New York is no stranger when it comes to abandoned subway systems, from New York City all the way to Buffalo you’ll find several locations that have been left to rot away and become swallowed up by nature. Out in the city of Rochester, there’s a fascinating piece of our state’s history that has been withering away with time right before our eyes.

Opening in 1927, the abandoned Rochester Industrial and Rapid Transit Railway has now been left to decay in the heart of the city.
Zack Seward/Flickr
The subway was less than ten miles long and only ended up servicing the city until 1956.
Running where the original Erie Canal once was, the city would take advantage of the empty space by creating this small subway system.
Rick Harris/Flickr
It was back in 1918 when the original Erie Canal was re-routed to bypass Downtown Rochester, a fascinating time in New York's history.

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Over the years it has been debated on what exactly should happen to the ruins of this old railway system.
Zack Seward/Flickr
Several city officials of Rochester have made attempts to do something with the city's ruins, only to never have any real solutions come about. Nowadays the abandoned underground area is visited by urban explorers, artists and all those who are curious about this piece of the past.
The underground space has become one of the most popular areas in the city for graffiti, with almost all of the tunnels being covered in art now.
Steven Ransel/Flickr
When it comes to figuring out what should be done with the Rochester Subway, it's often suggested that the area be turned into some type of safe haven for artists. The tunnels are constantly being covered in art, making the sound of turning this into an art venue not seem like such a bad idea.
Lack of resources and funding have prevented any real change from happening to these abandoned tunnels, leaving its bones to deteriorate over time.
Colin Knowles/Flickr
Besides the suggestion of making this place some sort of art venue, it's also been suggested that the tunnels be turned into some kind of museum to recognize the railway's history or even turning the area into a bike path. If you decide to be daring enough to explore this underground world, you'll find all sorts of people taking an adventure down here, frequently many of those being residents riding on bikes!

Today one of the most popular areas of the tunnels to visit is where it falls underneath the Broad Street Bridge, with another popular viewing place being on South Avenue near Dinosaur Bar-B-Que.

To see more of what these ruins look like, watch the amazing footage captured by Ander Kazmerski on YouTube below!

Have you ever dared to go inside Rochester’s subway? Tell us what you think the city should do with this abandoned piece of history! If you’re willing to explore more ruins of New York then try taking this Road Trip That Will Lead You To Abandoned Places throughout our Downstate area!

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