abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

On October 12, 2025, Blake was joined by All-American Ruins guest host and writer Isabel Wilder at the Ulster County Historical Society in Kingston, NY for a 90-minute program. Participants explored how ruins reflect America’s past, present, and future—while doubling as playgrounds for creativity, imagination, and healing. To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the one-year anniversary of his best friend Julie’s death, Blake makes his way to the ruins of the Schrade Cutlery Factory in Ellenville, NY. The only remaining structure is a crumbling security gatehouse which Julie and Blake always talked about getting to but never did. Covered in vines, Blake reminisces on his friendship with Julie and asks her ghost if it’s time to let her go. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-48-in-which-i-let-you-go-at-an-abandoned-security-gatehouse-15ace3dac05f To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wander through fantastical realm of a real giant beige house (at the end of a very long driveway), abandoned and hidden on the banks of a famous river in New York-- where you’ll meet the ghost of the old woman and connect the dots between this story and “The People Who Used to Live Here, Part 1” from Season 1. This episode features: Margarita Meyendorff (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-42-the-people-who-used-to-live-here-part-ii-39a5dc0072eb To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In preparation for the season 3 finale, “The People Who Used to Live Here, Part II: The Giant Beige House at the End of a Very Long Driveway,” we’re diving back into the archives for this special re-release of “The People Who Used to Live Here, Part I.” You know; for context. This episode originally aired on December 29, 2022. Original episode description: In the season one finale of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, follow Blake into his imagination as he recounts his experience exploring an abandoned mansion off a county highway in Ulster County, NY where he reflects on capitalism, exile, and chosen family. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-11-the-people-who-used-to-live-here-a20a581bae8c To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feeling trapped in their Covid bubble, Blake and his pandemic pod-mate Isabel explore an abandoned Hudson Valley farmhouse where Isabel discovers the Borden family’s influence on the country’s dairy industry and reconciles with childhood ghosts. In an All-American Ruins first, join Blake as he passes the storytelling reins to his sister-from-another mother who you may recognize from previous episodes in season 2, "Isabel and the Allentown Mafia" and "Sober." This episode features: Isabel Wilder Learn more about Isabel’s work at https://5thhousepottery.com/ (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it look like to revitalize an abandoned space - that’s situated inside an active and excessively large shopping mall - in 2005? On this special bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, you’ll meet Michael Townsend, one of the eight artists who, from 2005-2008, did just that: built a secret apartment inside the Providence Place Mall. Michael is one of the subjects of the smash documentary Secret Mall Apartment, from director Jeremy Workman and executive producer Jesse Eisenberg, which follows the story of a motley crew of Gen-X urbex artists who did the unthinkable and brought national attention to the intricacies and devastation of urbanization and gentrification... simply by occupying “underutilized space.” This bonus episode was repurposed from a live interview on abandoned host Blake Pfeil and his creative partner Jeremiah Wenutu’s show Cinema Kingston!, a weekly late-night program that explores the film industry in Hudson Valley, NY. The show airs every Wednesday night from 9-11 PM EST on Radio Kingston, WKNY, AM 1490 FM 107.9, in Kingston, NY. To learn more, visit RadioKingston.org. To learn more about Secret Mall Apartment, visit secretmallapartment.com To learn more about Tape Art, visit tapeart.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While exploring the ruins of a once-popular drive-in movie theater, Blake thinks about his complicated relationship with his father, reimagining a screening of Star Wars that they attended together the year John was diagnosed with stage IV mesothelioma. May the 4th be with you. This episode features: John Pfeil Tiernan Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-28-dad-5a8c8ebd8631 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deep in the woods of the Finnish countryside sits a quaint house, red, and completely abandoned. In this international episode of abandoned, follow Blake inside where he has a run-in with a ghost-- and not an imaginary one. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-32-a-finnish-ghost-story-55c76aef24f To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Abandoned” doesn’t always mean “empty,” and in one particular vacant mini-mansion in Merida, Mexico, that is precisely the case. Continuing on his international circuit, join Blake as he spins an imaginary folk tale about the people who used to live in this house, while wandering its halls and reflecting on family, poetry, and gun violence. This episode features: Perla Ayora Joseph Darnell Dorian Darnell Elsa Darnell (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-26-someone-lives-here-5a1762102524 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Formerly a curtain shop in Niagara Falls, NY, a strange abandoned commercial space overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway draws Blake in as he ruminates on fear, in all of its unknowable power and mystery. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-37-fear-3ee608eecbe0 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An accidental pitstop at the ruins of a motorsports track becomes a silent meditation on spirits, open carry laws, and the function of fear as an explorer of the past. Walk with Blake through a history full of the distant sounds of race cars burning rubber around and around the track, surrounded on all sides by the sunny plains of Colorado in autumn. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-34-a-detour-ad4d92aa5e80 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Blake in conversation with Garden State Film Festival executive director Lauren Concar Sheehy as the pair discuss the festival’s groundbreaking accessibility program “Cinema for the Ears,” which will feature season 2, episode 8 of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast in Asbury Park, NJ on March 29, 2025. For tickets and more information, visit GSFF.org. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All-aboard as Blake guides you to an abandoned double-decker passenger train in the middle of the California desert. While wandering the ruins of the great American railway industry, join Blake as he reflects the evolution of transportation, the unraveling of corporate greed, and his lifelong love of trains, deserts, and making music. This episode features: Omen Sade “American Train” written and performed by Macabre Americana: Willy Coon Laura Dadap John Gilmartin Lacey Madden Blake Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-40-american-train-2a44e0b657a4 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A last-minute decision to peek into the abandoned Irish Centre of Pittsburgh transforms into a daydream of a haunted heads-up penny and the assassination of JFK. Nestled among the City of Steel’s rolling hills, join Blake as he guides you through a forgotten cinder block sanctuary of the past, where he reflects on the death of his first love and how the grief from the loss helped him survive. This episode features: Nicholas John Casey Julie Novak If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, you can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also get support by visiting FindSupport.gov. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-35-nick-the-heads-up-penny-and-the-assassination-of-jfk-76467f1b4de3 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do Blake’s sister, a giant, and a very bad dream have in common? Find out as Blake guides you through the abandoned Tillson Elementary School where he ponders his relationship with his sister and a recurring nightmare he had as a child. This episode features: Megan Pfeil Ryan Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-25-megan-6933cfeed0ca To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once upon a time, there was an active Nazi compound situated in a Los Angeles canyon. After it was emptied of its filth in 1948, Murphy Ranch sat abandoned for years before the city transformed it into a public park, where, over time, the architectural remnants of evil slowly faded away, reclaimed by the dirt and stone of the canyon. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-24-nazis-in-the-canyon-9d63170d5145 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The art of urban exploration often includes evading the authorities, but every once in a while, an adventurer gets caught. In the season 3 premiere, join Blake as he wanders the abandoned summer camp at the Delmar Inn, hidden away off a Catskill Mountain highway in New York. This episode features: Julie Novak The Caretaker (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-30-busted-b3c82b13c864 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to season 3 of the Ambie-nominated abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast. Join host Blake Pfeil as he guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and around the world. Along the way, abandoned asks critical questions about American history, culture, community, economics, the environment, and collective mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing. New episodes every other Thursday starting January 2, 2025. Winner, Signal Award for Best Experimental Podcast, Best Indie Podcast, Best Writing of an Individual Episode; Runner-Up for Most Innovative Audio Experience Nominee, UK Press Gazette Future of Media Awards Winner, Best History Podcast @ Melbourne WebFest, Parapod Podcast Awards, and PopCon Podcast Awards (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) Learn more: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Saturday, August 31, 2024, All-American Ruins lost its biggest fan, and host Blake Pfeil lost his greatest urbex buddy: Julie Novak. In this special re-release of season 2, episode 4, “Julie is a Homo[wack],” join Blake for this audio memorial of a beloved community leader, queer mentor, and dear friend. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the blog version of this story, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-41-what-would-julie-do-fd8082db524e To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special bonus episode, Blake returns to the abandoned Nevele Grande Hotel where he says goodbye to one of his All-American Ruins muses, Shelley Duvall. To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, it’s not possible to get inside an abandoned space, but the ghosts that may still linger among the ruins of George’s Music in Orlando, FL activate Blake’s imagination just the same. Join him for this special bonus episode as he daydreams the insides of the abandoned music store, surrounded on all sides by the echoes of America’s Disney-stained future. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-36-sunset-town-edb49cd412db To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Urban explorers Louis Inghilterra and Fletcher Petrucci met in the unlikeliest of places: an abandoned hospital in Denver, CO. Celebrate Pride 2024 with this bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast as host Blake Pfeil profiles Louis and Fletcher’s unique journey to finding queer companionship and love inside the ruins of America. This episode was featured in People Magazine. To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transmedia storyteller Alex Leff is the host of Human Nature Odyssey, a podcast that takes a unique look at humanity, civilization, and the fate of the world. In this bonus episode (which originally aired as a bonus episode for Human Nature Odyssey Patreon subscribers), join Alex as he interviews Blake where they discuss, what else? Abandoned spaces. Special thanks to Alex for letting us use this great audio. Learn more and subscribe to Human Nature Odyssey: https://www.podpage.com/human-nature-odyssey-1/ Listen to more Human Nature Odyssey bonus content on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/humannatureodyssey Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Blake explores a passage about ruins from The Book of Exeter, the oldest known and largest collection of Old English literature. Join him as he revisits a poetic, 10th century urbex perspective while reflecting on his gratitude for the reception of season 2-- and listen in for some exciting news about what’s next for abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast. Catch All-American Ruins in the wild: “Exploring the Abandoned with Blake Pfeil” - Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-exploring-the-abandoned-blake-pfeil “Unabandoned with Podcaster Blake Pfeil of All-American Ruins” - American Hysteria: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qKg3EzrbTGh8WfxuBB3K3?si=pT3F9JuSTcerWz1UgVYOqQ Lost Highways, Season 5: “American Gothic” - History Colorado: https://www.historycolorado.org/lost-highways/2024/02/21/american-gothic “All-American Ruins: PANIC! LIKE THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE” - On Air Fest Official Select: https://www.onairfest.com/official-selects/panic-like-the-house-is-on-fire-blake-pfeil “All-American Ruins: Isabel & the Allentown Mafia” - UK International Radio Drama Festival: https://radiodramafestival.org.uk/ All-American Ruins: Nominee, Best Indie Podcast - The Ambies (2024): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ambies-2024-nominations-list-1235827600/ All-American Ruins at Podcast Movement Evolutions on 3/27/24: https://evolutions.podcastmovement.com/schedule/ “All-American Ruins: Isabel & the Allentown Mafia” - Prix Marulić International Festival of Radio Plays (Croatia): https://prix-marulic.hrt.hr/main-info/pre-selection-results-2024-11400955 To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the season 2 finale of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, join Blake as he reflects on his journey to sobriety while wandering the ruins of the Neuweiler Brewery, where he narrowly escapes a run-in with security. This episode features: Isabel Wilder Nik Magill (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-20-sober-f250f88d4a3b To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Overlooking the dusty trijunction of Port Jervis, NY sits the ruins of the AFI Packaging Plant. Join Blake on his triumphant return to the abandoned space in the middle of summer 2022 as he reflects on the pandemic and loneliness, against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse fantasy. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-8-silent-hill-and-the-zombie-apocalypse-7c6dc84f3a7 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The accidental discovery of a curious abandoned space leads Blake to a chance encounter -- with a man named Steez. Join Blake as he explores the ruins of Pass Creek Market in Curtin, OR, a casualty of the 2008 housing crisis. And meet Steez, an off-the-grid hippy with an unusual appetite for deep conversation about capitalism, imagination and ghosts. This episode features: Jeremiah Wenutu (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-22-a-chance-encounter-a2bf315594c1 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Painter, Virginia, home of the abandoned Central Middle-High School. Wander its ghostly hallways with Blake as he reflects on the American education system, explores class warfare, and has a brief encounter with death... and possibly Elizabeth Warren. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-21-sex-drugs-depression-354c3da40591 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sometimes, an abandoned space can summon a ghost - or maybe it’s just a figment of the imagination. Either way, join Blake as he accompanies you to the ruins of a seaside shanty, standing proudly on the edge of a graveyard overlooking the mighty Atlantic Ocean in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. (And don’t be surprised if you both run into a ghost named Mrs. Dalby.) This episode features: Elisabeth Henry Nik Magill (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-17-mrs-dalby-and-the-gravekeeper-of-hatteras-island-c0f701762b03 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Follow Blake to the ruins of Rodanthe, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where he guides you through the abandoned Waterfall Park and reflects on his childhood dreams, being single again, and a long-awaited one-night stand. This episode features: Tiernan Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-18-gerry-1b3370a21a28 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the banks of the Hudson River near Catskill, NY sits the abandoned Universal Atlas Cement Plant. Shut down between 1976-77, Blake wanders among the smokestacks and echoes of days gone by, reflecting on the end of a relationship, telling the truth, and ultimately, the act of forgiving oneself. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-27-in-which-i-let-you-go-at-an-abandoned-cement-plant-fe851b146f64 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cleveland’s Hough Bakery was once the largest multiple-unit bakery with locations across Ohio-- but in 1992, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed all 32 locations. Join Blake as he guides you through the ruins of the Hough Bakery on Lakeview Road, alongside one of his favorite humans on the planet. This episode features: Jacob Yarian (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-23-jake-9b24e30cf84 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our first venture to an international location, join Blake atop a hill overlooking the vibrant city of Lisbon, Portugal, as he guides you through an abandoned restaurant while daydreaming of his Ukrainian friend and brother, artist Daniel Skripnik. This episode features: Daniel Skripnik This episode features the song “Freedom” by Oleg Fedak. Music Info: Freedom - by SoulProdMusic. Music Link: https://bit.ly/3CkncRh (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-14-sunflower-for-daniel-for-ukraine-440f1480fc7c To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Julie navigates the ruins of America in the same way she faces stage IV breast cancer: with a rambunctious and determined heart. At least, on the surface. Join Blake as he explores the architectural remains of the Homowack Lodge, alongside his fierce compatriot Julie, a compassionate and sensitive queer community leader in Hudson Valley, NY. While they wander through the abandoned Catskillian resort with its curious name, Julie reflects openly on cancer, America, and the unmitigated medicine of laughter. This episode features: Julie Novak (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/all-american-ruins-chapter-16-julie-9b4cc910de04 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While reflecting on what makes an ideal friendship with his pal Shannon, Blake pokes about the ruins of an abandoned gas station in the California desert. Join him as he time warps back to 1979, when gas lines were long, Coca Cola was 45 cents a bottle, and President Jimmy Carter warned Americans about the Crisis of Confidence. This episode features: Shannon Borden Lacey Keane Nik Magill (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-19-shannon-b95b012efcd7 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Featuring its cornerstone horse race track and grandstand, the Great Barrington Fairgrounds has sat abandoned since 1998. Join Blake as he wanders among the ghosts of fairs-gone-by while reflecting the hidden truth of his relationship with his lover Eric. This episode features: Jeremiah Wenutu Krista Buccellato Adam Machart (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-15-curious-by-default-649cbcd653ea To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just over an hour east of Denver is a small ghost town called Last Chance. Upon first glance, it might look like just a clump of tiny abandoned houses. But look closer with Blake as he guides you through the ruins of Last Chance, Colorado, and together, uncover the mystery of why the remains of this widely unknown, defunct American geographical icon have continued to haunt passersby for decades after its demise. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-33-the-last-rites-of-last-chance-co-61a404ffe711 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're kickstarting the second season of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast with a mafia hideout, a milk factory full of phantoms, and a curious, ghostly plant manager named Victor. Alongside his sister-from-another-mother, join Blake as he embarks on a mysterious trip to the abandoned Lehigh Valley Dairy where he ponders friendship, FDR’s New Deal, and the dark side of the imagination. This episode features: Isabel Wilder Nik Magill (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-13-isabel-dabb6d1ee4c0 To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming September 28, 2023… Welcome to season 2 of the award-winning abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast. Join host Blake Pfeil as he guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States. Along the way, abandoned asks critical questions about American history and culture, community, capitalism and economics, the environment, and mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) Learn more: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Charles Ferri spent years searching for something, but it wasn’t until he stumbled upon an empty monastery overlooking the Hudson River that he realized he’d found it. Join Blake as he explores the story behind the accidental preservationist of the once-abandoned Christian Brothers Monastery & School in West Park, NY. Read the transcript of this episode here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html Learn more about Hudson House & Distillery here: https://www.thehudsonhouseny.com Learn more about All-American Ruins: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On July 20, 2023, North Carolina Museum of History hosted All-American Ruins as part of their History + Highballs virtual series. The program, entitled All-American Ruins: Reawakening the Healing Power of Imagination in Abandoned Spaces, started with a question: “Can the human imagination serve as a space of healing and serenity as much as it serves as a space of creativity and wonderment?” From North Carolina Museum of History: “Join multidisciplinary artist Blake Pfeil (creator of All-American Ruins) as he guides you through abandoned spaces across the United States and explores the healing power of imagination. Using multiple styles of storytelling, Pfeil draws an alternative roadmap of the country, investigating the cultural significance of American ruins, their lasting impact on American history, and ultimately, how the human imagination can have a powerful impact on our mental, emotional, and spiritual health.” You can rewatch the entire program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vU42ieCLg&t=1760s You can view the program deck here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gtVsSG3-Iqn25CjG55Gz3FHIFBfWyF6SqJf8FtSkdOY/edit?usp=sharing Learn more about All-American Ruins: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What would I leave behind?” In this special bonus episode, join Blake on an existential quest to an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods where he reflects on legacy, death, and imagines what his own home might look if it was abandoned. **Content warning: This episode contains what some may consider a gay slur. While referenced as a term of endearment - or, a reinvention of the word - some listeners may find it to be offensive. Please take care of your ears. Learn more about Artist Sharone Halevy: https://www.artbysharone.com/ Read the transcript and learn more: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dylan Thuras is the cofounder of Atlas Obscura, but he’s more than a fancy title. Join Blake on this special bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast as he explores Dylan’s journey to becoming a part of the urbex community, from his humble beginnings as a road trip kid, to a burgeoning graffiti artist who started to find his creative POV at the abandoned Gold Medal Flour Factory in Minneapolis, MN. Learn more about Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com Learn more about All-American Ruins: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On June 18, 2023, The Pines Hotel (South Fallsburg, NY), one of the many abandoned Borscht Belt hotels, burned down. The two alarm fire that ravaged the property leaves behind an impactful cultural legacy for the decades of guests who created memories inside-- and a powerful personal legacy for abandoned host Blake Pfeil, who created different kinds of memories behind its shuttered windows and locked doors, far after it was left to ruin in 1998. http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Blake for this special episode profiling Marisa Scheinfeld, the preeminent photographer, historian, and preservationist of America’s nearly forgotten Borscht Belt. Follow Scheinfeld’s unique and deeply personal journey as she preserves the legacy of the “Jewish Alps,” from publishing The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland to spearheading the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project. Learn more about Marisa: https://www.marisascheinfeld.com Learn more about the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project: https://www.borschtbelthistoricalmarkerproject.org/ http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join Blake for this special conversation with Maxime Gerbe, the founder of Abandoned World, a tech platform that puts crowdsourced, mapped locations for abandoned spaces across the world at your fingertips. This conversation originally aired on The Pfeil File, a weekly program on Radio Kingston/WKNY (AM 1490/FM 107.9 in Kingston, NY). Learn more: www.itsabandoned.com www.allamericanruins.com Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In partnership with History Colorado, join Blake for this special, award-winning bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast where he takes a deeper dive into the history of the original All-American Ruins location from his childhood: the abandoned dairy farm at the Modern Woodmen of America Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Colorado Springs, CO. Read the companion article "All-American Ruins" in History Colorado's The Colorado Magazine: https://www.historycolorado.org/story/2023/01/27/all-american-ruins Watch the entire "The Land of Sunshine" 1933 PSA about the MWA Tuberculosis Sanatorium here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yft_uoglRzM (courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District) Watch the entire United States Public Health Service's "This is TB" 1949 PSA here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjQhclE6Sl0&t=10s (courtesy of the National Library of Medicine) Learn more about the tuberculosis epidemic in Colorado here: https://www.cspm.org/cos-150-story/the-city-of-sunshine/ (courtesy of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html This episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast was honored as part of the Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies Awards for 2023. Special thanks: Sam Bock at History Colorado Kevin & Marie Bush at the Woodmen Valley Fire Department Matt Mayberry, Hillary Mannion, and Susan Conde at the Pioneers Museum The staff at the Pikes Peak Library District Archivist Sister Stephanie McReynolds at Mt. Saint Francis Nursing Center K from the No Tracers Podcast Leah White at Modern Woodmen of America Fraternal Financial Please contact [email protected] if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices