A trip to visit Abandoned Detroit is one that every Urban Explorer or adventurous photographer should experience at least once.
Detroit, the city that was once one of the most prosperous and fastest growing cities in the United States is now a shell of its former self.
Abandoned Churches, Abandoned High Schools, Abandoned Hospitals, theaters, houses and luxury hotels.
My first trip to Detroit was in April 2014 when I experienced a whirlwind day where we visited a cathedral, a former theater, a concert hall, a luxury hotel a recently abandoned church and a high school. I returned in March 2015 and visited an abandoned automotive factory, two abandoned churches and a high school, then again in May 2016 to visit more churches, high schools, houses and more.
The city of Detroit, in the U.S. state of Michigan, has gone through a major economic and demographic decline in recent decades. The population of the city has fallen from a high of 1,850,000 in 1950 to 677,116 in 2015, kicking it off the top 20 of US cities by population for the first time since 1850.
However, the city has a combined statistical area of 5,318,744 people, which currently ranks 12th in the United States. Local crime rates are among the highest in the United States (despite this, the overall crime rate in the city has seen a decline during the 21st century, and vast areas of the city are in a state of severe urban decay.
In 2013, Detroit filed the largest municipal bankruptcy case in U.S. history, which it successfully exited on December 10, 2014. Poverty, crime, and urban blight in Detroit continue to be ongoing problems. Nonetheless, poverty is improving; median household income is rising, criminal activity is decreasing by 5% annually,and the city’s blight removal project is making progress in ridding the city of all abandoned homes that cannot be rehabilitated.
2014 Detroit Urban Exploration Trip
Abandoned Grande Theatre Detroit
Abandoned High School in Detroit Michigan
Abandoned Ballroom in Detroit
2015 Detroit Urban Exploration Trip
Another shot from this abandoned church in Detroit, Michigan. https://freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit/
Crumbling windows of an abandoned church in Detroit Michigan. https://freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit/
The immediately recognizable green hue from this spectacular abandoned factory in Detroit.
An abandoned industrial plant in Detroit, Michigan
Happy Easter
Detroit Industrial Decay
Tried Stone Baptist Church Detroit
2016 Detroit Urban Exploration Trip
An Abandoned House in Detroit Michigan
Going through picture selections for prints to sell at the the Bazaar of the Bizarre in Toronto and Hamilton in April. I came across this totally overlooked shot I took at St Curvy in 2014.
One year ago yesterday was my last visit to explore and photograph Detroit. This was taken in in a building right downtown that was and still is in the process of being restored. You can view more of my stuff from Detroit at www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit Freaktography: Abandoned Places, Urban Exploration, Photography of the normally unseen and off-limits. ______________________________________________ Follow: www.instagram.com/freaktography Like: www.facebook.com/freaktography Visit: www.freaktography.com Subscribe: www.youtube.com/c/FreaktographyCaPhotography ____________________________________________________
An abstract view of a formerly abandoned church in Detroit, Michigan. The church is now undergoing extensive renovations to the interior and exterior. www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit www.instagram.com/freaktography
In the heart of downtown Detroit sits what is known as the Farwell building, for years this has been a must see for adventurous photographers, abandoned enthusiasts and urban explorers. Now, after decades of abandonment the building is being renovated, they have come a long way but they still have a long way to go.
Earlier this year my slick talking friend and fellow photographer Nick Wons approached the site manager and asked permission for us to go in and explore and photograph.
To our surprise the answer was yes!
See more from my may visits to detroit at www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
And check out my instagram feed if you’re on your cellphone. www.instagram.com/freaktography
Happy 4th of July to all my American friends and followers. Here is a Superman wall painting in the basement of a hospital in Detroit Michigan.
Inside the formerly abandoned farwell building in Detroit, Michigan.
Inside the formerly abandoned farwell building in Detroit, Michigan. This building has sat abandoned and unused for many many years, when we arrived for our visit we found the bustling activity of construction workers revovating the building. We asked for permission to explore and photograph and they were happy to show us around! www.freaktography.com/abandoned
A large safe inside the formerly abandoned farwell building in Detroit, Michigan. . . . . .
Inside the formerly abandoned farwell building in Detroit, Michigan. This building has sat abandoned and unused for many many years, when we arrived for our visit we found the bustling activity of construction workers revovating the building. We asked for permission to explore and photograph and they were happy to show us around! www.freaktography.com/abandoned
Inside a storage room in the formerly abandoned Farwell building in downtown detroit. www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
Inside the formerly abandoned farwell building in Detroit, Michigan. This building has sat abandoned and unused for many many years, when we arrived for our visit we found the bustling activity of construction workers revovating the building. We asked for permission to explore and photograph and they were happy to show us around!
Uploading using the new lightroom plugin for @Instagram, this is so much better than what i was doing before! Inside the formerly abandoned farwell building in Detroit, Michigan.
Along a random road in the city of Detroit we stopped to shoot this abandoned house that we found with an open door. The staircase was visible from the street, getting us excited enough to stop. www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
An abandoned community recreation centre in Detroit, Michigan. www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
The library (I think) located inside an abandoned detroit high school. A skylight made for the perfectly lut scene above the peeling paint and decay in this otherwise dark room. www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit www.instagram.com/freaktography
While driving between locations on my last trip to Detroit, we passed this abandoned high school by chance and quickly realized it’s a great location to stop and shoot.
Thos photo is from the second level hallway. See more from Detroit at www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
An abandoned Church in Detroit that is being restored for future use.
Inside what was once a classroom in a now long abandoned high school in Detroit.
www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
www.instagram.com/freaktography
A different view from the abandoned building in Detroit that I posted earlier in the week.
www.freaktography.com/abandoned-detroit
2018 Detroit Urban Exploration Trip
It is not in terrible shape, I have certainly seen worse.
The highlight of this location over and over this amazing sanctuary is the hand painted ceiling and stained glass windows that remain, mostly undamaged.
As the churches congregation grew, so did the school with new wings being added on in 1924 and 1927.
By the 1970’s though, the east side of Detroit was in decline. Hit hard by the loss of factories and industrial jobs, the mostly white Catholic neighborhoods transitioned to mainly black Protestant. The Catholic Church was losing members to the suburbs at a rapid rate, while Baptist congregations were thriving.
In 1982, the Detroit Archdiocese closed the Church, which was only averaging about 50 to 65 parishioners on Sundays.
The aging church building needed significant repairs, the cost of which could only be born by a larger congregation. Two years later, the church, parish house and the school (which had closed in 1970) were sold .
Thanks to DetroitUrbex.com for the history in this location.
I loved the high ceilings and tall windows in this building and where it obviously lacked in contents it more than made up for it with decay and many interesting scenes such as this one.
The room smelled of a semi recent fire and the whole room was coated in black from the smoke.
On the stage there were files of burnt wood that had collapsed from the ceiling.
This high school opened in April of 1922 and was closed along with a dozen other schools in 2012.
The lean on the left side of the stairs and the natural light rom the widows on all three levels made for an excellent photo opportunity.
I didn’t venture up or down the stairs as the floors were far too unstable here.
What beautiful architecture. How sad and tragic that it has fallen into disrepair. I am an amature photographer. I find old buildings and architecture fascinating. I live in WA state and found an old church and cemetary that is abandoned. The cemetary is on the historical registry but I can’t find anything on the church. Would you have any advice as to how to find more information about it. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you
Karen
i lived in canada and those thing dosent exist here,its a modern tragedy that hit a city liked detroit,i hoped that the good lord would blrssed the people of detroit.today nobody is responsible for this huge mess.sad and tragic.
I would Love to save one of these place if I had the money too.
It looks like Detroit was hit by an asteroid or atom bomb.
I would love to have a organized tour.? ?