Many people love to hunt for treasure. Some meet their needs through the practice of geocaching, while others like to visit abandoned buildings; there's something poignant about remembering the things that have been lost to time and neglect.

However, some of us can't visit these locations in person. This is either due to the fact that these locations are too far away, or because we just don't know where to look. Fortunately, there's a whole online subculture devoted to documenting derelict areas. Here's a list of great websites on how to find abandoned places, wherever you might be.

1. Abandoned Places

First, let's start off with a really old website that's been documenting abandoned places for ages. When we say this website is old, we mean ancient. It hasn't been updated since the early 2010s, so if you're looking for a digital trip down memory lane, check out the Abandoned Places website.

While Abandoned Places is old and not exactly user-friendly, it's pretty simple to use once you figure out the main navigation wheel. Essentially, the whole website was designed to look like a mechanical contraption. You can click on different gears within the central wheel in order to learn about a new building.

The website also features locations from around the world, with each post including historical information and photos for those locations when possible. One area, called The Graffiti Place, includes a description of the size of the ghost town, along with its location along the river Scheldt. The photographs documenting it are detailed and definitely worth a look.

If you're searching for other weird and wonderful distractions, then check out this list of fun websites to beat boredom.

2. Abandoned America

Looking for a more modern website with a distinct focus? Then you need to check out Abandoned America, a website put together by documentarian Matthew Christopher.

Over the years, Christopher has made it his mission to record the American dream in decay. On his about page, he states that he's been fascinated with abandoned places since he was a child.

Additionally, he wants to share the stories behind these abandoned places, and bring light to the lives that were upended through historical atrocities. One such atrocity was America's use of insane asylums in the 20th century, with ruins now scattered across the country from coast to coast.

The website also makes it very clear that some location information has been withheld, due to the fact that these abandoned buildings are on private property.

Even with that factor in play, however, this website is still one of the most comprehensive resources on this list. The attention to detail can help you satisfy that urge to "find abandoned places near me," without having to go there in person.

3. Urbex Playground

Looking for a website that combines the topic of urban exploring with the history of abandoned buildings? Then you need to check out Urbex Playground.

With twin sections devoted to urban and rural exploring, Urbex and Rurex, this website aims to document abandoned buildings in both high and low-density areas.

For each place that this website explores, the team photographs and records the history behind those buildings. They also talk about how these buildings have come to be abandoned in the present day. As such, this website is an excellent source of inspiration and knowledge for writers working on a variety of different topics.

Although Urbex admits that its documentation process sometimes involves trespassing (an activity we do not recommend), its meticulous documentation practices and its attention to detail have to be commended.

4. Freaktography

Looking for a website that is a little more daring with the ways that it photographs abandoned places? Then you need to check out Freaktography, a website run by an urban explorer.

Starting in the early 2010s, Freaktography began to record abandoned buildings and old ghost towns, and post those pictures online. The explorer who runs this website has amassed a giant collection of images on the subject. He also talks about his exploits on the Freaktography YouTube channel.

Like the other sites on this list, Freaktography strongly urges readers to not follow the photographer's example. If you plan to document any abandoned places or retrace the photographer's steps either through a website or app, then you need to be careful to avoid trespassing on private property.

5. Abandoned Central

Abandoned Central is another great resource for roaming cool abandoned buildings. This site explores old houses in the woods, maximum security prisons, abandoned museums, and more, each accompanied by high-resolution photos and lengthy videos to document the exploration.

If you want to browse abandoned buildings with an eerie side to them, this is definitely the blog for you. Many of these places come with creepy elements, like a funeral home where bodies remain, bound to make the hairs stand on the back of your neck.

If you like being unsettled, browse through this list of creepy websites.

6. Forbidden Places

Founded in 1998 by Sylvain Margaine, an avid urban explorer, this site contains descriptions and photographs of various abandoned places. From abandoned military bases and train stations to underground mazes and rooftops, you can explore dozens of different derelict structures situated on different continents.

Sylvain captures and shares multiple photographs of these explorations and publishes them with their history and exploration dates. You can also watch videos of some of these urban explorations. The site also features a map where you can see all the different buildings explored by Sylvain.

7. GhostTownGallery.com

Run by Daniel and Ligian Ter-Nedden, GhostTownGallery.com has pictures of 180 abandoned sites across nine US states. The couple explores ghost towns as a hobby and shares their explorations on the site. They've listed all the places by state, along with an interactive map. For every abandoned site, there are one or more photos along with a short description.

Once you've viewed all the ghost towns listed on this site, head over to the Link List page to find more ghost town websites and continue your journey online.

8. ShotHotspot

ShotHotspot is not a site dedicated to abandoned places and ghost towns, but to all kinds of photography spots. Luckily, however, ShotHotspot has a separate category for abandoned places and has hundreds of such places listed on its map, along with their images.

So if you like to explore ghost towns yourself, you can use the ShotHotspot map to find abandoned places near you. Best of all, the site isn't just limited to the US.

Other Abandoned Places to Check Out

While we've been going over websites that you can use to learn about abandoned places, there are also a variety of individual blog posts that cover the topic, too. We've rounded up a list of the most relevant.

• Daddu has a post called The Poetry of Forgotten Places, featuring a photo gallery.
• Web Urbanist has a blog post on 100+ Abandoned Buildings, Places, and Property. It details a series of derelict areas and old ghost towns.
• On English Russia, you can read a picture-heavy post called Abandoned Trains of the Soviet Era. It's perfect for anyone who wants to research old objects that are not buildings.
• Kathmandu & Beyond has a roundup of abandoned places that they've explored.
• Urban75 also a section with lots of old photos detailing old trains and train stations.

Find Abandoned Places From Your Own Home

Now that you know about this collection of websites devoted to the subject of exploring abandoned places, you can start to check out some of these websites yourself. Maybe you can even use the idea of urban exploration as a jumping point for a new project that you plan to research.

If you want to explore other places around the world, abandoned or not, then you should have a play around with Google Earth. It offers virtual tours that let you venture into areas you've never even heard of, all from the comfort of your own home.