Urban exploration photography has changed the way I see the world. There's something about stepping into a crumbling building that once buzzed with life and now sits in quiet decay. Every peeling wall and abandoned chair feels like part of a story, and the camera is how I try to tell it.
I've learned most of what I know through trial and error, including a few mistakes I'd rather you didn't repeat. This guide walks through how I find urbex spots and how I photograph them once I'm inside, with plenty on staying safe along the way. If you're brand new to all this, my post on getting started with urbex photography is a good companion to this one.
What Is Urban Exploration?
Urban exploration, or urbex, is the hobby of exploring human-made places that most people never get to see. Usually that means abandoned buildings: old theaters, hospitals, train stations, factories, schools and houses that have been left to fall apart. Some explorers head underground into drains and tunnels or climb onto rooftops, but abandoned places are where I spend my time, so that's what this guide focuses on.
If you've seen people talking about "urbexing," it's the same thing. In Japan, abandoned places are known as haikyo, and the word has become shorthand for exploring them too.
People have been poking around forgotten places for a long time. By the early 1800s, unofficial explorers known as cataphiles were already wandering the tunnels under Paris, and in 1861 Walt Whitman wrote about exploring the disused Atlantic Avenue railroad tunnel beneath Brooklyn. The modern hobby owes a lot to Toronto explorer Jeff Chapman, better known as Ninjalicious, who started the zine Infiltration in 1996 and published the guidebook Access All Areas in 2005. Chapman argued that genuine explorers never damage or steal anything, and most of the community still lives by a simple rule: take only photos, leave only footprints.
For photographers, these spaces are full of history. Peeling paint and forgotten objects hint at what happened there, and a rusted school chair in a collapsed classroom can say more about a town's decline than any statistic. Most explorers I know end up researching a building's past, and their photos get better for it.
How to Find Urbex Spots (Without Getting Stuck or Lost)
Finding urban exploring places takes patience and a fair bit of digital sleuthing. Most experienced explorers won't hand out urbex locations, so you'll need to do your own homework. These are the methods that have worked best for me.
Use Google Maps Like a Detective
Satellite view is where most of my finds start. I scan older neighborhoods and the industrial land along railways and rivers, looking for the giveaways: holes in roofs, trees growing out of parking lots, empty loading bays and windows that have been boarded up.
You can also search Maps directly. Try phrases like "abandoned factory" or "derelict building" alongside a town name, then read the reviews. People often mention when a place has shut down or been left to rot.
Go Back in Time With Historical Imagery
This is one of the most useful tricks I know, and very few guides mention it. In Google Earth Pro, the clock icon opens a time slider that shows older satellite images of the same spot. Google Maps does something similar for Street View: where older panoramas exist, a clock icon in the corner lets you scroll back through them by month and year. Google's own guide to historical imagery walks through both.
Comparing old and new images shows you roughly when a place was left behind, and whether it's still standing at all. That last part matters more than you'd think. Detroit's Packard Plant, one of the best-known ruins in the US, is now almost entirely gone (more on that below).
Read the Clues in Other People's Photos
Instagram hashtags like #urbex and #abandonedplaces are full of places worth knowing about. So are the r/urbanexploration community on Reddit and YouTube channels like The Unknown Cameraman.
Don't expect anyone to post an address, though. Explorers keep locations quiet because publicity tends to bring vandals and scrappers, and a building that gets too much attention usually ends up sealed. Instead, look for clues in the photos themselves, like a shop sign through a window or a distinctive water tower on the skyline. If you want help from other explorers, offer something back, such as your own research or photos of a place you've found.
Dig Into Local Archives and News
Public libraries and local history groups are full of stories about places everyone else has forgotten. Old newspapers are worth searching for closures and fires, since those are often where a building's abandonment begins. A building you've driven past a hundred times might turn out to have a fascinating backstory.
In the US, Sanborn fire insurance maps are another great resource. They show building footprints and what each building was used for, and the Library of Congress has a large Sanborn collection, much of it online. Compare an old map with today's satellite view and you'll often spot a mill or a school that's still standing but no longer in use.
Check Preservation Watch Lists
Preservation groups keep track of historic buildings at risk, which makes their lists a useful and ethical place to look. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has published America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places every year since 1988, and many states and cities have their own versions. These lists usually name the owner or the group fighting to save a building, so they're a good starting point if you want to ask permission.
Scout on Foot
Some of my favorite spots have come from simply paying attention. When you're driving or walking through older parts of town, watch for overgrown lots, faded signs, boarded windows and buildings with the utility meters pulled off. If you're searching for abandoned places near you, this is where to start. Neighbors usually know a building's story, and many are happy to share it if you explain what you're doing.
Find Out Who Owns It
Once you have a building in mind, look it up in your county's property records or online parcel map. Many counties publish these, and they'll tell you who owns the land. That's the first step to asking for permission, which I cover in more detail in how to find and photograph abandoned buildings.
Before you go anywhere, scout virtually one last time. Find the most recent photos you can, so you know what condition the place is in now and not five years ago.
Legal Places to Practice Urbex Photography
Not every abandoned place is off-limits. Some ruins have been deliberately preserved in their decayed state, and they're a great way to practice without the legal worries.
Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia was built in 1829 and closed in 1971, and it has been open for tours since 1994. Its crumbling cellblocks are kept stable rather than restored. In California, Bodie State Historic Park preserves a gold-mining ghost town of around 110 buildings in a state of "arrested decay," with objects still sitting where they were left. Places like these let you work on your composition and exposure in a real ruin, with nobody asking you to leave.
A Closer Look: Detroit and Its Abandoned Icons
Detroit has a special place in urbex circles. It was once one of America's great industrial cities, and decades of decline left it with a huge number of abandoned buildings. My favorite shoot there was the Michigan Theater, where light pours through gaps in the ceiling and gold paint still clings to the old arches. I've also written about exploring Detroit's abandoned buildings more widely, including a pre-dawn visit to the so-called Curvy Church.
Detroit is also a lesson in how quickly the urbex map changes. The Packard Plant, a 3.5-million-square-foot car factory that closed in 1958, was the city's most famous ruin for decades. Demolition began in 2022, and by the end of 2024 almost everything had been torn down apart from two buildings on East Grand Boulevard. The Eastown Theatre, which opened in 1930, was demolished back in 2015. Both used to appear on every Detroit urbex list, which is exactly why it pays to check historical imagery and recent news before you plan a trip.
If you're heading there, do your research first. Detroit Urbex has detailed histories of many buildings, and it's worth reading up on how historic designation works in Detroit, since some buildings are now protected and off-limits.
When Nature Reclaims the Space
Some of my favorite urbex moments happen when nature starts moving back in. Vines climb the staircases and moss spreads across tiled floors. I've seen trees growing in old operating theaters and ivy winding through rows of school desks.
When I shoot these scenes, I look for contrast: hard, man-made lines next to soft, natural forms, like cracked concrete beside fresh leaves or rust beside new growth. I've written a whole piece on abandoned places reclaimed by nature if you want to go deeper, including how the process actually works.
Urban Exploration Safety Tips
Abandoned buildings are unpredictable. Floors can give way without warning and the legal side is often murky, so safety has to come first. This is what I stick to on every trip.
Don't explore alone. Bring a friend, and tell someone else where you're going and when you expect to be back.
Check the structure before you commit. Avoid anywhere with obvious roof collapse or heavy water damage. Floors tend to be strongest near the walls, so keep to the edges of rooms and test each step. If something feels off, leave.
Know the hidden hazards. Older buildings can contain asbestos in pipe wrap and floor tiles, and the EPA warns that fibers are released when it's disturbed. Thick layers of bird and bat droppings are another one to avoid, since the CDC notes the fungus that causes histoplasmosis spreads through soil mixed with them. I wear a P100 respirator anywhere that feels musty or dusty.
Wear the right gear. Gloves, long sleeves, solid boots and a headlamp will protect you from most of the sharp metal and broken glass you'll come across.
Understand the law. Many abandoned buildings are still private property, and going in without permission can count as trespassing. In the US, about 20 states let landowners mark their boundaries with purple paint instead of signs, so purple stripes on trees or fence posts mean keep out. Ask for permission, or stick to legal sites and guided tours.
If someone asks you to leave, leave. Be polite and don't argue. No photo is worth it.
Respect the site. Don't move or take anything, and don't leave anything behind. Avoid posting exact locations publicly as well.
Some places deserve extra care because of what happened there. When I visited an abandoned Italian asylum, the decay and instability were only part of it. The building's complicated history made me slow down and think hard about how I photographed it.
I'm a photographer, not a lawyer, so always check the rules where you live.
Essential Gear for Urban Exploration (That Works for Me)
You don't need expensive kit to start, but the right gear makes you safer and your photos better. Conditions are unpredictable, so I pack for the worst version of the day.
Camera and lens: I use a mirrorless body with a wide-angle lens. Something in the 14-24mm range is ideal for tight interiors.
Tripod: Essential for low light and for bracketing, which I'll explain below.
Lights: A main flashlight or headlamp plus a backup, with spare batteries for both.
Protective gear: Heavy-duty boots, work gloves, a respirator and durable clothes that can handle rust and broken glass.
First aid kit: Bandages and antiseptic wipes at a minimum, for the cuts and scrapes that are almost guaranteed.
Backpack: Pick one that's easy to swing around on narrow stairs. Side access helps too, so you're not putting your bag down in the dirt every time you change lenses.
Urban Exploration Photography Tips
There's no single right way to shoot urbex, and finding my own style took a lot of trial and error. These are the techniques I come back to on almost every shoot. Trust your instincts and let each location guide you.
Work With Natural Light
I prefer natural light, especially early morning and late afternoon, when it slants in through broken windows and cracks in the walls. I avoid flash unless it's absolutely necessary, because it flattens the textures that make these places so interesting.
Shoot RAW From a Tripod
Abandoned interiors are dark, and high ISO adds noise fast. On a tripod, you can keep ISO around 100 to 400 and stop down to f/8 or f/11 so the whole room is sharp. The shutter can then stay open as long as it needs to. A two-second timer or a remote stops you from shaking the camera when you press the button. Shooting in RAW gives you much more room to pull detail out of the shadows later.
Bracket for Bright Windows
The biggest challenge in most abandoned buildings is the gap between a dark room and a bright window. I take several exposures of the same frame, from dark to bright, and blend them into one HDR image later. That way you keep detail in the shadows and can still see what's outside.
Paint With Light in Dark Rooms
In rooms with no windows at all, try light painting. Set a long exposure, then sweep a flashlight across the parts of the scene you want to reveal. It takes practice, but it lets you choose exactly what the viewer sees.
Follow the Leading Lines
Staircases and long corridors pull the eye through a frame, so use them. I've shared more on finding and photographing staircases if they're your thing too. With a wide-angle lens, keep the camera level to stop the walls from leaning in.
Edit With a Light Touch
My photography style leans raw and unfiltered, and that carries into editing. I mostly balance the shadows against the highlights and fix any walls that lean in from the wide lens. Heavy HDR looks and added grunge tend to fight with the textures that are already there, so I try to keep each image close to how the room felt when I was standing in it.
Look for the Small Details
Some of the strongest images are tiny: a rusty key in the dust or a handwritten note left on a desk. They carry an emotional weight that wide shots can't. A few of the most interesting things I've found in abandoned buildings were very easy to miss.
Final Thoughts on Urbex Photography
Urban exploration is as much about how a place feels as how it looks. The silence and that strange sense of time folding in on itself are part of the experience too.
Stay curious, but stay careful. Every location has its own rhythm and its own rules, and there's no perfect formula. In the end, we're just listening to what these forgotten places have to say.
Urban Exploration FAQs
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Urbexing is short for urban exploring, the hobby of exploring and usually photographing abandoned or hidden human-made places. Abandoned factories and hospitals are classic urbex spots, but some explorers focus on drains or rooftops instead.
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Urban exploration itself isn't illegal, but entering private property without permission usually is. Laws vary a lot between countries and states, so check the rules where you are and ask owners for permission whenever you can. Preserved ruins and guided tours are good legal options.
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Most use a mix of online research and footwork: satellite and historical imagery, social media and forums, local archives, and driving around older neighborhoods. Experienced explorers rarely share exact locations, so expect to do your own research.
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Start somewhere legal, like a preserved ruin or a guided tour, so you can learn how abandoned buildings feel before you take on anything riskier. Go with someone more experienced if you can, and research every site before you visit. Pack protective gear and a backup light, and remember that turning around is always an option.
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A wide-angle lens is the most useful, because abandoned interiors are often cramped. A 14-24mm zoom on a full-frame camera covers most rooms, and a fast prime helps when you want to shoot handheld in low light.
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It can be. The main risks are unstable floors and hazardous materials like asbestos and mold. Going with a friend and wearing protective gear makes a big difference. So does being willing to turn back.