Calico used to be an active, up-and-running mining town in the country of San Bernadino, California. It was founded in 1881 only to be abandoned soon after, in the middle of the 1890s, after a major decrease in the value of silver.
In the 1950s, almost all buildings in the now-ghost-town were restored and it was officially defined as a historical landmark. Today, Calico continues to be a tourist attraction and offers restaurants, shops, hiking trails, and even camping sites.
The Abandoned Village of Kayaköy in Turkey
In southwest Turkey, 8 km south of Fethiye, lies the now-empty village of Kayaköy. The village was almost entirely depopulated of its Greek residents during World War I, and a 1923 treaty between Turkey and Greece officially barred the former villagers from ever returning.
The preserved Kayaköy now serves as a museum village, filled with Greek houses and churches for tourists to explore.
The Hoyle Mansion in White Oaks, New Mexico
This abandoned mansion in White Oaks, New Mexico was built in 1983 by an owner of the Old Abe Mine. Legend has it that the man built this impressive Victorian building for his fiancée, but she broke his heart when she announced she wasn't coming to White Oaks after all.
He stopped the building soon after and never resumed it, leaving the inside of the mansion incomplete.
The Tahawus Ghost Town in the Adirondacks
It turns out that other than the incredible view of blue lakes and green forests they offer, the Adirondack Mountains also have their very own ghost town called Tahawus. Ghost village, to be precise – and the home in the image is one of its abandoned buildings.
Founded in the 1820s for mining purposes, the village was abandoned by residents twice – once in 1858, and later again in 1989. Today, visitors can see the few remnants left of ghostly Tahawus.
All Saint's Abbey in the Black Forest in Germany
Amid the mesmerizing scenery of the Black Forest in Germany lie the ruins of All Saint's Abbey. The abbey was founded in 1192 and in time became one of the most important religious and cultural institutions in the area. Throughout the following centuries, big fires ruined parts of the abbey, until the final one in 1804 damaged it irreversibly.
If you visit the area today you could find a few other buildings surrounding the ruins of the abbey, among which are a chapel, a café, and a museum.