Is there any abandoned places in Colorado?
There are dozens of abandoned places in Colorado that you can visit to imagine life back in the Wild West or to go treasure hunting. Ghost towns dot the western states because of the mining and railroad history in that part of the country.
Known as Molkerei, this historic Denver building is a tuberculosis center turned insane asylum turned private residence that is (surprise!) allegedly haunted.
Coloradans have heard about what it's like inside the most famous underground military base in the world: Cheyenne Mountain. Just south of Colorado Springs is one of the most famous military bases in the world, but you can't see it.
Since they're such an iconic part of American culture, there's always a place for them to call home. That's where Thrillist comes in. Writers found the best hippie town in every state, including Colorado. This destination was chosen as the Centennial State's most hippie town: Boulder!
Ashcroft is the best ghost town to visit in Colorado. Ashcroft is well-preserved and is more easily accessible than other ghost towns in Colorado. It's located near Aspen, and the Aspen Historical Society gives guided tours of the town's jail, saloons, stable, and more.
How Many Of You Remember The Abandoned Asylum Called The Ridge Home In Aravada? In 1909, the State of Colorado planned 310 acres 2 miles west of Arvada for a mental hospital soon to be named Ridge Home. It was located at approx. 52nd and Kipling.
The former Ridge Home state hospital stood in Arvada at Kipling and I-70. For decades it served people with severe mental and physical disabilities. But it was also plagued with allegations of abuse against those who lived there.
The Ridge Home Hospital was a large 68-acre campus specializing in the treatment of mental health patients. The first buildings were constructed in the 1920s, eventually growing to over 50 structures before closing their doors in the 1980s. The campus was abandoned and sat vacant for over 20 years.
The Urban Explorer Code. The 3 fundamental principles of urbex are common sense rules: don't damage anything, don't steal anything and take care of yourself.
When is Urban Exploration Illegal? Criminal damage, breaking and entering and theft are all self-explanatory and obviously against the law, so Urban Explorers should only explore accessible locations and never damage or take anything.
What to do when urban exploring?
- Never go alone. ...
- Tell other people where you're going. ...
- Bring torches. ...
- Wear tough boots. ...
- Wear layers. ...
- Depending on the location, a hard hat's not a bad idea either.
- A face mask or respirator is a good idea if there's a lot of dust or harmful chemicals.
The Cheyenne Mountain Complex on Cheyenne Mountain is a Space Force installation and defensive bunker. Located 2,000 feet underground in Colorado Springs, the complex protects fifteen buildings, each three-stories, from natural disasters thanks to its design incorporating over 1,000 springs.

The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is a Space Force installation and defensive bunker located in unincorporated El Paso County, Colorado, next to the city of Colorado Springs, at the Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station, which hosts the activities of several tenant units.
Lake City is the county seat of Hinsdale County and makes the claim to be the most remote area of the lower 48 states. Less than 800 residents live in the county, including less than 375 residents who live in Lake City at an elevation of 8,671 feet above sea level. Photo Credit: Kelsey Brunner, The Gazette.
Hippie culture definitely thrived in Boulder in the 70s and that vibe is still around, but times change, and so do towns. Boulder's now as much of a tech town and center for scientific research as it is a peace-sign-flashing hippy hub. Here are some of the top industries based in Boulder.
San Luis, the oldest town in Colorado, was established on April 5, 1851, with a present population of approximately 750. San Luis is predominately Hispanic, with strong ties to Spain's religious, cultural, and artistic traditions.
If there's any one state that truly exemplifies the hippie lifestyle, it's gotta be California, where you can find all types: beach bums, commune members, laid-back stoners, mountain dwellers—you name it.
Named after the price some say it'd take them to willingly drive it, the Million Dollar Highway often tops lists for most dangerous drives in the world. Coal Bank Pass is considered to be one of its most treacherous sections due to steep conditions and unpredictable weather events.
By 1899, there were 300 people in town, as even a newspaper, the Gilman Enterprise. The area was mined until 1984 when the EPA demanded it be closed due to toxic conditions. It was designated a Superfund site in 1986, and was concluded in 2000 to had been substantially cleaned up.
Bodie, California
The town has been preserved in a state of “arrested decay” by the California State Parks Department as the Bodie State Historic Park. Bodie has existed since about 1861 after gold was discovered and 20 years later had 10,000 people.
Do insane asylums still exist?
As word of these horrors spread, the public turned on the institutions. Rather than fix the problem, asylums were largely abandoned altogether. Nearly all of them are now shuttered and closed.
With more than 1,527 beds, DSH Patton in California stood as the biggest psychiatric hospital in the US by bed size, followed by the Napa State Hospital. Hospital Management lists the top ten psychiatric hospitals in the US based on bed size in 2021, using GlobalData's research.
Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative identity disorder, major depressive disorder and many others.
The Bloomingdale Insane Asylum (1821–1889) was an American private hospital for the care of the mentally ill, founded by New York Hospital. It was located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City, where Columbia University is now located.
A long hallway in the 181,582-square-foot Powell Building provides a reminder of the vast number of patients once housed at Central State—up to 13,000 during its peak. Many more patients followed Mr. B., and the institution grew into the largest insane asylum in the world.
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Large-scale closures of the old asylums began in the 1980s. By 2015, none remained.
Weston was closed permanently in 1994.
1752. The Quakers in Philadelphia were the first in America to make an organized effort to care for the mentally ill. The newly-opened Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia provided rooms in the basement complete with shackles attached to the walls to house a small number of mentally ill patients.
Urban exploration (often shortened as UE, urbex and sometimes known as roof and tunnel hacking) is the exploration of manmade structures, usually abandoned ruins or hidden components of the manmade environment.
What does urbex stand for?
urban exploration in British English
noun. a recreational activity in which people explore derelict urban structures such as abandoned sewers or underground railways or attempt to access areas which are closed to the public such as the roofs of skyscrapers. Often shortened to: urbex.
- Creepy Bunker. “Was playing in the woods and tripped over something solid. ...
- Murder House? “I was in a house that the police confiscated from a biker gang. ...
- Something Dead in The Sewers. ...
- Strangers in the Darkness. ...
- Cat Lady.
Exploring the less-traveled, boarded-up urban world is not so different from exploring the open, natural one, except that it's likely to be illegal. The issue with this type of urban-exploration activity is trespassing -- at its most basic, being on someone else's property when you're not supposed to be.
The consequences of urban exploring can, as is evident, be fatal, most commonly falling while climbing buildings. There have also been fatalities of many younger children who were simply playing on rooftops, not knowing the risks.
Ask Permission
It's tempting to assume that no one will notice or care if you sneak into an abandoned mansion. But chances are good that someone still owns the property, and if you enter without permission, you're trespassing. Take the time to do your homework, find the owner and ask if you can visit.
- The Peak Design Everyday Backpack is our top pick. ...
- The Sony A7 III is an excellent camera for urban exploration. ...
- If you prefer a DSLR camera, the Canon 5D Mark IV is a good choice for urbex photography.
- But our top camera pick for urban exploration photography is the Fujifilm XPro 3.
"Explorin Socal" is a app where you can find all of the lowkey Explorin spots around you, thats if you live in Southern California Of course. The places range from Abandoned buildings to Caves by the Ocean. Each Location pinpoint will provide you with a Image of the Place, a description of the place, and directions.
Abandoned properties and buildings aren't cared for the same way your home or school is. Floors can break and roofs can cave in at any time. Many have sharp items like broken glass and nails on the floor. And there's always the chance of a fire.
Check with Local Authorities
You might be able to identify abandoned homes by going to the county clerk's office because the government keeps property ownership data. Inquire with banks to see if they have an inventory of houses under foreclosure.
- Abandoned Places. First, let's start off with a really old website that's been documenting abandoned places for ages. ...
- Abandoned America. ...
- Urbex Playground. ...
- Freaktography. ...
- Abandoned Central.
How do you find empty buildings?
Your local estate agent should be your first port of call. They might not have photographs of empty properties in their shop window, but that does not mean that they have not got some for sale. Auction catalogues are also a good place to find empty properties that are for sale.
How do you purchase a repossessed house? Repossessed houses are usually put up for auction by the bank. This is known as a Sale in Execution. You could also purchase the home directly from the borrower, who may be attempting to sell the home before the bank claims it.
Electoral Register
Another way to find the owner of an abandoned property is to check the electoral register. If the owner of the property (or inhabitants of the property) were registered to vote, you should find the owner's name listed next to the property's address.
Common Reasons People Abandon Houses
Financial distress culminates in an inability to pay the mortgage. Missed mortgage payments occur, which leads to the foreclosure process. Unpaid back taxes. The owner passes away.
Entering an 'abandoned' building is usually still unlawful, because the land is almost invariably still owned by someone. Entering a building which is owned by someone is trespass, and is usually a civil offence.
Research Urban Exploration Online
Forums and Facebook groups give a good start point to finding Urban Exploration sites. They often require some follow up research which can lead to news articles about places closing down, or planning documents that give locations.
There are different ways of buying municipal land: A private treaty between buyer and municipality where offers are made and negotiations concluded in terms of Section 14(2) of the MFMA. Public auction where the property is sold to the highest bidder.
The study by LendingTree ranked the nation's 50 states by their shares of unoccupied homes. The highest vacancy rates were found in Vermont, Maine and Alaska. Each state has between 20% and 22% of its housing stock vacant. The three states combined are home to more than 315,000 unoccupied units.
A derelict property is a home or building that's empty and in a bad state of repair. This is usually the result of the property not having been lived in for a long time. It's estimated there are around 216,000 homes in England alone that have been empty for six months or more.
The answer is yes, you can. However, purchasing an unoccupied and abandoned property may not be as straight forward as purchasing an occupied residential or commercial property.
Can you get a mortgage for a derelict house?
The majority of high-street banks and mortgage lenders won't offer mortgages if: The property is derelict, due to neglect, for example. The building is uninhabitable, such as having no functioning bathroom or kitchen.
Options for selling a dilapidated house
Most derelict properties are not habitable and mortgage lenders will respond with a firm “no” to any prospective buyer's application for financing. Therefor an uninhabitable, derelict property will require a cash buyer, be that a straight cash purchase or a bridging loan.