1. Centralia, Pennsylvania
Centralia is probably the most famous “ghost town” in America, thanks to the coal mine fire that has been burning beneath it since 1962. Once home to over a thousand residents, the fire made the ground unstable, releasing toxic gases and leaving many streets cracked and smoking. Most of the town was condemned, and the government bought out and relocated nearly everyone. What’s left today are a handful of houses, empty streets, and eerie silence.
If you visit, you’ll find the old grid of roads still laid out, but the homes, shops, and churches are long gone. Only a few holdouts refused to leave, and they stayed until their deaths. The postal code was even revoked, which feels like the final nail in the coffin for a community. Despite it all, Centralia remains technically on the map, but it’s more a cautionary tale than a functioning town.
2. Bodie, California
Bodie once boomed with gold rush dreams in the late 1800s, attracting thousands of miners, saloon keepers, and fortune-seekers. At its peak, it had a reputation as one of the rowdiest, wildest towns in the West, with more than 60 saloons lining its streets. But when the gold dried up, so did the people, and by the early 20th century, Bodie was sliding into ruin.
What makes Bodie unique is that it’s preserved in a state of “arrested decay.” The buildings still stand as they were abandoned, complete with furniture, tools, and wallpaper peeling off walls. Walking through is like stepping into a time capsule of the Old West. Today it’s a state historic park with a ghostly charm, reminding us how quickly boomtowns could vanish.
3. Thurmond, West Virginia
Thurmond was once a bustling railroad town in the heart of coal country. In the early 1900s, it was thriving with hotels, shops, and constant train activity. Its banks handled more money than any other town in the state, a testament to the power of coal at the time. But as rail traffic dwindled and the industry shifted, Thurmond’s glory days ended.
Now the population sits in the single digits, with a handful of historic buildings preserved by the National Park Service. The old train depot has been restored, and Amtrak still makes a stop here, oddly enough. Standing on the deserted streets, it’s hard to imagine the energy that once buzzed through town. Thurmond is proof of how quickly fortunes can change.
4. Garnet, Montana
Garnet started as a gold mining town in the 1890s and had everything a prospector could need—stores, saloons, hotels, and even a school. By 1905, though, much of the gold was gone, and the town slowly emptied out. Fires and harsh winters didn’t help, and Garnet slipped into obscurity.
Today, it’s considered one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Montana. The wooden buildings still stand, weathered but intact, and visitors can wander freely. You can almost picture miners leaning on the bar or families gathered at the general store. It may be nearly deserted, but Garnet feels alive in its silence.
5. St. Elmo, Colorado
Founded in 1880, St. Elmo grew quickly as a silver and gold mining hub. Nearly 2,000 people lived there at its peak, with saloons and dance halls making it lively. But when the mines closed, the town emptied out just as quickly as it had filled. By the 1950s, only a few die-hards remained.
Today, St. Elmo is considered one of Colorado’s best ghost towns. A few descendants of the original residents even ran the general store until the late 20th century. Now it’s mostly empty but still draws curious visitors who want a glimpse into the past. The surrounding mountains make it hauntingly beautiful, even as the town itself barely hangs on.
6. Cairo, Illinois
Cairo sits at the southern tip of Illinois, once a thriving river port town where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet. In the mid-19th century, it was poised to be one of the great cities of the Midwest, with bustling commerce and industry. But racial tensions, political struggles, and economic decline left the town in ruins.
Today, walking through Cairo feels like stepping into a forgotten film set. Grand old brick buildings stand abandoned, windows shattered, and entire streets sit empty. Fewer than 2,000 people remain, clinging to a town that feels frozen in decline. Cairo is technically still alive, but just barely.
7. Calico, California
Calico was born in the silver rush of the 1880s, quickly growing into a bustling mining town. At its height, it had over 500 mines and produced millions of dollars’ worth of silver ore. But when silver prices plummeted in the mid-1890s, Calico was deserted almost overnight.
Today, it has been partly revived as a tourist attraction, with restored buildings and shops. Some call it a “ghost town theme park,” but it still carries a sense of history. You can see the original mining equipment, dusty roads, and crumbling structures. While no longer a living community, Calico remains marked on the map, straddling the line between ruin and attraction.
8. Kennecott, Alaska
Nestled in the rugged Wrangell Mountains, Kennecott was once a booming copper mining camp. In the early 1900s, it was one of the richest sources of copper in the world, attracting hundreds of workers and families. The ore eventually ran out by the 1930s, and the mining company pulled out, leaving behind a fully built town.
What’s left today are massive red mill buildings and abandoned homes that look out over the wilderness. The National Park Service manages the site, and visitors can tour the old mill. It’s a surreal sight, seeing industrial ruins in the middle of untouched Alaskan beauty. Kennecott may be empty, but its presence is still striking.
9. Jerome, Arizona
Jerome was once called the “wickedest town in the West,” home to copper miners, gamblers, and brothels. In the early 20th century, thousands lived here, fueling a copper boom. But when demand for copper declined, Jerome’s population collapsed from 15,000 to fewer than 100.
Instead of vanishing completely, Jerome reinvented itself. Artists and free spirits moved in during the mid-20th century, giving it new life. Today, it’s part ghost town, part art colony, with quirky shops and preserved historic sites. It still feels haunted by its mining past, but it’s not ready to disappear completely.
10. Terlingua, Texas
In the early 1900s, Terlingua was a mercury mining hub, bustling with workers and their families. The town had a school, a store, and even a theater. But when mining profits dried up, so did the town, and by the 1940s it was nearly abandoned.
What makes Terlingua stand out is its quirky comeback. Today, it’s partly a ghost town and partly a desert hideaway, famous for its annual chili cook-off. Crumbling adobe ruins sit next to funky bars and guesthouses. It’s a strange blend of past and present, still hanging on in its own way.
11. Monowi, Nebraska
Monowi is perhaps America’s most famous one-person town. Once home to a few hundred residents in the 1930s, it dwindled over time until only one resident remained: Elsie Eiler. She runs the town’s tavern, serves as mayor, librarian, and bartender, and even levies taxes on herself to keep Monowi officially recognized.
It’s a quirky story that captures the imagination of people around the world. Travelers come just to meet Elsie and grab a beer in her bar. Even though it’s basically a ghost town, Monowi still exists on maps and in official records. It’s a reminder that even the smallest dot on the map can carry history.
12. Goldfield, Nevada
Goldfield burst onto the scene in the early 1900s, quickly becoming Nevada’s largest city after Las Vegas. Its mines produced millions in gold, and its hotels and saloons were legendary. Wyatt Earp even spent time here, running a saloon. But like so many mining towns, Goldfield’s prosperity didn’t last.
Today, only a few hundred people live among the ruins of its once-grand buildings. Some structures, like the Goldfield Hotel, stand as eerie reminders of its heyday. The town hosts events to keep its spirit alive, but the shadows of its past loom large. Goldfield is still here, though it’s only a fragment of what it once was.
13. Rhyolite, Nevada
Rhyolite was born during the gold rush of 1904 and boomed to a population of nearly 5,000. It had electricity, running water, a stock exchange, and even a symphony orchestra—unusual luxuries for a mining camp. But by 1916, the mines were depleted, and the town was deserted.
Today, it’s one of Nevada’s most photographed ghost towns. The ruins of its grand bank and train station still stand, as does the odd “bottle house” built from glass bottles. Rhyolite is now managed as a historic site, drawing curious visitors. It’s officially abandoned, but its place on the map keeps it remembered.
14. Cahawba, Alabama
Cahawba was Alabama’s first state capital, established in 1820 at the confluence of two rivers. It was meant to be a thriving political and trade center, but constant flooding made it impractical. The capital moved, and over time, the town was abandoned.
Today, Cahawba is an archaeological site with haunting ruins of cemeteries, church foundations, and brick structures. It’s sometimes called “Alabama’s most famous ghost town.” Walking through, you get a sense of what might have been if nature hadn’t intervened. It’s a city that lives on only in memory and on maps.
15. Bombay Beach, California
Bombay Beach sits on the shores of the Salton Sea, once a booming resort town in the mid-20th century. People flocked there for boating, fishing, and vacations in the desert sun. But pollution and rising salinity turned the sea into a foul-smelling wasteland, killing fish and driving people away.
Today, fewer than 300 residents remain, clinging to a place surrounded by abandoned trailers and decaying resorts. Strangely, it’s become an artist’s haven, with quirky installations dotting the sand. It’s both desolate and oddly creative, a ghost town that refuses to fully die.
16. Rodessa, Louisiana
Rodessa was a small oil town that sprang up during the oil boom of the 1930s. For a time, it was a lively place with shops, schools, and busy streets. But when the oil wells dried up, the jobs disappeared, and people left.
Today, only a small handful of residents remain, and much of the town sits in ruins. The old downtown is full of collapsing storefronts, and nature is reclaiming much of the land. Rodessa is still on the map, but only in name. It’s another reminder of how fleeting prosperity can be.