Go inside the world’s creepiest abandoned town – but watch out for the ‘curse’ – The Sun
GHOST towns may make great movie sets, but they can also provide a fascinating glimpse into what life was like in the old American West.
And probably the best-preserved of them all is the mining town of Bodie, California.
The town boomed during the 1870s after the discovery of nearby deposits of gold, for which fortune seekers had been hunting across California since the Gold Rush of the 1840s and 1850s.
The Rush had seen 300,000 people from around the world flood into the state and tens of billions of dollars worth of gold in today's money dug out of the ground.
Bodie quickly grew to enjoy a small rush of its own, and at its peak was home to some 7,000 people.
In its heyday, the town boasted some 70 saloons, a bowling alley, dance halls, gambling halls, and numerous stores, hotels, and churches.
It is estimated that some $30 million (£23 million) worth of gold were extracted from Bodie's mines.
But by the 1880s promising booms in Arizona, Montana, and Utah had lured miners away, and the town began to decline.
A small mining community survived, but by the early the 20th century most of its mines had closed, and the population had fallen to a few hundred people.
The last mine officially closed in 1942, and the town became deserted.
Today it is famous around the world as an authentic Wild West ghost town.
The town's main mine shaft has been barricaded shut since it was closed in 1913, and its 200 derelict buildings remain as they were left – scattered with decaying personal items and stocked with goods.
Visitors to the town can see furniture still in homes, pictures hanging on walls, and crockery laid on tables.
Bottles of beer can even still be seen perched in deserted bars.
Legend has it that the Bodie Curse will haunt anyone who removes any of the old artefacts from the town.
The park is now considered a National Historic Landmark and welcomes around 200,000 visitors a year.
Admission costs $7 (£5.40) for adults and $5 (£2.30) for children, with more information available on the park's website.
Source: Read Full Article