35 Stunning Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

18. North Brother Island, New York: A Forgotten Island in Plain Sight

Floating in the East River between the Bronx and Rikers Island, North Brother Island is an abandoned, overgrown island that once played a key role in New York’s public health history. Established as a quarantine hospital in the 19th century, it housed patients with contagious diseases, including its most infamous resident—“Typhoid Mary” Mallon, who was forcibly isolated there until her death. Later repurposed to house veterans and addicts, the facility was shuttered in the 1960s and left to decay. Now, the island is a restricted bird sanctuary, where crumbling medical wards, collapsed staircases, and vine-covered walkways quietly fade into the undergrowth. Though closed to the general public, the NYC Parks Department occasionally offers rare guided tours, allowing a privileged few to witness this eerie and nearly untouched urban relic. North Brother Island serves as a poignant reminder of the city’s forgotten history and a surreal juxtaposition of human ambition and nature’s quiet reclamation—all within view of Manhattan’s skyline.