On our planet, there are plenty of abandoned and incredible places that we would never have heard of if extreme tourists hadn’t shared about them in their blogs. Echoes of past life stir the imagination of true urban explorers, and they rush to share with everyone the unique aesthetics of oblivion and unspoken stories.
The peculiar, hypnotic charm of these mysterious and abandoned places evokes both interest and horror at the same time. Perhaps only the most extreme and fearless tourists are willing to visit these deserted places. AdmiGram.com will tell you about the strangest and most unusual abandoned places, imbued with a mysterious post-apocalyptic aesthetic.
5 of the Strangest Abandoned Places on Earth
Nara Dreamland, Japan
© soqank_art via Instagram
Nara Dreamland is an abandoned amusement park in Japan. Construction of the park was completed in 1961, right next to the city of the same name. According to the owners’ plans, it was meant to become a true Japanese “Disneyland” — and even outshine it in grandeur.
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No expense was spared on the facilities: a railway depot, a Sleeping Beauty castle, and famous roller coasters were all built for the park. Nara Dreamland also had its own unique attractions, including dozens of anime character figurines. However, in 2006 the park closed due to financial troubles and was eventually abandoned.
Sanzhi UFO Houses, Taiwan
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The San Zhi Houses, also known as the Sanzhi UFO Houses, were a series of unusual, bold architectural structures in the Sanzhi area of Taiwan. They were conceived as a resort complex in the late 1970s, but construction was halted due to financial problems and a string of fatal accidents at the site.
© litien_ via Instagram
During the height of the credit crisis in the 1980s, developers decided to dismantle and sell off the strange houses, but the fatal accidents resumed. Wary of provoking further misfortune, local residents chose to leave everything as it was. Today, the “flying saucers” evoke a sense of some unknown presence, as though hinting at a doorway to another dimension.
Maunsell Sea Forts, United Kingdom
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The Maunsell Sea Forts, resembling rusted AT-AT walkers from Star Wars, are defensive structures built in the Thames and Mersey estuaries off the coast of England. Constructed during World War II to defend against German air raids, they’ve proven remarkably durable — several still stand in the water today, entrenched like fortresses decades after being decommissioned.
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Rising from the waves in this way, they create a mysterious and eerie appearance, embodying the strength and grit of Britain’s wartime defense. Local residents tell stories that during severe storms, mysterious cries can be heard from the towers — as if the spirits of long-departed soldiers are still battling the wind.
Wonderland Amusement Park, China
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“Wonderland” was planned to become the largest entertainment center in all of Asia, and construction began right outside the Chinese capital in 1998. Unfortunately, a conflict soon arose between developers and local farmers who refused to sell their land.
© cathalpeterquinn via Instagram
Long legal battles followed, and construction was frozen. Ten years later, an attempt was made to revive the project, but in May 2013, all the unfinished, abandoned structures were demolished. Today, all that remains where “Wonderland” once stood is a huge, lonely castle amid a cornfield — reminiscent of the magical land of Oz from L. Frank Baum’s stories.
SS Ayrfield, Australia
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This long-forgotten vessel sits permanently stranded in Homebush Bay, on the southern shore of the Parramatta River near Sydney, Australia. Originally built as a coal transporter, the ship was pressed into service by American forces as a supply and ammunition transporter during World War II.
© destinazioneaustralia, davey_rogers via Instagram
After the war, the ship was moored in Homebush Bay and abandoned, slowly becoming a “floating forest” as trees took root within its hull. Today it’s completely overgrown with mangroves, and is especially beautiful at sunset — a striking testament to nature reclaiming what humans once built.
image on top: nnnfelix / via Instagram
