On my cross-country trip in 2017, I quickly gained fascination for stores, cafes, and other places which went out of business and left empty buildings in their wake. I found many such places in small towns, on state routes, and in rural areas.

I imagined the buildings bustling with activity. Perhaps it was a diner where locals and tourists alike sat at the counter, watching the cooks prepare their meals; a gas station fueling up cars in long distances between towns on lonely roads; a motel with a quaint name; or a store of some sort. Sometimes it is only a shell, with boarded up windows and doors, scratched paint, and decaying wood. Other times the remnants of signage or the presence of artifacts give clues as to the former occupant.

A variety of abandoned buildings and forgotten businesses are shown below, with the year of the visit included.

Warm Springs, Nevada (2017)

At the junction of Nevada State Routes 6 and 375 sits the ghost town – if it could even be called that – of Warm Springs. The first settlement was in 1866, and the springs (which gave the town its name) served as a stopover for freighters and stages traveling to Eureka and Elko. Only a few remnants remain. 

Weston, Idaho (2017)

Weston was founded in 1865 and had a population of over 1,000 at one time. The census hasn’t recorded a figure below 230 or above 452 since 1910. Downtown includes several old buildings that have been or are in the process of being restored by a local resident. With clear cut angles and the absence of traditional roofs, they stood out starkly against the uniform blue sky and appear as if they came from a movie studio lot.

Bunkie, Louisiana (2017)

This town with an unusual name has seen a population decline of nearly 20% from 2010 to 2020. Its origins date to the railroads. The Bailey Hotel, pictured at the top, was built in the early 20th century and operated through the 1960s, closed, and reopened in 2001 before closing again. 

Erick, Oklahoma (2017)

Erick has a population of 1,000. This Route 66 town experienced the greatest growth in the 1920s due to a brief oil boom. Country singer Roger Miller grew up in Erick, and at one time the town had a museum dedicated to his life. 

Tucumcari, New Mexico (2017)

Route 66 ran through Tucumcari and the town had many motels, as well as diners and other businesses, to accommodate tourists. Though the Mother Road is dormant, this section still passes by a swath of motels. Although one can still stay at the Blue Swallow and others, some of the motels and other businesses have gone by the wayside.

Cherokee,  North Carolina (2019)

Cherokee is a census-designated place of about 2,000 in the Oconaluftee River Valley and is the capital of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The economy is tourism-based as the area sits at the foot of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and offers tubing on the Oconaluftee River.

Cherokee Fun Park (2019)

It's unclear when this amusement park closed (TripAdvisor reviews range from July 2014 to July 2015). The star attraction seemed to be the multi-level, donut-shaped go-kart track. It also had mini-golf and an arcade.

Central South Carolina (2019)

Pictures from small towns along South Carolina State Highway 76: Clinton, Joanna, and Prosperity.

Mountainair, New Mexico (2022)

Mountainair is a small town with a very strong artistic community. Intermixed with all the charm are many vacated businesses. Note: The Tomahawk Service Station and Greyhound Trading Post buildings were used in the movie My One & Only (2009) and may have created, named, or altered for that purpose.

Pawhuska and Barnsdall, Oklahoma (2023)

Pawhuska (top row) is a vibrant town thanks in part to the presence of the Pioneer Woman's businesses, but there are also buildings that sit vacated; Barnsdall is located about 20 minutes away and lacks a famous personality and has a less distinguished history.

Isleton, California (2023)

This small town near Sacramento attracted a large number of residents of Asian descent. Isleton had both a Chinatown and a Japantown. Many residents worked at local canneries, but when the canneries went away the population declined.

Ghostly Gas Stations

Left to right, top to bottom: (2017) Friendly Fuels, Ely, NV (+1); Phillips station, western Utah; Bleckley County, GA; rural MS; rural LA;  

Has-Been Hotels

Left to right, top to bottom: (2017) Wai Wera Hotel, Benton, CA; Hotel Arlington, Griswold, IA (demolished 2022); Featherbed Motel, Turbeville, SC (+3); Unidentified, Canute, OK; Unidentified, Ely, NV

Retracted Restaurants

Left to right, top to bottom: (2017) White Mountains Cafe, Benton, CA (+1); Carl's Burgers & Sandwiches, Caliente, NV; Best Burger, Maringouin, LA; (2019) Unidentified, Etowah, TN; (2021) Covington Chili, Covington, KY; Shem's Snack Shack, Williamstown, KY; (2022) Pizza and More, Estancia, NM; a deli in Estancia, NM; (2023)

Busted Businesses and Other Unoccupied Spaces

Left to right, top to bottom: (2015) Unidentified, Unknown; Little Will's Auto Salvage, Kansas City, MO; (2017) Unidentified, Benton, CA; Swallows Drugs and two buildings, Caliente, NV; a small casino, eastern Nevada; structure in southern ID; Unidentified, Pocatello, ID; Unidentified, ID; Antique store, Harrison, MT; Blue Range (formerly a brothel), Butte, MT; Unidentified, Butte, MT; part of the "Missouri Flats" ghost town, MT; convenience store, Forsyth, MT; Smarty Pants Preschool, Hardin, MT; West River Oil Co., Faith, SD; Bradley Salvage, Omaha, NE; Unidentified, Omaha, NE; Ready Theatre, Niles, MI; Eaddy's 66, Daviston, SC; House in rural SC; commercial property, eastern GA; part of an unidentified complex, Columbus, GA; Unidentified, Opelika, AL; thrift store, Port Barre, LA; Highway 71 Laundromat, Cheneyville, LA; multiple buildings, Gibsland, LA; Caney Lake Country Store, Gibsland, LA; Unidentified, Hope, AR; Unidentified (+1), Canute, OK; (2019) Yuen Chong & Co. Meat Market General Merchandise, Locke, CA; Locke Ness, Locke, CA; (2020) Unidentified, San Miguel, CA; (2021) Unidentified, Advance, IN; Voyles Barber Shop, Hardinsburg, IN; Glen Oak Ampitheatre, Peoria, IL; The Hangout, LeRoy, IL; US Post office (R)/Corinth Community Worship Center (L), Corinth, KY; (2022) May Pharmacy, Moriarty, NM; Gustin Hardware, Estancia, NM; (2023) Pleasant Hill School, Pleasant Hill, CA; Cinema at the Hilltop Mall, Richmond, CA

Vertically-challenged

Left to right: (2017) Gas station between Pocatello and Blackfoot, ID; Stuffngo DVD Rentals, Ely, NV; (2021) Park Theater, Lafayette, CA; (2023) Unidentified, Bovey, MN and Minneapolis, MN