If you’re a ghost town enthusiast like me then, you’d know that ghost towns were made popular by Western movies such as the popular cowboy movie - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly - starring Clint Eastwood.
Most people when they think of ghost town locations, they automatically think of the Midwest and Southwest regions, and you wouldn’t be wrong since many of the most famous ghost towns in US such as Oatman in Arizona, Brownsville in South Dakota and White Oaks in New Mexico are located there.
Having said this, you’ll be glad to know that there are hundreds of abandoned and semi-abandoned ghost towns all across America. Below are some of America’s best ghost towns:
#1 Centralia
Centralia is located in Pennsylvania and became a ghost town in the early 1960’s when the mine caught fire underneath the town destroying many houses above and breaking apart roads.
The old coal mine of Centralia is one of the best ghost towns in US to visit and accessible. Today, you can see steam an smoke through the ground cracks, and the most fascinating thing about Centralia is that the fire still burns underneath the town (that’s well over 50 years!).
Centralia is located along Pennsylvania Route 61; around 30 minutes drive north of Reading.
#2 Kendall
Kendall is another popular mining ghost town in the US, and it is located within the Moccasin Mountains in the state of Montana.
Kendall ghost town is completely abandoned, though many of the town's buildings such as the town’s general store and bank walls remain.
Kendall ghost town is slightly remote but it can be accessed fairly easy since it is only located 15 miles north of Lewistown Heights (along North Kendall Road).
#3 Bradshaw City
Bradshaw City is another of the best ghost towns in US to get a glimpse of pioneer life in early 1900’s Arizona.
Bradshaw City ghost town is located within the Tonto National Forest, just 35 minutes drive south of Prescott AZ.
Today, the only buildings left of the town is the saloon (pictured) and the post office which you can visit.
#4 Thurmond
The town of Thurmond is located within the New River Gorge National River and it’s another famous ghost town in the US that is, today, on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thurmond is considered a ghost town, though the town isn’t quite abandoned since Thurmond’s railway station has been beautifully renovated into the town’s visitor center.
The ghost town of Thurmond is definitely one of the best preserved ghost towns in the US since the saloon, bank and other buildings are in good condition.
#5 Silkville
Silkville is another famous ghost town you can visit in the US, though not quite a ghost town, it was once a thri ving silk producing village in mid 1800’s.
All the buildings were destroyed in a fire in early 1900’s bar two stones barns (pictured), which are the only buildings that still stand today.
Today, you can see the barns, though Silkville is a private ranch, so you’ll need to contact the owner if you want to explore the barns.
Silkville is located an hour’s drive southwest of Kansas City, along old State Highway 50 (just a few miles past the town of Williamsburg).
#6 Bodie
Bodie is, without a doubt, one of the best ghost towns in US and one of the best examples of a Western ghost town portrayed in Old West cowboy movies.
You truly can get a more historic ghost town than the ghost town of Bodie, which boasts lots of original buildings such as church, gasoline station and a saloon amongst others.
Bodie ghost town is near the California border with Nevada, just east off the beautiful Yosemite National Park.
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