# Centralia, Pennsylvania -Ghost town



## spitfire (Jan 29, 2011)

This has to get the most bizzare reason for a ghost town ever. An underground non stop mine fire that has burned since the 1960's and created so much toxic gas that people had to move out in the 1980's. They reckon it wont stop for a minimum of 250 years!!!!

See more at : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centralia,_Pennsylvania


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## Richard Davies (Jan 29, 2011)

Bill Bryson mentions Centralia in A Walk In The Woods.

Another problem is subsidence from the coal being burnt away in the ground under the town.


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## Lost Explorer (Jan 29, 2011)

Thats crazy! I guess it must be a coal seam or something thats on fire?


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## TK421 (Jan 29, 2011)

I understand that this is the inspiration for Silent Hill, but I might be wrong, I usually am


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## nelly (Jan 29, 2011)

Its a small world, I searched this place on bing map a few days ago after watching this video clip (Centralia is number 9)

[ame]http://www.5min.com/Video/10-Abandoned-Places-Explained-516938627[/ame]


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## Seahorse (Jan 29, 2011)

TK421 said:


> I understand that this is the inspiration for Silent Hill, but I might be wrong, I usually am



No, you are quite correct. Also the inspration for one of Dean Koontz's books, Strange Highways.

I was staying not far from there a couple of years ago, but only found out about it after I got home. It's a definite day trip next year though. The wife can go shopping in New York with her pal, and I'll go with my mate Mr Fuji for an explore.


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## spitfire (Jan 29, 2011)

nelly1967 said:


> Its a small world, I searched this place on bing map a few days ago after watching this video clip (Centralia is number 9)
> 
> http://www.5min.com/Video/10-Abandoned-Places-Explained-516938627



Cant believe Varosha in Cyprus is not on that list.


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## Seahorse (Jan 29, 2011)

spitfire said:


> Cant believe Varosha in Cyprus is not on that list.



Which reminds me... I'm off to Cyprus in October too. I wonder if the missus would notice if I sloped off from the pool for a few hours?


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## spitfire (Jan 29, 2011)

Seahorse said:


> Which reminds me... I'm off to Cyprus in October too. I wonder if the missus would notice if I sloped off from the pool for a few hours?



Book a holiday at the "Palm beach hotel - Famagusta" was known as the constantia in the past. Its on the beach next to the Varosha district. But beware of the army guards as they have been known to shoot at people trying to go inside!


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## LittleMadam (Jan 30, 2011)

Ahhh thanks for posting this, I totally forgot the name of this place when I was trying to show someone the other day! It is so cool, and where there are cracks on the road and all you can see is the earth on fire, certainly the closest to the typical idea of "hell".

We should all go out there and do a road trip and take LOTS of marshmallows!


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## oldscrote (Jan 30, 2011)

What an odd coincidence.I've just finished the Bryson book 'A walk in the woods 'and was going to post something about Centralia when up pops this thread.There's a wonderful site about the place here

http://www.offroaders.com/album/centralia/centralia.htm


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## RichardB (Jan 30, 2011)

I'm a little disappointed to find that it's virtually all gone, not that I was ever likely to go there anyway.

It looks quite grim on Streetview.


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## Foxylady (Jan 30, 2011)

Wow, amazing place. It looks as though it was a really nice town to live too.

Cheers for the link, Oldscrote. Some incredible photos and blogs about it.


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