, Calico secured California Historical Landmark #782 designation. In 2005, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger officially designated it as California’s Silver Rush Ghost Town.
1. Craco, Italy
Craco tops the list of creepiest ghost towns. It’s located in Basilicata, southern Italy. Craco became deserted in the late 20th century due to pipe issues that led to a landslide. Its abandonment turned it into a tourist spot and popular filming site. In 2010, Craco got on the World Monuments Fund’s watch list. In short, while ghost towns provide historical insights, their unsettling atmosphere might not suit a tranquil vacation. The spookiness, historical disasters, and disturbing surroundings make them less than perfect for a peaceful and enjoyable trip.
SOURCE: Wikipedia, Independent