I haven't made a year in review thread before so I thought I'd join in this year. Due to time constraints, I didn't hit as many locations as I would have liked but still got to quite a few. I was also able to finally explore two locations that I've been trying to get into for a couple of years.
1. In January, I started off with an abandoned college football stadium. In the very near future (if it hasn't already started), this stadium will be renovated and turned into a "multi-use entertainment facility."
Rubber by
KMD1720, on Flickr
2. February brought a return to this farmhouse on a very cold day. This was the coldest I can remember being while exploring. I returned a third time in August with a friend.
Faded Red by
KMD1720, on Flickr
3.
Dinner Must Wait by
KMD1720, on Flickr
4. I started off March by visiting a four-story factory where radiation meters were once made. In July, I returned with a friend for his first exploration experience.
Blackened by
KMD1720, on Flickr
5.
Jewish Disco by
KMD1720, on Flickr
6. I also stopped in at this inner-city house in March. Although the inside was smelly and disgusting, there was a lot of stuff left behind.
Pink House by
KMD1720, on Flickr
7. Toward the end of the month, I stopped by a rural house that was on the verge of collapsing. Inside, I found...eggs.
Egg Pair by
KMD1720, on Flickr
8. One of my favorites of the year was an aquarium I visited in early April. It was later used to train police dogs. According to my friend, it's now locked up tight.
Shining by
KMD1720, on Flickr
9.
Split Screen by
KMD1720, on Flickr
10. Up next, I made a return visit to a factory complex I initially explored in 2013. Fortunately, there were no dogs present so I was able to see the whole thing this time.
Debris Pile by
KMD1720, on Flickr
11.
Meth Cart by
KMD1720, on Flickr
12.
Columns by
KMD1720, on Flickr
13. Twice a year, I've been passing this old school on the way to Salem, Indiana without being able to get in. This year, I made it inside. The unfortunate part is that the bell tower collapsed sometime between September and April.
Collapse Zone by
KMD1720, on Flickr
14. The school was built in 1904 and closed in 1950. It is currently for sale.
Front Doors by
KMD1720, on Flickr
15. I made my first Detroit trip of the year (and second total) in May. Although I had other places on my list, some didn't pan out so all four locations I explored were schools.
Climb the Rope by
KMD1720, on Flickr
16.
Textbook Storage by
KMD1720, on Flickr
17. School #2
Europe by
KMD1720, on Flickr
18. School #3 was in interesting one with a large library, auditorium and separate gyms and pools for boys and girls.
Library by
KMD1720, on Flickr
19. School #4
Heavily Burned by
KMD1720, on Flickr
20. This "abandoned" schoolhouse I stumbled upon in June ended up being a local farmer's storage shed.
Schoolhouse by
KMD1720, on Flickr
21. Another favorite of the year was my June visit to Phillip and Suzanne's house. They were married in 1969 and something happened in 1995 that made them vacate their home where they raised at least two children.
April 1995 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
22. Although no one had lived there in 20 years, all of the furniture was still in place even though smaller things littered the ground. Most interesting here was an album of wedding photos.
TV Time by
KMD1720, on Flickr
23. On a warm July day, this former Coast Guard station was the destination.
Coast Guard by
KMD1720, on Flickr
24. The inside was more colorful than I expected.
Colorful by
KMD1720, on Flickr
25. Next trip, we hit a former roadside motel where each room was decorated differently.
Curtain Covers by
KMD1720, on Flickr
26. We also made a second visit to this 1880s Gothic Revival farmhouse, another all-time favorite. It was destroyed in an arson fire on December 22.
Point by
KMD1720, on Flickr
27.
Held Open by
KMD1720, on Flickr
28.
Plywood Covers by
KMD1720, on Flickr
29.
Take a Seat by
KMD1720, on Flickr
30. This 1840s farmhouse was our first August explore. Despite its condition, it still stands.
Around Back by
KMD1720, on Flickr
31.
Wide Hallway by
KMD1720, on Flickr
32. This old house will forever be known as the Beehive. It was my quickest explore to date after getting stung twice.
Going Green by
KMD1720, on Flickr
33. Another rural farmhouse we visited seemed to have been abandoned during a renovation. Interestingly, it was full of children's toys.
Caught in the Crossfire by
KMD1720, on Flickr
34. Next up were two drains. The first is known as Ten Pin.
Watchful by
KMD1720, on Flickr
35. The second is referred to as the Gates of Hell or the Blood Bowl. It's really just a culvert but it's still fun to walk though. Also accidentally scared some high school kids here.
Gates of Hell by
KMD1720, on Flickr
36. My second Detroit trip of the year was at the end of August. We stopped at Eastown Theatre which I returned to in October. By December, it was demolished.
DSC07816 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
37. This Detroit high school was just beginning to go under renovation when we explored it. The construction workers were nice enough to give us free reign of the building.
DSC07869 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
38.
DSC07888 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
39.
DSC07901 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
40. This Detroit funeral home was heavily damaged by fire.
DSC07935 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
41. Detroit elementary school
DSC07990 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
42. Final stop of the day was another large school
DSC08015 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
43. September finally brought an explore to a Columbus school I've been trying to get into since 2012. It was built in 1905 and closed in 1982. It is currently slated for demolition.
DSC08047 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
44.
DSC08056 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
45. The inside was a bit of a mess but worth the wait.
DSC08154 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
46. My final Detroit trip took place in early October. Our first stop was a derelict cold storage warehouse.
DSC08218 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
47. This Catholic school/church combo was also a fun explore.
DSC08321 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
48.
DSC08316 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
49. This large Detroit high school is heavily water/scrapper-damaged and currently awaiting demolition. The pool was my favorite part.
DSC08337 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
50. Club Freeway was admittedly a bit of a dud but it was right next to Eastown Theatre, so why not?
DSC08371 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
51. Back in Ohio, I stumbled across an overgrown rural house.
DSC08384 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
52.
DSC08404 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
53. Next door was another abandoned one-room structure that was now used for storage. Too nice to be a garage/shed, it appeared more like a former church or schoolhouse.
DSC08409 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
54. Situated next to a small family cemetery was this old schoolhouse. All of the graves were from the 1800s.
DSC08420 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
55. Inside a one-room church I found a stripped piano.
DSC08455 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
56. I also returned to a school abandoned in the 1970s that I first explored two years previously.
DSC08493 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
57.
DSC08510 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
58. In November, we went to another mid-1800s house where most of the floors and ceilings were missing.
DSC08517 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
59. Another house we happened across appeared to have abandoned in the early 1970s with lots left behind.
DSC08582 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
60. My friend almost went through the floor of this highly deteriorated school.
DSC08596 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
61.
DSC08634 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
62.
DSC08647 by
KMD1720, on Flickr
63. Finally, our December excursion brought us to an abandoned amusement park which we explored in the rain.
Standing Tall by
KMD1720, on Flickr
64.
Yellow Chevy by
KMD1720, on Flickr
It was a very enjoyable year and hopefully this one brings more of the same. Thanks for looking!