a midwestern ghost town times beach missouri

At one time, more than 10,000 people called Bodie home. Bodie, Californiaīodie, California, is a former gold-mining town tucked into the Bodie Hills near the Nevada border. With its delightful Wild West vibe, it’s a fun place to explore. Many of the buildings have been restored, and tours and reenactments take place daily. Today, this ghost town about 35 miles from Phoenix has a touristy, kitschy feel. While a few stubborn miners stayed behind to try their luck, by the mid-1920s, Goldfield had been abandoned. But once the gold ore had been mined, the town found itself on the outs. The town quickly grew to include a general store, a post office, several saloons, and a hotel. Goldfield, Arizona, was established when - you guessed it - gold was discovered on a hill near the Superstition Mountains in 1892. Bikes are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the visitor center and are free to use.

Today, the site is maintained by the Alabama Historical Commission, and the best way to explore it is by bike. Even eerier, scientists recently discovered that Old Cahawba was itself built on the remains of a ghost town, one abandoned by Native Americans. Today, the entire area is full of ruins: abandoned streets, cemeteries, and even a church. When the state capital was moved, the town’s population declined. While it was well situated for trade and commerce, Cahawba was also prone to flooding. The ghost town sits at the confluence of the Alabama and Cahaba Rivers, about 15 miles from Selma, Alabama.

Old Cahawba, Alabama’s state capital from 1820 to 1825, is now an archaeological park on the National Register of Historic Places. Here are our top 10 picks for a spooky ghost-town excursion you won’t soon forget. While many of these towns are located in the old Wild West, there are a few Midwestern and Southern ghost towns worth checking out. There’s nothing quite like seeing the eerie remnants of a time before a town’s entire population decided to go in search of greener pastures. Ghost towns scattered around the United States provide a strange peek at the past.

A midwestern ghost town times beach missouri