Pennsylvania’s home to its fair share of abandoned places and ghost towns. However, one seems to have found its way into state lore. Pennsylvania’s abandoned ghost town, in fact, has been on fire for decades (well, underground), and it’s not exactly a ghost town. It is home to less than a dozen residents. Here’s a quick recap of the fascinating story followed by some eerie and fantastic footage of Centralia you’ll definitely want to see.

Flickr/LHOON
More than 100 years ago, Centralia was just like any small coal town in Pennsylvania, bustling with life and activity. Life, however, would change suddenly in 1962. An underground mine caught fire. It burned and burned and continues to burn even today. While there is no certainty as to what caused the mine fire, it spread throughout the mine and under the streets of Centralia.

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The fire resulted in the closure of the mines as carbon monoxide levels were too dangerous for the miners. Centralia repeatedly tried in vain to put out the fire. Despite the underground mine fire, residents remained in their homes for quite a few years. However, the government would eventually pay many of the remaining residents to move. There were holdouts, and only they legally remain in Centralia today.
Flickr/R. Miller
For years curiosity seekers have flocked to Centralia, in particular a short stretch of Route 61. Although privately owned, that didn't stop visitors from trespassing and turning the once-normal road into the so-called Graffiti Highway. In 2020, however, the owners of the property covered the road with dirt in an attempt to stop the vandalism that is widespread throughout the nearly abandoned town.

Have you been to Pennsylvania’s abandoned ghost town before it was abandoned? Share your experience in the comments! Then check out this amazing footage of Concrete City, an abandoned duplex community.

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