Abandoned America

Jan 16 2024 32 ep. 44 mins 348

Abandoned America Podcast artwork

Find out why it's all falling apart on the new Abandoned America podcast! Join host Matthew Christopher, author and photographer of the Abandoned America book series and website, and explore what incredible stories ruins have to tell, what mysteries they hold, and why they were left behind. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/abandonedamerica/support

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The Incredible Rebirth of the Lansdowne Theater

Jan 16 2024 66 mins

All too often, the stories of abandoned places end in tragedy. In this episode, however, we're going to discuss an amazing success story: after nearly 30 years vacant, the gorgeous Lansdowne Theater is being rebuilt! My guest, Matt Schultz, the Executive Director of the Historic Lansdowne Theater Corporation, shares with us how this miraculous turnaround is taking place and his

The Strange But True Story of Abandoned America

Nov 27 2023 25 mins

Did you ever wonder how someone could become so obsessed with abandoned buildings that it engulfs their whole life? This is my story: the strange tale of of how and why I began photographing abandoned buildings across the world and started the Abandoned America project - an origin story for the podcast and website, if you will. Support the podcast on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠�

The Dominion of Sleep

Oct 24 2023 13 mins

There's an odd overlap between dreams, abandoned spaces, and photographs - they all present distortions of the reality we are familiar with. Why is it that we find all three so compelling? Support the podcast on Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/AbandonedAmerica⁠ Get Email Updates: https://us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=24ba303f6c1b17ce6e5f37d49&id=88

Scrap

Jul 31 2023 47 mins

In this episode Matthew interviews Stacey Tenenbaum, a Canadian filmmaker who produced and directed a beautiful documentary called Scrap. Scrap takes a poetic and meditative look at what becomes of the objects we use after they've ceased to fulfill the function they were originally intended for. The documentary shares the story of some incredible people and spaces, including a

Saying Goodbye to Gould Street

Jun 30 2023 22 mins

Gould Street Power Station in Baltimore was once the most impressive power plant in the city and considered a technological marvel, but now its demolition seems inevitable. In this episode, we'll trace the wild history of the site through the bitter public utility wars that led to its construction to its eventual closure and abandonment - a trip that includes a forgotten invent

Forest Haven: A Fatal Legacy of Neglect

May 31 2023 25 mins

Forest Haven was a developmental center in Laurel, Maryland for children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and chronic illnesses that was the site of what was described as "the deadliest known example of institutional abuse in recent American history." Today Forest Haven lies abandoned and mostly forgotten, but in this episode we'll explore h

The Lost Neighborhood of Lincoln Way

May 15 2023 9 mins

Rumors of why the small neighborhood of Lincoln Way wound up abandoned abound: did some monstrous beast scare away the residents? Or was it for some more realistic and relatable reason? In this episode we'll explore the mystery of how roughly 40 homes on a quiet Western Pennsylvania street were left vacant for years, still littered with the former residents' belongings, and

America's Ghost Ship: The SS United States

May 01 2023 22 mins

The SS United States is about as unique and incredible as it gets: an entire ocean liner that's larger than the Titanic, out of use since 1969 and moored in Philadelphia since 1996. Both the fastest liner ever built and the largest constructed on US soil, it's one of only two surviving relics from the entire age of passenger liners, and yet its future has been imperiled for

The Fall of the Fallside Hotel

Apr 17 2023 20 mins

Located a short distance from one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States, it's hard to imagine why the Fallside Hotel in Niagara Falls, NY would have been abruptly closed and left abandoned. To tell the story we need to look at the boom and subsequent implosion of the area's tourist economy, caused by industrial pollution and misguided urban renewal pr

The Story of Pleasure Beach and Long Beach: A Violation of the Contract

Apr 02 2023 23 mins

What would you do if the only bridge to your community burned and the town refused to rebuild it? The residents of Long Beach, CT found out the hard way and it destroyed their entire neighborhood, leaving nearly 50 beachfront homes abandoned. In this episode of the Abandoned America podcast, we'll explore the tragic story of what went wrong, how the fate of Long Beach was tied