Ghost Towns Map

Looking for ghost towns, historic sites, archaeological sites, and other abandoned places? This Ghost towns map can be a valuable resource for anyone who is interested in exploring the past. This map shows the location of known ghost towns all over the world, and provide information about the history of each town when available.

Much like our other maps, this information is crowd-sourced, so please feel free to contribute your knowledge. Help us out and Submit a place to the map!


Ghost towns are a fascinating glimpse into the past. They are a reminder of a time when people lived in different ways than they do today. There are many reasons why towns become ghost towns. Some towns are abandoned due to economic problems, while others are abandoned due to natural disasters. Some towns are even abandoned because they were intentionally flooded when a dam was built.

Here are some tips for exploring ghost towns:

  • Be aware of your surroundings and take safety precautions. Ghost towns can be dangerous, so it is important to be aware of your surroundings and take safety precautions.
  • Do not trespass on private property. Many ghost towns are located on private property, so it is important to get permission before you explore.
  • Respect the history of the place. Ghost towns are often places of historical significance, so it is important to respect the history of the place and leave no trace.
  • By following these tips, you can safely and respectfully explore ghost towns.

Here are some additional tips for finding ghost towns:

  • Look for abandoned buildings and infrastructure. Ghost towns often have abandoned buildings and infrastructure, such as old houses, businesses, and railroads.
  • Check with local historical societies. Local historical societies often have information about ghost towns in the area.

If you find this resource valuable, consider leaving a one-time, monthly or yearly donation to support this website. Nothing is expected, all is appreciated!


© Forgotten Lands, Places and Transit, 2024

Comments

  1. etrippNovember 27, 2018 at 2:03 PM

    interesting. keep up the good work. Comment: Old Chicago (Bolingbrook, IL) was an amusement park not a town

    ReplyDelete
  2. FRRandPDecember 1, 2018 at 3:31 PM

    Edward, Thanks for your comment. The map has only one layer at this time (that will be changing) and shows both abandoned settlements and places, including abandoned theme parks.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John DJune 2, 2019 at 10:40 PM

    Here's another one for the list: New Birmingham, TX (31.777152, -95.120225). It lasted only a few years in the late 1800s. There's a Wikipedia article and likely other Google search matches out there about it. It was even around long enough to have had a small cemetery, which is listed on Find A Grave. The state Historical Marker at the site along US 69 south of Rusk is also listed online: https://atlas.thc.state.tx.us/Details/5073006774

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FRRandPJune 3, 2019 at 4:59 PM

      John D, Thanks for the info! New Birmingham has been added to the map.

      Delete
  4. bDecember 5, 2019 at 12:10 PM

    I can't find anything on Tedens, IL as to how big it was, how long it lasted, and when it existed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FRRandPDecember 5, 2019 at 10:30 PM

      Thanks for the comment. I have not either, outside of that it was a station stop on the Santa Fe Railway at that location. There does not appear to be any ruins nearby of any town, however geographical changes can hide where villages once were, a great example of this is Torino, IL, about 30 miles south of where Tedens was.

      Delete
  5. UnknownDecember 27, 2020 at 9:08 AM

    The settlement or village of Petersburg was in Kankakee county at the corner of E 10500N Rd. and N 16000E Rd. 41* 16' 27.78" and
    87* 34' 06.16". The settlement or village was very small. St. Paul's Lutheran church, the only existing original structure, is south of the corner. There was a blacksmith and a creamery. I believe that the creamery was turned into a house and was torn down about 2009.

    Curtis Nevel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FRRandPDecember 27, 2020 at 2:20 PM

      Curtis,
      Thanks for your help! We have added the settlement to the map!

      Delete
  6. Josue LargoMonJuly 5, 2021 at 4:17 PM

    You had listed Redmond, near Slippery Rock added, what is its story, as to why was it abandoned, also it was a railroad station that linked to Leesburg Station junction, so more correctly Redmond might have been a station instead of a ghost town.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tim from Ottawa, OntarioDecember 9, 2021 at 8:09 PM

    Amazing website. I've been looking for a resource like this for years. I'm like a kid in a candy store. I love following old railway lines in Google Earth VR, and this website has just provided me with hours and hours of free fun.

    I'll be emailing you soon about 2 abandoned lines east of Ottawa Canada that aren't on this map for you to add.

    Thanks for your work on this.

    Tim

    ReplyDelete
  8. UnknownFebruary 16, 2022 at 5:57 PM

    New Salem Illinois was not like haunted just when the bigger better town of petersburg was built nearby the towns people moved their and also it is now technically open you walk through all the building and there are reenactors who tell you the history of the town

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Underwater Water Slide: Fly Over at Durinrell TikiBad

Image
Have you ever wished to experience being transferred from one pool of liquid to another via a pipe? Had you visited the Dutch water park known as Durinrell , also known as Tikibad before 2010, you would have had the chance. Half water slide, half war crime, this was a unique water slide that was filled to the brim with water, leaving riders completely submerged throughout the journey. Image:  XtremeRidesNL Known as the Fly Over was an underwater water slide, which is exactly how it sounds, and transported riders from one pool to another using the water as propulsion. Built in 1994, riders dove underwater to access the slide, using gravity to transport them upwards via the Communicating Vessels Principle . Riders would be completely underwater for about 15-20 seconds. This is how I imagine those 15-20 seconds felt like while riding the slide. The slide was built to drain water in five seconds or less in case a rider got stuck in the slide or had a medical emergency, but the threat tha
Read more

Railroad Vocabulary: A List of Words and Phrases Used in the Industry - Updated February 2024

Image
As somebody who enjoyed watching trains, but was not an employee of the railroad industry ( at least growing up ), when I would interact with railfans and historians, there was often a lot of technical jargon that applied only to the railroad industry thrown back and forth that made it difficult for a newcomer to understand what they were talking about. For example, what is a dinky? It's actually a passenger train. This non-inclusive language seems to keep the loop closed to members of the community, and to uncouple (no pun intended) that technical jargon and help make it easier for people to communicate with people in the industry, I am creating a list of railroad vocabulary that I'm hoping will make the industry more transparent.  BNSF 2361 . Image: Matt Flores While I ultimately believe that such technical jargon has no place outside of perhaps technical communications between employees, I know quite well that I alone am not going to stop people from communicating in a non-i
Read more

The Abandoned Route 66 in McCook, IL

Image
Route 66, the iconic "Main Street of America," weaves through the heart of the United States, connecting communities and embodying the spirit of adventure. However, not all sections of this historic highway have stood the test of time. While much of the former US 66 is drivable in one way or another, especially in Illinois, there are some parts are not.  One of the first such roadblocks for would-be travelers heading from Chicago to Los Angeles via the Mother Road, now known as Joliet Road, comes just outside of Chicago in McCook, IL, where the former highway is closed between 55th St and East Ave, and has been for over two decades. (Link to the location on our Ghost Towns Map ) Image: Google Maps at 55th and Joliet Rd in McCook, IL The land that the quarry would eventually take over was part of Stinson Airport in the early days of Route 66, dating back to before 1930. ( Abandoned Airports map ). 1938 USGS Aerial Imagery The quarrying on the south side of the road would
Read more