Time warp tourism is a popular notion in our humble blog and pops up time and time again, whether the topic of discussion is ancient ruins, walls or castles. Few travel experiences inspire more wonder than the veritable illusion that we have gone back in time, to another era and another place. You feel it in the Parthenon of Athens, the Colisseum of Rome and the Giza Necropolis in Egypt.
You also feel that familiar time warp shiver in ghost towns. Far from mere myth, they exist all over the globe, from former gold and silver mine settlements to abandoned mill towns. While many are strictly off-limits to tourists or near impossible to get to, others form the backbone of state parks, nature reserves and even UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
With that in mind, here are ten ghost towns that consistently fascinate, educate and wow visitors all over the world.
Like so many ghost towns, Granite fell into a deep funk after the decline of a once-prolific silver mine. The Montana town once had as many as 3,000 residents, with a hospital, library, schools and brothels.
Gold was Oatman’s former claim to fame. What began as a modest tent camp at the turn of the last century evolved into a thriving little town of 3,500 people, all hellbent on the prospect of prospecting riches. The Route 66 ghost town is now little more than a road trip curiosity and grazing area for wild burros.
Second-last in world population density behind Mongolia, the former nation of South West Africa is a marvelous destination for those with a sense of adventure. Namibia also has notable deposits of diamonds and other minerals, which is how Kolmanskop once came to be. The ghost town is now a tourist attraction run by the local authority and De Beers.
The vast province of Quebec contains beautiful scenery galore and requires many trips to fully digest. Val-Jalbert Historic Village is a must-see for visitors to the fine Saguenay/Lac Saint-Jean region however. The former pulp and paper mill town features 35 and 72-meter-high waterfalls.
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The backdrop for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the most popular ghost towns in America. In 1859, Mormon leader Brigham Young’s naive and misguided efforts to form a cotton plantation in the area now south of Zion National Park, Utah led to the formation of Grafton. Decades later, the town was virtually empty.
Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works, Chile
Some may wonder how former saltpeter works in South America become UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Humberstone and Santa Laura Saltpeter Works had a transformative cultural and agricultural impact on Chile throughout the late 19th and early 20th century and though in ruins today, serve as reminders of a bygone era of industrial, technical and creative innovation.
Real de Catorce is a popular ghost town destination with scores of tourists from Texas. Some come for the (illegal) peyote, some for high desert and mountain recreation, or both. Whatever the case, the former silver mine town, a backdrop for films like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Mexican, is spectacular.
A National Historic Landmark, Bodie, California was once a prominent gold rush boomtown. Now deserted, the ghost town is the focal point of a state park just east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range on the border with Nevada.
Grytviken, South Georgia Island
The grave of famous explorer Ernest Shackleford is the pre-eminent landmark in the unique village of Grytviken, South Georgia Island. A Bristish overseas territory in the extreme south Atlantic Ocean, the veritable ghost town is difficult to access but well worth the effort. Cruise ships bound for Antarctica often use South Georgia as a port of call.
The historic state of Mysore, now Karnataka, contains the fabulous remains of the former capital of the Vijayanagara empire. As such, the ghost town of Vijayanagara, India is one of the most provocative in the world, with the ruins of 14th century temples and palaces to explore. All in all, a superlative UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
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