Georgia has quite the history! As an urban explorer, I am thrilled to be in a new state to explore. Here, vines take over and reclaim buildings back into the forests. Like most states, ghost towns, abandoned homes in the woods, abandoned hospitals, closed prisons, churches, and railroad trains are the common finds. Here's some interesting ones I'm learning about now -
Hancock Memorial Hospital
Sparta
Old Atlanta Prison Farm
Dekalb
Cobb Memorial Hospital
Royston
Emory-Adventist Hospital
Smyrna
Georgia School for the Deaf
Cave Spring
Cave Spring
Central State Hospital
Milledgeville
Monticello United Methodist Church
Monticello
Honestly, the church I'd love to own and renovate. What a gorgeous building!
I will be sharing abandoned sites I explore as soon as weather cools down a bit. I can hardly wait.
Some ways I find the abandoned sites is to explore ghost town areas and industrial regions that lost their industry. Many pack up and move away. Historically, looking at locations where people settled along waterways long ago and railroad tracks, you find some good ones.
- Tips for safe and satisfying urban exploring -
I usually target the site ahead of time with Google Earth and go down to street level to see what is around there. Often times, on the fringes of town, you can find a dirt road into the forest or middle of nowhere. It was laid down for a reason, someone was going back there, perhaps to build a homestead. Using Google Earth can be helpful to see if a building is boarded up or abandoned, by going to street level.
I adhere to no trespassing signs.
I carry a mask because most old places have asbestos.
I never go alone.
Before I enter, I usually toss a few small rocks at the door so if someone is in there or some animal, it will be alerted. I'd rather meet them outside and not trapped in an unfamiliar building.
Let someone keep watch while others explore so they can be warned if a stray person is approaching.
Don't trust the structure, stairs and floorboards can snap.
Spiders abound, so no reaching into dark places.
When taking photos, rather than trying to capture an entire room, take a teaser of just one aspect so that the viewer's mind fills in the rest.
Stray items in odd places make for a funhouse effect
Try to use the natural light and do not use a flash. The reason is, the flash will wash out all mystery and the lighting is one of the creepiest parts of that atmospheric setting.
Lastly, be respectful. Do not take items from the place, kick in doors, or tag the walls. Leave it for others to marvel at the way it aged.
I have two books where I did psychic reads at abandoned sites and my colleague, Julie Ferguson, took the photographs.
