Ready to hit the road? We’ve concocted a special road trip that will take you far away from your modern house and the fast-food-lined streets of your town. These six places are some of the most abandoned places in Arkansas, and on this trip, you’ll find solitude and a way to step back in time, to when things were simpler.

We’d like to remind every single one of you that you are not Indiana Jones, and trespassing is illegal. So as much as you’d like to perform tricks with your amazing whip skills, defeat the Nazis with a plucky group of misfits, and find amazing treasure in these abandoned places, neither OnlyInYourState nor its writers condone the activity of trespassing. If you feel like you’re about to disobey a sign about trespassing, please repeat to yourself, “I am not Indiana Jones, and trespassing is illegal,” until you change your mind.

 

Google Maps
From point to point, this road trip will take you about seven hours. Feel free to use this interactive map to add your own stops along the way for a truly unique road trip.
1. East Calico Rock (Calico Rock)
Calico Rock, AR, USA
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
East Calico Rock is the only authentic ghost town in the United States located entirely within the city limits of another town. You’ll find more than 20 buildings to tour there and a map that describes their significance. Calico Rock grew away from the ghost town that exists today, giving the community a truly unique ghost town that everyone should see.

Get a closer look at this abandoned ghost town:

2. Rush Historic District (Rush)
Rush, AR 72687, USA
Flickr/Dave Thomas
Rush is probably the best-known ghost town in Arkansas. This mining community was the second biggest city in the Natural State during its heyday, and it went bust after the zinc mines dried up. Set against the intense greenery of the Ozarks, Rush is a piece of history being absorbed into the forest.

Follow along on an exploration of Rush:

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3. Ozark Medieval Fortress (Lead Hill)
Lead Hill, AR 72644, USA
Wikimedia/Grand Central USA
The first time we heard that someone was building a replica of a 13th-century French castle, we were beside ourselves with excitement. Unfortunately, the project went bankrupt and has since been abandoned. What that leaves us with, though, is the ruin of a medieval fortress right here in the Ozarks. Very creepy to just come across the rubble of a medieval castle in Arkansas!

Get an in-depth look at this attempted fortress:

4. Dinosaur World (near Eureka Springs)
Eureka Springs, AR, USA
Flickr/Stef
Dinosaur World was a T-Rex-sized attraction from 1967 until 2005 when it closed its gates forever. What remains is a park being reclaimed by nature, and it’s pretty incredible.

At this point, we’d like to reiterate that neither Only In Your State nor its intrepid writer condones the activity of trespassing, so please enjoy this one from the road. If necessary, take several deep breaths and repeat your mantra for this trip: "I am not Indiana Jones and trespassing is illegal."
5. Monte Ne (Beaver Lake)
Beaver Lake, Arkansas, USA
Flickr/Mandee Carter
The abandoned town of Monte Ne is under Beaver Lake, and when the water is very low, you can spot the ruins of many structures. The part that’s almost always entirely above the water line is the tower pictured above, called Oklahoma Row. It’s been badly vandalized, but it’s still standing strong, and a must-see as far as abandoned Arkansas sights go.
6. Arkansas Tuberculosis Sanitorium (Booneville)
Booneville, AR 72927, USA
Anderson England/Google
Our final stop along this Arkansas road trip of abandoned places leads us to somewhere truly creepy, and maybe even haunted. This sanitorium once housed so many people it grew to be something like a small city back in the day, but it has been left to decay since its closure in 1973.

Have you seen any of these abandoned places in Arkansas in person? Are there any stops you would add to this road trip? Let us know in the comments.

Take another fun road trip and check out the Rush Historic District.

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More to Explore

Abandoned Places In Arkansas

Jackie Ann | September 08, 2022

What are the most haunted places in Arkansas?

The most haunted places in Arkansas include:

  • Allen House
  • Arlington Hotel

Every state in the country has at least one haunted tale and Arkansas is no exception. The Natural State has plenty of haunted places that would turn even the most hardcore of skeptics. This road trip will take you to the front door of some of the most haunted places in Arkansas including the infamous Allen House in Monticello and all over Hot Springs, one of Arkansas’ most haunted cities. If you’re feeling really brave, you can book a stay at the Arlington Hotel, a known hotspot for paranormal activity. 

What are the creepiest cemeteries in Arkansas?

The creepiest cemeteries in Arkansas include:

  • Pioneer Cemetery
  • Conway Cemetery

Cemeteries can be a peaceful place to visit when you’d like to take some time to remember loved ones who have crossed over, but they’re often the stage for chilling ghost stories and a hotbed for supernatural activity. There are many haunted cemeteries in Arkansas, and two of the most well-known are the Pioneer Cemetery in the Ouachita National Forest and the Conway Cemetery. Both were opened in the 1800s and come with their own fair share of paranormal activity that you may encounter while visiting. Legend has it that if you visit Conway Cemetery at midnight on a full moon, you’ll hear the disembodied cries of the unfortunate souls who were hanged from a nearby tree. 

Can I visit any abandoned places in Arkansas?

Abandoned places in Arkansas that you can visit include:

  • Toltec Mounts Archaeological State Park
  • The cemetery at Cecil Cove Loop Trail

While we did just stress the importance of not trespassing when visiting abandoned places, there are a few exceptions where you can. Located in the Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park, the earthwork mounds you’ll see here are the remains of what’s not an abandoned village but was once a thriving part of the Plum Bayou Culture. If you're looking for something a little less historic and a little more on the creepy/haunted side, then take the Cecil Cove Loop Trail that’ll lead you straight to an abandoned cemetery as well as the remains of a homestead that belonged to William Jones, a reminder of when the area was a once-thriving community. 

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