The USA is crammed full of museums designed to be a window into times gone by – but sometimes the country's fascinating abandoned buildings do a better job of bringing the past into focus. From mysterious ghost towns to long-deserted mansions, we reveal the eeriest abandoned attraction in every state and DC.

Described as 'Alabama's most famous ghost town', Old Cahawba became the state capital around 1819. But, given Cahawba's reported proneness to flooding, the capital was moved to Tuscaloosa by 1826. The town managed to survive this initial blow, but its fate was sealed during the Civil War, when Confederate soldiers tore up sections of the town's railroad and built a large prison at its center. Today visitors can wander around the site, taking in the deserted buildings rising among moss-cloaked trees and wildflowers.

Protected today as a National Historic Landmark District, and within Wrangell-St Elias National Park, Kennecott (also Kennicott) was once a thriving copper-mining camp. But the site's existence was short-lived. Established in the early 1900s, the town was all but abandoned by 1938, as the area's copper reserves were exhausted, and the miners moved on. The site's deserted rust-red buildings and mountain views can be explored by visitors on their own, but interpretative rangers are also available.

Vulture City is an abandoned mining site in the Sonoran Desert. The mine dates back to 1863, when gold was discovered in the area – a thriving community soon formed around it and the mine would flourish until its eventual closure in the 1940s. On a guided tour with Vulture Mine Tours, visitors can explore the once-bustling town and see the old cookhouse and post office. Self-guided tours are also currently available, and it's recommended that visitors pre-purchase their admission. 

This intriguing ghost town exists within the limits of Calico Rock, a small city in northern Arkansas. Situated in the eastern part of town, the abandoned district is home to around 20 derelict buildings, including a barber shop, a cotton gin, and a funeral parlor, many of which have been reclaimed by Mother Nature. The area's demise has largely been put down to a decline in the cotton industry on which it relied. Plaques revealing the buildings' secrets are dotted about Peppersauce and visitors can take a self-guided walking tour. 

One of the best-known and most wonderfully preserved ghost towns in America, Bodie is tucked away in California's Eastern Sierra region. The town was at its peak between 1877 and 1882, when the mining industry was booming, and some 10,000 people called Bodie home. Now those residents are long gone, but around 200 ramshackle wooden buildings – including a saloon and a barber shop – give visitors a taste of the past. Some unstable sections of the park are closed to entry.

Resembling something between a witch's cottage and an enchanted treehouse, this curious structure could be plucked straight from a fairy tale. In fact, the mill, perched on craggy rocks above the Crystal River and dating back to the early 1890s, once functioned as a power plant for local silver mines. The mines closed in 1917 and Crystal Mill was abandoned too. Today, it's on the National Register of Historic Places and, while you can't go up to the cabin itself, it can be viewed via a challenging hike leaving from the tiny, secluded town of Marble.

A series of eerie rusting cages and rickety wooden shelters make up the abandoned Shade Swamp Sanctuary in Farmington. The site, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, dates back to the 1930s, and was intended as a sanctuary for native animals that were injured or endangered. However, up until the center's eventual closure in the 1960s, it was also home to non-native creatures such as monkeys. The leafy Shade Swamp Sanctuary Blue Trail stretches out for a little over a mile and wiggles past the zoo's remains.

Gibraltar mansion in Wilmington's Marian Coffin Gardens has all the trappings of a typical haunted house: cracked and shuttered windows, a tangle of ivy creeping across the stonework and a perpetually locked door. The site was abandoned and left to fall in disrepair in the 1990s when the then-owner passed away. However, even though the house, built in the 1840s by cotton merchant John Rodney Brinckle, stands moldering and derelict, the gardens have been lovingly restored and are open to the public.

Erected in 1828, these photogenic Corinthian columns once formed part of the US Capitol building. But there were concerns over the columns' suitability to hold up the mammoth dome, completed in 1864 to a size much larger than the designer had originally envisioned. The columns remained part of the iconic building up until 1958, and today they're hidden away in the U.S National Arboretum in DC. Make sure you also visit the onsite National Bonsai and Penjing Museum.

A futuristic string of structures, the so-called Dome House once sat on the shores of Cape Romano. The domes formed a single uber-modern house, built in the 1980s, but a series of hurricanes (including 2005's Hurricane Wilma) devastated the structure and eroded the shore. Now they lie at least 180 feet (55m) from the land and only four of the original six domes are visible above the water's surface. They're accessible by kayak, and boat trips such as those run by Dreamlander Tours also take in the spectacle.

Today, the crumbling remains of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company are shrouded by the forest of Sweetwater Creek State Park. Dating back to the mid-1800s, the building was originally a working textile mill, but it was almost burned to the ground by Union troops during the Civil War. Trails lead to the red-brick ruin and visitors can even peek inside on a guided hike.

The creepy corridors and creaking cell blocks of the Old Idaho State Penitentiary were built in the early 1870s and, during the prison's century in operation, some of the state's most formidable criminals were incarcerated here – including the infamous Lyda Southard, a suspected serial killer who is believed to have murdered four of her husbands to collect their life insurance. But by the 1970s the prison was outdated, with poor sanitation and inadequate space for the constant influx of inmates. The prisoners were transferred elsewhere, and the facility was finally closed. Today, the site is preserved by the Idaho State Historical Society, with guided tours available. 

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Gothic Joliet Prison was opened in 1858, having been built in part by a group of inmates themselves. But just two decades later the prison's population was over capacity and conditions suffered. Still, despite this early deterioration, the prison didn't close its doors until 2002. Tours of the castle-like site are now run by the Joliet Area Historical Museum. The atmospheric building was used as a location for hit TV series Prison Break too. 

Rose Island was once a kitsch amusement park beloved by locals, but it was all but washed away by the Ohio River flood of 1937. Today the leafy Charlestown State Park protects the site's eerie fragments: a decaying stone fountain, a series of metal archways and an overgrown swimming pool with ladders leading to nowhere. Dotted amid the park's remnants, information boards offer a glimpse of the site's former glory.

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Very little remains of this teeny ghost town in Iowa's Jackson County, a mysterious scattering of buildings off the area's Highway 64. Visitors will find no historical plaques here, but the crumbling creamery, abandoned cemetery and shuttered whitewashed church speak for themselves. It's typically possible to wander around outside the haunting structures, but don't go inside – they're private property.

Dubbed a 'living ghost town', this curious spot in southeastern Kansas still has a small community of around 100 people. The population steadily declined throughout the 1800s and amid the small collection of living businesses – a pottery, a tannery and a dinky bed and breakfast – there's a string of eerie abandoned buildings. This one, with its faded red bricks and overgrown windows, is particularly atmospheric. Thoughtfully placed plaques help bring the town's history into focus too.

Construction of the mansion-like Waverly Hills Sanatorium was completed in the 1920s for the Board of Tuberculosis Hospital. But, following the discovery of antibiotics that could treat TB, the sanatorium closed in 1961. It had a brief stint as a care facility for the elderly before being abandoned entirely by the 1980s. For years it stood deserted, but today guided tours and ghost hunts take brave visitors through the moldering corridors, tattered staircases, and long-empty wards – reservations are required.

While there's no doubt it's seen better days, this 1930s Art Deco building is still a sight to behold. More than just a laundry facility, during its heyday the building also held monthly fashion shows, and its Aztec-style patterns and intricate carvings still draw admirers today. It's been threatened with the wrecking ball more than a few times in its long history, but it was finally given historic landmark designation in February 2023.

Alongside its abundant birdlife and biking and hiking trails, Swan Island, in the Kennebec River, is home to the ghostly remains of the former Perkins Township, settled in the 1700s. A handful of buildings dot the bucolic site, some with elegant bay windows and busts looking through the glass. The Great Depression took its toll on the island's industries, though, and the houses were left empty by the 1940s. The isle is accessible by kayak or ferry from May until late October and visitors can take in the historic homes from the outside.

Now left tattered and forgotten among dense woodland, Daniels was once a thriving industrial town. Its roots go back to the early 1800s, when a man named Thomas Ely decided to establish a textile mill here. A busy community sprouted around the mill, which closed in the 1960s. In 1972, tropical storm Agnes wreaked havoc on the town, ripping through many of the already abandoned buildings. Today Daniel's remains are visible on a hike along the Patapsco River.

Many who stumble across this graffiti-scribbled stonework will have no idea of its significance – but hidden away in Rutland State Park are the remains of a former prison camp. The prison dates back to the early 1900s and held those charged with minor offenses such as drunkenness. However, the facility eventually closed in the 1930s and was left to ruin. Today, park visitors can wander the prison's crumbling remnants, all tunnels and stone cells.

Now protected by the Quincy Mine Hoist Association, this Michigan mine ceased operations around 1945. Today the association gives curious visitors rare access to the deserted buildings on the site, from a tour of the underground copper mine to a close-up look at the shaft house.

Despite the boarded windows and grubby brickwork, this former hospital, nicknamed the Castle, remains an impressive sight. With its imposing round turret, arching windows and striking red roof titles, the building, constructed in the early 20th century, is still a source of local pride, and it found its way onto the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. It's not possible to enter the property, but plenty of architecture buffs gaze up at it from the street. 

A cluster of haunting, abandoned buildings are all that remain of this once-thriving riverside town. Dating back to the 1820s, Rodney diminished after the Civil War, mainly due to a change in the course of the Mississippi River and a pair of ravaging fires. Today, the deserted structures are lovingly watched over by the Rodney History and Preservation Society: the most arresting among them is the red-brick Presbyterian Church. 

Location is the real drawcard of this enchanting ruin. Overlooking the vast Lake of the Ozarks, Ha Ha Tonka Castle is nestled within the forest of its namesake state park. Inspired by the fairy-tale castles of Europe, businessman Robert Snyder began building the majestic property in 1905. By 1942, the property was being used as a hotel, but a devastating fire gutted the grand building. Today, park visitors can explore the ruins – enough remains that it's easy to imagine the building's former grandeur.

This ghost town in southwestern Montana, now Bannack State Park, is home to some 60 historical structures. Bannack was established in 1862, when prospector John White struck gold nearby and it remained a mining town until the 1930s. By the 1950s, though, reserves were diminished, and the town was eventually abandoned. Now self-guided tours allow visitors to peek inside the old buildings, from the drugstore to the schoolhouse.

A tiny ghost town within the limits of Indian Cave State Park, St. Deroin has been all but abandoned for almost a century. Surrounded by woodland today, the town was once the site of a busy ferry crossing, but when the Missouri River changed course, the settlement fell into decline and by the 1920s it was completely deserted. Curious modern visitors can explore the preserved St. Deroin cemetery, as well as the old schoolhouse and general store.

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Situated just outside the boundaries of Death Valley National Park, Rhyolite is Nevada's most intriguing ghost town. Prospectors found quartz in the area as early as 1904 and a town filled with stores, houses, a school and even hotels soon bloomed. Its success was fleeting though: by 1910, business began to decline and by 1916 Rhyolite was completely abandoned. Today, reminders of the town's existence pop up across the stark landscape, from parts of an old jail to a decrepit bank building. 

Swallowed up by the Madame Sherri forest, these enchanting ruins have a tale to tell. The castle was once owned by eccentric Madame Sherri, a costume designer with a penchant for lavish parties. It began to crumble away after Madame Sherri left the property behind, and was all but destroyed by a fire in 1962. Still standing are some of the castle's stone walls, carved out with arches and a swirling stairway. Hikers can see the ruins on an easy trail through the forest – check safety advice before you go. 

This famed hospital on Ellis Island opened in the 1900s, just after the turn of the century. It was in operation until the 1930s, before it was completely abandoned in 1954, and while open, the hospital treated many thousands of immigrants who arrived on Ellis Island ready for a new life. Today poignant images by French artist JR plaster the peeling walls, and a hard-hat tour allows visitors to explore the unrestored site, from the kitchens and the wards to the treatment rooms. Tours are currently available daily. 

This former mining town was first christened Shakespeare in 1879, after silver ore was found nearby in the early 1870s. It burgeoned quickly at the end of the 1800s, flourishing until the 1920s, when the mines eventually closed, and famed outlaws William 'Russian Bill' Tattenbaum and Sandy King both met their fate here. Today, visitors can get a true taste of the Old West on a two-hour tour that takes in numerous of the time-worn buildings, from the old mail station to the multi-purpose Grant House. Private tours are now also available. 

Standing guard over the Hudson River, some 60 miles (97km) north of New York City, is the abandoned Bannerman Castle. It's named after Scotsman Francis Bannerman VI, who owned a weaponry business and built this isolated island fortress in the early 1900s for use as an arsenal. Abandoned since the 1950s, the castle now stands in ruins, its turrets crumbling and greenery forcing its way through glassless windows. Still, it's a majestic site and a range of tours of the island are available.

Remote Portsmouth Island, part of the windswept Outer Banks, has a secret. Beyond its unspoiled beaches lies an abandoned village whose buildings remain in impressive condition. Established in 1752, the town here once thrived due to a booming shipping industry. But the village took a hit during the Civil War and the shipping industry dwindled. The final two residents wouldn't leave the all-but-deserted isle until 1971. Today visitors can wander through the deserted village (though ranger tours are temporarily suspended). 

North Dakota has plenty of ghost towns, but this spot in the center of the state is one of the eeriest and the most enchanting. Not much remains of the little town, which was pummeled by the Great Depression and never really recovered. Today, visitors can see a decaying school, a few perishing houses and, most fascinating of all, the enigmatic St. John's Lutheran Church.

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Construction of the reformatory began in 1886, on the site of a one-time training ground for Civil War soldiers, and, over the years, thousands of prisoners would live out their days here. But reports of poor conditions and maltreatment of prisoners meant the site was abandoned by 1990. Now self-guided and guided tours take visitors through the spine-chilling corridors with their moldering cell blocks and rusting iron bars. The prison was also famously used as a location for 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption. 

A quirky little ghost town right on the border with Texas, Texola still has a teeny-tiny community as well as a plethora of atmospheric abandoned buildings and rusted out cars. The most striking of the decaying properties is a deserted bar named Watering Hole #2, painted a bright sky blue. There's also a vacant cemetery, a tiny 'one room jail' and a rusting service station proudly bearing the words 'No place like Texola'.

Now a National Heritage Site, the aptly named Golden ghost town was home to a community of around 100 people, drawn in by the promise of gold. As goes the story of many an early Gold Rush town, when the precious metal dried up, so too did the community, and the town was abandoned in the 20th century. A beaten-up church, an old house, a post office, and a shed remain a tribute to this slice of the past, and tourists can visit for free – check here for updates.

Typically one of America's most visited abandoned places, this deserted prison bills itself "the world's first true 'penitentiary'". It was built in the 1820s in a grand, fortress-like style designed to impress and to intimidate, and would stay open until 1970, following a dangerous riot in 1961. Today the building remains something of a time capsule, and its dilapidated cell blocks and deserted corridors and towers can still be explored on day or night tours. 

Perched on the edge of the rocky cliffs of Jamestown is the long-abandoned Fort Wetherill. Built in 1896 on the site of a previous fort, which had stood on the spot since the American Revolution, Wetherill was made up of seven concrete gun batteries and was active during both World Wars. It was deserted in 1946 and stood forgotten among the scrub until 1972, when it was turned into a state park. Today, the crumbling buildings and the remains of an old tramway system still stand, but have been overgrown with vegetation and covered in graffiti. Visitors can hike multiple trails through the park, and the coastline is a popular spot for scuba diving.

Once a fabulous estate, Atalaya Castle was built in the early 1930s by philanthropist Archer Huntington, who was inspired by Spanish and Moorish architecture. Intended as a retreat for himself and his beloved artist wife Anna, the dazzling property boasted a plant-filled courtyard, a sculpture garden and an oceanside location. But once Archer passed away in 1955, Anna left the house behind. Today guided tours take in deserted rooms, including Anna's studios.

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An atmospheric ghost town in the South Dakotan prairies, Okaton was once a busy railroad town. But workers soon moved on, and Okaton fell into decline through the latter half of the 20th century. An attempt by a local family to capitalize on Okaton's new ghost town status and form an attraction was short-lived too. Visitors passing through today will see the striking remains of an old grain elevator, plus rusting railroad tracks overgrown with greenery. 

Four photogenic wooden cabins are hidden away in the woodland of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, forming the Daisy Town part of the Elkmont Historic District. They were originally home to loggers, before becoming swish holiday retreats in the early 1900s, but eventually fell into disrepair. Many similar structures in the area have been demolished, but these four deserted cabins have been stabilized. They can be viewed from outside, and the public can typically also peek inside to see the rustic interiors.

It wasn't gold that had people rushing to this former mining town towards the end of the 1800s, it was cinnabar – a kind of mercury ore. But by the time the Second World War began, the mines were losing money and residents were draining from the town. Today, evidence of the site's glory days can still be seen, from crumbling stone walls and huts to car shells. Beyond the ruins, there's still a community here who are used to tourists passing through.

The rugged red peaks of Zion National Park watch over this ghost town. Once one of a large string of nearby villages, it was established by Mormon settlers from around 1859 – though the site we see today was built up in 1862 after a flood devastated the original town. It was inhabited until the early 1900s, when most residents moved west in search of a new life. The fascinating deserted homes, the atmospheric cemetery and the sheer natural beauty typically draw visitors to the site.

Compared to the many fading ghost towns in the USA's west, Vermont has few abandoned buildings, but a dinky stone chapel can be found in the wooded grounds of the Trapp Family Lodge in the pretty town of Stowe. The Austrian-style lodge is still owned and operated by the von Trapp family, who moved to Stowe in the 1940s and opened the lodge to guests in 1950. A hike through the grounds leads to the picturesque chapel, reportedly built as a tribute to Second World War soldiers.

This stunning Italianate mansion retains much of its majesty even after years of abandonment. It dates back to 1912, when railroad heavyweight James Dooley decided to build this marble confection for his wife Sally May. The house has passed through many hands over the years, suffering periods of neglect and falling into disrepair. But despite some peeling paint and untamed areas of the garden, it's still a sight to behold today. The house currently remains open for guided tours.

Darkened tunnels and eerie passageways make up Fort Worden, a defensive structure built between 1898 and 1917. It's the best preserved of three military batteries that once guarded the Washington coast, together known as the Triangle of Fire. Today the deserted remains – including pillboxes and creepy bunkers – make up part of the 432-acre Fort Worden Historical State Park.

Lake Shawnee, an abandoned amusement park in southern West Virginia, was once a loud, proud attraction. Built in the 1920s, it was filled with swings and slides, as well as a speakeasy and a dance hall – but the park has suffered a checkered past, and eventually closed in the 1960s after a string of chilling deaths on the site. A Ferris wheel and groaning swing ride remain today and there are regular ghost tours, plus other spooky events.

Tower Hill State Park looks like any other scenic state park, with its forested hiking trails, campsites, and abundant birdlife. But it also hides the remains of Helena, a little town that built up around the 1820s and 1830s after the discovery of lead in the area. The town was all but deserted by the end of the 1800s, but some fascinating remnants still exist today – visitors can see the abandoned tunnels used to transport lead shot during the manufacturing process. 

Built up in the 1860s after gold ore was discovered, South Pass City flourished while the mining industry boomed, but it was abandoned by the 1930s, following serious financial strains. Today, the town's historic deserted buildings are impressively preserved and open to visitors from mid-May to the end of September – highlights include the Exchange saloon and card room, the blacksmith shop, and the Sweetwater County Jail.

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