Buzz
Due to human conflict, forts, bases, and shelters are abundant. The abandoned ones hold a special kind of attraction, a mystery that entices both urban explorers and researchers. This collection highlights deserted places with compelling histories or current situations. From the Antarctic station that researchers keep abandoning to the bunker craze that nearly led to a nation's downfall, here’s the ultimate compilation of bizarre tales!
10. From Military Lookouts to Bat Sanctuaries
In 1994, Jordan and Israel set aside their differences and signed a peace treaty. As a result, the military bunkers along the Jordan River were left behind, abandoned by humans. However, these spaces weren't completely empty. Over time, 12 species of bats took residence in the deserted bunkers. For the bats, it was a fortunate move. Five of the species were considered endangered or critically threatened. The bunkers provided a much-needed haven.
Living undisturbed in a 60-mile (96 kilometers) stretch of closed military zone, the bats have flourished. Their populations, now in the thousands, play a crucial environmental role by consuming insects, reducing the need for pesticides in the surrounding areas. While this has been a boon for the environment, it’s not exactly a destination I would add to my travel list.
9. A Distinctive Ship Gallery
The Old Fort in Zanzibar, once an active military post, has since been repurposed as a cultural center. Recently, intricate graffiti carvings of ships were discovered on the walls. These carvings, believed to have been made in the late 19th century, were likely the result of boredom. It’s assumed that the “artists” were the soldiers on duty, who had plenty of free time and a clear view of the ships that docked outside the fort.
At first glance, this might seem like an unremarkable act. However, these engravings offer a rare glimpse into the types of vessels that were part of the trans-oceanic trade network in the western Indian Ocean during that period.
If these soldiers truly sketched the ships they saw firsthand, then a fascinating array of vessels must have anchored near the Old Fort. Among them were rare ships like the East African mtepe (a vessel stitched together rather than nailed), European-style frigates, and dhows (settee-rigged ships designed for deep-sea travel). Some carvings even featured transom sterns, suggesting ships like the kotia, ghanja, baghla, and others.
8. A Strange Ant Colony
In western Poland, there lies a decommissioned Soviet-era nuclear base, complete with two underground bunkers. In recent years, bats have decided to take over these bunkers as winter refuges, providing bat enthusiasts with a unique opportunity to study them.
In 2013, an unexpected discovery was made: an enormous number of wood ants had become trapped inside one of the bunkers. With no queen, food, light, warmth, or means of escape, their prospects seemed grim. Yet, over time, their population remained stable.
The puzzle was unraveled when researchers examined clusters of deceased ants and found that nearly 90% had been consumed by their fellow ants. It turned out the colony had a nest above the bunker, and some ants kept falling through a hole, replenishing the colony. They managed to survive by feeding on their dead. After installing a ramp to reconnect them to the nest, almost all the ants quickly fled the bunker after years of entrapment.
7. The Mystery of Sapling Fort's Location
In the early 1800s, the Tlingit people stood against Russia’s attempts to establish a fur trading post in Alaska. They constructed the ‘Sapling Fort,’ also known as Shís’gi Noow, which became the final line of defense against Russian troops. In 1804, the Tlingit fought bravely at the fort, but after five days of fierce battle, they were ultimately defeated.
Despite their heroic resistance, the location of Sapling Fort gradually faded from local memory. In 2021, researchers set out to rediscover the lost fort by conducting radar scans.
The goal was to identify underground ruins and match their shape to the known design of Sapling Fort. This became one of the largest radar surveys ever conducted in Alaska. After scanning 42 acres (17 hectares), the team discovered subsurface anomalies that corresponded to the fort’s layout, as described in both Russian and Tlingit historical accounts.
So, where was the fort located? After being lost for over a century, Sapling Fort was finally located in Sitka National Historical Park, near the mouth of the Kasda Heen River.
6. A Haunted Station in Antarctica
The Halley VI Research Station is located on the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Since the 1950s, it has been gathering crucial data on Earth and space weather. For many years, scientists enjoyed the comfortable, fully equipped living quarters that were designed to keep them cozy throughout the year. But recently, the ice shelf began to crack. Concerned about their safety, the researchers were forced to abandon Halley VI.
However, the Halley VI station is unique for two reasons. First, it’s regularly abandoned. Every winter, when the risk of living on a cracking ice shelf becomes too great, the scientists leave. But this caused a significant loss of data, so the researchers eventually designed the station to operate autonomously. During the long winter months, when it is essentially a ghost base, Halley VI continues to collect vital weather and climate data without any human presence.
5. Thousands of Concrete Mushrooms
It’s hard to imagine how bunker construction could cripple a country, but that’s exactly what happened to Albania. From 1941 to 1985, Albania was ruled by a paranoid dictator named Enver Hoxha, who believed that Yugoslavia, Greece, and even his Soviet allies were plotting to invade his country. While the threat was non-existent, Hoxha’s paranoia led him to build about 750,000 bunkers across the nation. This vast construction effort drained the country’s resources and practically enslaved its people.
Most of these concrete fortresses were dome-shaped and bulky, earning them the local nickname 'mushrooms.' Today, hundreds of these bunkers still dot the Albanian landscape, ranging from large underground shelters to small, two-person igloos. Over time, these remnants have been repurposed for various uses, including animal sheds, shops, changing rooms, art galleries, and even secret meeting spots for couples.
4. The Remains of a Fake Airfield
During World War II, battles weren’t always decided by sheer force. Sometimes, the key to victory was a well-played ruse. In late 1942, a decision was made to create a fake airfield in Virginia, meant to mislead enemy pilots into thinking there was a strong military presence. The base also served as a decoy during air raids to protect the nearby city of Richmond. At night, when Richmond was plunged into darkness, the fake airfield lit up to divert German planes away from the city (and the real airfield).
The mock airfield was constructed by the 936th Camouflage Battalion, who crafted fake hangars, vehicles, aircraft, and taxiways. After the war ended, the site was repurposed for bombing practice, and later, there was a failed attempt to convert it into a psychiatric facility. Today, if you look from above, the remnants of the abandoned airfield can still be seen peeking through the trees. Among the ruins are a water tower and roads that lead to nowhere.
3. The Anderson Fallout Shelter
In 1991, Tim Howey, a resident of Fort Wayne, had grown tired of the attention his home attracted. The odd feature that drew people to his yard was an old bunker. The shelter had been bought by the previous owners of the house, the Andersons, for $1,800. Built to protect against nuclear fallout, it was a remnant of the Cold War era, when the constant threat of nuclear war loomed large. In 1955, the Andersons had the bunker installed in their front yard, sinking it 15 feet (4.5 meters) into the ground.
By the time Tim Howey became the owner of the property, the steel structure had risen above ground and into public sight. As the attention became overwhelming, he offered the bunker to the National Museum of American History, which eagerly accepted. The museum dug up the shelter and added it to its collection. Now, visitors could explore the cramped space, which featured a chemical toilet, four beds, and a hand-cranked pump for bringing fresh air into the shelter.
2. The Monster Nazi Bunker
During World War II, the German military occupied Bordeaux, France, and established a fleet of submarines that needed a secure place to dock for repairs. The solution was a massive bunker built to withstand even the most brutal airstrikes. The structure, domed in shape, covered over 130,000 square feet (12,000 square meters) and used enough reinforced concrete to fill 240 Olympic swimming pools today.
The submarine base was abandoned just two years after its completion. This wasn’t because the bunker failed—it withstood multiple aerial attacks with almost no damage. Instead, when German forces withdrew from Bordeaux in 1944, they weren’t exactly able to take such a monumental structure with them.
The base stayed empty for many decades before it was repurposed by imaginative creators who transformed its enormous interior into the world’s largest digital art gallery. Today, visitors can walk through various sections of the bunker, where digital artwork is projected from floor to ceiling, turning the vast space into a surreal and immersive art experience.
1. A Secret Japanese Camp
In 2004, archaeologist Robert Muckle received a tip about a mysterious location in the North Shore mountains of British Columbia. He expected to stumble upon a historic logging camp, but what he found was something far more unexpected. Hidden deep within the Canadian wilderness was a flourishing Japanese village.
This remarkable discovery included 14 houses, a water reservoir, a bathhouse, a garden, and a shrine. Muckle theorizes that the site originally began as a logging camp, but gradually evolved into a secret village as more Japanese individuals sought refuge from the rampant racism of the time, which worsened after Japan's attacks on Pearl Harbor and Hong Kong, where many Canadian soldiers lost their lives.
The village was suddenly abandoned. Muckle offers a tragic theory: during the war, up to 90% of Japanese Canadians were forcibly relocated. Families were torn apart, with men sent to labor on road gangs, while women and children were dropped off in desolate ghost towns. Muckle suspects that this secret village was discovered, and its residents were sent to various internment camps.
