Like at home in the UK, and on the continent, there are certain locations in the USA which are true longstanding icons of urban exploration. Places that are instantly recognisable to everyone connected with the hobby, to remarks such as 'oh it's THAT place' etc etc.
One of these such places is a former tuberculosis sanatorium nestled deep in a very rural part of the country. I can remember looking at photos of the place years back, long before I had any real interest or drive in American exploring and thinking it looked awesome. Never did I really think I would be able to explore it myself years down the line. However most people who have explored this place will automatically say one thing - that it's an absolute bitch to do without getting the police called on you. It's located on top of a hill in a tiny town, and the residents are so finely tuned to look out for strangers holding camera gear as they walk through the streets towards it that they have been known to call police there and then. A few years back my friends got stormed by armed police and arrested, and arrests were commonplace here until a couple of years back. Now as the buildings are too decayed and dangerous for them to enter the police will just sit outside and issue you a heavy fine for your trouble. But hey, that's better than getting arrested.
Luckily, none of that happened on my visit!
The absolute best thing about this place is that it is built sunk into a hill, so when you are in the site there is almost zero outside noise, the road that runs past is pretty quiet at the best of times but it's almost creepy just how dead silent it is in there. Our only company all day came in the form of a number of vultures circling overhead. The state of decay in here having been closed for two decades is amazing, and very photogenic. The outside architecture of the place is equally stunning and all beginning to fall apart as well, with balconies crumbling and roofs collapsing. I really enjoyed it here as you can probably tell.
Thanks for looking - lots more photos here as ever https://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/albums/72157673628462310
One of these such places is a former tuberculosis sanatorium nestled deep in a very rural part of the country. I can remember looking at photos of the place years back, long before I had any real interest or drive in American exploring and thinking it looked awesome. Never did I really think I would be able to explore it myself years down the line. However most people who have explored this place will automatically say one thing - that it's an absolute bitch to do without getting the police called on you. It's located on top of a hill in a tiny town, and the residents are so finely tuned to look out for strangers holding camera gear as they walk through the streets towards it that they have been known to call police there and then. A few years back my friends got stormed by armed police and arrested, and arrests were commonplace here until a couple of years back. Now as the buildings are too decayed and dangerous for them to enter the police will just sit outside and issue you a heavy fine for your trouble. But hey, that's better than getting arrested.
Luckily, none of that happened on my visit!
The absolute best thing about this place is that it is built sunk into a hill, so when you are in the site there is almost zero outside noise, the road that runs past is pretty quiet at the best of times but it's almost creepy just how dead silent it is in there. Our only company all day came in the form of a number of vultures circling overhead. The state of decay in here having been closed for two decades is amazing, and very photogenic. The outside architecture of the place is equally stunning and all beginning to fall apart as well, with balconies crumbling and roofs collapsing. I really enjoyed it here as you can probably tell.
Thanks for looking - lots more photos here as ever https://www.flickr.com/photos/mookie427/albums/72157673628462310
