Everyone In Illinois Should See What’s Inside The Gates Of This Abandoned Flight School

Have you ever seen an abandoned building and wondered what its history was? If you're like me, I love knowing the story behind an abandoned building and trying to picture it in its heyday. That's why I love following the work of Decaying Midwest, a group of explorers who traverse the Midwest photographing abandoned places. Their work gives us an incredible, and often creepy, inside look at deserted places where people once thrived. This abandoned flight school in Cahokia, Illinois was one location that struck me for its ghost town-like appearance.

Just near St. Louis along the southwestern edge of Illinois is the former Parks Air College in the small town of Cahokia.

The college was established in 1928 and served as an anchor in the town, teaching pilots how to fly and earning the reputation as the "Harvard of Aviation."

But in 1996, its operations were absorbed by Saint Louis University, which changed the name to Parks College of Aviation, Engineering and Technology and moved the location closer to the rest of the university in St. Louis.

The historic college has now sat abandoned for nearly 30 years, resembling more of the site of a plane crash than a place where education takes place.

Training equipment, documents, chairs, glass, and trash are strewn about the old hallways, while outside nature is reclaiming the property.

One of the most striking remnants is this cockpit shell, possibly used as a flight simulator or training deck.

Graffiti from explorers now lines the walls of the once-great air school.

Unfortunately for Parks Air College, a parachute of hope for the future never opened. Yet, as long as its buildings are here — though abandoned — its legacy lives on.

Have you ever heard of this abandoned flight school in Cahokia, Illinois? Do you know of any other abandoned Illinois places? Tell us in the comments! See more photos from the old Parks Air College on the Decaying Midwest Facebook page, and follow along with them here for new posts on other creepy abandoned Illinois spots. Interested in even more deserted places in the Prairie State? Check out this list of 10 of the most interesting abandoned places, then take this thrilling abandoned Illinois road trip!