35 Stunning Abandoned Places Around the World You Can Still Visit

27. Centralia, Pennsylvania, USA: The Town Above the Fire

Imagine a town slowly consumed by an underground fire that's been burning since 1962. That's Centralia. An accidental coal mine fire ignited beneath the town, forcing its gradual abandonment due to toxic gases, sinkholes, and unstable ground. Today, only a handful of residents remain amidst empty streets, cracked pavement releasing eerie smoke, and the infamous "Graffiti Highway" (though now mostly covered). Centralia offers a surreal, cautionary landscape – a testament to an environmental disaster still unfolding beneath the surface, attracting those fascinated by its slow, simmering demise.