We’ve talked about some of Minnesota’s most abandoned places in the past – we even planned a road trip to visit them – but there are still abandoned ruins all over the place. One, a mysterious concrete ruin close to the Lake Superior shore near Duluth, has become a strange landmark for the city. The ruin, known by most as Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum – or less commonly as the Cribs – has baffled people for decades.

The ruins are located just off the Lake Superior shore near Duluth's Lakewalk.
University of Minnesota Duluth/Flickr
In the past, many theories have been offered up to explain the building’s origin. One claim suggested it was once a gambling house during Prohibition.
Bart Heird/Flickr
But the truth is that the building was built by Harvey Whitney in 1919 as a hopper to move gravel and sand.
University of Minnesota Duluth/Flickr
It was an effort to improve his business after a building boom in Duluth began to decline.
Joe Passe/Flickr
But the project ultimately failed, and the hopper closed in 1922.
sawdust_media/Flickr

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The building eventually came to be known as Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum, perhaps to commemorate the loss.
Stew Dean/Flickr
It is federally recognized as the Cribs.
Jim Brekke/Flickr
The half-sunken building serves no official use today, but it is a common swimming spot in the summer.
Howard Ignatius/Flickr
And when the lake freezes, the building makes for a strange sight as it rises from the frozen water.
Kat B./Flickr
Those brave enough to trudge across the icy lake can get an up-close view of the strange ruins.
Kat B./Flickr
If you dare, you can even peek inside for a unique view you can only get in the winter.
Kat B./Flickr

Have you ever been to Uncle Harvey’s Mausoleum? Let us know your experience in the comments!

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