10 Hidden Post-Apocalyptic Spots in Major Cities

The end of the world often conjures images of cities collapsing and nature reclaiming its territory. However, you don’t have to wait for doomsday to witness such scenes. Even within bustling urban areas, there are numerous places that offer a haunting glimpse into a post-apocalyptic future.

10. Public School 186

Manhattan’s Public School 186 is nestled in the heart of civilization, surrounded by bustling businesses and busy streets. Yet, the building stands abandoned, with trees sprouting from its windows, a clear sign of decades of neglect. Inside, the scene is even more eerie, with debris scattered everywhere and remnants of wildlife adding to the desolation.

Opened in 1903, the school faced significant issues by the early 1970s. Its design failed to meet fire safety standards, requiring ground floor doors to stay open at all times. This led to a series of tragic events, including robberies and a horrific assault on a teacher’s aide. When fire inspectors discovered the non-functional alarm system in 1972, the decision was made to close the school, which finally shut its doors in 1975.

In the 1980s, plans were made to renovate the building, but the Boys and Girls Club of Harlem, which had purchased it, opted for demolition instead. Despite efforts by residents to preserve the structure, the owners claimed the costs were prohibitive. As the debate continues, the building increasingly resembles a scene straight out of I Am Legend.

9. North Brother Island

Just half a kilometer (.3 mi) from Manhattan, in New York’s East River, lies North Brother Island, a sanctuary for birds. In the 1880s, it served as a quarantine site for Riverside Hospital, housing patients with infectious diseases. Its most notable inhabitant was Typhoid Mary, who passed away on the island in 1938. Afterward, the island accommodated World War II veterans and hosted a drug rehabilitation center. It was abandoned in 1964 and has remained off-limits to the public ever since.

Access to the island is restricted, but a few individuals have been allowed to visit between September and March, outside the bird nesting season. The island is now overgrown with dense vegetation, concealing large brick structures, bungalows, and a chapel. In one classroom, old books lie scattered across the floor. The buildings are gradually being engulfed by trees and ivy.

Christopher Payne, a photographer granted access to the island, likened it to “what would occur if humans vanished from Earth.” He described the experience as isolating, yet the proximity of New York City was always palpable. “I could occasionally hear the Mister Softee truck,” he remarked.

8. Miami Marine Stadium

Naumachia, the ancient Roman spectacles of mock naval battles in flooded arenas, inspired post-apocalyptic fiction, such as Mad Max 3. For those envisioning their own dystopian naumachia, Miami’s Marine Stadium offers the ideal setting.

Built in the 1960s, the 6,600-seat arena was originally designed for speedboat racing. After Hurricane Andrew in 1992, it was shut down and has since become a popular spot for graffiti artists and freerunners. The structure, made of poured concrete, stands as a striking architectural feat. Its designer aimed to create “a sculptural masterpiece on the water, mirroring the beauty of nature.”

The future of the stadium remains a topic of debate. The Friends of Miami Marine Stadium advocate for its restoration and reopening. Meanwhile, others argue it should remain untouched, serving as a tribute to the graffiti artists who have transformed it over the years.

7. Box Hill Brickworks

Melbourne’s Box Hill Brickworks combines a steampunk aesthetic with its abandoned allure. Established in 1884, the brick-making facility functioned for a hundred years before closing in 1988. Its towering brick chimney remains a prominent feature of the local skyline.

The true allure lies within. Intricate walkways overlook vast arrays of corroded machinery. Inside an old office, handwritten sales records are strewn about, offering a glimpse into the past. The site is a preserved snapshot of industrial history, with a tramway and blacksmith’s shop virtually unchanged since the 1880s.

The post-apocalyptic vibe is heightened by the adjacent landfill. While it appears as an ordinary grassy field, flames occasionally erupt from the ground. Methane from decomposing waste sometimes ignites spontaneously, and local youths have been known to drop matches into sinkholes, causing underground explosions. This activity occurs alarmingly close to a park often filled with children, separated only by a barbed-wire fence.

6. Bloomingdale Railway

For a glimpse of what urban hiking might resemble after the apocalypse, Chicago’s Bloomingdale Railway offers a compelling preview. This three-mile-long elevated railway, abandoned by Canadian Pacific Railway in 2001, has become a favorite path for joggers and cyclists. In winter, it even provides the rare opportunity for cross-country skiing through the heart of a bustling city, where streets are typically cleared of snow.

The railway’s untamed, post-apocalyptic vibe won’t last forever. A quick search reveals half the images showcasing nature reclaiming the tracks, while the other half depict plans for a massive restoration project. The railway is set to be transformed into a modern park and walkway. While this is a positive development for Chicago, longtime admirers of the railway admit they’ll miss its current, dystopian charm.

5. Tower of David

Centro Financiero Confinanzas, an unfinished skyscraper in Caracas, Venezuela, began construction in 1990 but was halted due to a banking crisis in 1994. The 45-story structure, equipped with a heliport, lacks essentials like elevators, utilities, windows, and railings. Since the 1990s, it has been occupied by 3,000 squatters, earning it the nickname “Tower of David” after its primary financier, who passed away in 1993. Today, it stands as the world’s tallest slum.

Motorcycles serve as taxis to transport people up the first 10 floors, after which residents must climb on foot to the 28th floor. While no one lives above this level, the upper floors remain accessible. Some areas have improvised plumbing and electricity, but it’s the internal economy that gives the tower its dystopian feel. Shops, beauty salons, daycare centers, and even a dentist operate within the building. Despite the worn and cracked hallways, some apartments appear surprisingly comfortable.

Residents scavenge metal from the upper floors, while others work out near perilous drops without safety rails. Teenagers navigate dark stairways using their phone lights. The community has a notorious reputation and is cautious of outsiders. Yet, just beyond this microcosm, the surrounding area resembles a typical modern city.

4. Insurgentes 300

Mexico City’s Insurgentes 300 is a structure that battled nature and, though still standing, emerged far from victorious. Known as the “Canada” building due to the 30-meter (100 ft) letters that once adorned its side, it now appears as a crumbling facade. Behind its shattered windows, however, a variety of professions thrive. From lawyers and accountants to drug dealers and prostitutes, alongside dance instructors and screen printers, the building serves as a hub for diverse activities.

Originally housing 420 offices, half have been repurposed as living spaces. The building leans at a 10-degree angle, a result of damage from the 1985 earthquake. Despite evacuation orders, occupants refused to leave and have spent 30 years advocating for structural repairs. Instead of repairs, they’ve faced legal battles as the building continues to deteriorate.

3. A Lot of Meatpacking Plants

Established in 1867, Armour & Company was once a leading meatpacking giant in the United States. By the late 20th century, it declined, leaving behind abandoned facilities nationwide. One such site is a skeletal brick structure in Fort Worth, Texas, heavily damaged by fires in the 1970s. Attempts to demolish it failed, leaving a section of the wall missing.

The building’s steel framework proved so robust that it was more economical to leave it standing. Today, it resembles a prison, especially after guard towers were added in 2007 for the show Prison Break, designed to mimic a South American prison. The phrase “Penitenciaría Federal De Sona” remains above one of its entrances.

Another abandoned meatpacking plant in Navassa, North Carolina operated for only a few years. In the 1920s, rumors spread that the owner was found hanged inside the factory, leading to its reputation as a haunted site. Several suicides in the 1980s further cemented its place in local ghost stories.

Perhaps the most renowned abandoned meatpacking plant is located in East St. Louis, Illinois. Close to downtown, it still houses old machinery, including its once-advanced refrigeration system. The plant, which employed nearly 5,000 people, became a focal point of racial tension due to its segregated workforce. Since its closure in 1959, it has attracted those fascinated by urban decay.

2. The UK’s Cold War Tunnels

While England lacks an official second city, Manchester and Birmingham are often considered top contenders. This might explain why both cities feature extensive underground tunnels constructed during the Cold War. These tunnels offer a literal glimpse into a post-apocalyptic world, as they were specifically designed to survive such an event. Built in secrecy, they remain a fascinating relic of the era.

The Manchester bunkers were excavated by Polish workers who couldn’t speak English, ensuring the project’s secrecy. The tunnels once stored months’ worth of canned food to sustain VIPs in the event of an attack. In Birmingham, many entrances to the tunnel system remain classified, adding to their mystique.

1. Red Hook Grain Terminal

New York City’s closest resemblance to a fortress is the New York Port Authority Grain Terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Its massive concrete walls, 20 centimeters (8 in) thick and 12 stories tall, stand sheer and imposing. The structure seems tailor-made to withstand a zombie apocalypse, lacking only a group of survivors to complete its dystopian aesthetic.

Inside, the terminal feels like a blend of a factory, a prison, and a temple. From afar, it appears eerie, and in fog, it takes on a sinister aura. Parts of the building have already crumbled into the river, with more seemingly on the verge of collapse. The grain economy in New York was declining even before the terminal opened in 1922. It ceased operations in the 1960s and is often referred to as the “Magnificent Mistake.”

Urban explorers are drawn to the site, though accessing it is no easy feat. One adventurer notes that it demands research, persistence, creativity, and, above all, courage, “as you never know what awaits inside or who might intercept you, along with the potential consequences.” Even for those uninterested in the building itself, the journey is worthwhile for the stunning sunset visible through its broken windows.