Cool abandoned buildings to use as a backdrop for car pics

Well, if we are looking for abandoned buildings to use as a backdrop, I'm thinking Kings Park Psychiatric Center. It's a park, so not illegal to be there, and building 93 is pretty impressive. Only problem with it is it's surrounded by a chain link fence so no close ups. This should be a little closer for 25th, and me and 1990coupe could make a run up there. If we feel like getting up to a little exploring, there is a lot of cool stuff in the buildings.


check out kings park psychiatric

PS. To anyone just starting out reading this thread, a lot of the locations I post pictures of are private property and if you are caught on the grounds somewhere you shouldn't be, you prob will be arrested for tresspassing. Use your head and if you are going into the buildings remember that a lot are filled with asbestos, have been abandoned and are in a state of disrepair/possibly dangerous, and if you get caught in a building you may earn yourself a free ride in a police car.

Here's some Pennhurst shots taken by a UE'er named Radical Ed..




Link to the rest of Pennhurst pictures by Radical Ed
Pennhurst is located by Limerick PA.

Thats a creepy lookin place but cool...wonder if its haunted

I suspect so. The first is an abanoned mental asylum and the second is a state school for problem children..
Here's another one I was talking about in the other thread. It's called Essex County Hospital. Another abandoned mental asylum. It's in North Jersey and I believe it's legal to be on the grounds, just not in the buildings. Roadtrip anyone?
Once again, thanks to Radical Ed for the photos.




lots more interior and exterior pics here.

The next best thing to an abandoned asylum is an industrial ruin. This one was VERY close to where I used to live, but has a very active security force. At least it was the day I tried getting in.

Lynn - is that place abandoned?

Rose Red and the ghost town would work for me. Frankie, I think there's a bunch of abandoned missile silos out in your neck of the woods, but they'd be tough to use as a background seeing as how they are underground.

Old psychiatric asylums are AWESOME places to check out if you're into haunted spots. I can't remember which one(s) that Ghost Hunters show covered, but they came up with a LOT of cool footage, pics, and sounds outta there. If you go snapping car pics there, if you're lucky, you might get more than just a car and a building in your shots.

I would've loved to have snapped some shots of the old state hospital in St. Joseph, MO back in the day, but unfortunately, the only time I was there was when they were in the process of converting it into a diagnostic and treatment center for the prison system, and taking cameras inside a prison without authorization is an obvious no-no. But while I worked there, we had plenty of ghosty stories, and I saw a few weird things there, myself, that gave me the heebie-jeebies.

We don't have any cool buildings, really, out here in AZ for backgrounds. Goldfield is so done-up and fake it's not worth much, and Tombstone is just as bad (if not worse) because it's such a tourist trap ... especially since that movie in the 90's came out. About the only place I know of in this state is Jerome, as it's an old-arsed mining town built on some really steep mountain/hill slopes, and the buildings there are all old and woodsy and decrepit. Otherwise, damn near any other buildings in the state still standing are less than 50 years old. Yet another one of the things I miss about the Midwest - everything there had history behind it, but almost everything here is new and fake.

Those places look badass... Im down for something like this. I have a photographer that might be interested in doing a shoot at a place or two like this, and with the enclosed trailer it would be cake for me to get the car anywhere and still be clean .

We have a couple of them near me, Undercliff, Cedar Crest (I believe is the name) as well as some other places... Most are illegal and patrolled, but I have only been warned once, and did a couple hour photoshoot with not a single person stopping in.

BTW if you havent noticed I am a huge fan of abandoned and supposedly haunted places. I find it really interesting and the stories behind them just add to it all... Throw in a clean car and it makes for something I enjoy a lot!

Connecticut has some AWESOME woodsy backdrops for car pics. My buddy lives up there near Groton and has sent me some killer shots of his supercharged Tiburon GT on a rural road going through a forest. Looks like something from the inside of Type O Negative's "October Rust" album...

Jersey is good for abandonments but as soon as they become well known they either get trashed or burned. If neither of those, the scrappers come in and rip the hell out of the place. I hate scrappers with a passion.
The only asylum I spent a lot of time in was Byberry. I put up pics in the thread I was busy hijacking before starting this one. When I first started going, the tourists hadn't found it yet. The place was full of cool stuff and had very little graffiti and fire damage. I'd go for hours at a shot. They also had really good security, but if you could make it to the auditorium, you were set. In the basement was a big hole that let you get into the access tunnels. They would take you anywhere on the complex including the buildings that were welded shut. The only buildings I avoided there were the churches.
check out some galeries here. if you are interested, i'll find some more.

I have a Canon Rebel XT i'm learning how to shoot with.. Wait for me to finish the car (plan on having it road worthy by October) and lets meet up and have a day at it!!!!

It appears some demolition has begun at essex. Only 2 buildings though. How far are you from Verona, NJ?

very cool buildings with tons of history i imagine. most look too cluttered for good photo ops of cars imo. cant tell without seeing all the options in person though.

A little under 2.5 from Verona... I was in South Jersey this weekend for the Low Rollers truck show, and have been all over that state!

I actually think a fall/winter shoot would be awesome! All the dead trees kind of add an eerie feeling to the photos!