In October 2009, 14 years after Georgia's 400-acre Atlanta Prison Farm closed, the roof caught fire, and instead of extinguishing it, firemen let the blaze burn out. Today, it's quite a ghoulish sight of damage, and decay and is covered with vines and graffiti.

Atlanta Prison Farm

The Salton Sea, a salty, shallow lake in Salton City, California, was created in the early 1900s as an irrigation canal. By mid-century, it was a popular beach resort destination, but agricultural runoff, lack of outflow, and the lake's salinity wrecked the ecosystem, and tourists went elsewhere.

Salton Sea

The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio opened in 1896 before shuttering in 1990 on federal orders. In its final years, the allegedly haunted building was featured in many movies, including "The Shawshank Redemption" and music videos for Godsmack and Lil Wayne.

Ohio State Reformatory

The Lake Shawnee Amusement Park land in Rock, West Virginia, already had a legendary history, but it was abandoned 40 years after opening when two children died. Plans to reopen it years later were thwarted after haunted sightings and 13 human remains were found buried on the property.

Lake Shawnee Amusement Park

In 1904, New York City's first subway left City Hall Station, built to impress with vaulted ceilings, tiling, skylights, stained glass, and chandeliers. Unfortunately, as the curved track could only accommodate five train cars, it became obsolete and service was discontinued in 1945.

City Hall Subway Station