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 Karamar
    
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
 |  | Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
< on 5/19/2009 3:16 AM >
|  | | | Ok, here is my first posted exploration. I hope you enjoy. Lots of pics but I cut them down to a small size (I'm doing this at work right now so the download time for me is way too long).
Anyway I was browsing around the satellite images of Northern VA, and came across this property, looked abandoned but couldn't tell. The street view on google maps showed the place looking pretty heavily wooded over and unkempt grass plus a for sale sign outside so I figured it was abandoned.
I planned out where I was going to park my truck and my point of entry from the images and set out Saturday afternoon (alone ofcourse, none of my friends were available to come with me that day). Upon Arrival I discovered my planned parking spot worked out perfectly. With my truck completely out of sight of the main road I geared up, I went for simple this trip green coveralls and a boonie hat, a bottle of water my camera a pack of smokes and my 9mm (no idea what i was going to be finding here, hindsight is a crack whore's mother). There was a gate very low and not necessary to jump over due to the lack of a fence I simply walked around it. Walking through the place looked nothing like the aeriel images, trees everywhere the clearing were very small. so I carefully made my way to find a reference point which I chose the first building I came to a two story white mortar with blue trim job. Taking a peak around all the buildings are overgrown with foliage and trees everywhere, plenty of spots to hide incase of trouble. By the way this place is massive 249 acres or so and I only got to see maybe half of it, if that.
There was very little graffiti in this place, as much as I had thought to see. So building hopping I go from structure to structure, there was so much to photograph I thought my digital camera would run out of space. Anyway inside one of the buildings i started to hear creaking noises coming from above me freaked me out a little bit and sent me into the darkest corner i could find until I located the other intruder. Turns out one of the trees next to the building was rubbing against the roof making all that noise, once I calm down and smoke a cigarette I continue on my way. Now my main objective for this place was the boat that I had spotted but damned if I could find it. Eventually I found it once i started to back track and happen to look above the trees and spot two masts sticking up. Bingo! Upon inspection the boat looked like it was there for show with a small cabin in it and a crawl space leading to two ladders to come up on the bow the whole space under there was pretty much flooded and I guess the cabin was used by some hobos and druggies at one point in time.
thoroughly satisfied with my goal I start walking toward the back and I spot a target of opportunity, a four story building that looks above most of the trees. My next target. I keep snapping photos of the place and notice the graffiti becoming more prominent the farther back I go. So I start being a part of the ground as I make my way up to the building. Once inside I notice the stairs like most of the other structures is out back. Ofcourse this one is heavily overgrown with a briar bush, Ouch! Up on the third floor I find the ladder to the fourth floor is broken and with my climbing gear in my truck I decide against going up there for now. It gets pretty late, and after being there for four to five hours I decide it's time to head home. I get back to my truck and shuck off all my gear and drive away with a promise to be back with everything and explore the whole area. As I'm leaving there was a group slowing down like they were going to turn in and explore the place themselves but the slowed and went onto the shoulder and stared at me as I drove by. A blue car a white truck and a third red vehicle or something like that I know the truck was white and I kept driving, I guess they thought I was some sort of security patrol for the property, I don't think they went in there. So if that was anyone here and I ruined your exploration 'I'm sorry.'
I definitely have a return trip planned very soon.
Well...... crap........ |
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germs
 
Location: Great Barrington, MA
Gender: Male
the coolest koala on uer.
| |  |  |  | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 1 on 5/19/2009 3:39 AM >
| | | | Great find! It looks similar to something I've seen on here before. Shakespear land or something, I don't remember. You have some great shots in here! Hope to see more from you.
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Karamar
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 2 on 5/19/2009 11:15 AM >
| | | | Thank you! I'm not sure if it has been on here before or not, but it was a really cool and I've got more to explore in this place still.
Well...... crap........ |
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anathema
Gender: Female
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 3 on 5/19/2009 1:17 PM >
| | | | Awesome find!
"Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower." ~~Steve Jobs |
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germs
Location: Great Barrington, MA
Gender: Male
the coolest koala on uer.
| | | | | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 4 on 5/19/2009 7:09 PM >
| | | | Any chance you can find some history or some historical photos?
[last edit 5/19/2009 7:11 PM by germs - edited 1 times]
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/-/ooligan
 
Location: Las Vegas area
Gender: Male
When in danger, when in doubt, RUN IN CIRCLES, SCREAM AND SHOUT!
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 5 on 5/20/2009 5:04 AM >
| | | | Looks like most of the construction you photographed if of a medieval design, thus it probably isn't a county-fair site.
I suggest you do some research on Society for Creative Anachronism. Looks like the site was once used by the local SCA group for their Renaissance Faire/Festivals.
/-/ooligan
There are no stupid questions, just stupid people. |
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Karamar
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 6 on 5/20/2009 5:33 PM >
| | | | Yes the place was a renaissance fair was closed down and the property was up for sale at around 1996-97, the fair moved locations to Spotsylvania and left behind all the structures and alot of other stuff there was furniture in some of the buildings not sure if it was left there or placed there by homeless people. 249 Acres or so or actual property. Why it was closed down I don't know.
Well...... crap........ |
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PorkChopExpress
Location: Pled's Pig Farm, Virginia
Gender: Male
Stand Up Philosopher
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 7 on 5/21/2009 6:20 AM >
| | | | This location is not in the LDB. I have no idea why. I have seen other pics of it posted here. I enjoyed your pics more anyway. 
Posted by Robby
Why it was closed down I don't know.
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Lack of business. These places are fun to visit once, maybe twice, but they do not attract enough visitors to remain profitable.
"Deep in the human psyche there lies the need to believe in something fantastic, something powerful, something unknown."
"Touch what you cannot solve, and return to me. I'll give you hints, and I'll give you three..." Zork Nemesis "I eat asbestos and piss PCBs." |
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Karamar
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 8 on 5/21/2009 10:55 AM >
| | | | Well I can guarantee more pics of this place, as I said I only saw half of it. Next time I will have a friend of mine with me and I'll take some water with me.
Part 2. Coming soon!
Well...... crap........ |
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hpac99
Location: Richmond, VA
Gender: Male
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 9 on 5/22/2009 4:54 PM >
| | | | The place was called the Virginia Renaissance Faire and shut down around the turn of the century (1998-1999) because they ran out of money, as PorkChopExpress said. Now they set up shop at various temporary locations and the Lake Anna Winery nearby (http://www.varf.org/). They have done this for a couple of decades now, but for a time in the late 1990's, they built this "permanent" installation. Yeah, if it's not in the database, I'm really surprised.
I have been there several times and this is one of my favorite spots. I have pics from a January and May, so there's less growth and you can see the structures a little better. Funny enough, I went there alone my first time, too. While I was there I met a group of high school aged locals who thought I was security. They said that they came in from some "back way", but given the surrounding terrain, I would think that it would involved trekking through some swamp. I just pretty much did what you did and never had any problems. It's also pretty obvious that there's a lot of paintball practice that goes down there.
Didst thou see the jousting ring?
And the stands for said jousting ring?
The "Newsletter of Staffordshire", May 1999
Part of the village, a little more naked
The penalty for trespassing is harsh
Signage (now gone, methinks)
I've got more pictures, if anyone is interested, and would love to write this one up for the LDB.
Huzzah!
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Karamar
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 10 on 5/22/2009 4:59 PM >
| | | | Nope I never made it to the jousting ring, I was trying for the most thorough exploration of this place possible. The sign in front is still there just a little more faded than what the picture you took shows. I'm surprised to find out that it's not in the LDB, what can we see about doing to put it there. From google maps those teenagers might have come through the back which mean crossing some train tracks and crossing about 200 or so feet of wooded and possibly very swampy terrain. When I was there I was avoiding standing in the open too much, and there was quite a bit of thorn and briar bushes.
[last edit 5/22/2009 5:05 PM by Karamar - edited 1 times]
Well...... crap........ |
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AstridAsteroid
Location: Northern Virginia
Gender: Female
| | | |  | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 11 on 5/23/2009 10:24 PM >
| | | | 10th row, 2nd picture (L-R).... what were those papers?
I'm almost positive I went here in middle school or high school and it is such a shame to see it like this...
"The road of excess leads to a life of... fabulousness!" -Macauly Culkin as Michael Alig in 'Party Monster' |
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Karamar
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 12 on 5/23/2009 11:55 PM >
| | | | Tickets, coupons and receipt papers were all over the admissions booths along with the remains of cash registers there were chip boards and cash drawers. was actually quite a bit of tickets that never got used just laying about still in rolls.
Well...... crap........ |
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Karamar
Location: Shreveport, LA
Gender: Male
Wait...... What?
| | Re: Northern Virginia, County Fair Grounds. Part 1
<Reply # 13 on 5/23/2009 11:58 PM >
| | | | Row 20 pic one a little kiddy pool in the storage shed new in the box untouched for the most part. It brought back memories of when I would visit my grandpa and grandma's trailer on the reservation.
Well...... crap........ |
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