Many of us dream of living a life of travel and adventure. In this day and age, you (probably) won’t discover any new lands, but there are plenty of abandoned places that are ripe for exploration.

The massively popular r/urbanexploration online group is home to urban explorers from all around the world who take photos during their outings. We’ve collected some of the most impressive pics, as shared by members of this community. Check them out below, and don’t forget to upvote your faves.

A quick note of warning, Pandas. Urban exploration can be extremely dangerous if you’re not adequately prepared. Don’t go exploring random buildings before doing your research, getting to know your local laws, and buying the right clothing and equipment. 

#1 I Dragged My Friend Along To An Adventure In The Tokyo Stormwater System. He Was Impressed

Image credits: ringinator

#2 Found Inside Of An Abandoned Historical Landmark Hospital With Power

Image credits: TheAjalin

#3 “Colored Only” City Pool, Filled In

Image credits: aTwitchUponTheThread

Urban exploration, also known as Urbex or UE, is exactly what it sounds like. It involves exploring abandoned or restricted urban environments.

The main draw of this hobby is the thrill of discovery. It can be really exciting to explore and document unusual, (often) deteriorating man-made environments with your pals by your side. 

#4 The Lobby Of A Closed Down Motel On Route 66

Image credits: crazycockerels

#5 Abandoned Mall In Bangkok

Image credits: nav_15

#6 Abandoned Church In The Woods

Image credits: reddit.com

There are lots of surprises to be found, even in our local areas. Some buildings might be sitting abandoned right under our very noses. But in our busy day-to-day lives, we might simply walk past them, not giving them so much as a second glance.

Urbex enthusiasts don’t just explore buildings as we traditionally think of them, though. They also delve deep into various man-made tunnels, enter massive facilities, and even venture out on rooftops.

#7 Abandoned Party Mansion Deep In The Maryland Forest

Image credits: reddit.com

#8 Free Alcohol In Abandoned Supermarket

Image credits: generalkossmosa

#9 Found This In New Orleans

Image credits: SNOWCHI3F

At the time of writing, the r/urbanexploration subreddit has 2 million members, and they are very active online. They constantly post photos from their latest adventures.

Honestly, some of them are so jaw-droppingly beautiful (and creepy) that it makes us want to follow in their footsteps. But rushing in head-first can be a huge mistake. You might end up getting hurt—or worse.

#10 Abandoned Mansion That Belonged To A Former Corrupt Police Chief Of Mexico. His Yearly Salary Was $1300

Image credits: heretogethelp

#11 This Is One Of The Most Beautiful Bathrooms In An Abandoned Chateau

Image credits: abandonedplaygrounds

#12 Abandoned Railway Tracks In Alexandria, Egypt

Image credits: Halla5432

While every urban explorer’s personal code and philosophy might differ, many Urbex fans tend to agree on a few main things.

For one, it’s generally encouraged to do your best not to affect the environment that you’re in. That means not taking any ‘souvenirs,’ not breaking anything, and not leaving behind any tags or trash. Instead, you can document your journey by taking photos or videos, so you leave the place practically undisturbed for the adventurers who visit after you.

#13 One Of Many Waterfalls Under Manchester, UK

Image credits: p4ulpowers

#14 Aqueduct, Arkadia

Image credits: luucylouu

#15 There’s No Traffic Up Here (Austin, Texas)

Image credits: _rchr

Ideally, you’ll have researched the place you’ll be exploring beforehand. You should try to familiarize yourself with the layout of the area and its history. You also want to make sure that you know your local laws about entering abandoned and restricted properties.

You might get into some serious trouble if you’re breaking and entering into private or public property without getting permission first. Scout out the place first to see if it’s genuinely abandoned and unguarded.

#16 Abandoned Amusement Park In The Mountains

Image credits: Driftershoots

#17 I Drove Over 1,000 Miles This Weekend To Visit An Abandoned Mine. It Was Worth It

Image credits: kenfagerdotcom

#18 A Warning At The Entrance To An Abandoned Asylum

Image credits: reddit.com

You ought to make sure that you wear the right clothes to stay safe. That means grabbing a solid pair of shoes (ideally, tough boots), good gloves, a mask to keep the dust out of your lungs, a thick jacket and pants, and probably something to cover your head. If you can, get one of those helmets that construction workers have. You really don’t want your day ruined by bits of the building falling on top of you.

Whenever you can, try not to explore alone. That way, if someone gets hurt or in trouble, the rest of the group can lend them a hand or, if need be, call for help. Make sure to let your family, friends, or roommates know where you’re going and when you should be back. That way, they’ll have your back and know to send help if you get stuck, lost, or stranded.

#19 I Had To Bribe A Guy To Access An Incredible Abandoned Water Park In Vietnam

Image credits: DannyMThompson

#20 Abandoned P-38 On A Beach In Wales

Image credits: reddit.com

#21 Abandoned Trains In Pennsylvania

Image credits: nav_15

Meanwhile, bring a fully charged phone with you, as well as a power bank, a flashlight, spare batteries, and maybe some water and a snack just in case it’s going to be a longer outing. You might also want to bring a medkit, radio, some sort of multitool, and pepper spray (if it’s legal), too. Just in case. 

#22 Massive Symbol On Floor Of Abandoned House

Image credits: reddit.com

#23 A Mental Health Hospital In Scotland

Image credits: Emptyspacesuk

#24 Abandoned Schoolhouse In Southern Idaho With Blossoming Lilac That Has Long Outlived The Building

Image credits: dancing_all_knight

Photographer Dominic Sberna previously shared some great tips with Bored Panda on what to keep in mind when photographing abandoned buildings. For example, camera angles are super important if you want to show off how large a particular structure really is.

 “A lower angle is going to intensify the view, just as a high vantage point would. The vantage point really matters as well. Depending on what you’re going for in your shot, you’ll want to have a nice showcase of the scene in front of you when exploring any abandoned property,” he told us during an earlier interview.

#25 Walking Through A Train Tunnel To Reach An Abandoned Mining Town

Image credits: HeGoneUp_InTheUrr

#26 A Beautiful Home Wasting Away In Detroit

Image credits: kenfagerdotcom

#27 Abandoned Historical Palace In Portugal

Image credits: citromviasz

“A wide-angle lens is always a great option for any confined space, but again this all depends on the look you’re going for and is absolutely dependent on the scene in front of you. If you’re in a massive industrial warehouse, you could lose some impact to your image if you have a super-wide-angle lens,” the photographer shared some practical tips and tricks with us.

“At the end of the day, just like any genre of photography and anything in life, practice makes perfect. But don’t beat yourself up if your images aren’t ‘perfect.’ You should always try to take them for yourself. If others like them, that’s an added bonus and you’ll stay true to your creative self by knowing you did things for yourself,” the expert said.

Meanwhile, the photographer also had some tips when it comes to the equipment you bring with you. “The best way to keep your camera safe is to always keep it attached to you. That might mean different things to different people. Generally having your camera strap around your neck is a good thing. But, if you feel more comfortable holding it, that way if something unexpected does happen, you can move as needed,” he told Bored Panda.

#28 Children’s Wing, Abandoned Asylum

Image credits: PeterPanBean

#29 Abandoned Soviet Radar In The Chernobyl Zone

Image credits: Chernobylexplorer

#30 Coolest Abandoned Place I’ve Been So Far. Feels Like A Cod Map

Image credits: SilverAdonis

The photographer pointed out that the flash that’s built into your camera might not be good enough in some cases. “You’re going to cause a lot of harsh shadows and as a general rule, I would recommend staying away from the on-camera flash unless you absolutely have to use it.”

Instead, you might want to consider bringing a tripod with you, and using long exposure when you’re taking pictures in the dark. “If you want an action shot in the dark or a more illuminated subject, I’d recommend using an external flash or using external lighting altogether. Depending on the look you’re going for will depend on your preferred light source,” he said.

So, dear Pandas, which of these photos left the biggest impression on you and why? Have you ever taken part in urban exploration? Would you ever want to? If you’re an Urbex veteran, why not share a few tips and tricks with everyone else in the comments? We’d love to hear a bit about your first-hand experiences.

#31 Abandoned Hospital, The Oculus

Image credits: Dethscare

#32 Abandoned Houses With Beautiful Sunset

Image credits: shesmagic_

#33 I Found This In An Abandoned House

Image credits: Freaktography

#34 This Throne Made Of Human Remains In The Forbidden Catacombs Of Paris

Image credits: brokenbonessociety

#35 Abandoned Presidents Heads In A Rural Virginia Field

Image credits: Thereaper29

#36 About To Spend My Second Week In The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Here Is A Pic From My First Trip In 2017

Image credits: mothermurder88

#37 Found In A Car In An Abandoned Fairground

Image credits: Avangelista

#38 Abandoned Nuclear Antiballistic Missile Complex, The Only One Of Its Kind Ever Built

Image credits: BobSacomano69

#39 Abandoned Six Flags Theme Park

Image credits: Driftershoots

#40 Old Train Abandoned Deep In The Mountains

Image credits: TheAjalin

#41 Frozen Staircases Of Abandoned Soviet Residential Buildings In A Ghost Town Beyond The Arctic Circle

Image credits: syndicat1128

#42 Nature Taking Over A Pool In An Abandoned Mansion

Image credits: Thereaper29

#43 Inside Of An Abandoned Bank

Image credits: silent-skreams

#44 Would You Want To Live In This Abandoned Valley? (North Italy)

Image credits: BWT_Urbex

#45 New York City, The Underbelly Project. An Abandoned Subway Platform That Was Never Completed

Image credits: crazyquazy

#46 Explored An Abandoned Town Today – Lost Since 1974

Image credits: woahruben

#47 Church From The 1800’s

Image credits: drr4545

#48 Old Water Tower In The Woods, Surrey, UK

Image credits: RIPjimStobe

#49 Pablo Escobar’s Abandoned Mansion With Everything Left Behind

Image credits: ZerpennTv

#50 Abandoned Plane In A Forest Somewhere In Belgium

Image credits: SpitOnZombie

#51 Bennett School For Girls In Millbrook, NY. It’s Been Closed Since 1978

Image credits: Thereaper29

#52 Abandoned Middle School, Massachusetts

Image credits: Bunbuns123abc

#53 No Idea How An Old T-34 Ended Up In Kansas

Image credits: VoidSherpa816

#54 Camped At An Abandoned Radar Base Overnight And Woke Up To This View

Image credits: outsideofvisible

#55 Reservoir Under London

Image credits: KremeDream

#56 Abandoned Castle, France

Image credits: Nice-Wrongdoer

#57 Abandoned Train Tracks In Olympia, Wa. USA. Note The Capitol Dome In The Background

Image credits: NotTheOldRat

#58 We Found A Working Computer In An Abandoned Hospital

Image credits: bryanw0104

#59 From An Abandoned Asylum In Md

Image credits: iwishiwastom

#60 Abandoned Train In New York State

Image credits: StephanieKay22

#61 Bunker Entrance. Love This Picture

Image credits: mattyjcooper

#62 Abandoned Winemaker House In Portugal

Image credits: citromviasz

#63 Abandoned Bunker In Croatia

Image credits: Cro_Inf

#64 I Explored A Mansion Formally Owned By A Cult Leader

Image credits: urbexandchill

#65 I Walked For 80 Km Through The Desert Just To See This Beauty – An Abandoned 60m Heights Space Rocket

Image credits: ILUVYOURMUM

#66 My Dying Hometown

Image credits: Patient-Section5220

#67 Amazing Talent

Image credits: straydog1964

#68 Crossing

Image credits: _darzy

#69 Found An Old Pepsi Vending Machine

Image credits: feverchart

#70 Room Full Of Gas Masks – Pripyat, Chernobyl

Image credits: reddit.com

#71 I Swam To This Abandoned Soviet Aircraft Carrier And Spent 24 Hours Inside

Image credits: exploringtheunbeaten

#72 Abandoned Eurostar Train !!! This Is What Trains Will Look Like After The Zombie Apocalypse

Image credits: Bd2travel

#73 A Flooded And Frozen Basement In An Abandoned Mansion

Image credits: Freaktography

#74 Abandoned Church In Italy Overtaken By Plants

Image credits: romanrobroek

#75 Abandoned House In The Republic Of Karelia, Russia

Image credits: reddit.com

#76 Abandoned Mansion: Northern Ontario, Canada

Image credits: elizabethfildey

#77 It’s Been Abandoned For Over 10 Years, But Light Still Remains On

Image credits: BladeFatum

#78 A House Devoured By A Hundred-Year-Old Banyan Tree

Image credits: Juju1990

#79 The Interior Of A Power Station Cooling Tower

Image credits: Schurke-

#80 Found In The Desert Outside Of Roswell, New Mexico

Image credits: Vikingwithguns

#81 Over Grown Part Of Center City Philadelphia

Image credits: Southphltrashfire

#82 Two Years Ago I Snuck Into A Military Base To See Abandoned Buran Space Shuttles

Image credits: DrBaab

#83 Gym From A School That Closed Right After Prom

Image credits: PeterPanBean

#84 Viaducts On Way To Gatwick Airport

Image credits: seany_explores

#85 A Beautiful Old Stairway In Budapest

Image credits: vincentthebig

#86 Abandoned 50’s Restaurant

Image credits: reddit.com

#87 Abandoned 1960’s Shag Pad

Image credits: Satanwoulddo

#88 My Daughter And I Found An Abandoned Antique Shop

Image credits: amandapanda740

#89 Light Rays In Abandoned Theater

Image credits: Adventure_As_One

#90 Found This Spooky Pond In The Middle Of An Old Mine In The Norwegian Moutains

Image credits: MyrnaVeep

Source: boredpanda.com