35 Mysterious Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

4. Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA: The Town on Fire

Centralia, Pennsylvania, is a modern-day ghost town with a fiery secret. In 1962, a coal seam beneath the town caught fire, and the underground blaze has been burning ever since. Over the years, the fire spread, causing the ground to become unstable and emitting dangerous fumes. As a result, most residents were relocated, and the town was largely abandoned. Today, only a handful of people remain, living amidst the eerie landscape of cracked roads and smoke-emitting vents. Centralia's story has inspired books and films, including the horror movie "Silent Hill." While the town is not officially open to tourists, curious visitors still venture to see the remnants of this once-thriving community and the haunting evidence of nature's destructive power.