When we call a place home, instead of a house, we’re ascribing a sort of positive emotion to it. But on the flip side, a windowless, empty house can evoke melancholy, sad, and even spooky emotions as our brains wonder why the people left in the first place. Mortgage costs are boring, it must be ghosts.
The “Old and Abandoned Houses” Facebook page gathers images of buildings from a bygone age that no one lives in anymore. So get comfortable as you scroll through and be sure to upvote your favorites and comment why you think some of these places are devoid of people below.
More info: Facebook
#1 Grimmenstein Castle, Austria
#2 A Boot-Shaped House Hidden Deep In The UK Forest
While on the surface, these are mostly just decrepit old buildings, there are some psychological factors in play that make them fascinating to us. First and foremost, we do have an innate curiosity about abandoned places, as some part of our brain wants to confirm if it’s truly abandoned. Perhaps we think we can find something interesting or find answers to why people left.
It’s also worth noting that in most cases, the places we live in are not abandoned, so it’s a unique chance to see just what age does to a home, something we don’t see every day. Add in the fact that many of these houses are built in an “older” era and it’s easy to see why the average person might find such a building interesting.
#3 Abandoned Fairy Tale House
#4 Abandoned Mansion In Michigan
#5 Abandoned Victorian Bathtub
We aren’t the only people who think that old “ruins” are interesting, there is some evidence that in the 18th and 19th centuries, Medieval castles, no longer necessary as fortifications, were purposefully allowed to crumble and fall apart, as they would yield “aesthetically pleasing” ruins. While modern historians might grumble at this, the logic is sound.
#6 Abandoned Castle
#7 Into Abandoned Old House
#8 Abandoned Mansion
In cases where there weren’t readily available ruins, people would simply fake them. Architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg designed a set of “Roman ruins” for the garden of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. The Hapsburg rulers of the time, like many fashionable people, had a passing interest in the ancient world and didn’t think fake ruins were weird at all.
#9 Such A Shame
#10 Abandoned Beauty Found In An Apartment
#11 Abandoned
And before you judge, consider that modern humans regularly erect haunted houses, horror escape rooms and take tours of places associated with death. There is a thrill associated with a location, while the houses in this list also might be just spooky enough to titillate a real horror fan.
#12 An Abandoned Mansion In The Irish Forests
#13 The Room Of An Old Abandoned House In Italy
#14 Abandoned Mansion In France
For some, an abandoned house isn’t enough, they need a whole street or even a region. This is why some companies make a profit by offering tours of Pripyat, near Chornobyl, still mostly restricted since its nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic failure in 1986. People have a chance to explore a ghost town, plus see a relatively untouched Soviet town, as long as they don’t care about a little exposure to radiation.
#15 Left Behind In France
#16 Entrance Of An Abandoned Castle, France
#17 An Overgrown Pool At An Abandoned Mansion
Others might go to Hashima Island, Japan, where mines have been abandoned since the 1970s. While not really dangerous, These locations are still “wild” enough that visitors feel like they may stumble across something new or unexpected. The presence of a tour guide would suggest otherwise, but most prefer an interesting delusion to reality.
#18 Would You Explore This?
#19 Abandoned House In Coudersport, Pennsylvania
#20 Your Inheritance… Keep It Or Sell It?
This is perhaps the same psychology that drives people to explore the most uncomfortable caves known to man, even if it means risking life and limb to see a bit of rock that no one else has. Of course, by definition, an abandoned house can’t be “unseen” since it had to have been at least built.
#21 Abandoned House In Forest
#22 An Abandoned Haunted House Located In Berlin, Germany
#23 Abandoned House
If you are still interested in exploring an abandoned house and looking at these images isn’t enough, there are some safety tips one should follow. First, get permission if you can. Walking around an old house only to get slapped with a trespassing charge is probably not fun for anyone. Avoid going alone and preferably tell someone where you are headed, just in case.
#24 A Forgotten Masterpiece In An Abandoned Mansion
#25 Abandoned Castle
#26 Amazing Abandoned Castle’s In The World – Scotland
If you do end up going, don’t say you weren’t warned by us, the law, 1001 films, and common sense. But do be sure to take some photos and document these locations for the rest of the world to see. In many cases, these houses have probably sat untouched and unseen for decades, so it would be interesting and educational for all to get a peek inside.
#27 Witch House. Wooden Cottage , Tatra Mountains , Poland
#28 Abandoned Mansion In The Forest
#29 Abandoned Guitar Factory
And if you are interested in more house-related content, We has got you covered, you can take a look at our list of things people recommend you do before buying your first home. Or, if you want a good laugh, check out our post collecting the best “Ugly Belgian Houses,” which might make you wonder if they are an architect’s practical jokes.
#30 Abandoned Hotel – 2019
#31 The Red Stairs
#32 Abandoned House
#33 Abandoned Church
#34 Abandoned Bedroom
#35 Abandoned Mansion, Belgium
#36 Abandoned Spa Town In The Czech Republic
#37 A Decaying Neo-Gothic Turret Hidden Among The Hills – Italy
#38 Abandoned Castle, Ireland
#39 A 14th Century Abandoned Caste In Scotland
#40 Would U Like To See Inside ?
#41 Old Abandoned Victorian House
#42 Abandoned Beauty!
#43 Looks Like It Is Straight Out Of A Fairytale!
#44 St Pancras Renaissance Hotel Staircase
#45 This Car And Cabin
#46 Abandoned In Scotland
#47 A 900-Year-Old Church Still Standing In Ireland
#48 Cochem, Germany
#49 Germany
#50 Edinburgh, Scotland