Please check out our second annual Top 5 Abandoned Places video! It covers all of the best places we’ve explored this year. Happy New Year, everyone!
Posts Tagged ‘horror’
Black Diamond – The Abandoned Hogback Mountain Ski Area
Posted: December 21, 2016 by kingleser in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Cabin, abandoned home, Abandoned House, abandoned new england, Abandoned Resort, Abandoned Ski Area, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Abandoned Wonders, Bird Watching, Birds, Broken, Cabin, Closed, commercial, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, forgotten home, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, Hogback Mountain, House, Information, left behind, lost, Marlborough, Movies, Mystery, nature, new england, nightmares, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, State Parks, Stories, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Vermont, writingTags: abandoned, abandoned beauty, abandoned buildings, Abandoned House, Abandoned Houses, Abandoned New England, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Ski Area, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Vermont, Architecture, Art, beauty, Blogging, business, Community, dreams, experience, experiences, exploration, exploring abandoned, Forests, Ghosts, Green Mountains, hiking, history, Hogback Mountain, home, home sweet home, horror, House, lost, Marlboro, Memories, Mountains, Movies, Nature, New England, Peace, photography, Places to Explore, Recreation, research, Ruins, Shelter, Ski Area, Skiing, Snowboarding, Spirits, time, Tourism, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, Vacation, Vermont, writing
Black Diamond
The Abandoned Hogback Mountain Ski Area
Written by: Wilk
Photographs by: Lassie
I have lived in New England my entire life. I was born here, and I will probably die here too. But I’ve never been a skier. I tried snowboarding when I was a kid. But after splitting my face open a few too many times I eventually outgrew it. Up here in New England, skiing is one of our biggest draws and most memorable past times. Most of you reading this probably know a skier, or even are one yourself. My next door neighbors were all skiers when I was growing up. They even had their own personal lodge up in the mountains. Ski Club was also the largest club at my high school. And the big place where it’s most common? Vermont. This was my first time back here in many years. It was a place I used to visit annually back in the Scouts. Believe it or not this was our first investigation up in the Green Mountain State. And it did not disappoint.
Bordering New York State and the Canadian border, Vermont is one of the most picturesque places in all of New England. It has rolling hills, quiet forests, and an old school mountain culture. Tourism is a big thing here, and the jewel in that crown is skiing. It has been a large part of Vermont’s heritage throughout the years. Many ski areas, such as Mount Snow and Smuggler’s Notch, have become local juggernauts in the business. But many have not been as successful. In southern Vermont is the heavily trafficked Hogback Mountain Conservation Area. But little do most tourists seem to know is that this was once the Hogback Mountain ski area. Opening in the years following World War II, the ski area found moderate success but was eventually forced to fold in the 1980’s due to declining attendance. The land was then sold off to the local community and rechristened.
Right along the busy Route 9 in Marlboro, Vermont, is the Hogback Mountain Tourist Area. You really can’t miss it. You round a corner, and boom. People are everywhere. Cars from all over the world are pulled over at the makeshift parking lot to get a glimpse of the gorgeous mountain view and pick up some campy souvenirs at the gift shop. Their cheese is actually pretty good though. But sitting just off to the side of this tourist attraction are the ghosts of what once was. A short walk to the right from the tourist area is what remains of the ski slope. A small wooden shed still stands, and bears the name of “Hogback Mountain Ski Area.” A large number of old tools and skis have been left behind inside. Though they are now coated with dust, it appears they were simply throw to the floor and forgotten about. Luckily, we found very little signs of vandalism.
The star attraction of the ski area though has got to be the remains of the old chair lift. A large turbine still stands glistened in the sunlight, though she is now rusted to all Hell. The two large wheels which once brought skiers to the top of the slope are now nothing more than tattered ruins. We tried to follow the old slope up the mountain, but the vegetation was too thick. There may be more up there, but we could not find a way up. Walking back to the left of the ski area are what we believe to be the remains of the lodge. A large white building, she now sits precariously close the edge of the mountain. She looks so structurally unsound, its remarkable she’s still standing at all. A few pieces of old furniture still wait inside for someone to return to them. Peeking in through the window was almost like taking a peek back in time.
For our first investigation in the great state of Vermont, this was certainly an interesting visit. I personally found it fascinating to see so many people flocking to the tourist area, and yet experiencing total solitude mere yards away at the ruins of the ski area. It has become a ghost to the rest of the community, haunting the mountain with the memories of its former glory. It is indeed curious why these old relics where not demolished when the land was sold off. While other ski areas flourish and thrive, this one was forced to close up shop. It is good that the land has found another use, and that so many people from so many places can now enjoy it. But it is still sad to see a place like this in a state such as that. For life, as we all know, is a lot like a ski slope. Some are able to navigate it all the way to the bottom and enjoy the ride. Most of us, however, just end up falling on our asses.
Lock the Gates – The Abandoned Seaside Sanatorium
Posted: November 29, 2016 by Hidden Wonders Photography in #postaday, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned home, Abandoned Hospital, Abandoned House, abandoned new england, Abandoned Sanatorium, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Wonders, Beaches, Bird Watching, Birds, Broken, Children, Children's Hospital, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, forgotten home, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Mystery, nature, new england, nightmares, Ocean, Ocean View, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, seaside, Seaside Sanatorium, State Parks, Stories, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Waterford, writingTags: 2016, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned hospital, Abandoned New England, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Sanatorium, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Waterford, abandoned wonders, Architecture, Art, Atlantic Ocean, Beach, beauty, Blogging, business, Cass Gilbert, Cinema, Community, dreams, experience, experiences, exploration, exploring, exploring abandoned, Haunted, hiking, Historical Landmark, history, horror, Long Island Sound, lost, Memories, Movies, Nature, New London, No Trespassing, Osprey, Peace, photography, Places to Explore, Recreation, research, Seaside Park, Seaside Sanatorium, Shores, Spirits, State Parks, The Seaside, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, urban exporing, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, Waterford, writing
Lock the Gates
The Abandoned Seaside Sanatorium
Written by: Sean L.
Photographs by: Amanda H.
Lock the gates. Bar the doors. Bolt the latch. Close up shop. You don’t have to go home. But you can’t stay here. Much that once was is now gone. We have certain traditions here at Abandoned Wonders. We like to look up places on Google Maps before visiting them, so we can figure out precisely where to go. We like to eat at Ruby Tuesday’s after exploring a cool place, just for the salad bar and Mr. Pibb. And we visit certain places once a year because they are just so damn cool. Seaside Sanatorium is one of those places. Sitting smack dab on the beautiful shores of Long Island Sound, Seaside Sanatorium really is one of the most picturesque abandoned places in all of New England. But this year, things have taken a turn for the worse. We are sad to say that this once abandoned wonder will never be the same.
The main buildings on the grounds were designed by the world renowned architect Cass Gilbert in the early twentieth century. He was the same man responsible for masterminding the famous US Supreme Court building in Washington DC and New Haven’s Union Station. The facility was opened during the early 1930’s, seeing a long and colorful history that lasted until 1996. Over the years it has served as a children’s hospital, a treatment center for the elderly, and a facility for the intellectually disabled. Its beautiful setting along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean were said to provide a very peaceful atmosphere for its residents. Sadly though, the facility was allegedly home to several incidents of violent treatment of patients in the early 1990’s which would ultimately cause the demise of Seaside. It now sits abandoned, though it can be legally walked as a recreation area.
Like I said before, this was our fourth visit to the grounds in the last four years. Earlier this year, we published a video about Seaside using footage that we acquired last summer. Several of our readers were quick to point out that there are now chain link fences surrounding all of the main hospital buildings. Naturally, we had to go investigate. In the waning days of the summer 2016, we returned to visit our old friend. I can honestly say that things have changed. A lot. Indeed there are fences everywhere. The beast of the abandoned hospital has been caged, as has the old nurse’s building. Most heartbreaking of all, the old playground has been removed. Seeing this amazing and hauntingly beautiful old building now locked up was a sad sight indeed. It is not the thought of not being able to get inside anymore that makes it tragic. Its more that the fences mark what more than likely is the beginning of the end for Seaside Sanatorium.
Much like our previous visit, there were plenty of beach goers frequenting the grounds. And just like last year, none of them even seem to notice the giant abandoned hospital sitting right in front of them. Plenty of these people gave us weird looks as they watched us take pictures. One other young photographer was there though, which was a nice site to see. Even though she kept getting into our shots. One family even seemed to be camping out on the beach. Something that is interesting though is that state security guards have returned to the grounds. On our previous two visits, we couldn’t take one step without being followed by a security guard, though they were all very courteous and more than happy to talk about the abandoned hospital. Last year we were there for a whole day, and didn’t see a single one. But today, a very nice guard kept watch over the grounds and all of the beach people. And the work on the hospital is clearly far from over. Plenty of construction equipment and tools lie in the fenced off sections of the grounds.
The grounds have been officially commissioned as a State Park, and the old hospital buildings have also been named to the National Register of Historic Places. It is both rewarding and depressing to see the grounds in their current state. While the protective fences keep bad people out, it is also sad to see this former hospital trapped behind bars. State workers have been working to make the grounds safer to visitors, and allegedly considering several different options of what to do with the grounds. It is an ongoing process, but fortunately is one that seems to make progress. But until its final judgement day, the grounds of Seaside Sanatorium now sit under lock and key. Even the fabled ospreay seemed to have moved off. Over the last two years we’ve seen a flourishing family of them taking up residence in the chimney of the nurse’s building. But today, there was only one. She cawed in loneliness to the great blue ocean before her. Maybe the rest of her family is still out there. Or maybe those days are long gone.
Destroy or Decay – The Abandoned Mansfield Training School
Posted: October 13, 2016 by Hidden Wonders Photography in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Attractions, Abandoned Business, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned home, Abandoned Hospital, Abandoned House, abandoned new england, Abandoned Sanatorium, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Wonders, Birds, Broken, Children, Children's Hospital, Closed, commercial, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, fire, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, forgotten home, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, House, Information, left behind, lost, Mansfield, Mansfield Training School, Mystery, nature, new england, nightmares, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Seaside Sanatorium, Stories, Storrs, Sunrise Resort, UCONN, Uncategorized, Undercliff Sanatorium, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writing, WWIITags: 2016, Abandoned America, Abandoned Asylum, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned hospital, Abandoned House, Abandoned Houses, Abandoned New England, Abandoned Place, Abandoned Places, Abandoned Sanatorium, Abandoned School, Abandoned USA, Architecture, Art, Asylum, beauty, Bergin Correctional Institute, Blogging, business, Connecticut, decay, Destruction, experience, experiences, Haunted, haunting, hiking, Historical Landmark, history, home, horror, Knight Hospital, Local Legend, lost, Mansfield Training School, Movies, Nature, New England, photography, Recreation, research, Saint Mary, Spirits, Storrs, Sunrise Resort, UCONN, Undercliff Sanatorium, Underground Tunnels, urban exploration, urban explorer, urban exploring, urban exporing, Urban Legend, urbex, urbex photography, writing
Destroy or Decay
The Abandoned Mansfield Training School
Written by: Sean L.
Photographs by: Amanda H.
Decay, it’s a bit of a fickle word. Just the mention of it conjures up unsettling images of rot and decomposition. Destroy, do I really have to define this one? It’s a word we all know and maybe even use too much. But which is worse, to destroy or to decay? It is a question that many of our great abandoned wonders have faced over the years. Many local legends such as Sunrise Resort and Undercliff Sanatorium have been demolished. But others, such as the abandoned Mansfield Training School, have faced decay. Rather than being demolished it has merely been left to rot. Sure, certain precautions have been taken to shore up the property. But let’s be honest, we’re simply delaying the inevitable. Though many tall fences have gone up since our last visit, Mansfield Training School is continuing its slow decent into destruction.
The facility was created following the merger of the institutions in both Lakeville and Mansfield, Connecticut during 1917. It was christened the Mansfield Training School and Hospital, a facility for the care of the intellectually disabled. They started off with a relatively small number of patients. Major events in history such as the Great Depression and World War II caused the population of patients to grow and become overcrowded. But during the sixties and seventies, regulations began to change, resulting in more staff and caregivers being provided. Some years later, patients began to be moved from the hospital to on-site cottages and group homes. Regrettably, while there were many stories of good and fair treatment of the patients, there were also several tragic ones. Under a pile of lawsuits, the facility was forced to close its doors in 1993. The property was then split amongst the University of Connecticut and the neighboring Bergin Correctional Institute.
In the waning days of Summer 2016 began to slowly fall off the calendar, like leaves from a tree, we made our return to the abandoned Mansfield Training School. Some places are just worth a second or even a third visit. And this is certainly one of them. Sitting on the far side of the Depot Campus of the University of Connecticut, the abandoned Mansfield Training School was as quiet as I remembered it. Just a short stroll from the hustle and bustle of the main campus, it is shocking how desolate this corner of the school feels. We did not come across a single soul on our walk through the former hospital quad. Just like our previous visit. The whole place felt like something out of a nightmare. Even though it lies in such close proximity to one of the largest and well known schools in the country, this place was as quiet as a tomb. The only signs of life were the scurrying families of squirrels darting for cover as we strolled through this abandoned wasteland.
While the atmosphere of the abandoned Mansfield Training School may not have changed at all since our last visit, the grounds themselves have taken a rather serious toll. Chain link fences have been installed around the infamous Knight Hospital and a few of the farther south buildings. The tunnels systems have all been dug up or filled in. But even worse, vandalism has taken a massive rise in the past year. Doors have been kicked open. Windows have been smashed. Access to these dark and dangerous places is as easy as it has ever been. And inside these former hospital buildings is like the edge of Hell. Around each corner lies more chaos and destruction. Though it is as quiet as death in here, the pain and the anguish that this place feels cannot be ignored. We’ve seen a few spooky things happen here, such as the fabled “Angel of the Asylum,” but today this place felt more haunted than ever. The Saint Mary Statue had been moved. Shadows crept in the corners of every room. And there was a strong presence to be felt.
And so I ask again, is it better to destroy or to decay? Over the years, there allegedly have been many different proposals to demolish these infamous grounds. But none have come to fruition. With the recent additions of the chain link fences, clearly someone wants to preserve this place. It is, in fact, listed as a Historical Landmark. But one would not likely be able to guess that after one look at the state of the Mansfield Training School. It has fallen quite a long way in just twenty odd years since its closure, mostly at the hands of vandals. To destroy it would cost the state millions of dollars, and be the end of a once beloved landmark. But to leave it to decay would be the same result, except for the number of years it would take to get there. Neither of them seem like good options, and seems that some have chosen to forget about the abandoned Mansfield Training School. But its still there. Everyday. Wondering. Waiting. Destroy or Decay? Destroy or Decay? Destroy or Decay?
What We Left Behind — The Mysteriously Abandoned Green House
Posted: February 24, 2015 by Hidden Wonders Photography in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned home, abandoned new england, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Wonders, Bolton, Broken, Children, Closed, Connecticut, darkness, Death, Destruction, empty, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, forgotten home, Ghosts, Graveyard, Haunting, Hiking, History, Homeless, House, Information, left behind, lost, Mystery, nature, new england, nightmares, overgrown, photography, research, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, Stories, time, Uncategorized, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, writingTags: #postaday, abandoned, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Connecticut, abandoned green house, Abandoned Home, abandoned wonders, broken, childhood, childhood experiences, children's toys, collapse, comfort, Connecticut, CT, danger, darkness, decay, decrepit, depressing, desolate, disappear, empty, exploring, fall, forgotten, forgotten happiness, Green, hiking, hiking trails, home, horror, House, leaves, mystery, Nature, nature taken back, photography, Safety First, searching, stories, time, time forgotten, torn away, toys, trees, unsettling, urban exploration, urbex, writing
What We Left Behind
The Mysteriously Abandoned Green House
Written by: Sean L.
Photographs by: Amanda H.
The older we get, the more things we have to leave behind. That’s life. Friendships. Habits. Memories. Times change, and some things do not change with you. These are the things that we leave behind. But some things don’t go as easily. Some things that should not have been forgotten, still wait in their darkest hour. This is true of the abandoned Green House. Before reading any further, understand that this article will be unlike any other previously seen on this site. There will be no history, identifiable landmarks, or anything that can help you find this place. It’s nothing personal; it’s just that this place is a mystery, even to us. And we wish to keep it that way. This place is so dark, depressing, and dangerous that it is best that it stay lost and forgotten. It is better for this lost home to stay in shadow.
There is no history here for us to report. We found no information at all from anyone on this strange site. Though it sits beside a very busy and highly trafficked road, this mysteriously abandoned house sits completely empty and utterly silent. Just to be clear, the Green House is our label for this place. We don’t know who once lived here, or why they left. And, based on the signs posted on the front door of this strange house, neither does the bank that now owns this derelict property. We simply call it the Green House because of its distinct green color. What separates this house from many of the other abandoned sites we have explored, this place was seemingly left overnight. There is still food in the fridge. A calendar still hangs on the wall. Children’s toys still wait for their return. But it will never come.
I have driven past the abandoned Green House many times over the last few months. It caught my eye because I never saw anyone coming or going from it, and the lights never came on. It always sat in darkness and in silence. Large amounts of trash bags and liter surrounded the outside of the house as well. Unfortunately, the Green House sits alongside a very busy road. It has a high traffic rate and a large police presence. Since we were not able to find any information on this place, caution had to be taken. Luckily, a series of hiking trails stood a short walk away from the abandoned house. This is where we chose to park to avoid any suspicion. We chose to visit this site on a gloomy winter day. The leaves had all fallen from the trees. The skies were grey. And a thin layer of ice coated the ground.
The Green House is located in a small former farming town in New England. Following parking our car at the local walking trails, we began our short walk along this busy stretch of road. Until at last we came upon the Green House. Right off the bat, there is a very unsettling feeling about this place. It is clear that all feeling of comfort and joy were ripped away from the Green House many years ago. It is now devoid all of things bright, standing in complete despair. Windows are smashed. Doors are open. Paint peels from the siding. Bags of trash and former possessions lie strewn about the property. Nothing lives here anymore, other than the sad ghosts of what once was. There is a small driveway out front, though it would be unwise to park there. Not only would you be in plain sight of all passerby’s, but the pavement is also in very poor shape.
The building itself is in very poor shape. It is just one floor, with some sort of small attic above that. A beat up garage stands beside it. In the backyard, an old swing set has been crushed by a falling tree. As previously mentioned, a sign is taped to the front door. It states that the house has been winterized for up until the year 2017. Curiously, it also requests that if you know or are the owners of this property to please contact them. It made us wonder just who once lived here, and what happened to them. The house was obviously abandoned in a hurry, a very abrupt one at that. Whoever once lived here left behind literally all of their possessions. They are now sadly scattered all over the property. Everything from clothing, trash, old basketballs, and stuffed animals cover the front yard. It was literally an apocalypse movie come to life.
The inside of the buildings are complete chaos. The smell was unimaginable. We’ve had some bad smelling places, but this one took the cake. All kinds of stuff was all over the floor. Believe it or not an old Bow Flex workout machine was still standing in the garage, though covered in trash. A lot of trashed old 90’s things were amongst the liter. VHS tapes, CD’s, and Nintendo controllers could all be spotted in and out of the house. The inside of the house was the edge of Hell. The side door was just sitting open, beckoning anyone and everyone to witness the horrors inside. There are holes in the floor. The roof is collapsed in spots. The stairway to the attic is still open, though only darkness emanates from it. The bedrooms of children and adults alike lay in complete ruin, with the things they once treasured cast about all over the place like mere trash.
Trust us when we say, this place is not for the faint of heart. For it is indeed heartbreaking. Only a few times has an abandoned place been as unsettling and as depressing as the Green House. There is a reason that this article is the first we have ever released to not include any information. The place that a family once called home has been reduced to near rubble, still waiting for them to return. Not even the bank knows what happened to them. But this place was more than just their home. It was the place where family bonds were grown. It was the place where childhoods were experienced. It was the place that people once found comfort above all others. It is now the place that they left behind.
The Devil’s Playground — The Abandoned Fort Wetherill
Posted: January 6, 2015 by Hidden Wonders Photography in #postaday, Abandoned, Abandoned Forts, abandoned military bases, abandoned new england, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned USA, Abandoned Wonders, Beaches, Bird Watching, Birds, Broken, darkness, Destruction, Exploration, exploring the abandoned, Forgotten, forgotten beauty, Fort Wetherill, Fortress, Forts, Graveyard, Hiking, History, Information, left behind, lost, Military, Military Forts, Mystery, nature, new england, nightmares, Ocean, Ocean View, overgrown, photography, Public Parks, research, Rhode Island, Ruins, Safety First, Searching, seaside, State Parks, Stories, Terminus, The Walking Dead, Urban Decay, Urban Exploration, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Walking Dead, writing, WWIITags: #postaday, abandoned, abandoned buildings, Abandoned Fort, Abandoned Military Base, Abandoned New England, Abandoned Rhode Island, Abandoned USA, abandoned wonders, Architecture, Art, Artillery, Base, be prepared, Blogging, business, comfort, Community, decay, Devil, Devil's Playground, dreams, experiences, exploration, exploring, forgotten, Fort Wetherill, Fortified, forts, Graffiti, hiking, history, horror, Legendary, lost, Military, Movies, Narraganset, Nature, Navy, New England, Newport, Ocean, Ocean State, Ocean View, Peace, Photographs, photography, Playground, Recreation, research, Rhode Island, Shelter, State Park, Terminus, Urban Decay, urban exploration, urbex, Walking Dead, writing, WWII
The Devil’s Playground
The Abandoned Fort Wetherill
Written by: Wilk
Photographs by: Lassie
While our home state of Connecticut is known amongst the urban explorer community for its many abandoned hospitals and insane asylums, the neighboring state of Rhode Island is known for something different. Due to its coastal proximity and value, the Ocean State is home to several abandoned seaside fortresses. Most of these forts date back to the early colonial days of America, with British, French, and Colonial forces occupying them at one time or another throughout the pages of history. Sadly, over the years the uses for these coastal protectors has dwindled. Many of the former forts and artillery batteries are now abandoned. Now, with no watchmen watching over these former watchtowers, they have become plagued by vandals, graffiti artists, and delinquents. It is these lawless individuals have made these places into their very own playground for destruction.
Perhaps the most well-known of these former coastal protectors is Fort Wetherill. Located in the town of Jamestown, Rhode Island, Fort Wetherill is a mere stone’s throw away from the neighboring town of Newport. The history of the site dates back to the early 18th century. To protect the Narragansett Bay area, Fort Dumpling was built by British forces. After the expulsion, Fort Wetherill was constructed in its place by the American military a mere hundred years later in 1899. As a protector for the wealthy city of Newport and the New England mainland, Fort Wetherill proved to be very active during both World Wars as an artillery placement and troop station. Another primary task of the fort was to oversee the minefields erected during World War II. But following the “War to end all Wars,” Fort Wetherill was decommissioned in 1946. It was then left abandoned for many years.
Fortunately, the grounds were reacquired by the State of Rhode Island in the year of 1972. Due to its large granite cliffs and excellent view of the ocean, the grounds were commissioned as a state park. It is currently enjoyed today by many for sailing, fishing, and other water sports. The fortress, however, still stands. The state did just enough to make the grounds not dangerous, by removing all hazardous materials and sealing off the upper and lower tunnel networks. By not demolishing the fort, the state left it at the mercy of the elements and the more destructive visitors the park. The tunnels are now filled with trash. The walls are coated with graffiti. And instead of soldiers, the fortress is garrisoned only by drunken teenagers. We decided to visit this former fort on a gloomy fall day.
Finding Fort Wetherill is easy. Due to its status as a national park, all you have to do is google it. There is a nice little parking lot at the front of the park. They even have onsite bathrooms. Apparently the park is also very popular for dog walkers, as we saw plenty. The fort is a short walk from the parking lot. Through the thick vegetation blocks it from view at some points, its large multicolored hull eventually looms out through the trees. It is truly a site to see. There are hardly any spots left on the fort that have not been covered with some sort of graffiti. Coming down the path initially, you are launched right into the main courtyard. There is a small staircase leading off toward the ocean, and on either side are the old watchtowers and tunnel networks.
There are old fences scattered all over the fort, not that they can do much good. They are quite easy to hop right over. Following the old fence from the courtyard, we traveled along the fort’s outer wall. Though it may look small from the initial approach, Fort Wetherill is anything but. Most it, however, is hidden from sight by the wild trees and vegetation. At the farthest point, we found a small watchtower with an excellent view of the Narragansett Bay. Each section of the fort has their own tunnels. None of them are connected. When walking down them into the darkness, each one will have a large open room and then exit out a different way. Some even have little barred windows overlooking the outside. The inside of each tunnel is coated wall to wall with graffiti, and trash is everywhere.
Past the first courtyard, there are a few more towards the western side of the fort. Each one is just as graffiti covered as the first. This colorful art ranges from jokes, hate speech, drawings, and the occasional philosophical saying. For all you “Walking Dead” fans out there, we even found a few signs pointing to “Terminus.” Just like the show, they read “Sanctuary for all.” Fortunately, we didn’t find any cannibalistic community led by a former “Greek” star. While some of the graffiti is really offensive and at times dumb, it does give the former fortress an almost look of urban beauty. All of the wild colors and mismatched drawings give the fort a very unique aura. Unfortunately, any sense of beauty that may be found on the outside is ruined by the darkness of the inside.
The tunnels of Fort Wetherill are the Wild West. As made evident, there are no rules here. We found a small room deep in one of the tunnels that was completely full of bottles and beer cans. We also encountered a lot of unsavory characters down there. A few teens were smoking pot. There were others that were having sex. And even more were smashing the walls with sledge hammers. All just for fun. While we were all kids once, it is a shame to see this incredible site systematically destroyed by these people. And unfortunately, nothing can be done about it. Fort Wetherill has been left behind, and while its walls are sturdy, who knows how long this place has left. Since it is legal to visit, we encourage you to check out Fort Wetherill. However, we do urge you to be respectful. It really is a place of urban beauty, and we hope that you get to experience it. For it will not be long before Fort Wetherill becomes more than just The Devil’s Playground, and descends deeper into darkness.
Abandoned Wonders 