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Sunlit sand drifts along the corridor of an abandoned building, ivy creeping through broken windows beside an Authorized Access Only sign

Top 12 Abandoned Places You Can Explore Legally

Urban explorers often sneak past padlocks, but these sites welcome visitors through the front gate. For extra context on safe urbex, see our safety guide.

1. Hashima Island (Gunkanjima), Japan

Hashima island battleship profile

Once the world’s most crowded coal-mining outpost, now a deserted “battleship” in Nagasaki Bay.
Go with: Gunkanjima Concierge – licensed boats dock for a one-hour boardwalk tour (hard hats supplied).

2. Bodie State Historic Park, California, USA

Bodie ghost town

Gold-rush town frozen at 1880s peak. Ranger-led walks enter the stamp mill.
Official park page.

3. Kolmanskop Ghost Town, Namibia

Kolmanskop sand-filled house

Diamond boom collapsed, dunes marched in. Buy a photography permit in Lüderitz or online at Ghost Town Tours.

4. Beelitz-Heilstätten Sanitarium, Germany

Beelitz Heilstätten ivy corridor

Book “Lost Places” tours via Baum & Zeit; the same ticket lets you walk the 320-metre treetop boardwalk.

5. Pripyat and Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine

Pripyat swimming pool

Day permits through Chernobyl-Tour include dosimeter and accredited guide.
For route planning, read our road-trip timing checklist—same pacing principles apply.

6. Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA

Eastern State Penitentiary cellblock

Audio guide by actor Steve Buscemi; tickets at easternstate.org.
Night tours May–Sept sell out fast.

7. Varosha Quarter, Famagusta, Cyprus

Abandoned hotel Varosha

Reopened streets require passport at beachfront gate (see municipal notice here). Cycling lanes guide visitors past skeletal hotels.

8. Oradour-sur-Glane, France

Ruins of Oradour church

Entrance is free; visitor info at oradour.org.

9. Ross Island Penal Colony, Andaman Islands, India

Ross Island banyan roots

Ferries bookable via Andaman Ferries. Entry fee two USD. Photo permits included.

10. Canfranc International Railway Station, Spain

Canfranc abandoned station

Hard-hat tours in English weekends via Canfranc Turismo. Hotel conversion starts 2026—go before velvet ropes arrive.

11. Fordlândia, Pará, Brazil

Fordlândia powerhouse

Riverboat from Santarém twice weekly (timetable on Visit Amazonas). Local community charges a small guide fee—money stays in the village.

12. SS Ayrfield Wreck, Homebush Bay, Australia

SS Ayrfield mangrove shipwreck

Paddleboard hire and heritage notes at Paddle Sydney.


Safety first: Even legal sites feature unstable floors or wildlife. Wear boots, respect cordons and pack out everything you bring. Have another above-board ruin? Share it in the comments.

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