Ghosts said to hang out here include former employee "Bus" Seymore, who is heard typing upstairs, and a little girl who sits in the conference room and has a "thing" for flashlights. Tunnelhill, PA (7.1 mi.) Delve into the history of the railroad industry in Altoona or discover the museums haunted past. All Rights Reserved. In fact, I didnt even talk about the other historic buildings and the many exterior sights. Often seen on the second floor is the ghost of an African-American man who wears 1800s clothing. In addition to the abandoned mining structures, this area is also unique for its micro-climate, which is said to be several degrees colder than the surrounding area and supports unique plant life. Chest Springs, PA (8.1 mi.) It's near the Delta and while it's no longer functional, places like these are a photographer's dream. Located along the Railroad Arch Trail, the South Penn Railroad Aqueduct sits at the end of a quiet and easy trail. Contrast that with other areas of the prison where the more modern, industrial-style buildings are prominent features. I am very well acquainted with George Gummo Sr, a former Rockview Gaurd.. Help spread the word. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. If you are looking for something a bit different, Big House Produce has also started hosting other types of events such as ghost hunts and airsoft military-style games in the facility. Academia Girls School is the ruins of an 1800s building destroyed by fire. In fact, much of the equipment looked like you could just dust it off and start working out. Located on state game lands a short distance south of Williamsport are the Alvira Bunkers. This former mining community has been abandoned for many decades and while much of it has been lost to the woodland, pieces remain, including several concrete structures and an old rail line. It seems that in the late 1800s a sheriff was shot to death by a gang of bandits on the staircase leading between the jail and the attached brick building, which was the jailer's family home. Mishler Theatre - 1208 12th Avenue #206, Altoona, PA 16601 Wikipedia/Public Domain A landmark in Altoona since 1906, The Mishler Theater attracts visitors for its family entertainment and its ghostly spirits. Andy Weimer, Traffic Coordinator 814-949-2496 . The Limestone Trail trailhead is located at the northeast corner of the parking lots at GPS coordinates 40.48496, -78.28334. A famous photograph taken in 1907 (one of the earliest ghost photos thought to be legitimate) shows a figure A stone star fort in the Maryland Panhandle, Fort Frederick Maryland was built in the 1750s to defend Maryland from French and Indian raiders. The Limestone Trail crosses a park road, and then Mary Ann's Creek, before starting upstream along the old railroad bed. A train station that was abandoned by the coal industry and was later converted into a cocktail bar. Moving around to the other end of the complex another interesting building is the second large Tudor style building. From the exterior, you can see that this is actually four separate buildings connected together by long above-ground passageways. Visitors to this site have reported hearing the harrowing sounds of battle, although nothing appears to be happening on the quiet field. What about Buck Hill Falls Inn? Same story of lady in white on beluah road. Tons of cool architecture and history there. 6 . Road Tripping to the Best Abandoned Places in PA will take you on an epic379 mile route toseven of Pennsylvanias most intriguing abandoned places! Meanwhile, the basement is in quite rough shape, with very little light and peeling paint. Lock Ridge furnace in Alburtis Pa. Today, the kilns sit in the middle of a park in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. Hope you have fun! Many legends surround the place, including that a gardener set the fire to cover his tracks after raping and killing many students. Id love to explore the interior of some of those downtown buildings. 9.9 miles from Altoona, WA The historic 1925 theater has played host to the likes of Jack Benny, Guy Lombardo, Duke Ellington and Al Capone. Anything left of Luna Park in Scranton. As their carriage rounded the Devils Elbow, there was an accident and both were killed. Fortunately, however, the current owner is trying to refurbish the homes and turn them into a period homestay. You definitely WILL encounter flaking paint, broken glass, dark corridors, and other hazards typical when exploring abandoned buildings, so dress appropriately and come prepared for that. Today, it sits abandoned in the woods just waiting for people to come and explore it. When it was completed in 1882, the Kinzua Bridge was the largest and tallest bridge in the world. No matter where you look, youll see plenty of razor wire and chain link fences. Some of the existing buildings were also retrofitted with cells and other prison necessities. Looking for even more abandoned places to explore in Pennsylvania that wont have you running from the law? The more modern cells are far cleaner, but still not somewhere Id want to call home! Hydroponic Life took over the SCI Cresson campus in late 2019 with plans to build hydroponic equipment, grow hydroponic produce and hemp, and develop sustainable energy projects on the property. The Abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is a 13 mile stretch of roadway that was part of the original alignment of the PA Turnpike. The penitentiary was open until 1970 when it was closed in favor of more modern facilities. Richfield, CA 96021, USA. Today, visitors can walk through the surrounding park, marvel at the size of Austin Dam and its crumbling ruins, and pay their respects to those killed here. By 1924, the community was abandoned. Based in the state capital of Harrisburg, Jim frequently travels around Pennsylvania and has visited, written about, and photographed all 67 counties in the state. Other ghosts who reside You can't swing a dead cat in Gettysburg without hitting something haunted and the Tillie Pierce house is no exception. For future events, Ive been told that they will be providing a map of the site, which should help with finding your way around the facility and finding the buildings that you most want to visit. Abandoned places in Pennsylvania are pretty easy to find, no matter where you live in the state. Check out the best breweries in Altoona, the Railroaders' Memorial Museum, Chimney Bluff, and the limestone kilns at Canoe Creek State Park. This inn, housed in a 1897 building, has been visited by strange noises, residual smells, and a ghost named Flossie who is said to have died in the house in the 1920s. Even the slightest out-of-place sound can make us jump. If you don't want to travel out of the city to see trains or are looking for something to do while visiting the city's railroad museum, this is a great spot to quickly experience the joys of watching trains. Anyone know of any abandoned places youre allowed to legally explore in the State College/ Altoona area? While this space was in a bit rougher condition than the cell blocks, it was still interesting to stand inside and imagine what it was like for those that worked here less than a decade prior to my visit. A man was said to have killed his wife by stabbing her on the porch sofa, then killed his children and himself upstairs. In truth, I could keep going on and on discussing the many cool things I found while exploring the abandoned SCI Cresson. Would like to see a photo of the old carbon county switch back and trail it was used for. While some of the auxiliary wings were torn down when converting the site into a prison, much of the structure still stands today. Today, this perfectly preserved shop looks just as it did when it closed 60 years ago and offers the chance to see what a mid-century machine shop would have been like. Apparitions, black figures and flashes Reported to be haunted by the ghosts of Civil War era soldiers who were treated and died in the Inn when it served as a hospital after the battle. Wear study boots and bring a flashlight, so that you are prepared to safely explore the former prison grounds. My children had some great times there. Clickon any of the icons below toget connectedto PA Bucket List on social media. Thats very interesting story and you mention Rockview.. A hidden piece of Altoona's railroad history in a long-forgotten abandoned town. In 1780 during the Revolutionary war, a group of rangers were engaged in a battle against the Iroquois who were fighting on behalf of the British. Located just a few miles from Centralia, Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine is a once-abandoned mine in the heart of Pennsylvanias coal region. Completed in 1854,the Allegheny Tunnel is still in use tothis day, and theGallitzin Tunnels Parknext to it is a popular spot for railfans to congregate and watch trains enter and exit this historic tunnel. Fortunately, thanks to a group of dedicated volunteers, Mount Moriah Cemetery is returning to its former glory. Jennie Wade was a seamstress and the only civilian to be directly killed in the Battle of Gettysburg when a stray bullet entered this house, where she was visiting her sister. Centralia is possibly the most famous abandoned town in PA. Without a doubt, this site is easily one of the largest abandoned places in Pennsylvania and one of the most varied. kettner dam elk county,jones twp. When I was young I hunted a farm field East of 209 in the Bushkill area. Rachel is believed to be the spirit of a Civil War nurse who seems to be looking for soldiers to help. To schedule your own visit to the abandoned Cresson State Prison, contact Hydroponic Life / Big House Produce at this link. BUTtwo weeks later, we are watching Ghost Hunters on TV. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. glen hazel. TheWorld-Famous Horseshoe Curvewas considered one of theengineering wonders of the worldat the time of its completion in1854. He handed them some ammunition for Psychics say that the energy here is high because there an Indian burial ground beneath the land. Other points of interest are scattered throughout the park, and its nearly impossible to hike a trail without seeing old, rusting oil equipment sitting in the forest. The Westinghouse Atom Smasher can be found laying on its side in a residential neighborhood east of downtown Pittsburgh. Opened as a state-of-the-art prison in 1829, Eastern State Penitentiaryin Philadelphia was the model for many future correctional facilities. Walking the two levels of the cell block gave me a chance to peer into the tiny cells and get a bit of an idea of what life is like for prisoners currently serving time in a Pennsylvania state prison. You need to park on the side of the highway which there is only one spot to do so but youre not even close to where you need to be DONT WASTE YOUR TIME, Your email address will not be published. 100 years ago did not know you could get close to it!!! An abandoned hallway inside one of the historic sanatorium buildings. Voice your opinion here! The original stone house in the historic park is believed to be haunted. While several of these are off-limits to visitors because they are being used for the hydroponic farm, there were, at the time of my visit at least one that you could enter. Click "thumbs up" if you think its haunted, or "thumbs down" if you think its all just a tall tale. Young and Sons Machine Shop. While the industry is (mostly) long gone and natural beauty has once again returned to the park, there are still points of interest for those that love abandoned spots. 7. Said to be the first railroad tunnel built in USA. However, the mine never again reopened as an active coal mine. After the war, it became a church camp until the early 1970s. His presentation is quirky but his history and stories are kinda what you are looking for. Disembodied footsteps have been heard here as well. In fact, Id say that only Yellow Dog Village can compare to the condition of this site as far as legally accessible abandoned buildings in PA go. Not knowing it was open for tours, we didnt go!! It's illegal to trespass on private property, and most public property is closed from dawn to dusk. When the mine closed in the early 1930s, it was thought to be a temporary closure, so all the equipment was placed inside the mine before it was closed. While visiting, its also worth the short bike ride or walk to the Brady Tunnel and the Philipston Turntable. Built in 1907, the two blast furnaces here were in nearly continuous operation until 1978. Follow us on social media to add even more wonder to your day. Over the years, many stage crew members, actors, office . Their episode was .wait for itMoundsville State Prison. Rockland Furnace dates to 1832 and was in operation until 1854. Gettysburg. If you can ignore the fences and razor wire, its not hard to imagine yourself on the grounds of a grand English manor in the countryside, at least among the Tudor-style buildings. Legend has it that she was a new bride on her honeymoon at the Wopsononock Hotel, which burned down long ago. To be honest, very little is known about the origins of this ruin, but its still a lot of fun to explore the stone shell of this building. Urban exploration isn't usually legal, so you're going to need to look for illegal answers if you want to find anything outside of a state or local park. Some of the older housing units are three stories high, while the more modern ones are only two stories high. Looking for even more places to visit? It is said that these soldiers are from the battle's second day. This mental hospital was open until December 1982 when the state decided to turn the site into a prison. While many are welded shut, a few are open. You're awesome for doing it! Naval officerRobert Peary, a Cresson native credited with beingthe first explorer to reach the North Pole. It is behind a f cow pasture. Perhaps the largest abandoned spot in Pennsylvania is an abandoned stretch of PA Turnpike. He is said to be seen mostly around the old gardening tools. You're awesome for doing it! Frank is the most popular spirit in the museum but not the only ghost whos said to live there. Rusty Glessner is a professional photographer, lifelong Pennsylvanian, and creator of the PA Bucket List travel blog. Only to find out, that is where caretakers had faced ghostly spirits. Grew up there and is definetly eerie up on the buckhorn. You missed fallbrook pa the cemetery is still there and there are also some remains, There are some pretty cool ruins in Allegheny county a town called little Boston in the Elizabeth area I was told but not sure if the info is correct but the ruins may be from an old terracotta factory. Visitors can walk out onto the remains of the bridge or walk to the valley floor for a close up look at the bridges remains, which still lay where they fell. It was used as part of nuclear power experiments until the late 1950s. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends. They can be accessed from several points along the spectacular Lehigh Gorge. This 1906 theater building, still in operation today, is said to be home to three ghosts: Mr. Isaac Mishler, a howling dog, and a female spirit who plays pranks in the restroom. This may be the source of the glowing white figures that are reported, or the strange light manifestations. Collection of trolley cars in the woods represent one man's attempt to preserve transportation history. On this visit I got to check out the tunnels that run BENEATH the complex. My favorite is the trail leads you straight there! TheAllegheny Tunnel(known originally as the Summit Tunnel) in nearby Gallitzin wasthe longest railroad tunnel in the worldat the time of its completion, at3,612 feet. The prison closed in 1971, and slowlydescended into ruinover the next 20 years. Petroleum Centre is another oil-boom community that once thrived in northwestern Pennsylvania. You can walk around campus in the daytime: https://pennhurstasylum.ticketleap.com/daytime-photography-tour/details. Here are a few of my favorite ruins and abandoned places in Pennsylvania you can legally visit. I am retired from Rockview Prison. Of course, this also gave it a bit of an eerie and forbidden feeling. My favorite is the giant elevator that once took miners deep underground. Almost all of the buildings have either a number or a letter emblazoned on them. This building contained a huge number of interesting sights spread between its multiple levels including a large kitchen space (with some of the large appliances still installed), a laundry space, offices, a classroom with furniture, and many more hidden gems. Inmate phones in the cell blocks were controlled by panels like the one below. Grace Chapel was built in 1914, as part of the original Cresson Tuberculosis Sanatorium. Since the spring of 2021, they have held events where photographers and history lovers can visit the prison and explore the site on their own. Advanced reservations are required. (Submitted by Chris Berglund). Like Atlas Obscura and get our latest and greatest stories in your Facebook feed. While the property is typically closed to the public, the owner often lets visitors roam around with prior permission. This camp was used by four different groups in the 1930s and 1940s, culminating with usage for German POWs in the mid-1940s. The devils elbow is where the White Lady of Wopsy Mountain supposedly died, When would be the best time to see her im also looking for any haunted cemeteries around Altoona, Its definitely not called horseshoe curve its one way to snow shoe. Saved from the wrecking ball and now owned by a non-profit organization,Eastern State Penitentiaryoperates asa year-round museum and historic site. Built in 1947 and operating until 1983, this building could put out ten-foot pieces of steel and still retains its giant crane and power generating station. Exploring the Abandoned Cresson State Prison in Cambria County, contact Hydroponic Life / Big House Produce at this link, abandoned places to explore in Pennsylvania, 30 Abandoned Places in PA You Can Legally Visit, Road Tripping to the Best Abandoned Places in PA, Exploring the Curtis Publishing Building in Philadelphia, The 17 Best Hiking Trails Near State College, Exploring the American Philatelic Center in Bellefonte, Exploring Boggs Run Vista in Clinton County. Abandoned Vehicle on Public Streets. Read more Central Pa.'s largest abandoned places include schools, a resort, once-beloved retail stores. In this space, youll find a large basketball court that still retains some of the paint on the floor, though, sadly, no basketball hoops. Pennhurst State School in Spring City. Get more stories like this one delivered right to your email. Eastern State Penitentiaryin Philadelphia wasthe most famous and expensive prison in the worldwhen it opened in 1829. 31.6K Click the map to see more nearby things to do " In 1911, the dam failed and the ensuing flood of water killed 78 people. Its amazing to tour the homes and think about what it would have been like to have lived in this community. Abraham Lincoln rode thru the tunnel en-route to the Gettysburg Address. Eldora Park between Donora and Monongahela in Carroll Township. These bunkers were used to test nuclear-powered jet engines as part of the governments Atoms for Peace program. This semi-spooky remnant of an abandoned hotel provides fantastic views. Are far cleaner, but still not somewhere id want to call home, youll see plenty of razor and! While exploring the abandoned Pennsylvania Turnpike is a 13 mile stretch of roadway was... 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