Many people feel a tug towards abandoned buildings. For some, the attraction stems from curiosity or a desire to explore the unknown. But abandoned places are also intriguing because you know there’s a story behind them. Your mind can’t help but wonder about the people who once lived or worked in these buildings and about what made them leave. A little research sometimes unearths answers, but much of the time our imagination must fill in the blanks. If the walls of these 17 abandoned places in New Mexico could talk, what would they say to you?
1. The photographer didn't share the location of this house, but his technique certainly creates a mood of unease, as if something big is about to happen.
4. This old dive center is located in Alamogordo and the nearest major diving destination is more than 175 miles away in Santa Rosa. The story of this failed venture seems predictable, yet still sad.
Flickr/Tony Hoffarth
5. Presumably advances in technology sounded the death knell for a Tucumcari video store. Pretty soon no one will remember the meaning behind the phrase: "be kind; please rewind."
12. You know this establishment in Carrizozo probably had a rowdy past. There are separate doors labeled "eat" and "drink" - looks like the bar was significantly bigger than the restaurant.
16. The walls of the New Mexico Penitentiary would probably have a lot to say if they could talk - and most of it would be gruesome. This was the site of one of the nation's worst prison riots, which left at least 33 people dead.
17. This house is located in Kenna, near Portales. The town was once a key shipping point for cattle.
