33 Ghost Towns That Have Become Stunning Tourist Attractions

32. St. Thomas, Nevada, USA – The Sunken Town of Lake Mead

Founded by Mormon settlers in 1865, St. Thomas was an agricultural community situated at the confluence of the Muddy and Virgin Rivers. For decades, it served as a stopping point between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. However, its fate was sealed with the construction of the Hoover Dam and the subsequent creation of Lake Mead. As the waters began to rise in the 1930s, the US government purchased the land, and the last resident rowed away in 1938. St. Thomas remained submerged for decades, but severe droughts have caused Lake Mead's water levels to drop dramatically, revealing the town's foundations, roads, and skeletal remains of buildings. Today, during low water periods, visitors within the Lake Mead National Recreation Area can walk amongst the stark, white ruins, offering a haunting glimpse into a community sacrificed for progress and now reappearing due to environmental changes.