I've always had a fascination with abandoned buildings. They are like books just waiting to be opened - and you can't help but wonder, if only the walls could talk, what stories would they tell? Broken window panes, clothes left hanging in a closet, spices left on a kitchen counter top - they are like clues in a real-life mystery.

I've always wanted to take my camera out and explore the hidden gems around the state, from old barns to long-empty houses, but somehow it never happens. Fortunately, there is an incredible supply of talented photographers in Virginia with more focus (gotta love a good photography pun) and dedication than I have. And lucky for me, many of them share my obsession with old buildings and abandoned sites and are willing to share their amazing photographs.

The following collection represents the exploration and hard work of some of these photographers. As you look through the images, imagine for yourself the lives and stories they represent. There are homes that have been reclaimed by their surroundings. Business now closed and boarded. Even schools left to fall in on themselves. Who were the people that once filled these spaces with life? Why did they leave...and where are they now? It's like an interactive "choose your own adventure" storybook...so sit back, get creative and enjoy the story...

1. This old farmhouse must have once been full of life. With clothes still hanging in the closet, you have to wonder why everyone left in such a hurry.

2. Bourne's Market in Bluefield has seen better days. Of course, I can't imagine the mortuary next door was particularly good for business.

3. What is left of an old barn in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It seems like even a slight wind could turn this into a pile of sticks.

4. Hidden on Bethelem Road in Dillon's Mill, this old house has all but disappeared into the surrounding landscape.

5. Not quite so hidden, but equally mysterious, a farmhouse in Ashburn leaves more questions than it provides answers. Mice seem to be the only ones using the kitchen these days. Although what mice need with cinnamon is beyond me.

6. Agnes Helena Jones Elementary School in Stony Creek has more than enough to fuel the imagination. Built in 1965 to solve for overcrowding in Sussex County, the school doesn't leave much information behind - for example, why are there beds in an elementary school?

7. Settled in 1745, Eggleston was Giles County's first permanent settlement, but time has taken its toll. This is all that's left of the old high school.

8. Fleetwood Church was built in 1850. It was the site of the largest equestrian battle of the Civil War - and it's for sale. $50,000 and you can own a little part of history.

9. This farmhouse in Floyd came long before the days of McMansions and master suites. I can only imagine life was hard for the farmers who called this place home.

10. Fulton Gas Works provided natural gas to Richmond City from 1851 until it closed in 1972. It now sits empty, providing only a canvas for graffiti and incredible photo ops.

11. It's hard to tell where the fallen trees stop and the woodshed begins at this farmhouse in Hickman (Franklin County).

12. Liberty Hall School in Lodi sits vacant after closing in 1981. This once magestic school, dating from the early 1800s, became a local farmer's tobacco, hay and pig barn. Now empty, it still carries signs of its former elegance, which only seems to make its current condition that much sadder.

13. The "Old Burnt Mill" (c.1842) in Hillsboro got it's name after being burned by Union soldiers during the Civil War. You have to admire a building that still stands, even under the weight of all that history.

14. Reminders of the life that once filled this house in Callaway now fill the front yard.

15. The J.S. Young Extract Company building in Charlottesville didn't go down without a fight. It was only open as an extract plant from 1916 - 1920, but since then, it has served as apartments, as well as the pet project for more than one would-be renovator. Sadly, nothing seems to stick.

16. This may be one of my favorite images, for its eeriness, as well as its subtlety. Man and nature come together perfectly as a tree grows straight through the span of an abandoned railroad trestle in Richmond.

17. The Virginia-Line Gas Station sits in decay just over the North Carolina border near Danville.

18. The trees seem to hug this house in White Plains. It would have been creepy while living there, but now it seems kind of endearing.

19. The Bertha Hotel along the New River Trail near Galax used to serve railroad workers in the late 1800s. I don't want to know who or what might stay there now.

20. Who doesn't remember hot summer nights at the drive-in? Unfortunately, with so few drive-in theaters left, those nights, like this theater near Saltville, are just a memory.

21. A handmade sign and peeling paint is all that remains of this "outlet" just over the North Carolina border in Danville.

When people check out, nature has a funny way of taking over - whether through decay or by actually growing in, around and through whatever is in its way. How many of these places have you seen? Tell us what you know about their stories in the comments below. Or let us know about abandoned places you might pass every day - what do you know about their history?