Take A Thrilling Road Trip To The 6 Most Abandoned Places In Florida

What is it about abandoned places in Florida that capture the imagination of visitors and residents alike? You can’t help but wonder what these ruins once looked like and how they fell through the cracks. Though some of the places on this list have thankfully been saved, they all are or were at one time abandoned and continue to hold some of that haunting feeling. This epic road trip can be completed in a weekend and makes for a truly fascinating time with friends.

The best route for this road trip is definitely South Florida down to the Keys. Not only are many of these once-abandoned landmarks fascinating, but they are also surrounded by incredible natural beauty.

1. Koreshan State Historic Site, Estero

The Koreshan Unity was a religious community that settled in Estero, FL, in 1894. They held the belief that the Earth was hollow and humanity lived on the inside of its shell. Visitors can tour this ghost town and even stay at the campground.

Address: 3800 Corkscrew Rd, Estero, FL 33928.

2. Cape Romano Domes, Collier County

Though it may look like the remnants of six homes, it was really just one, built on Cape Romano near Marco Island in southwest Florida. Its builder was a brilliant oil producer named Bob Lee, and it was built of concrete in 1980. Each of the domes held a different room, and the strange design was actually intended to withstand hurricanes. Though it was strong, interior damage from Hurricane Andrew led to its abandonment in the early 90s. It was finally bought again in 2005, but Hurricane Wilma struck soon after. Talk about bad luck. The water has been rising here for quite some time. Though the county demanded its destruction long ago, it has become a sort of odd attraction in the area.

3. Miami Marine Stadium

The Miami Marine Stadium, built in 1963 on Virginia Key, Miami, was used for water sports, concerts and other events until it was deemed unsafe after Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Address: 3501 Rickenbacker Causeway, Key Biscayne, FL 33149.

4. Stiltsville, Key Biscayne

By most accounts Stiltsville, began in the 1930s as several offshore clubs cropped up a mile south of Cape Florida in Miami-Dade County. These clubs were popular hangouts for all kinds of wealthy and influential people seeking to indulge in vices such as gambling until a hurricane in 1965 damaged the community beyond repair. The remaining seven houses are maintained and protected by the National Park Service. Currently, only the exteriors can be viewed, and the interiors are off-limits.

5. Overseas Railroad/Old Overseas Highway, Florida Keys

In 1905, the industrialist Henry M. Flagler decided to extend the Florida East Coast Railway beyond Miami, all the way to Key West. In 1935, nature delivered a fatal blow when a Category 5 hurricane took out a large part of the middle section of the railroad and made it unusable. The state of Florida built the Overseas Highway over salvageable portions of the structures that remained. A new highway was built in the 1980s, alongside some of the railway ruins. The state has converted parts of the old structures into fishing piers and walking paths called the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail.

6. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys

Located about 70 miles west of Key West, this massive fortress is the largest masonry structure in the entire Western Hemisphere. This abandoned 19th-century fort was actually never completed. Fort Jefferson may be huge and desolate, but the impressive masonry and stunning surroundings make it hauntingly beautiful.

What do you think? Would you take this tour of some of Florida's most haunting landmarks? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section! Or if you have any other abandoned places in Florida that we should check out, make sure to keep us in the loop!