Los Angeles

San Diego

San Francisco

Portland

Seattle

Nik Wheeler/Corbis Historical/Getty Images

Travel

Explore adventure guides and design a custom itinerary for the destination of your choice in and around the city.

Best Travel Guides, Cool Hotels and Interesting Events - Thrillist

Traveling large swaths of America isn’t especially easy.

Your Guide to Riding One of Amtrak’s Most Scenic Train Routes Along the Pacific Coast

Nation

Courtesy of Alaska Railroad

Imagine you’ve just finished a hike in the wilds of Alaska.

Hurricane Turn, the Alaska Railroad Train You Can Flag Down Like a Taxi

Denver

DELBO ANDREA/Shutterstock

Lifestyle

Colorado’s long been the Lower 48 frontrunner for all things edgy and exciting, especially when it comes to legalizing recreational substances.

Everything You Need to Know About Colorado’s Psychedelics Laws

C Flanigan/Contributor/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Mexico City is one of my favorite cities to travel to.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson Thinks You Should Eat a Fistful of Crickets

Photo courtesy of the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

You can take the Hogwarts Express through Scotland, or the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul, but only in the Rocky Mountains of Southwestern Colorado can you board a vintage train that’s been chugging its way through the San Juan National Forest—hauling both passengers and mine ore—since the 19th century.

This Rocky Mountain Railroad Will Transport You Back in Time to the Gold Rush

Chicago

Thrillist Weekend Guides

Thrillist's weekly guide to everything you can do this weekend—from hot new restaurants to art exhibits to outdoor activities.

Thrillist Weekend Guides: Everything Happening This Weekend

Oak Street Beach | Thomas Barrat/Shutterstock

Events

KiaSeltos_1093049_Apr23

Hit the Beach, Watch Lucha Libre, and More Things to Do in Chicago This Memorial Day Weekend

New York

Photo by Cole Saladino for Thrillist

Nestled throughout the five boroughs is a lauded and trailblazing crew of AAPI-owned businesses that help shape the vibrant culture of New York City.

Explore, Eat, and Shop at These AAPI-Owned Businesses in NYC

Las Vegas

StockPhotoAstur/Shutterstock

Everybody loves a good road trip – especially when driving to somewhere cool from Las Vegas.

The Best Roadside Attractions Between Las Vegas and Los Angeles

El Che Steakhouse & Bar

Drink

Find the best spots daily to eat and drink in hipster neighborhoods. Hit the roof, drink a beer and eat delicious at top-tier restaurants. Plan your nightlife adventure with maps and reviews of unknown micro-brews, rooftop parties, and independent drink.

Best Restaurants & Bars - Places to Eat & Drink - Thrillist

In a world where concert tickets are more expensive than most mortgages, we can all rest easy knowing we’ll always have happy hour.

Oysters, Shots, and Sliders: The Best Happy Hours in Every Chicago Neighborhood

Houston

Photo courtesy of Lagoonfest Texas



The official first day of summer isn’t till June, but it is officially hot enough in Houston to get the season going this Memorial Day Weekend.

Country Music on a Lagoon and More Fun Things to Do in Houston This Weekend

Austin

Photo courtesy of Chef Chad W



Hot Luck Fest Returns and More Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend

Phoenix

Photo courtesy of Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Skate a Retro Roller Rink, Plus More Fun Things to Do in Phoenix This Weekend

The American Wanderer/Shutterstock

United States

The Pines Resort Hotel

From creepy to crumbling, explore these spots.

pilot_csg/Shutterstock

Whether it’s to immerse yourself into a pre-Halloween mood or indulge in historical curiosities, New York State is home to plenty of deserted places that captivate with eccentric (and creepy) charm. From castles and psych wards to ghost towns and subway stations, even for the bravest of lone-adventurer types, we recommend bringing a friend when visiting these places. 
 
As the weather crisps up for fall, here are the 11 most fascinating abandoned places in New York State to check out.

Whether it’s to immerse yourself into a pre-Halloween mood or indulge in historical curiosities, New York State is home to plenty of deserted places that captivate with eccentric (and creepy) charm. From castles and psych wards to ghost towns and subway stations, even for the bravest of lone-adventurer types, we recommend bringing a friend when visiting these places.

As the weather crisps up for fall, here are the 11 most fascinating abandoned places in New York State to check out.

Whether it’s to immerse yourself into a pre-Halloween mood or indulge in historical curiosities, New York State is home to plenty of deserted places that captivate with eccentric (and creepy) charm. From castles and psych wards to ghost towns and subway stations, even for the bravest of lone-adventurer types, we recommend bringing a friend when visiting these places.As the weather crisps up for fall, here are the 11 most fascinating abandoned places in New York State to check out.

Constructed for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair (the largest ever hosted in the United States) by architect Philip Johnson, for decades, the grand structures of The New York State Pavilion have stood vacant. While the rest of the fair has slowly been demolished, the three concrete saucer-shaped observation towers and open-air arena—nicknamed “The Tent of Tomorrow”—have remained untouched. Plans are now in the works to renovate the site into a sustainable community hub (think eco-conscious suspended greenery and playgrounds), but before that, head over to glimpse this golden era of New York architecture and technology. For a complete historical rundown, tickets for a self guided audio tour are available <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g60763-d21135884-New_York_World_s_Fair_Site_Explore_its_utopian_future_on_an_audio_tour-New_York_Cit.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer sponsored">online</a>.

JaysonPhotography/Shutterstock

The New York State Pavilion

New York's World's Fairgrounds

When NYC’s subway system first opened in 1904, the City Hall stop was widely considered as the crème de la crème of stations. Designed with tiled arches and ornate skylights by engineer Rafael Guastavino, it was one of 28 existing stops that ran from City Hall to 145th Street. By 1945, updated subway cars could no longer fit on the rails, so it was ultimately shut down and a newer City Hall station for the R and W lines currently exists. Luckily for us, the former station is not completely lost. Ride through it in an original train car with a <a href="https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/visit/" target="_blank">ticket</a> from the <a href="https://www.nytransitmuseum.org/" target="_blank">New York Transit Museum</a> to experience all of its vacated glory.

Felix Lipov/Shutterstock

City Hall Subway Station

MTA Subway - Brooklyn Bridge/City Hall/Chambers St (4/5/6/J/Z)

Secrets are great, when you’re in on them. Luckily, it doesn’t take an inside connection to get a great rate on insurance. <a href="https://www.statefarm.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">State Farm® </a>helps you keep more of your hard-earned dollars with surprisingly great rates. Getting the right coverage for your budget — with no secrets required — means more to spend on your preferred adventure. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.®

Shutterstock

American Sardine Bar

Once the summer home and private arsenal of a Scottish munitions and army supply dealer, Bannerman Castle is now a crumbling ruin of a formerly robust, landmark New York business. Parts of the place unexpectedly exploded in the early 1920s, which seems like something that might happen when you house literally over a ton of shells and gunpowder in a building designed to look like a dreamy version of an old Scottish castle. These days, you can actually take a <a href="https://bannermancastle.org/" target="_blank">tour</a> of the island, complete with a live band to serenade you, by boat or by kayaking up the Hudson. The space is even available for wedding rentals.

ALKALK/Shutterstock

Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island

Bannerman Castle

Originally from 1880, this building was designed by one of America's greatest architects, Henry Hobson Richardson, and although it’s been closed as a functioning hospital since the mid-1970s, the grounds are currently open for wandering (all legally!). Although the hospital—renamed The Richardson Olmsted Campus—was recently transformed into the hip Hotel Henry, unfortunately, the renovations were fruitless since the hotel has since shuttered because of the pandemic. However, guided tours of some of the remaining buildings are offered during the day. Reserve a ticket through The Richardson Olmsted Campus <a href="https://richardson-olmsted.com/visit/tour-descriptions/series:welcome-tour/" target="_blank">site</a>.

Flickr/Can Pac Swire

Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane

Buffalo State Mental Asylum

This gigantic Yonkers power plant has been abandoned for years, and its bleak appearance and reputation have earned it the nickname “<a href="http://abandonednyc.com/2012/08/28/knocking-at-the-gates-of-hell-in-yonkers/" target="_blank">The Gates of Hell.</a>” The space has slowly begun a revitalization effort, with a plan for an art center, work space, and cafe—so get in while the post-apocalyptic glory-getting is good. If you ever want to stagger around pretending you’re a zombie, this is the spot.

The Glenwood Power Plant

Glenwood Power Plant

The centerpiece of a small women’s college which closed in the 1970s, Halcyon Hall was once the pinnacle of Gilded Age refinement, but has been slowly declining into a more Miss Havisham type of appeal for the past 40 years. While the building has been scheduled for demolition for years, it currently still remains.

Halcyon Hall of Bennett College

Bennett School for Girls

Kings Park is the abandoned mental hospital you see when you close your eyes and try to picture such a thing—it’s kind of the Platonic ideal of a terrifying insane asylum. Closed in 1996, the whole thing was supposed to have been demolished, but only a few buildings have actually been torn down. Channel your inner ghost hunter and seek out the forces from beyond the grave.

Jill G/Shutterstock

Kings Park Psychiatric Center

Letchworth was originally intended as a kinder variant on the mental asylum, but the practices that went down here make Nurse Ratched look like Mary Poppins. After a lack of funding, the buildings shuttered in the mid-’90s, and today, the sprawling grounds are ripe for exploration. In case you need additional nightmare fodder, there’s an attendant cemetery full of unmarked graves.

Nicholas Haydu/Shutterstock

Letchworth Village

This massive Catskills ski resort once offered 400 rooms, an ice-skating rink, an indoor pool, and about a bajillion other amenities. Several of these have now been demolished, but large chunks of the buildings still stand, where you can scope out remains of peeling vintage wallpaper, old-school chandeliers, and loads of graffiti.

The Pines Resort

It’s a whole ghost town, like in old Westerns, but in the Adirondacks! Only a handful of the original turn-of-the-century coal miners’ homes remain, but the wooded area makes for a beautiful hike. Take the short trail to the elevated platforms for aerial views of what’s left of this twice-deserted mining town.

Philip Mowbray/Shutterstock

Town of Tahawus

Tahawus

<a href="https://www.thrillist.com/authors/izzy-baskette" target="_blank">Izzy Baskette</a> is an editorial assistant at Thrillist.

<a href="https://www.thrillist.com/authors/jess-novak" target="_blank">Jess Novak</a> is a contributor for Thrillist.

Beneath the Surface

From touring restaurants in actual caves to myth-busting urban legends of the underground, Beneath the Surface will connect you to the most unexpected and curious experiences our world has to offer, providing a holistic—and surprising—look at the literal and figurative world of underground culture.

Beneath the Surface: Going Deep Into Caves & the Underground

Abandoned Places

The 11 Most Fascinating Abandoned Places in New York State

Abandoned Places in New York State: Top Places to Go Visit

StateFarm_Oct21

Whether it’s to immerse yourself into a pre-Halloween mood or indulge in historical curiosities, New York State is home to plenty of deserted places that captivate with eccentric (and creepy) charm.

The Pines Resort Hotel

Featured In

The 11 Most Fascinating Abandoned Places in New York State

More From Thrillist

Your Guide to Riding One of Amtrak’s Most Scenic Train Routes Along the Pacific Coast

The Coast Starlight offers breathtaking views of the Pacific coast. Here's everything you need to know about taking the trip.

Hurricane Turn, the Alaska Railroad Train You Can Flag Down Like a Taxi

What America’s last flagstop train lacks in amenities, it makes up for in off-the-grid adventure.

Everything You Need to Know About Colorado’s Psychedelics Laws

Times are definitely changing.

Jesse Tyler Ferguson Thinks You Should Eat a Fistful of Crickets

And other favorite travel meals from the ‘Modern Family’ star and foodie podcast host.

This Rocky Mountain Railroad Will Transport You Back in Time to the Gold Rush

Make old timey memories on board the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.

Hit the Beach, Watch Lucha Libre, and More Things to Do in Chicago This Memorial Day Weekend

These are all your local must-hit music and food festivals, events, movies, markets, deals, and concerts to help you make the most of your weekend.

Explore, Eat, and Shop at These AAPI-Owned Businesses in NYC

A century-old porcelain shop, whimsical bakery, zen yoga studio, and more.

The Best Roadside Attractions Between Las Vegas and Los Angeles

Magic mountains, ghost towns, and more must-see roadside kitsch.

Oysters, Shots, and Sliders: The Best Happy Hours in Every Chicago Neighborhood

From oysters deals to beer-and-shot specials, these are your best bets for happy hour.

Country Music on a Lagoon and More Fun Things to Do in Houston This Weekend

Don’t forget to picnic in the park or bask in a German biergarten.

Hot Luck Fest Returns and More Fun Things to Do in Austin This Weekend

Plus, plenty of Memorial Day Weekend happenings around the city.

Skate a Retro Roller Rink, Plus More Fun Things to Do in Phoenix This Weekend

Flashback to the ’90s or get artsy in the desert.