Exploring abandoned buildings, otherwise known as urban exploration or urbex, is a unique blend of research, exploration, history and photography. From decaying hospitals and mental asylums to derelict mansions and medieval castles, the world is filled with abandoned places that tell fascinating tales of a bygone era.
If you are an urban explorer looking for some inspiration and adventure, here are some of the top abandoned locations for urbex photography around the world.
St. Brigid’s Hospital, located in County Galway, Ireland, is a former mental asylum that was built in 1830 and closed in 2013. It was one of the largest and oldest asylums in Ireland, and it housed thousands of patients over the years, many of whom died or spent their entire lives there. The asylum was designed in a prison-like style, with an X-shaped layout and high walls. It also had a graveyard where the patients were buried, often without proper records or markers.
St. Brigid’s Hospital is a place that reflects the dark and tragic history of mental health care in Ireland, as well as the social and political changes that occurred over the centuries. The asylum is left abandoned and decaying, but it still retains some of its original features, such as the wards, the chapel, the kitchen, and the laundry. The asylum is apparently haunted by the ghosts and memories of the patients and staff who lived and worked there, making it a fascinating and eerie location for urbex photography.
Hidden away in the picturesque landscapes of County Louth, the Táin Village Holiday Park once thrived as a family haven in one of Ireland’s most beautiful regions. Surrounded by sparkling rivers, rolling hills of wildflowers, and the magnificent Carlingford Lough, this former holiday park was a 90’s hotspot for Irish families.
Operating from the 1990s until its closure in 2007, the Táin Village Holiday Park now stands abandoned, left to the mercy of Mother Nature and the destructive forces of vandals and arsonists. The main buildings harbour burnt walls, fallen ceilings, and peeling wallpaper. Trees sprout from the fireplaces and rotting beds occupy the upper floors. The once grandiose red carpets have deteriorated and tattered, leaving a sense of emptiness and decay.
The Castle of Can Jaumar, also known as Can Rafart, is an abandoned medieval castle that dates back to the 13th century. It is located in Cabrils, a town in the province of Barcelona, Spain. The castle was built by a Christian family, the Rafart de Cabrils, who fled from the Muslim invasion of Spain and settled in the northern region. The castle was a defensive fortress and a farmhouse, and it had a chapel, a tower, and a courtyard.
The Castle of Can Jaumar reveals the cultural and religious diversity of Spain, as well as the conflicts and wars that shaped its history. It was abandoned in the 20th century, and it has been seriously vandalised and damaged by fire and weather. However, it still preserves some of its original architecture and charm, such as the stone walls, the arches, and the windows. The castle is also surrounded by nature and offers a panoramic view of the town and the sea, making it a scenic and historic location for urbex photography.
Perched atop a hill overlooking the vast farmland and Roman Empire ruins of Carmona, Spain, the abandoned Devil’s Monastery, also known as Monasterio del Diablo or “Monasterio Maldito,” stands frozen in time since the 17th century. Built in 1620 by a group of Franciscan-Dominican friars, it served as a convent, chapel, and boarding school for the local townspeople. Its walls, now bearing the weight of over half a century of abandonment, whisper tales of a grim past, including a chilling mass murder that shook the foundation of the Carmona Monks.
In 1680, a new monk, Don Jaime Malvidas, entered the convent and soon after reported a terrifying experience. According to historical documents overseen by the Archbishop of Jerez and local bailiff Alonso Sanz de Heredia, Malvidas discovered his fellow friars hanging in the basement. Panic ensued as a fire erupted, leading the frightened friar to proclaim, “Go and say that Satan is here.” The next day, locals armed with crosses and Bibles entered the damaged building, only to be met with an earthquake that left Monasterio del Diablo beyond repair. It’s been abandoned ever since.
Callan Park Mental Asylum in Sydney, New South Wales, is an abandoned mental asylum that operated from 1885 to 2008. It was one of the largest and oldest mental asylums in Australia, with thousands of patients who suffered from abuse, neglect, and mistreatment. The asylum sprawls across 104.5 acres and echoes a haunting past and complex history.
With its 15 derelict buildings, including wards, chaplain houses, and a drug and alcohol rehab facility, exploring the Callan Park Mental Asylum is a challenging endeavour. The atmosphere is heavy with silence and eeriness, with boarded-up windows, barbed wire blocking every entrance, and trespassing signs plastered everywhere. The asylum’s past, marked by a film director’s refusal to shoot due to its haunted reputation, adds to the sense of paranormal and mystery surrounding this abandoned mental health institution.
Deep in the Mulgoa mountains of Sydney lies the abandoned Notre Dame Zoo and French Chateau, once valued at a staggering $27 million. Emmanuel Margolin’s opulent residence, once hailed as “The Best House in the World” by Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, housed a private zoo that boasted endangered species, including panthers, pumas, and jaguars, in the vibrant decades of the 80s and 90s.
Spread across 45 hectares, the abandoned Notre Dame Zoo still preserves its animal cages, stables, gift shop, and café, now engulfed by nature’s reclamation. And the chateau, once adorned with treasures like a mirror owned by Mary Queen of Scots and a Mazarin desk owned by Louis XIII, sits as a silent witness to its lavish past.
The abandoned Batman Nightclub in Thailand, once a hotspot for upper-class tourists, now stands as a colossal derelict structure. Operating for only 18 months, this nightclub features an expansive space with unique architectural elements. The lower level, once hosting the main Batman stage, is now submerged in water, creating an eerie spectacle. The building’s vibrant graffiti, added by professional artists in an attempt to revive it, contrasts with its tragic history, marked by a fatal fire and suspicions of mafia involvement. Despite its dark past, the building’s atmosphere remains strangely serene, accompanied by the presence of bats.
Two years ago, a man’s body was found floating in the downstairs flooded dancefloor and one of the former members of staff who is often seen on the site said he goes for a swim in the same pool. Yes, you read that right. He goes swimming in the same pool that a dead man’s body was found in.
In a field near one of Bangkok’s airports lies an unusual urbex treasure – the remnants of an MD-82, part of the now-defunct budget carrier One-Two-Go, owned by Orient Thai. On September 16, 2007, tragedy struck as the MD-82 crash-landed and exploded during an attempted landing at Phuket International Airport, claiming the lives of 89 people. Somehow, the ill-fated plane found its way to Bangkok, where it now rests alongside a Boeing 747 and two medium-sized planes in what locals now call the “aeroplane graveyard.”
The site, a surreal collection of fuselages, wings, and debris, offers urbex enthusiasts a unique glimpse into the aftermath of an aviation disaster. Amidst the decaying remains, a few Thai families have transformed one of the smaller planes into a home, adding an unexpected layer to the haunting allure of this aeronautical time capsule.
Lideco Bắc 32 Mansions in Hanoi, Vietnam, is a failed housing project that was supposed to be a luxury residential area for the elite. The project started in 2008 and ended in 2013, leaving behind 650 unfinished French-style mansions. The mansions, which are currently on sale for €400,000, have walls, floors, and staircases but no windows, doors, or roofs. They have been left to decay and collapse apart from a few of the rooms being occupied by homeless families.
Lideco Bắc 32 Mansions is a place that shows the waste and corruption of Vietnam’s real estate industry, as well as the social and economic inequality in the country. The project covers 38 hectares of land and is worth $35 million USD, but it is mostly empty and deserted. It could have been a solution for the housing problem of the poor and homeless in Hanoi, but instead it became a ghost town that no one wants to live in.
The startling discovery of 200 tonnes of dead fish in the West Lake led to the closure of several floating restaurants and cruise ships in Hanoi, Vietnam. Abandoned since 2016, the derelict ships lie rotting away and becoming more dilapidated by the day.
Nestled in Radlett, the UK, the abandoned Harperbury Hospital once served as a mental health and learning disabilities hospital. Erected on the remnants of World War 1 hangars, this expansive site opened in 1928 and operated right up until the early 2000s.
I visited this site back in 2017 and it was one of the best explorations to date purely because of its size. The number of abandoned buildings dotted around this site is incredible and there is no way I managed to explore all of it. Access was very easy – there were a few patrol guards but nothing the long grass can’t hide you from!
