Forbidden Places Guestbook

I graduated from nursing school here in 1967. You should have seen what it looked like then. All the buildings
were used and active, tennis courts, golf course and beautiful grounds.

Old structures, particularly abandoned mental health facilities and old home places, speak to me in ways I cannot explain. I don't have the opportunity to see these places firsthand. Being able to take virtual trips inside via your photos and notes, however, allow me to see bits of history "off the beaten path." If only walls could talk! Thanks for making this website available to all of us who see the sunlight, all right...but are never unaware of the shadows.

Amazing! Im truly speechless at the dedication and amazing locations on this site. So many forgotten treasures to discover! Long live urban exploration!

I grew up in downtown Gary, lived near and worked in the steel mills until 1983. I really hate seeing what has happened to Gary over the past 40 years. I come home every year at Christmas because my family still lives up there. I haven't been downtown in years and don't want to...always in fear of getting shot. Things were rough in the 70s & 80s, but now it's just a miserable place. I wish things could go back to the way they were before it got bad, but many of the people I lived and worked with are dead or gone to other states to live. I miss the good ole days.

I went to two Catholic schools, Holy Angels and St. Lukes, both are gone now. The mill I worked in is gone. My friends are gone... we can never go back...so the good times live in our memories.

Hello, love the site wonderful stuff!
Is there a community page that goes along with this website?

I love your site, I love these anbandoned places, in between possibly a new life (in the best case scenario). Haunted places. You do a great landmark work.
Just a quick observation on your text on Canfranc railway station. I went again to Canfranc this summer after several years, the building hasn't been yet restaured to hotel or entertainment place, the project is not clear. Still the roof has been restaured. Unfortunately you can't wander too close to the building as it is fenced now, but you can walk around the French pier. I was quite frustrated remembering my previous visits.
The tourism office of Canfranc organise now visit of the station (apparently inside) !! I couldn't visit, still I really hope this unbelievable place in an improbable village will have at last a life !

I've an interest in urban exploration and maintain a blog (www.WorldAbandoned.com). I find your site is easily one of the best there is on the subject!

Love te site, wish I could get involved with you.

I have been fortunate to travel to alot of places in the world...when a friend asked me if i could help her get into a disused building last saturday i said sure...grabbed a few cans of juice...2 torches and a camera....this is what happend....kinda fun and surprising....by the way there is a homeless guy on the 3rd floor...he is scared so be gentle.....robbo

vimeo.com

First of all I would like to point out the insensitivety of the web site owners as I have come across many insensitive comments. I stayed at HM Pentridge only 3 months before it closed forever. It was my first, last and only stay in prison. let me tell you that it was hell on earth. I was beaten up only because I dared to tell the screws that I was scared. Prison time for me was driving offences the last one was driving while disqualified. Yes three months in an 150 year old prison for that! I remember some idiot (probably still incarcerated) came up to me, he had pyjamas on and some gel in his hair - he threatened me so I shit myself then I was beaten black and blue - go and fuck yourselves.

I was born and raisied in Gary Indiana in 1949, saw this city go through a lot of phase's, from a European built city with hard work and dedication from many men and women who wanted this fine town back then to raised their kids. I attended Gary Edison High school in Brunswick and nice school back in the early 60's, when I graduated in 1967, the school and the neighborhood went down the tubes with many unwanted people. Right after highschool I joined the Air Force to become a combat pararescueman, when I retuned after my second tour in Viet Nam, my old neighborhood looked like the war zone I left in Viet Nam, houses, streets and schools were not kept up to living standards and I forced my parents to move to Crown Point where it was safer. What a shame for a city to fall in the hands of murderers and gang members.

i would like to get ideas,sugesstion,hot to revialized gary...who to contacat...not a big time city but maybe a small time town that suppouts its self,,retirement town it you will small good usa merchants..ma/pa stores and what have you....any takers??????

Great Work, Great Inspiration
Kind Regards Frank

Ich bin schon lange ein Fan Deiner Homepage! Nun muss ich mal einen Kommentar hinterlassen. Hervorragende Arbeit. Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Besuch. Beste Grüße - Thomas

I think I saw Omar say something about Mrs. Young. She was my Kg teacher too! Boy did I give that woman fits Lol. That was back in 65 maybe. Then I had Mrs. Harrison for 1st grade, Ms. Copeland (who got married and ripped my heart to pieces) and became Mrs. Holt. That class was back in the green portables right next to the big white "class house". 3rd sent me to Mrs. Champion with whom I still stay in contact. I lived on 9th and Morton down by the railroad tracks (next to them in fact).
I also remember going to Tri City Shopping Center, and I think I remember Shopper's Fair(?) across the street? But either way. great page. Even though I do travel Gary is still my home and I never felt/feel the need to get off the streets before the lights come on or be afraid of "those" people. Wait, am I "those" people? Should I be afraid of myself? OMG, now I'm paranoid!! :\

I was born in Indiana, and then moved to Illinois, then back to Gary Indiana. In 1992 Indiana was not bad I lived in the Aetna area which was nice. We were able to walk the streets without worry or concerns. It was around the time that I graduated that I noticed a change. This was in 1995 as small as the city is east, west; north and south were shooting at each other. That's when the preppy guys started to find there other side, it was for there own protection. It is still that way now but the way that people say it is, is not so true.

Every now and then there is a horrific crime; right here in Atlanta people die more than they do in Gary. I think that if we built more than put down we could better help our old community. For those that are still there your community. Looking at the pictures there are a lot of unused buildings that could be put to good use. If we could get a program started to help those that dropped out get there GED or with Penn foster the HS diploma that could be a start. In the same building give free child care while the parents are in class and reduced lunches for students. There can also be an area where once they graduate they are helped to find employment. Since a lot of people dropped out of school they might see illegal activities as the only way. Or living on the Government as the only way that they can survive or care for there children due to a lack of resources. Coming from the area having 2 daughters in HS and graduating on time with my class I know that others can succeed. Class of 1995- William A. Wirt High School 

There is a beautiful Theater that can be restored with a lot of love and hard work but that would offer jobs. The church is huge and could be made into a medical facility; you can never have enough of those. Most of the people out there are nurses or are going to school for nursing so it just gives more jobs. The facility would need a cleaning crew, admin. Staff, supervisors, accounting team, cna's, phlebotomist, medical assistants, collections ECT. That means with just 3 building being open at least 40% of Gary would be able to have employment. There are many there that already have positions but could help rebuild there own community by working within it.

Just some thoughts- I say that there is always a chance to start over or better yourself and I do believe that some of those things will be things that I partake in.

I have enjoyed all of the posts good as well as bad...some of us were there for the tare down so we must help to bring it back up.
frances_j3047@yahoo.com

Frances L. Bynum

A very nice page with great pictures. Thanx for sharing your view
Seeya
Kenny

I am 37 years old and was born and raised in Gary. It was bad back then and may have gotten worse but not what everyone makes it out to be. Vegas is 100 times worse than Gary but of course you people that bash Gary would not know that because it is kept a secret so tourist will feel safe when they come here. Hands down I would move back there over Vegas. There are no jobs in the city and all the cops and politicians are corrupt so who can blame them for crime. Everyone wants something nice in their lives Gary has nothing to offer. Vegas has plenty but still way more crime than Gary. I am sure there are ghettos everywhere white and black before you continue to bash my home take a long look at where youl live

Hi,
My name is Jacques and have a gallery in Sweden. I am also a photographer and just had a show with my UE project, "The Souls Labyrinths" .
The show was a success and people loved it.
Now I got a crazy idea. To open my gallery exclusive for international UE photographers and I would love to know if there is enough guys out there that could think to have their own show.
I know there is tons of pictures and websites with UE themes but having a physical show is something different. Prints, movies, slideshows etc.
I learned trough my show that people in common don't look for this kind of sites so I think the success for my show was simple. It open a new world for hundreds of visitors.
Let me know your opinion and thoughts.
Here is a link to my FB site from the show and some pic of my work.
Sorry if I am using your site for my own idea but I couldn't find a better place to do this.
I am ok if you think that its not appropriate and decide to erase it.
www.facebook.com
All the best to all of you for a great site.
Jacques.

To someone trained in investigation, you might want to limit clues as to what you want to keep secret. I was able to find out what hospital x is, but I won't say out of respect for you. I love your site though, it makes for great research.

lovely and brilliant pictures! I love this site. Pure Inspiration for me to go out in the world and take pictures!

I just watched "The French Connection" again the other night, one of my favorite flicks. The movie ends with a foot chase and shoot-out in a deliciously spooky and decrepit, long-abandoned crematorium on Ward's Island in NYC. (I'm not positive on those facts right there.) That ghostly scene -- and interior -- is almost up there with the "haunted" house in "Blair Witch Project." Does anyone know anything about the French Connection building? Is it still there? It was heavily decayed at the time of filming around 1971 -- I can only imagine what it looks like now if it's still standing.

LOVE DON"T LIVE HERE NO MO!!!! But there is always HOPE!!! Gary will bounce back and flourish! The right person is n charge KFW and my sis KKR. They will put the fuel to the fire. Watch out when it occurs, just b ready WORLD!!!

Hi there,
I've been an urban explorer for 2 years now, and I've been interested in urbex for 3 years. This website was probably my biggest inspiration to get out exploring, and see the incredible sites in my local area.
Thanks, and keep exploring. I've looked at plenty of sites on the internet, and visited a few in real life, and I must say this website is my personal favourite for spending hours immersed in the darkness, dust and gloom of urban exploring.

Hi,
I am visiting your site everytime with great pleasure.
Informative and great pictures!

With kind regards,
Thieu Riemen

Just wanted to say you might have a terrific internet site here. Thanks for the excellent information and facts.

...ain't a sewer, crawel-space, old building(city or country) dock(s) and/or old-factory the gang an' myself didn't explore as they presented 'emselves when I was young...the rail-yards? Well, we 'lived' there...so those were an almost every-day kind of thing(never taken for granted...the stories...) ...marvelous website! I'm all gotten old an' crippled now...living in a med-bed...however, when I found this site...the adventures portrayed through most excellent, top-shelf photo-technique(s)...Such gives me a great mental-lift...and a vicarious sense of accomplishment! If ever we'd met 'then' or now I'm sure we'd make a solid friendship...guerilla history/arc-archeology are the growing waves of self-gained knowledge...and true adventure.
Keep on explorin'...safety be with ya...and again, thanx...

So sad to see the ruin of some of these old buildings. I have lots of memories of the Palace Theater, the old Moonlight Drive in. We graduated from Memorial Auditorium; sad to see whats left is in such bad shape. I thought the front wall was to be preserved. City Methodist is a shell of its former beauty. Great photos of the sad end of a great era.

Fantastic website. I'm a teacher doing a unit on Exploration with grade 3s. These videos bring the whole concept of what the historical explorers felt to life - the music and the filming really bring out that sense that anything could happen and its dangerous and everything is strange and new. Will really help my students to 'get' what explorers felt in history.

After 30 years, I have returned to my birthplace Gary!!!! Went to a Westside High 77 class reunion and I was able to listen to the feelings of my classmates who stayed through all the changes!!!! Having travel cross the US and seeing the fall and rise of many cities I was very puzzled. Being a part of the rebirth of Phoneix, Az 1983-84, San Diego,CA 1984-1989, Davis CA 1989-1993; Sacramento, CA 1996-2005: I find it interesting for the City of Gary!!! I have been here since 2007 changes are being made are they for the good or for the purse!!!! Time will tell!!! I like this site scary at first but the love showed up!!! We all have lots of memories from and of the great city called Gary,In- More to come I don't believe that this is the end!!!!