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Subject: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 12/04/06 at 2:15 pm

.....is... the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of human civilization.

I am very interested in this sort of thing. I love old buildings, churches, defunct amusement parks, hotels/resorts, etc. I would LOVE to do more of this someday soon.



So, have any of you had any experiences with this? What places have you explored, and/or what places would you love to explore?

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: lorac61469 on 12/04/06 at 2:50 pm

Sort of...

A few years ago my husband's friend purchased some property and there was an old brick home (late 1800's or early 1900's) on the land.  They were planning on taking it down brick by brick.  I got to go inside before it was taken down.  Most everything was stripped but there were lots of old news papers,  (they even insulated the walls with old newspapers) the basement had tons of old tools and canning supplies.  I found (and kept) three really old feather pens. 

I could have spent hours in there but it wasn't safe.


There are a few places I'd like to explore in my home town.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Abix on 12/04/06 at 7:01 pm

does Alcatraz count? I loved seeing that place.. I found it completely fascinating.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: CatwomanofV on 12/05/06 at 11:39 am

When I was kid, we stayed in a motel for several months until we found a house. Next door to the motel were two Victorian houses. One was occupied at first (but became vacant before we left) and the other was always vacant while we were there. I loved that house and I could go on the back porch (which was opened-but the inner door was locked so I couldn't get it). There was a stack of old newspapers on the back porch and I think I took a few-just to look at and get a sense of the history of when that house was in its hayday. Unfortunately, the guy who owned both of those houses and the motel, tore them all down (we had to move because of it) to put up an apartment building. I remember the day when the house I loved was being torn down. All the kids on the bus thought it was cool but I was almost in tears. I thought it was so sad to see it going down. Both houses had such style and I thought it was a crime to do what the guy did.


I have a recurring dream theme where I am in a building, a house or whatever and I just go from room to room to room exploring it. (Each time I have one of these dreams, I'm in a different place).




Cat

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Ashkicksass on 12/05/06 at 11:42 am


does Alcatraz count? I loved seeing that place.. I found it completely fascinating.


I am going there on Saturday!  I'm really excited!  :D


When I was kid, we stayed in a motel for several months until we found a house. Next door to the motel were two Victorian houses. One was occupied at first (but became vacant before we left) and the other was always vacant while we were there. I loved that house and I could go on the back porch (which was opened-but the inner door was locked so I couldn't get it). There was a stack of old newspapers on the back porch and I think I took a few-just to look at and get a sense of the history of when that house was in its hayday. Unfortunately, the guy who owned both of those houses and the motel, tore them all down (we had to move because of it) to put up an apartment building. I remember the day when the house I loved was being torn down. All the kids on the bus thought it was cool but I was almost in tears. I thought it was so sad to see it going down. Both houses had such style and I thought it was a crime to do what the guy did.


I have a recurring dream theme where I am in a building, a house or whatever and I just go from room to room to room exploring it. (Each time I have one of these dreams, I'm in a different place).




Cat


I love old houses too, and it always makes me sad to see them come down.  People live their lives inside of them, and your home is always such a huge part of your life.  I don't know what I will do if/when the house I grew up in is torn down.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 12/05/06 at 12:16 pm


When I was kid, we stayed in a motel for several months until we found a house. Next door to the motel were two Victorian houses. One was occupied at first (but became vacant before we left) and the other was always vacant while we were there. I loved that house and I could go on the back porch (which was opened-but the inner door was locked so I couldn't get it). There was a stack of old newspapers on the back porch and I think I took a few-just to look at and get a sense of the history of when that house was in its hayday. Unfortunately, the guy who owned both of those houses and the motel, tore them all down (we had to move because of it) to put up an apartment building. I remember the day when the house I loved was being torn down. All the kids on the bus thought it was cool but I was almost in tears. I thought it was so sad to see it going down. Both houses had such style and I thought it was a crime to do what the guy did.


I have a recurring dream theme where I am in a building, a house or whatever and I just go from room to room to room exploring it. (Each time I have one of these dreams, I'm in a different place).




Cat



I would have been crying too, believe me.   I get SO upset when I hear about certain old buildings being torn down. We had this old insane asylum near us (by Pittsburgh), it was called Dixmont...anyway, I never got the chance to explore it....and they recently tore it down for...guess what? a stinkin' Walmart! >:(  Like we don't already have enough of those. ::) The only positive thing about the whole thing is that they are unsure that they can build on the land due to landslides or something of the sort...they should have just left well enough alone.

There's this one old resort in the Catskills that I would LOVE to explore...it's called "The Pines"....I've seen pictures of other people's explorations, and it looks magnificent! I wish I had the means to be able to just get in my car and drive wherever I wanted to explore/take pictures of these kinds of places...that would be a dream come true for me.

I also love defunct amusement parks. There's one in Chippewa, Ohio, called, "Chippewa Lake Park"...it has been shut down for many years. I knew someone who actually went in and took pictures...I never got to go there though. Some of the rides are still there (though dilapidated)...it would make for some really great pictures.

I've always wanted to maybe start an urban exploration group for people from my area...and just get together every once in awhile to go and explore certain places. It's always so hard though because due to the jerks that go inside places and vandalize...they've made it hard on people who are innocently going in to just explore/take pictures. :(

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Ashkicksass on 12/05/06 at 12:27 pm



There's this one old resort in the Catskills that I would LOVE to explore...it's called "The Pines"....I've seen pictures of other people's explorations, and it looks magnificent! I wish I had the means to be able to just get in my car and drive wherever I wanted to explore/take pictures of these kinds of places...that would be a dream come true for me.



I want to see that too!  I loved it on the site that...I think it was Maxwell...linked.

We should plan a trip like that - for real!  Get people together to go and explore these places.  How fun would that be?

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 12/05/06 at 2:13 pm


I want to see that too!  I loved it on the site that...I think it was Maxwell...linked.

We should plan a trip like that - for real!  Get people together to go and explore these places.  How fun would that be?



that would ROCK! I would totally love that! :)

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Ashkicksass on 12/05/06 at 2:22 pm



that would ROCK! I would totally love that! :)


Y'know...it's entirely possible.  If we were to plan far enough ahead, pick a couple cool places, and get a group together it could be really cool.  Anyone else interested?

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: CatwomanofV on 12/05/06 at 3:52 pm



I would have been crying too, believe me.  I get SO upset when I hear about certain old buildings being torn down. We had this old insane asylum near us (by Pittsburgh), it was called Dixmont...anyway, I never got the chance to explore it....and they recently tore it down for...guess what? a stinkin' Walmart! >:(  Like we don't already have enough of those. ::) The only positive thing about the whole thing is that they are unsure that they can build on the land due to landslides or something of the sort...they should have just left well enough alone.

There's this one old resort in the Catskills that I would LOVE to explore...it's called "The Pines"....I've seen pictures of other people's explorations, and it looks magnificent! I wish I had the means to be able to just get in my car and drive wherever I wanted to explore/take pictures of these kinds of places...that would be a dream come true for me.

I also love defunct amusement parks. There's one in Chippewa, Ohio, called, "Chippewa Lake Park"...it has been shut down for many years. I knew someone who actually went in and took pictures...I never got to go there though. Some of the rides are still there (though dilapidated)...it would make for some really great pictures.

I've always wanted to maybe start an urban exploration group for people from my area...and just get together every once in awhile to go and explore certain places. It's always so hard though because due to the jerks that go inside places and vandalize...they've made it hard on people who are innocently going in to just explore/take pictures. :(



There is an old amusement park right outside of D.C. called Glen Echo (home of Clara Barton). I was there in the mid 70s when they were turning the old park into an arts & crafts center. When I was there, you could still see some of the old rides (bumper cars, the miniture golf-that was grown over, and the pool was boarded up).  But one thing they kept was the carousel that is still running. I am really glad that they perserved it-even though it is no longer an amusement park but they kept a lot of the history of the place.


http://www.glenechopark.org/index.htm



Cat

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 12/05/06 at 10:08 pm


Y'know...it's entirely possible.  If we were to plan far enough ahead, pick a couple cool places, and get a group together it could be really cool.  Anyone else interested?



I'd be totally interested girlie! I know my sister Beth would love it too, she's into that kinda stuff as well. :)





There is an old amusement park right outside of D.C. called Glen Echo (home of Clara Barton). I was there in the mid 70s when they were turning the old park into an arts & crafts center. When I was there, you could still see some of the old rides (bumper cars, the miniture golf-that was grown over, and the pool was boarded up).  But one thing they kept was the carousel that is still running. I am really glad that they perserved it-even though it is no longer an amusement park but they kept a lot of the history of the place.


http://www.glenechopark.org/index.htm



Cat



wow, thanks for the link, Cat....that place looks amazing! :)

Subject: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/02/07 at 8:40 pm

Is anyone here into this as well?  I haven't yet gone on any outings, but I love going to websites devoted to it and seeing where people go and what they find.  If you have gone, what places did you go to and how did it feel to be there?  One place where I live I would love to see is the Hopewell Elementary School.  It's been abandoned for about 25 years; rumor has it some kids were poisoned there and they shut the school down and that was that. 

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/02/07 at 8:47 pm

There's this great amusement park in Chippewa Falls, Ohio.....it was called, "Chippewa Lake Park"....I have never been there, but this girl that I used to be friends with went in and took lots of neat pictures. A lot of the rides were still there (well, what remained of them). I would have LOVED to have gone there to see that. Here's a link to some pics of it:

http://sbno.illicitohio.com/chippewa/


I have visited a place that used to be an old trolley park (years ago), then was turned into a popular swimming pool hangout (in the 60's up until the early 80s). It was abandoned and totally forgotten about. I wasn't able to get pictures...but I snuck into the old snack bar and found a ton of vintage wrappers that they used on ice cream, old cups, and even old records of past employees.

My sister (Beth) has visited and taken pictures of this neat old glass factory....she'll have to post them on here for you guys to see.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/02/07 at 8:51 pm


There's this great amusement park in Chippewa Falls, Ohio.....it was called, "Chippewa Lake Park"....I have never been there, but this girl that I used to be friends with went in and took lots of neat pictures. A lot of the rides were still there (well, what remained of them). I would have LOVED to have gone there to see that. Here's a link to some pics of it:

http://sbno.illicitohio.com/chippewa/


I have visited a place that used to be an old trolley park (years ago), then was turned into a popular swimming pool hangout (in the 60's up until the early 80s). It was abandoned and totally forgotten about. I wasn't able to get pictures...but I snuck into the old snack bar and found a ton of vintage wrappers that they used on ice cream, old cups, and even old records of past employees.

My sister (Beth) has visited and taken pictures of this neat old glass factory....she'll have to post them on here for you guys to see.




Oooh, very awesome.  I'll have to check that site out.....I love stuff like that.  In the subdivision where I live, there's this abandoned general store shack right there in the woods.  It's near the cemetery connected to the church nearby.  I found an old display for Pepsi....where it would have been in the front of the store.  It had the old logo and everything.  I'll have to go over there on a sunny day and take some pictures. 

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/02/07 at 8:52 pm




Oooh, very awesome.  I'll have to check that site out.....I love stuff like that.  In the subdivision where I live, there's this abandoned general store shack right there in the woods.  It's near the cemetery connected to the church nearby.  I found an old display for Pepsi....where it would have been in the front of the store.  It had the old logo and everything.  I'll have to go over there on a sunny day and take some pictures.   



wow, that would be awesome to somehow obtain that sign....is it very large? I love finding souvenirs in places that I explore!!

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/02/07 at 8:59 pm



wow, that would be awesome to somehow obtain that sign....is it very large? I love finding souvenirs in places that I explore!!



Yeah, it's pretty big.  I think there were little smaller Pepsi promo things on the ground around the building.....I'll have to see if I can pilfer some.  :)

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/02/07 at 9:05 pm



Yeah, it's pretty big.  I think there were little smaller Pepsi promo things on the ground around the building.....I'll have to see if I can pilfer some.  :)



how long has the place been abandoned?

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/02/07 at 9:14 pm



how long has the place been abandoned?



I don't know.....at least 25 years, maybe more.  The Pepsi logo dates back to the 70s at least.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/02/07 at 9:27 pm



I don't know.....at least 25 years, maybe more.  The Pepsi logo dates back to the 70s at least.



wow, that's really cool. I would love to see pictures of it.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/02/07 at 9:32 pm



wow, that's really cool. I would love to see pictures of it.



When the weather stops sucking, I'll mosey over there and snap a few.  It's easier to go in the winter, because I don't have to worry about being consumed by leaves and bushes.  ;D

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/02/07 at 9:34 pm



When the weather stops sucking, I'll mosey over there and snap a few.  It's easier to go in the winter, because I don't have to worry about being consumed by leaves and bushes.  ;D



I hear ya. There's this old dilapidated house and barn way back in the woods where my parents live. I've been back there, actually pulled some 4 layers of wallpaper off of what remained of a wall. But...you cannot go there in the summer w/o stomping through tons of leaves and prickly branches....it's much better going there in the late fall/early winter.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/07/07 at 11:51 am

Just for Erin......  :)


The weather has been gorgeous this week, and I finally got over there to snap some shots.  According to my sister , this building was a storefront dock because Lake Windward used to extend all the way up to where our subdivision is.  So picture this building right on the water, people going in to grab a Pepsi or something before they hop back on their boats. 

(click on pics to see larger; I removed the size/resolution bar from the bottom)


http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/143/february6015ji1.th.jpg


http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5905/february6016re3.th.jpg


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8193/february6017ja1.th.jpg


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1053/february6018jg0.th.jpg


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8373/february6020xj6.th.jpg


http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/4530/february6022xa2.th.jpg

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/07/07 at 2:42 pm

Actually, I did some research on Pepsi's logos and that logo dates back to 1965!

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/07/07 at 10:55 pm


Just for Erin......  :)


The weather has been gorgeous this week, and I finally got over there to snap some shots.  According to my sister , this building was a storefront dock because Lake Windward used to extend all the way up to where our subdivision is.  So picture this building right on the water, people going in to grab a Pepsi or something before they hop back on their boats. 

(click on pics to see larger; I removed the size/resolution bar from the bottom)


http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/143/february6015ji1.th.jpg


http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/5905/february6016re3.th.jpg


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8193/february6017ja1.th.jpg


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/1053/february6018jg0.th.jpg


http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8373/february6020xj6.th.jpg


http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/4530/february6022xa2.th.jpg



wow Beth!!! Those are awesome pics...thanks so much for taking them to show me. I just love abandoned buildings...and this seemed like it was a real neat concept of a store.  I love those Pepsi signs....you would SO see me hauling ass through the woods, dragging the sign home! LOLOL!!

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/07/07 at 10:59 pm



wow Beth!!! Those are awesome pics...thanks so much for taking them to show me. I just love abandoned buildings...and this seemed like it was a real neat concept of a store.  I love those Pepsi signs....you would SO see me hauling ass through the woods, dragging the sign home! LOLOL!!



I would have dragged it home too, if I wasn't scared of putting my hands on metal that had been rusting for over 40 years.  ;D 

It was a bitch to get to, not only because of location, but because there is so much crap on the ground, I didn't want to risk stepping on something that might go through my shoe. 

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/07/07 at 11:02 pm



I would have dragged it home too, if I wasn't scared of putting my hands on metal that had been rusting for over 40 years.  ;D 

It was a bitch to get to, not only because of location, but because there is so much crap on the ground, I didn't want to risk stepping on something that might go through my shoe. 



I know what you mean. I have been to a few places where I had to crawl a bit through brush/etc....but anyways....you pics were great! :)

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Sister Morphine on 02/07/07 at 11:05 pm



I know what you mean. I have been to a few places where I had to crawl a bit through brush/etc....but anyways....you pics were great! :)



Thanks!  It was hella sunny and I couldn't get any decent pics with the flash on, so I had to take it off.  Then some came out too dark.  In any event, I'm glad you enjoyed them.  :)

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/07/07 at 11:06 pm



Thanks!  It was hella sunny and I couldn't get any decent pics with the flash on, so I had to take it off.  Then some came out too dark.  In any event, I'm glad you enjoyed them.  :)



Yes, I definitely did. I will have to tell Beth (my sis) to post her pics from the old abandoned glass factory....they are really cool! 8)

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: MidKnightDarkness on 02/09/07 at 9:19 pm

Here are some photos of the Jeanette Glass Factory. I visited it two times last Summer, and I can't wait to go back once it gets warmer.

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory058.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory053.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory049.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory042.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory041.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory040.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory036.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory033.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory022.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory015.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory008.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/The%20Beauty%20Of%20This%20Abandoned%20Factory/TheFactory007.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark029.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark019-1.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark018.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark017.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark016.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark014.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark011.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark009.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark006.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark004.jpg

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n305/SummerNightsAndCityLights/Parktory/FactoryPark002.jpg


The last few were taken in complete darkness. Those aren't our footprints.  :o

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/09/07 at 9:28 pm

^thanks for posting those Beth...they are great to see again. I wanna go with you the next time you go.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: Dominic L. on 02/09/07 at 10:56 pm

You understand that you're taking me with you someday, right?

Maaaaaaan, that looks like fun. I love the daylight setting on these.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/20/07 at 8:03 pm

I just found this local urban exploration group in the Pittsburgh and surrounding areas....I signed up....it would be neat to get together with people that have similiar interests in stuff like this.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: NullandVoid on 02/23/07 at 11:30 pm

Wow, this thread just brought up a bittersweet memory of mine. When i was around 10 my cousins and went exploring in this terrific abandoned Farmhouse or boardinghouse(it was kinda big). It was in My Grandma's old town in South Carolina.I just remembered the really dilapdated wood walls and soggy porch. It had two floors, but we were too scared to ever check it out. On the bottom floor there was a Inside there was some old scraps of furniture. The bathroom had dirty walls and the oldest rustiest Toilet bowl i have ever seen in my life. Besides that the house was pretty much cleaned out.It even had mysterious shaft in it. My cousins would argue over what is was for, the older one said Dumbwaiter and the younger said it was to put laundry in. Being the City girl that I am I suggested an incinerator(Garbage Chute). :) "They laughed at me and said why would you keep ya garbage in your basement"
Well we used to spend hours in there, playing Beauty Parlor, Cards and Store. Like I said this memory is bittersweet because, it was the first time in my life that I was ever called the "N-Word". On one of our usual days of playing, some big white man came bursting in the house with a bat yelling "Y'all little Ni**ers, git out ma Dern house fo I bash ya lil heads". We ran screaming and crying, with that fool right behind us. He chased us all the way into the woods. I think he may have thrown a rock or two at us.At the time the only thing that scared me was the thought of being beaten up and/or killed. It wasn't until I got home when my mother explained to me what that word meant and where it came from.  :(

Sorry for going off on a tangent, but I had to share the whole story...I haven't thought about the house and that day for a looooooooong time.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 02/23/07 at 11:51 pm


Wow, this thread just brought up a bittersweet memory of mine. When i was around 10 my cousins and went exploring in this terrific abandoned Farmhouse or boardinghouse(it was kinda big). It was in My Grandma's old town in South Carolina.I just remembered the really dilapdated wood walls and soggy porch. It had two floors, but we were too scared to ever check it out. On the bottom floor there was a Inside there was some old scraps of furniture. The bathroom had dirty walls and the oldest rustiest Toilet bowl i have ever seen in my life. Besides that the house was pretty much cleaned out.It even had mysterious shaft in it. My cousins would argue over what is was for, the older one said Dumbwaiter and the younger said it was to put laundry in. Being the City girl that I am I suggested an incinerator(Garbage Chute). :) "They laughed at me and said why would you keep ya garbage in your basement"
Well we used to spend hours in there, playing Beauty Parlor, Cards and Store. Like I said this memory is bittersweet because, it was the first time in my life that I was ever called the "N-Word". On one of our usual days of playing, some big white man came bursting in the house with a bat yelling "Y'all little Ni**ers, git out ma Dern house fo I bash ya lil heads". We ran screaming and crying, with that fool right behind us. He chased us all the way into the woods. I think he may have thrown a rock or two at us.At the time the only thing that scared me was the thought of being beaten up and/or killed. It wasn't until I got home when my mother explained to me what that word meant and where it came from.  :(

Sorry for going off on a tangent, but I had to share the whole story...I haven't thought about the house and that day for a looooooooong time.




wow Shaq, thanks for sharing your story. That sounded like a really neato place to explore (minus the crazy guy).

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: AL-B Mk. III on 04/01/07 at 5:47 am

    One of the coolest things I found on the Internet is Google Earth, and how people can enter points of interest and when you click on them, more often than not you can find some sort of blog entry about that site. I grew up in Lancaster County, Nebraska (Lincoln, the capital, is also the county seat), and when I clicked on some of the points of interest I was amazed at how many abandoned military installations there were in eastern Nebraska. Just in and right around my county there were several abandoned nuclear missile silos from the early 60's that I'd driven past countless times and had no idea they were there.  I told a friend of mine who grew up a few towns over from mine that there was one just outside his town and all that time he never had any idea that it existed. I've always wanted to go down inside an old misssile silo and explore it, but a) they're all on private property, b) as far as I know, they've been sealed up with concrete and c) I've heard that climbing around inside them is extremely dangerous and an easy way to get yourself killed.
 
    There's also a high school in the northern part of Lancaster County that was always rumored to be an old missile base, but I never really knew what type it was until I saw the satellite photos on Google Earth and researched it a little. Turns it out the high school was the control facility for a Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile base (which was controlled by the Army) and the actual launch facility (which I never knew about) was about 1/2 mile north of it. There's another identical Nike base in the southern part of the county and last 4th of July me, my brother, and two of my nephews went out to find it. The launch facility was still fenced off (it was probably being used for storing farm or construction equipment, as most of them usually are) but we had no problem drivng into the control facility, which had been converted into an apartment complex and consisted of several buildings (some of which were probably barracks and certainly a couple of control rooms), and there was a steel platform that almost certainly was where a radar dish was once mounted.
 
    In Lincoln itself there's a large industrial park (called Lincoln Air Park) on the west side of town near the airport, and it's common knowledge that it once was a major Air Force base (Lincoln AFB) until it closed down in 1966, but I was amazed that they considered Lincoln so strategicly important and that they took the Soviet threat so seriously during the Cold War that they felt it necessary to build two anti-aircraft missile bases within a 20-mile radius of the city. I also discovered that the missile silos I found on Google Earth once contained Atlas missiles and were part of a network of 12 that were manned by the 551st Missile Wing headquartered at Lincoln AFB, and that they were actually operational for only 4 years (from 1961-65, seemed like a giant waste of money to me).
 
  Today the only military presence in the area is an Air National Guard base and a few Army Reserve buildings here and there, but if I could travel back in time to the early 60's I'd probably be shocked as to how many military personnel there were in the area, there were probably a few thousand of them in and around Lincoln back then.

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: quirky_cat_girl on 04/01/07 at 8:35 pm


    One of the coolest things I found on the Internet is Google Earth, and how people can enter points of interest and when you click on them, more often than not you can find some sort of blog entry about that site. I grew up in Lancaster County, Nebraska (Lincoln, the capital, is also the county seat), and when I clicked on some of the points of interest I was amazed at how many abandoned military installations there were in eastern Nebraska. Just in and right around my county there were several abandoned nuclear missile silos from the early 60's that I'd driven past countless times and had no idea they were there.  I told a friend of mine who grew up a few towns over from mine that there was one just outside his town and all that time he never had any idea that it existed. I've always wanted to go down inside an old misssile silo and explore it, but a) they're all on private property, b) as far as I know, they've been sealed up with concrete and c) I've heard that climbing around inside them is extremely dangerous and an easy way to get yourself killed.
   
    There's also a high school in the northern part of Lancaster County that was always rumored to be an old missile base, but I never really knew what type it was until I saw the satellite photos on Google Earth and researched it a little. Turns it out the high school was the control facility for a Nike-Hercules surface-to-air missile base (which was controlled by the Army) and the actual launch facility (which I never knew about) was about 1/2 mile north of it. There's another identical Nike base in the southern part of the county and last 4th of July me, my brother, and two of my nephews went out to find it. The launch facility was still fenced off (it was probably being used for storing farm or construction equipment, as most of them usually are) but we had no problem drivng into the control facility, which had been converted into an apartment complex and consisted of several buildings (some of which were probably barracks and certainly a couple of control rooms), and there was a steel platform that almost certainly was where a radar dish was once mounted.
   
    In Lincoln itself there's a large industrial park (called Lincoln Air Park) on the west side of town near the airport, and it's common knowledge that it once was a major Air Force base (Lincoln AFB) until it closed down in 1966, but I was amazed that they considered Lincoln so strategicly important and that they took the Soviet threat so seriously during the Cold War that they felt it necessary to build two anti-aircraft missile bases within a 20-mile radius of the city. I also discovered that the missile silos I found on Google Earth once contained Atlas missiles and were part of a network of 12 that were manned by the 551st Missile Wing headquartered at Lincoln AFB, and that they were actually operational for only 4 years (from 1961-65, seemed like a giant waste of money to me).
   
   Today the only military presence in the area is an Air National Guard base and a few Army Reserve buildings here and there, but if I could travel back in time to the early 60's I'd probably be shocked as to how many military personnel there were in the area, there were probably a few thousand of them in and around Lincoln back then.




that's pretty cool, Al...thanks for sharing! :) 8)

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: bookmistress4ever on 11/17/10 at 2:44 pm

Bumping this because I love to explore (but haven't done so (other then Google Earth and Real Estate listings where I can look at homes I'll never buy...)

In my endeavors to find unusual things on the internet, I came across this:  Interesting Google Earth photos  http://www.barnorama.com/interesting-google-earth-photos/

Subject: Re: Urban Exploration

Written By: youngerderek on 04/09/11 at 12:51 am

Oh without a doubt. I would love to visit underground cities in Europe.

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