Not all people would enjoy wandering around an empty room filled with abandoned objects. But there’s something about deserted museums that is simply enthralling. The sight of dusty vintage cars, crooked picture frames, grimy statues and other treasure of freaky objects are another reason to give you the creeps aside from the creepy silence that will envelop your being inside these places. Hair-raising and deeply interesting – here is a list of some of the world’s electrifying abandoned museums.
Doftana Prison Museum, Romania
A grey look of the past
During the early 20th century, Doftana Prison was an infamous habitat that confined notable political prisoners – a mixture of terrorists, communists, philosophers and such. The deserted place is now surrounded by broken bricks and rusty irons which add up to the beautiful ruins found in over 308 cells of the horseshoe-shaped prison. Walking around here would feel like entering a maze – a place of compact corridors, barred gates, concrete staircases – almost as if the lives of the inmates still breathe in the museum. Doftana Prison was notorious for giving harsh punishments to its inmates. Among the notable prisoners found in the cells were Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej and Nicolae Ceausescu.
Hokkaido House of Hidden Treasures, Japan
There’s tons of interesting things to find inside this museum, which is by the way, Japan’s second abandoned sex museum. To name a few, the place houses a collection of wax figures, taxidermy animals, painting, sculptures and lots of mating animals. It even has a shooting game wherein water has to be shot from an enormous penis of gold at a nude female doll. Practically, your eyes will witness massive weird setups of shrines, endowed with statues in the form of penises, animals like monkeys, horses, birds and many more. Japan’s House of Hidden Treasures will grab your attention in a strange way.
Motor Technica Museum, Germany
Rusting with Nature
A showcase of decaying helicopters, military vehicles, jets, tanks and more are some of the massive relics found in this museum. One can marvel at the sight of the humongous Russian MiG-21 fighter aircraft, which for some time became like of a landmark in North Rhine-Westphalia. The rusting vehicles stay placid around the bushes, though, as if somehow aiming for something in defense. The place had been closed down since 2007.
The Old Grand Rapids Public Museum, USA
A masterpiece designed to become “As Accessible as a Dime Store, as Friendly as a Next-Door Neighbor” by local architect Roger Allen, this museum was among the last buildings to be constructed as part of the WPA program. The museum has been well-visited because of its habitat dioramas that appealed to many guests. One can witness the presence of otters, polar bears, deers and many more up in their natural habitat. After over 120 years of wonderful collections, the museum relocated on the river after exceeding its art deco surroundings, which left the museum abandoned. The animals displayed inside remain eternally preserved as time passes by. Unfortunately, the sweeping history dioramas could not be moved to its new location.
Wakami Lake Logging Museum, Canada
At Wakami Lake Provincial Park, an isolated outdoor Logging Museum is one drive away towards discovering the interesting history of logging in the Wakami area. Through interpretative panels visitors can take insight on the brief history during the 1920s to 1940s local logging. Passers-by take time in finding the abandoned museum as a small sign serves as the only thing signifying the existence of the place, so a curious exploration around it is definitely a good idea.
Mount Asama Volcano Museum, Japan
The uninhibited facade
Made accessible in 1967, this museum was a pioneering facility that offered a splendid insight closely into the life-cycle of Honshu’s most active volcano as well as the Oni Oshi Dashi, the volcanic rock surrounding the area. Inside the museum lies an immense storage room full of interesting things that have been left behind as soon as its desertion. It was in year 1993 that the museum stopped operating, thus opening in a new, different place.
Museum of Sevastopol, Ukraine
As of this time, the Museum of Sevastopol shines as one of the city’s refreshing attractions, which is now used as an ideal place for graffiti artists to release their art. A blend of creep and colors can be seen in this museum as illustrations on the wall give color to the abandoned structure. Before, it was originally built to give honor to the Sevastopol defense of 1941-1942 during the World War Two, which is until now, never took completion.
Abandoned Vintage Car Museum, Japan
One of the striking Vintage Cars
Here is a ravishingly evocative building that collects a number of hauntingly beautiful vintage cars. The automobiles are a range of classics, which includes Chryslers and Vintage Fords, all appearing in a favorable condition. The abandoned museum is not bombarded by heavy ruins and the vintage cars are not destroyed by damage. Surely, one can only appreciate the lasting beauty of each car exhibited in the museum.
Shark Museum, Japan
A mouth-gaping shark
Among the museums one can explore in Japan is the forgotten Shark Museum. People who would want to visit the place but don’t have the chance can do so through Google Street View, which could act as a direct facility in exploring the museum. The virtual experience inside the place is more the same like the actual trip around it, as the creep that will lace around you upon entrance of the building is equally alluring. A display of shark specimens, sculptures such as bones and jaws are displayed in a darkened room. Inside the glass cases, a quick explanation adorned in educational boards go along with the task.
ECVB Museum, Belgium
ECVB Museum was originally established as a power plant during 1911 in Belgium and turned into a museum in 1986. Plenty of decaying industrial equipment such as control panels, huge boiler, and dials are a glimpse of what’s inside the building. An unfortunate event took place when several thieves, looted the museum, which in result destroyed almost every exhibit of the museums. Books and original documents from year 1900 to 1960 have also been destroyed.