Forgotten places


When a hurricane destroys a town or a shopping mall flops, once buzzing eateries can get left behind, becoming nothing more than shells with faded menus, peeling paint and trash that hint at its former life. From an empty McDonald’s to a deserted Kmart, these ransacked restaurants, derelict diners, forgotten food courts and ghostly grocery stores will give you chills.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

McDonald’s, Adak, Alaska

On the remote island of Adak, Alaska, there’s an abandoned and dilapidated McDonald’s that dates back to when this was an old navy town in the 1990s. At one point, the island had a population of around 6,000 people, made up of military personnel and their families. It had many things you’d find in central America such as Pizza Hut, Baskin Robbins and this McDonald’s.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

McDonald’s, Adak, Alaska

If you take a walk around the building, the entrances are said to be bolted but the blinds are open so you can look inside. Check out the dated furnishings in muted red, beige and blue. It’s a stark contrast from the bright, modern look of today’s McDonald’s restaurants.

Read about the most amazing McDonald’s restaurants in the world




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

McDonald’s, Adak, Alaska

Here, it’s like time froze in the 1990s – on the menu there’s a Quarter Pounder with cheese for $2.60 which, nowadays, costs about double that. The menu also advertises desserts such as low-fat frozen yogurt and apple pie, and a breakfast menu that’s similar to today’s. You can even see what toy you would have received in a Happy Meal if you were a kid 30 years ago – a Bobby’s World mascot (it was a popular children’s TV show).

Discover the incredible story of how McDonald’s conquered the world




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Kansas Fried Chicken, Coney Island, New York

The shuttered Shore Theater was bought by the owner of the Kansas Fried Chicken chain, Horace Bullard, in 1979. It hadn’t screened movies since the 1970s but Bullard had big plans for the dilapidated area, purchasing a number of other properties at the same time. Pictured is the Shore and Kansas Fried Chicken in 1990.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Kansas Fried Chicken, Coney Island, New York

Unfortunately, Bullard’s development plans never came to fruition and Kansas Fried Chicken eventually closed. Locals, ignorant to the fact Bullard had become ill, criticized him for not doing enough to maintain his properties. People say the chicken shop has been closed for at least 25 years.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Kansas Fried Chicken, Coney Island, New York

Passersby have been able to photograph the inside. Tables and chairs are strewn across the room, bits of the ceiling are on the floor and trash like a soda cup is stood on the table. The menu is still readable – you could get a shrimp basket for $5.49, a 15-piece bucket of chicken for $15.99, potato salad and pies.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Kansas Fried Chicken, Coney Island, New York





Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Magic Island, Houston, Texas

A grand restaurant with music and entertainment, Magic Island was a staple of Houston’s nightlife when it opened in 1983. It started as a private members’ club before opening to the public, and was decked out in ornate Ancient Egyptian-style furnishings. Sadly, when Hurricane Ike hit in 2008, the building caught fire and had to close. It has stood empty since.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Magic Island, Houston, Texas

Before its demise, some of the features of the grand two-story building included gold doors, red carpet, an enormous chandelier, murals and hieroglyphics, Egyptian-style mummy statues, dark wood furnishings and plush cushions. In these pictures you can see what’s left is worn down and strewn about the place.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Magic Island, Houston, Texas

This was the theater where magic shows were held. Many families have fond memories of celebrating anniversaries and birthdays here, and being dazzled after dinner by visiting performers. Eventually squatters and vandals moved into the building which didn’t help its preservation.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Magic Island, Houston, Texas

Its owner, neurologist Mohammed Athari whose office is next door, announced plans to restore the 22,000-square-foot (2,044sqm) property to its former glory in 2018. Building work began and it was due to reopen in late 2018, but it has now been delayed indefinitely.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Ashtabula Mall, Ashtabula, Ohio

The food court at Ashtabula Mall, now known as Ashtabula Towne Square, looks eerily quiet in these pictures from 2014. It once featured a Ruby Tuesday, Mr. Hero, Sbarro, Sakkio Japan and a Wendy’s, and was packed full of customers refueling after shopping. Now all the outlets are shuttered and the seating area is closed off.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Ashtabula Mall, Ashtabula, Ohio

Despite the mall still being open, the food court remains empty and it struggles to keep customers coming in, with just a few stores fighting to retain interest. In its heyday in 1992, it had a Dillard’s, Sears, Phar-Mor and Carlisle’s. In early 2020, the mall was purchased for more than $10 million by the owners of another mall in Akron. The company said Ashtabula Mall has potential for development.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Super Kmart, Madison Heights, Michigan

Since 2014, this vast Super Kmart has stood ominous and empty on John R Road, Madison Heights. It was built in 1962 as an E.J. Korvette, a discount department store, then it became a Kmart in 1981 and a Super Kmart in 2000. The store was never particularly popular but customers went there to buy lunch and other groceries such as meat, vegetables and spices.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Super Kmart, Madison Heights, Michigan

In early 2019, it was announced the 143,000-square-feet (13,285sqm) store would be demolished to make way for a new members-only store similar to Costco. BJ’s Wholesale Club opened at the end of 2019. Pictured is a wall where the store’s Super Kmart sign has been removed.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Lincoln Park Shopping Center, Lincoln Park, Michigan

Fondly known as “the Sears shopping center”, Lincoln Park Shopping Center was a strip mall in Lincoln Park that opened in 1957. Once a busy mall, it had a giant Sears which was one of the best performing in the country, as well as a Dollar Tree, Rainbow USA, Arlan’s, Winkelman’s and China Buffet. It also hosted a re-election rally for President Ronald Reagan.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Lincoln Park Shopping Center, Lincoln Park, Michigan

By 2000 the mall was mostly empty. One of the final tenants to leave was China Buffet (pictured) which was gone by 2015. It was a buffet and takeout serving fried appetizers, chicken and broccoli, egg drop soup and egg rolls, to name a few things – its reviews weren’t great.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Lincoln Park Shopping Center, Lincoln Park, Michigan


Dated and dilapidated, China Buffet was carpeted and had purple walls, blue marble tables and wooden sections. Now even more run down since it shuttered, the ceiling is broken and falling onto the floor.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Lincoln Park Shopping Center, Lincoln Park, Michigan

Pictured is the shell of Farmer Jack which was in the neighboring retail park to Lincoln Park Shopping Center. The sign has been taken away and only the outline remains. In an interview with News-Herald, a former worker recalls its history, including a strike in 1987 which caused tension between staff – the meat cutters’ union and truck drivers refused to honor the strike and crossed the picket line.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Lincoln Park Shopping Center, Lincoln Park, Michigan





Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Forest Fair Mall food court, Cincinnati, Ohio

One of the biggest malls in Ohio, Forest Fair Mall opened in the late 1980s with a Bigg’s Hypermarket and several department stores. A bustling community hub, the mall, also known as Cincinnati Mall, had a carousel in its early days and the food court featured a beach with sand. It underwent millions of dollars’ worth of renovations in the early 1990s and again in 2004, but eventually struggled to keep its shops from shuttering.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Forest Fair Mall food court, Cincinnati, Ohio





Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Tom’s Diner, Ledgewood, New Jersey





Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.

Tom’s Diner, Ledgewood, New Jersey

Although it’s decaying slightly with water damage, a broken ceiling and peeling paint, the menu above the counter clearly displays what breakfast dishes locals would have ordered – pancakes, French toast, omelets, bacon sandwiches and corned beef hash were on offer. Its past customers used to come back to decorate it at Christmas and the owner’s son, also called Tom, was trying to raise money to restore it. However, the site was demolished in April 2021 and it’s not yet known if it will be redeveloped.




Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something through recommended links in this article.


25/25 SLIDES