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How do I find Abandoned Locations near me?
“How do you find these places?“; a question I am asked on an almost daily basis. Here I have prepared a little FAQ giving some general tips and hints on how to find abandoned locations for yourself.
HOW DO I FIND ABANDONED LOCATIONS NEAR ME?
There are three main avenues which I make use of regularly;
Researching new places
Firstly, there is no substitute for researching your own locations. Arriving at a location not knowing exactly what you will find inside, is part of the fun. It is great to show people something they haven’t seen before, rather than just posting the locations that are “trending” at the moment.
Google Search is going to be your best friend. Just run some general searches for “abandoned locations”, including your hometown or state. You can even go a little further by including search terms for things that specifically you as well as thinking of alternative words for “abandoned”. These are some good ones; closed factory, former asylum, derelict house or abandoned school.
Newspapers and news websites are a solid source of news about recent closures, especially schools/hospitals/factories. Keep an eye out and you may just get the scoop on a fresh abandonment in your area.
An evening trawling Google Maps can often be rewarding. Scour the satellite maps for broken roofs, overgrown buildings and other signs of dilapidation. When you have found a likely target from this birds eye view, switch to Street View. If it has boards or broken windows or the front access is heavily overgrown, you may have just found something to explore.
Trading with friends
Trading locations with trusted people is a great way to make new friends or build existing relationships.
I like to mix it up and plan routes that are a mix of traded and researched locations. That way you have a balance of known locations (perhaps even with access details from a friend) and a some nice fresh surprises you have researched yourself.
Being lucky!
There is also a third option, a wildcard. If the fates favour you, perhaps you will stumble upon a great location in your everyday travels. Maybe you will spot a crumbling church during your next work trip. There is even the possibility you might stumble upon an abandoned hotel during a family holiday. Keep your eyes open for interesting buildings, and telltale signs (broken or boarded windows, and heavily overgrown gardens etc).
Hopefully these are some helpful tips to get you started. I personally can vouch that there is no substitute for putting in some hard work and researching your own locations. Part of the fun is the hunting and searching, and it really does get easier as you find a workflow that works for you!
Don’t forget to be danger aware when you start exploring a new location. Check out my basic Urban Exploration safety tips article, there might be some useful things in there for you to keep in mind.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT URBAN EXPLORATION? ASK ME!
If you have more questions that have not been answered, contact me using the form below. I will do my best to answer all questions!
Have I missed out some useful urbex tips for beginners? Let me know, and I will also add them.
- Please do not ask for location addresses, coordinates, hints, maps etc. See FAQ for more info.
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