Top 10 Abandoned Locations in Pennsylvania

There is a plethora of amazing abandoned locations in Pennsylvania. I visited the great state of Pennsylvania in 2018; a journey in search of abandoned places. Scouring the state for lost and forgotten locations. Uncovering hidden treasures and forgotten secrets along the way.

I walked dark hospital corridors lined with peeling paint, derelict for decades. I fought through dense vegetation to stand in the shadow of a rollercoaster, reclaimed by nature. There also were silent school corridors lined with rusting lockers. I weathered a thunderstorm in the rusting carriages of a trolley car graveyard. Astoundingly, I even became lost in a forest filled with hundreds of brightly coloured Volkswagen Beetles. I explored many churches, covering a full spectrum from ancient hollowed-out husks to pristine sanctuaries. Casually, I browsed the shelves of musty old libraries with desks covered in plastic sheeting.

The Abandoned Locations in Pennsylvania, in all their decaying glory

My road trip around Pennsylvanian was a brief one, lasting only a few days. It was an expierience that will remain in my fond memories for the rest of my life.

In that short time I visited 21 abandoned locations in Pennsylvania, documenting them in 135 photographs. These photographs, along with historical commentary, have been published in my book Abandoned Pennsylvania.

Video of Top 10 Abandoned Locations in Pennsylvania

To wet your appetite, I present my Top 10 Abandoned Locations in Pennsylvania. These are the highlights from my road trip around the Keystone State.

There were many amazing locations, so narrowing them down to just 10 was difficult! I hope you enjoy this eclectic selection of historical relics.

My 10 Favourite Urban Exploration Locations in Pennsylvania

01 – Blue Boxing Ring
🥇

The Blue Boxing Ring was once a famous sports venue in the United States.

02 – Trolley Car Graveyard 🥈

This rusting collection of treasures from a by-gone age wait patiently for restoration.

03 – Dark Dogma Church 🥉

The Dark Dogma Church is over 120 years old; it has been abandoned for twenty of those years.

04 – College Founder’s Archive

This collection documents the finances of a French immigrants business empire in meticulous detail, spanning over fifty years of trading.

05 – Rotunda Town Hall

This incarnation of the town hall was built in the 1920s, in a Classical Revival architecture style.

06 – Trade School Auditorium

This disused lecture theatre was once part of a large vocational training school.

07 – Wooden Rollercoaster

This overgrown wooden rollercoaster was once the star attraction at this former theme park.

08 – Veronica’s Veil

This abandoned theatre auditorium was part of a former Catholic high school.

09 – Elementary School L

This school was built in the early 1900s, with the oldest block being constructed in Classical Revival style.

10 – Eastern State Penitentiary

This institute was proud to be the world’s first true penitentiary, and opened in 1829.