The Urbex rules we live by

1. Never break anything in order to enter. If we don’t have permission or cannot just walk/climb in then find another place to explore.

2. Never take anything. We often find cool antiques that we have to leave right where we found them. This way the next explorers can enjoy the experience the same way we did. Remember, theft is theft.

3. Always be safe. We explore in groups and utilize the proper safety gear. Masks with particulate and carbon filters are critical. We also wear bump-caps. Check out our gear section for links. You are responsible for your own safety. Never rush. Urban exploring is dangerous. Poor or impaired judgment can get you killed. Lead, asbestos, mold, and silica dust cause cancer, brain damage, and other long term illnesses. 

4. Vandalism is never acceptable. While we appreciate all forms of art, we will not be partaking or exploring with anyone that does.

Urbex Tips

1. Always wear pants. Poison Ivy and Poison Oak is itchy and really sucks. 

2. Abandoned Wells are everywhere and some houses have more than one. Don’t go falling in one. 

3. Exploring after a rain makes walking through the woods silent. 

4. Take the proper gear to stay safe and protect yourself. Check out our recommended gear HERE.

5. Be professional and respectful. There will come a time when you are approached by someone that does not appreciate you exploring a property. This can be a property owner, neighbor, security officer, or the police. You want to differentiate yourself from those unsavory trespassers that vandalize and steal. Dress nice, be polite, and accept that you are exploring someone else’s property. If you don’t have permission you need to be aware that in most cases whether or not you are criminally charged is solely up to the property owner.

Location Sharing Tips

1. Don’t ask for locations or share them in public. Creators might share a location with you but don’t want to share with the entire world. For every comment asking for a location in a public, there are 20 in private. The community behind the scenes and not shown is pubic on social media is amazing. An amazing urbex family!

2. Offer to trade and not the easily googled locations. This proves you have done the work and your not a 14 year old that is going to go get themselves killed. Support the community by discovering new locations.

3. Have good content on your page that gives others some confidence you’re not going to smash or steal.

Why creators are reluctant to share locations

1. In some cases, creators get permission with the agreement they won’t share locations. I really don’t want to piss off a developer that has granted us access to 10 places because you don’t want to put the work in.

2. Many creators make money and have families to support. This isn’t a high school or college project gone rogue. Limiting liability is key to sustaining.

3. When we spent 20 hours of research and scouting to find a single location very few if anyone knows about we earned it. We didn’t do this work just to give out the address because it looks like fun.

4. The best locations are never posted on social media. 

5. Locations are currency and badges of honor. It is not a competition but there is pride in finding a new location or exploring a risky one.

How to find abandoned places near you

1. Old fashioned scouting or driving around will yield decent abandoned placed to explore but usually, the real gems are off the beaten path and the next few methods will be key to finding them. Small towns hid the best hidden gems.

2. Pan your way to success with Google Maps, Bing Maps, Google Earth, and other online satellite maps. Look for roofs showing rafters or ones looking worn, debris scattered on the outside, and parking lots that need refinishing. Look up the county property records for tips on the status of the property.  Check for things like the following: Is the property delinquent in taxes, property value, private owner or business, and tax mailing address.

3. Search for news articles of fires, business closures, etc.

4. Many counties have websites dedicated to tax-delinquent properties. They want someone to buy them and they are mostly abandoned.

5. Search Foreclosures, Auctions, and Bank Owned Properties.

6. Become a trusted partner in the urban exploring community and you will be in the know. The more locations you have to trade the more new locations you can obtain.

7. Ask the townsfolk! When staying in a hotel I always ask the front desk staff. If they tell you about one tip them and they will often message their friends and send you more.

**Some may think I am giving away secrets but those experience explorers know additional methods not listed. Most people that ask for locations are not dedicated and will not invest the time required to find the truly amazing abandoned places.

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