Looking for the spookiest abandoned places in Indiana? You’ve come to the right place…
There’s something scarily intriguing about abandoned places. And in this article, we’ll be going over some of the spookiest abandoned places in Indiana.
But why are abandoned places in Indiana so appealing to some?
Well, you’re reading this post, so we doubt we need to explain it to you!
But abandoned places in Indiana have a bit of mystery to them. Abandoned places have history, most have a story, and there’s something eerily fascinating about checking them out for yourself.
As always, when writing about abandoned places in Indiana, we always recommend you check the up-to-date safety and security advice for each place on this list, if you plan on visiting, or taking a closer look.
The Palace Theater
The Palace Theater certainly deserves to be on our list of spooky abandoned places in Indiana. Located in Gary and officially opened in 1925, this theater was once home to a host of exciting Vaudeville shows that locals adored.
However, when the rise of the motion picture came about in the 1930s, this place took a major hit and quickly became one of the most famous abandoned places in Indiana as it fell into disarray.
As crime rates in Gary skyrocketed, this spot became known for a fatal incident back in 1968 when a teenager was stabbed to death in the lobby.
The theater was officially closed in 1972, and although there have been attempts to revive this grand building, it remains one of the top spooky abandoned places in Indiana.
Read more spooky travel inspiration: 19 things to do in Sleepy Hollow, NY
St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital
Okay, so there’s always something creepy about an abandoned hospital, right? Which is why this place is next on our list of abandoned places in Indiana.
If you’d like to send shivers up your spine while visiting the industrial town of Gary, then we highly recommend adding St. Mary’s Mercy Hospital to your list of abandoned places in Indiana to check out.
It was once a successful and fully functioning hospital, but when Gary’s economy took a hit, the hospital was forced to close its doors in 1995.
There’s no official news of hauntings or ghost sightings in this spot, but its derelict appearance, remnants of its history, and the fact that it’s rundown make it one of the abandoned places in Indiana worth walking through.
Just once though, let’s not take things too far!
Read more spooky travel ideas: Top 10 spooky abandoned places in New York
The Abandoned Dome Cabin
Tucked away in Bloomington is the next spot on our list of spooky abandoned places in Indiana.
Aptly named, the Abandoned Dome Cabin is a bizarre yet fascinating spot in Bloomington that is all that remains of a once-popular campsite.
If you’re easing yourself into exploring spooky abandoned places in Indiana, then we’d say this was a decent place to start.
Although it’s nestled in the woods, it’s surrounded by luscious forestry that makes walking through this heavily graffitied area feel slightly less intimidating.
This place was once a stunning campsite that was ideal for nature lovers, but it’s now a derelict and distressed spot that’s not seen legitimate human contact for years.
It doesn’t boast any seriously creepy history or horror stories quite yet, but there’s always a first when it comes to spooky abandoned places in Indiana – mark our words!
Read more spooky travel inspiration: 7 reasons you should visit mystical Lily Dale, NY
Central State Hospital
If you’re looking for abandoned places in Indiana with a rather grisly and unpleasant history, then be sure to check out Central State Hospital.
This spot was erected back in the 1850s, and it’s one of the spookiest buildings in Indianapolis.
Although it’s technically considered an old-school hospital, this is one of the abandoned places in Indiana that functioned as a mental institution.
Not only did it have the typical facilities you’d expect from an asylum, but it also offered everything from recreational activities to food production facilities that kept the place completely self-contained.
The result? It allowed Indianapolis to keep the mentally unfit out of sight and out of mind (as it were!).
This place gained a nasty reputation for being unethical and unfair and was finally shut down in 1994.
If you feel like treading in the footsteps of some of Indiana’s most unfortunate residents, then you should add Central State Hospital to your list of abandoned places in Indiana to visit this year.
Just keep your wits about you!
Read more spooky travel inspiration: The 8 spookiest ghost towns in Missouri
Corwin
Corwin isn’t technically a single place, but an entire ghost town.
This is one of the abandoned places in Indiana that only functioned as a town for a few years in the 1950s before completely shutting down.
There’s no rhyme, reason, or explanation as to why this spot lost all its inhabitants, but it’s thought that it just never took off.
Walking through this area is fascinating, and you’ll be able to spot a handful of buildings, grain elevators, and several houses sitting unoccupied.
There aren’t any horrific ghost stories linked to this area, but the stillness is unsettling and makes it one of the spookiest abandoned places in Indiana on our list.
Stepp Cemetery
Okay, so Stepp Cemetery isn’t completely abandoned, but it remains one of the creepiest areas in Indiana.
And hey – we feel that we can class this as one of the abandoned places in Indiana as folks are no longer able to be buried here!
So, when it comes to the place’s original purpose, it’s technically abandoned. Also, we simply couldn’t leave this one off our list of abandoned places in Indiana, as it’s just so spooky.
Not only was the cemetery itself founded by an unusual Christian cult back in the day, but there are several spine-chilling ghost stories linked to the deceased that lie six feet under.
Some say that the place is haunted by a woman who tragically lost her baby. Others have said that several ghosts from fatal car wrecks wander through the area at night.
It’s all speculation, but we’d say that this is one of the abandoned places in Indiana that you’ll want to hit up during the day!
Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown is one of the most fascinating abandoned places in Indiana. The founding of this area began back in 1866 during the height of the gold rush.
However, this ghost town simply never found its feet and now lays derelict. Many of the buildings have been demolished, but several others remain standing as a testament to the potential of this now-vacant town.
If you’re wondering why this place never reached its full potential, it’s largely down to the opportunities in Indiana that never quite materialized.
Most people that moved here came in the hope of factory work. Although some people found success in Indiana’s cities, there simply weren’t enough jobs to go around.
The result? Abandoned towns with spooky buildings, cemeteries, and factories.
Revenant Acres Farms
If you’re planning to visit Charlottesville, then we highly recommend adding the super creepy Revenant Farms to your list of abandoned places in Indiana to hit up.
In addition to being deserted, this area is supposedly haunted and avoided by locals.
Although there have been a few families that tried to stick it out living at Revenant Farms, most only lasted a few months.
As a result, the land became unsellable and led to total abandonment. It’s said that people living there experienced next-level nightmares, heard haunting sounds, and even felt ghostly touches as they moved around the house.
This site is now closed to the public, but it’s still a spooky spot that’s well worth visiting if you’ve got a spare hour or two. This is a really intriguing pick for abandoned places in Indiana.
The Post Office in Gary
Next on our list of spooky abandoned places in Indiana, it’s the Post Office in Gary.
This place officially closed it’s doors in the 1970’s and left behind this strange and series sense of emptiness.
What was once a bustling center of town and community, is left empty and abandoned.
In fact, the entire town of Gary, which was once a booming center of industry, has declined too. And the entire town has an eerie abandoned feel to it.
It’s another interesting choice for abandoned places in Indiana.
Abandoned places in Indiana: Hotel Mudlavia
Hotel Mudlavia is one of the most-visited abandoned places in Indiana, and it’s tucked away near Kramer.
To give you a bit of context, Indiana is renowned for its natural springs, and Hotel Mudlavia was one of the abandoned places in Indiana that were built to help residents benefit from the healing power of nature.
If you’re wondering how this idea came about, you should know that a Civil War soldier miraculously healed his symptoms of rheumatism by drinking spring water. Slightly unbelievable perhaps, but that’s the lowdown!
Although water from the spring can still be accessed today, the hotel simply faded away into obscurity after a major fire destroyed the building in 1930.
Although there were attempts to reopen the building, when it was renovated, it burned down again.
It’s tricky to say whether the fires were accidental or deliberate, but they certainly make this one of the spookiest abandoned places in Indiana!
Bush Stadium in Indianapolis
Next on our list of the spookiest abandoned places in Indiana, is Bush Stadium in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis isn’t short of historic buildings, and many of them are abandoned too. Bush Stadium is one of the more well-known abandoned buildings in the city.
This historic building was actually the official home of the Indianapolis Indians in 1931, and was known by a different name; Perry Stadium.
Part of it still stands (they converted it into apartments) but the remaining stadium structure is abandoned. This is a really interesting choice for abandoned places in Indiana.
Bonus suggestions for Spooky Abandoned Places in Indiana…
Sloan
Sloan, another abandoned town, close to Stewart, used to be a bustling and thriving hub. And it’s next on our list of abandoned places in Indiana.
Between the years of 1901 until the early 1940s, this place was full of locals and residents. The town was later abandoned.
Barbersville
Barbersville is next on our list of abandoned places in Indiana.
This tiny town, once had a bustling community – including a local post office, corn mill, town store, and a school for the local children.
It’s now abandoned and empty, and not a single building from the original town remains.
Hindostan Falls
You would’ve found Hindostan Falls by the White River in the early 1800s. And it’s last on our list of abandoned places in Indiana.
At one point in history, this place had a lot of potential, lots of people were living alongside the town in houseboats, and it’s rumoured there were almost 1000 residents too.
The town became vulnerable though, when later in time disease and illness caught hold.
We hope this list of spookiest abandoned places in Indiana has been helpful!
Be safe exploring these spookiest abandoned places in Indiana!
