When you see the town of Kennicott, AK, from a distance, it looks like a perfectly picturesque little town from long ago, with red-painted buildings perched on the hills and overlooking the breathtaking Alaska mountains.
Get a little closer, though, and you'll see that while it was a town, it's now a ghost town, and has been abandoned for more than 75 years.
Today, Kennicott is a historical landmark and a popular tourist attraction, because if there's one thing people love, it's exploring the places where people lived and worked long ago, like the town that disappeared under a lake, or the mining town way up near the North Pole. It was also designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986, as it shows the history of the state's industry and growth.
It's also managed by the National Park Service, so some of the buildings are safe to go inside — of course, under the watch of a tour guide and while wearing a hard hat, just in case.
If you can't get to Alaska, check out this pretty little piece of history in the photos below!
[H/T: Amusing Planet]
The now-abandoned town of Kennicott, located near southern Alaska's Wrangell Mountain, was founded as a mining town in the 1900s after a rich vein of copper ore was discovered.
A railroad was built to transport the ore to the nearest port, and a town of miners soon sprang up.
The town was named Kennicott, but it was actually a spelling error. The copper company managing the mines was Kennecott Copper Corporation, but the second e was mistaken for an i.
The town was officially founded in 1911.
Like most mining towns in the early 1900s, it was populated entirely by miners. The workers were not permitted to bring their families, and drinking and gambling were also prohibited in Kennicott.
Therefore, a new town sprung up just five miles away. The town of McCarthy allowed all of the above (as well as a flourishing red light district).
Between 1909 and 1938, Kennicott produced some $200 million worth of copper ore. At its peak, the mines and the mill town had a population of about 600 in total.
But in 1938, everything shut down. The copper ore had been depleted after 27 years of mining.
The Kennecott Copper Corporation abandoned the town abruptly. With no more work, the miners and their families left McCarthy, many of them leaving their homes and belongings behind, too.
The only people left were a family of three who served as guards until the early 1950s.
In the 1960s, reviving the mining was proposed, but transportation made it too difficult. It was also too difficult to demolish the buildings, so Kennicott was simply left.
The town of McCarthy still exists, and maintains a year-round population of about 25.
People love exploring old things, though, and by the 1980s, Kennicott had become popular with tourists, and it was designated a landmark in 1986.
Today, tourists can hike to Kennicott, as well as to the surrounding mines in the mountains and explore this almost-forgotten piece of history.
From McCarthy, Kennicott is nearly an eight-mile hike, although sometimes there are shuttles.
Some of the buildings have also been restored, at least partially, and tours are available. And wearing a hard hat is required!
Most of the old milling machinery is still intact, too.
Today, Kennicott is bringing in money, just in a way that its founders might have never expected. And though it's clearly abandoned, it's still quite picturesque with its red buildings and the stunning Alaska landscape behind them.
Would you visit Kennicott? Or do you know a better abandoned place to explore? Let us know in the comments, and SHARE with your explorer friends!
