“Art is never finished, only abandoned”
– Leonardo Da Vinci
I reached out to people on Facebook for any sort of blogs they’d like to see from here. Surprisingly, someone wanted me to cover abandoned places in the Adirondacks. I’ll add onto this with some other places in New York as well. I’ve always been fascinated with these locations as they’ve always reminded me of a theme of isolation. Not only that, but it’s quite impressive to see some structures that still stand. Anyways, let’s get into these haunting and beautiful locations.
Saratoga County Homestead
There wasn’t any possibility that I was going to skip out on this one. Equally haunting, it was a tuberculosis hospital although people believe it’s an asylum. This is false but I’ve had moments where I’d think the same. I went for a photography tour so I wasn’t trespassing yet I was alone most of the time. I’d suggest going during the tours as it’s affordable and well worth the time. The tours are from Haunted Nights and they can be located on Facebook. Without further ado, here’s some photos I’ve taken there.
Shermans: Caroga Lake, NY
This isn’t a very old theme park but it stands along Caroga Lake. The skeleton of a ferris wheel and an old ice cream stand, creates a dismal scene on a cloudy day. Although, the abandonment of a tickets stand with a clown is extremely haunting. I took these photos without entering the park and I don’t think anyone needs to go further. To me, it was great to take some photos but it didn’t have a gravitational pull to risk entering.
Catskill Game Farm:
Supposedly, there’s a hotel within this abandoned park which is interesting. I have yet to go inside the park itself but I don’t believe I’d like to sleep there either. It’s located in the Catskills and it’s a unique place. I believe it’s one that I found by researching on Atlas Obscura. My friend and I stayed outside of the park so we weren’t trespassing as I took a few frames from the entrance. There’s tours for here as well, so I look forward to creating nostalgic photos of a memory for many people. I’ll provide some photos of the short glimpse I had of this park from the outside.
The Tahawus
Hands down, this is one of my favorite parts within the Adirondack Park. There’s trails around these structures and I believe that they’re protected by the NYSDEC. It’s like stepping back in time when capitalism tried to take reign over the wilderness. That’s the one place where natures holds as king. From crumbling fireplaces to worn down cabins along a river, it’s easy to fall in love with its isolation. Interestingly enough, Teddy Roosevelt spent time here before being appointed president of the United States. Being there, you can feel the presence of such history and I highly recommend going.
To my adventurers:
If you enjoyed this blog, I hope you embark on your own journey to these places. Some can have terrifying elements while others are extremely beautiful. I suggest checking out websites such as Atlas Obscura as it’ll give you more destinations. Be safe while going to these areas and enjoy their history. Until next time, adventure on!
-Alex
T & H 