New York State's abandoned landscape extends far beyond New York City — a munitions castle on a Hudson River island, a Victorian psychiatric hospital designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in Poughkeepsie, Catskill resort ruins from the Borscht Belt era and Adirondack mining ghost towns where the forest has been growing back since the 1880s. Here are 5 of the best abandoned places in New York State, selected from our Abandoned Places Map USA — 5,000+ GPS locations across the United States.
Why New York State Is a Hidden Gem for Abandoned Buildings & Urban Exploration
New York State outside the city contains some of the most diverse abandoned landscapes in the Northeast — Hudson Valley estates and military ruins, Catskills resort ghost towns, Adirondack mining communities and the psychiatric campuses built along the Hudson to serve New York City's growing population in the late 19th century.
1. Bannerman Castle – 1901 Scottish-Style Munitions Castle on Pollepel Island, Burned 1969, Ruins Visible from the Hudson River (Known Location)
Scottish tycoon Francis Bannerman VI built a castle on Pollepel Island in the Hudson River 50 miles north of Manhattan in 1901 to store the enormous surplus military equipment he bought after the Spanish-American War — rifles, ammunition, cannons and military hardware acquired by the truckload. The castle walls were designed to evoke a Scottish Highland fortress; an explosion in 1920 damaged the powder magazine and a fire in 1969 gutted the main structure. What remains is one of the most cinematically striking ruin landscapes in the northeastern United States — the castle walls rising from the Hudson against the Storm King Mountain backdrop. Accessible by boat tour from Newburgh. One of the most iconic abandoned places in New York State.
🔗 Learn more: Wikipedia – Bannerman Castle
2. Hudson River State Hospital – 1871 Kirkbride Asylum Designed by Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted, Closed 2003, Poughkeepsie (Known Location)
Designed by the architectural team of Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted — the creators of Central Park — the Hudson River State Hospital opened in 1871 as one of the finest examples of therapeutic asylum architecture in America. The Victorian Romanesque main building, landscaped grounds designed on Olmsted's therapeutic principles and the campus's commanding Hudson River views were all intended as instruments of patient recovery. After 132 years of operation the hospital closed in 2003. The main building, various outbuildings and the Olmsted landscape are in various states of abandonment across the Poughkeepsie campus. One of the most architecturally significant abandoned places in New York State.
🔗 Also read: Top 5 Best Abandoned Places in the USA →
3. Catskills Borscht Belt Resort Ruins – 1920s-1960s Jewish Summer Resort Hotels, Grand Ballrooms and Swimming Pools Still Standing, Sullivan County (Exclusively on Our Map)
Sullivan County's Catskill Mountains were home to the "Borscht Belt" — hundreds of Jewish summer resorts that served New York City's Jewish population from the 1920s through the 1970s, launching the careers of Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks, Don Rickles and dozens of other comedians. When air travel made Florida and the Caribbean accessible, the Catskill resorts emptied within a generation. Grand ballrooms with sprung dance floors, Olympic swimming pools and hotel wings of hundreds of rooms now stand in various states of decay in the Sullivan County forest. One of the most nostalgic and most visually dramatic categories of abandoned places in New York State. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
4. Adirondack Iron Works – 1849 Blast Furnace and Ironworks Ruins in the Adirondack Forest, Still Standing on the Iron Works Road, Essex County (Exclusively on Our Map)
Built in 1849 to smelt iron ore from the rich Adirondack deposits, the Adirondack Iron Works operated through the Civil War — producing iron for the Union army — before the exhaustion of accessible ore and the rise of Pennsylvania steel made the remote Adirondack operation uneconomical. The stone blast furnace stack, foundry ruins and the millrace channel still survive in the Essex County forest, the Adirondack woods growing back around them for over 150 years. One of the most historically significant and most quietly atmospheric abandoned places in New York State. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
5. Abandoned Erie Canal Lock – 1820s-1840s Stone Lock Chamber with Original Ironwork Gates, Mohawk Valley (Exclusively on Our Map)
The original Erie Canal — which transformed New York into the commercial capital of America when it opened in 1825 — was enlarged and rerouted multiple times, leaving behind dozens of original 1820s stone lock chambers in the Mohawk Valley. These stone-cut canal locks, with their original wooden and iron gate hardware partially intact, represent one of the most significant surviving engineering infrastructures of early American industrial history. The combination of handcut limestone, ironwork and the waterway setting makes this one of the best abandoned places in New York State for early American canal era archaeology. Exact location available on our Abandoned Places Map USA.
Safety Tips for Urban Exploration in New York State
- New York enforcement: New York State has strict trespassing laws — always verify legal access before approaching any site and never force entry
- Catskills and Adirondacks terrain: mountain and forest sites can be isolated — always carry a map and let someone know your location before entering remote areas
- Never explore alone — always bring at least one other person and let someone know your location
The urbex code applies everywhere: "Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints."
❓ FAQ – Abandoned Places in New York State
What is the most famous abandoned place in New York State (outside NYC)?
Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island — a Scottish-style munitions storage fortress built in 1901 on a Hudson River island by military surplus dealer Francis Bannerman VI. Gutted by fire in 1969, the ruins rise from the river against the Storm King Mountain backdrop in one of the most dramatic ruin landscapes in the Northeast.
What were the Borscht Belt resorts?
Hundreds of Jewish summer resorts in Sullivan County's Catskill Mountains that served New York City's Jewish community from the 1920s through the 1970s. The resorts launched the careers of major American comedians including Jerry Seinfeld, Mel Brooks and Don Rickles. When air travel made Florida accessible, the Catskill resorts collapsed within a generation; grand ballrooms, swimming pools and hotel wings now decay in the Sullivan County forest.
Is the Hudson River State Hospital open to visitors?
Not officially — the campus is private property with active security. The main building and grounds are not publicly accessible, though the historic architecture is visible from the road. Preservation groups have been working on stabilization plans for the Vaux-designed main building.
🎯 Summary
New York State's abandoned buildings range from a Scottish munitions castle on the Hudson to Catskill resort ballrooms where generations of comedians made their names and Adirondack ironworks that supplied the Union Army. Each of these 5 abandoned places in New York State captures a different layer of a state whose history extends far beyond the city — into the mountains, the canals and the rivers that made New York the commercial heart of America.
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