abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

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abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating host Blake Pfeil’s experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States. Along the way, abandoned asks critical questions about American history and culture, community, capitalism and economics, the environment, and mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing. 🎧 Official Select - On-Air Fest (2023) 🏚️ Winner: Society of Professional Journalists - Top of the Rockies (Best of Podcasts - 2023) To learn more, visit www.allamericanruins.com. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All-American Ruins


    • May 1, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 20m AVG DURATION
    • 55 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

    Star Wars Dad (Mountain Drive-In - South Fallsburg, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 22:57


    While exploring the ruins of a once-popular drive-in movie theater, Blake thinks about his complicated relationship with his father, reimagining a screening of Star Wars that they attended together the year John was diagnosed with stage IV mesothelioma. May the 4th be with you. This episode features: John Pfeil Tiernan Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    A Finnish Ghost Story (Unknown Cabin - Pohjola, Finland)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 19:12


    Deep in the woods of the Finnish countryside sits a quaint house, red, and completely abandoned. In this international episode of abandoned, follow Blake inside where he has a run-in with a ghost-- and not an imaginary one. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Someone Lives Here (Unknown Casa - Merida, Mexico)

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 20:51


    “Abandoned” doesn't always mean “empty,” and in one particular vacant mini-mansion in Merida, Mexico, that is precisely the case. Continuing on his international circuit, join Blake as he spins an imaginary folk tale about the people who used to live in this house, while wandering its halls and reflecting on family, poetry, and gun violence. This episode features:  Perla Ayora Joseph Darnell Dorian Darnell Elsa Darnell (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Fear (Homemakers Custom Draperies - Niagara Falls, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 21:10


    Formerly a curtain shop in Niagara Falls, NY, a strange abandoned commercial space overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway draws Blake in as he ruminates on fear, in all of its unknowable power and mystery. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    A Detour (Colorado Motorsports & Greyhound Track - Byers, CO)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 16:58


    An accidental pitstop at the ruins of a motorsports track becomes a silent meditation on spirits, open carry laws, and the function of fear as an explorer of the past. Walk with Blake through a history full of the distant sounds of race cars burning rubber around and around the track, surrounded on all sides by the sunny plains of Colorado in autumn.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Cinema for the Ears at Garden State Film Festival

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 19:25


    Join Blake in conversation with Garden State Film Festival executive director Lauren Concar Sheehy as the pair discuss the festival's groundbreaking accessibility program “Cinema for the Ears,” which will feature season 2, episode 8 of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast in Asbury Park, NJ on March 29, 2025. For tickets and more information, visit GSFF.org.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    American Train (Bilevel Metrarail CalTrain - Jacumba Springs, CA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 17:50


    All-aboard as Blake guides you to an abandoned double-decker passenger train in the middle of the California desert. While wandering the ruins of the great American railway industry, join Blake as he reflects the evolution of transportation, the unraveling of corporate greed, and his lifelong love of trains, deserts, and making music.This episode features:Omen Sade“American Train” written and performed by Macabre Americana:Willy CoonLaura DadapJohn GilmartinLacey MaddenBlake Pfeil(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Nick and the Assassination of JFK (Irish Centre of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 21:05


    A last-minute decision to peek into the abandoned Irish Centre of Pittsburgh transforms into a daydream of a haunted heads-up penny and the assassination of JFK. Nestled among the City of Steel's rolling hills, join Blake as he guides you through a forgotten cinder block sanctuary of the past, where he reflects on the death of his first love and how the grief from the loss helped him survive.This episode features:Nicholas John CaseyJulie NovakIf you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, you can call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can also get support by visiting FindSupport.gov.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Megan and the Very Bad Dream (Tillson Elementary - Tillson, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 19:43


    What do Blake's sister, a giant, and a very bad dream have in common? Find out as Blake guides you through the abandoned Tillson Elementary School where he ponders his relationship with his sister and a recurring nightmare he had as a child.This episode features:Megan PfeilRyan Pfeil(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Nazis in the Canyon (Murphy Ranch - Los Angeles, CA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 17:48


    Once upon a time, there was an active Nazi compound situated in a Los Angeles canyon. After it was emptied of its filth in 1948, Murphy Ranch sat abandoned for years before the city transformed it into a public park, where, over time, the architectural remnants of evil slowly faded away, reclaimed by the dirt and stone of the canyon.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Busted (Delmar Inn - South Fallsburg, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2025 20:20


    The art of urban exploration often includes evading the authorities, but every once in a while, an adventurer gets caught. In the season 3 premiere, join Blake as he wanders the abandoned summer camp at the Delmar Inn, hidden away off a Catskill Mountain highway in New York.This episode features:Julie NovakThe Caretaker(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Trailer (Season 3) | abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 3:25


    Welcome to season 3 of the Ambie-nominated abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast. Join host Blake Pfeil as he guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and around the world. Along the way, abandoned asks critical questions about American history, culture, community, economics, the environment, and collective mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing. New episodes every other Thursday starting January 2, 2025.Winner, Signal Award for Best Experimental Podcast, Best Indie Podcast, Best Writing of an Individual Episode; Runner-Up for Most Innovative Audio ExperienceNominee, UK Press Gazette Future of Media AwardsWinner, Best History Podcast @ Melbourne WebFest, Parapod Podcast Awards, and PopCon Podcast Awards(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    In Memoriam: What Would Julie Do? (A Season 2 Re-Release)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2024 26:37


    On Saturday, August 31, 2024, All-American Ruins lost its biggest fan, and host Blake Pfeil lost his greatest urbex buddy: Julie Novak. In this special re-release of season 2, episode 4, “Julie is a Homo[wack],” join Blake for this audio memorial of a beloved community leader, queer mentor, and dear friend.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Goodbye, I'm Shelley Duvall (Nevele Grande Hotel -- Ellenville, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2024 14:00


    In this special bonus episode, Blake returns to the abandoned Nevele Grande Hotel where he says goodbye to one of his All-American Ruins muses, Shelley Duvall.To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Sunset Town: A Memory Poem (George's Music - Orlando, FL)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2024 6:00


    Sometimes, it's not possible to get inside an abandoned space, but the ghosts that may still linger among the ruins of George's Music in Orlando, FL activate Blake's imagination just the same. Join him for this special bonus episode as he daydreams the insides of the abandoned music store, surrounded on all sides by the echoes of America's Disney-stained future.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Loving with Abandon in America's Ruins: Louis and Fletcher

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2024 25:59


    Urban explorers Louis Inghilterra and Fletcher Petrucci met in the unlikeliest of places: an abandoned hospital in Denver, CO. Celebrate Pride 2024 with this bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast as host Blake Pfeil profiles Louis and Fletcher's unique journey to finding queer companionship and love inside the ruins of America.To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    A 10,000 Year-Old Story: All-American Ruins & Human Nature Odyssey

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2024 41:36


    Transmedia storyteller Alex Leff is the host of Human Nature Odyssey, a podcast that takes a unique look at humanity, civilization, and the fate of the world. In this bonus episode (which originally aired as a bonus episode for Human Nature Odyssey Patreon subscribers), join Alex as he interviews Blake where they discuss, what else? Abandoned spaces. Special thanks to Alex for letting us use this great audio.Learn more and subscribe to Human Nature Odyssey: https://www.podpage.com/human-nature-odyssey-1/Listen to more Human Nature Odyssey bonus content on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/humannatureodysseyPlease contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if you would like to advertise with All-American Ruins. You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Gratitude Transmissions from The Book of Exeter

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 11:43


    Blake explores a passage about ruins from The Book of Exeter, the oldest known and largest collection of Old English literature. Join him as he revisits a poetic, 10th century urbex perspective while reflecting on his gratitude for the reception of season 2-- and listen in for some exciting news about what's next for abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.Catch All-American Ruins in the wild:“Exploring the Abandoned with Blake Pfeil” - Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/podcast-exploring-the-abandoned-blake-pfeil “Unabandoned with Podcaster Blake Pfeil of All-American Ruins” - American Hysteria: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7qKg3EzrbTGh8WfxuBB3K3?si=pT3F9JuSTcerWz1UgVYOqQ Lost Highways, Season 5: “American Gothic” - History Colorado: https://www.historycolorado.org/lost-highways/2024/02/21/american-gothic “All-American Ruins: PANIC! LIKE THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE” - On Air Fest Official Select: https://www.onairfest.com/official-selects/panic-like-the-house-is-on-fire-blake-pfeil “All-American Ruins: Isabel & the Allentown Mafia” - UK International Radio Drama Festival: https://radiodramafestival.org.uk/ All-American Ruins: Nominee, Best Indie Podcast - The Ambies (2024): https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/ambies-2024-nominations-list-1235827600/ All-American Ruins at Podcast Movement Evolutions on 3/27/24: https://evolutions.podcastmovement.com/schedule/ “All-American Ruins: Isabel & the Allentown Mafia” - Prix Marulić International Festival of Radio Plays (Croatia): https://prix-marulic.hrt.hr/main-info/pre-selection-results-2024-11400955To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Sober (Neuweiler Brewery - Allentown, PA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 29, 2024 14:42


    In the season 2 finale of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, join Blake as he reflects on his journey to sobriety while wandering the ruins of the Neuweiler Brewery, where he narrowly escapes a run-in with security.This episode features:Isabel WilderNik Magill(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Zombies (AFI Industries - Port Jervis, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2024 15:05


    Overlooking the dusty trijunction of Port Jervis, NY sits the ruins of the AFI Packaging Plant. Join Blake on his triumphant return to the abandoned space in the middle of summer 2022 as he reflects on the pandemic and loneliness, against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse fantasy.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    A Chance Encounter (Pass Creek Market - Curtin OR)

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2024 20:38


    The accidental discovery of a curious abandoned space leads Blake to a chance encounter -- with a man named Steez. Join Blake as he explores the ruins of Pass Creek Market in Curtin, OR, a casualty of the 2008 housing crisis. And meet Steez, an off-the-grid hippy with an unusual appetite for deep conversation about capitalism, imagination and ghosts.This episode features:Jeremiah Wenutu(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Sex, Drugs, Depression (Central Middle-High School -- Painter, VA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2024 18:46


    Welcome to Painter, Virginia, home of the abandoned Central Middle-High School. Wander its ghostly hallways with Blake as he reflects on the American education system, explores class warfare, and has a brief encounter with death... and possibly Elizabeth Warren.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Mrs. Dalby and the Gravekeeper of Hatteras Island (Unknown Shanty - Hatteras, NC)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2024 18:17


    Sometimes, an abandoned space can summon a ghost - or maybe it's just a figment of the imagination. Either way, join Blake as he accompanies you to the ruins of a seaside shanty, standing proudly on the edge of a graveyard overlooking the mighty Atlantic Ocean in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. (And don't be surprised if you both run into a ghost named Mrs. Dalby.)This episode features: Elisabeth Henry Nik Magill(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Gerry: Requiem for a One-Night Stand (Waterfall Park - Rodanthe, NC)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2023 16:05


    Follow Blake to the ruins of Rodanthe, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where he guides you through the abandoned Waterfall Park and reflects on his childhood dreams, being single again, and a long-awaited one-night stand.This episode features:Tiernan Pfeil(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    In Which I Let You Go at the Ruins of the Universal Atlas Cement Plant

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2023 13:28


    On the banks of the Hudson River near Catskill, NY sits the abandoned Universal Atlas Cement Plant. Shut down between 1976-77, Blake wanders among the smokestacks and echoes of days gone by, reflecting on the end of a relationship, telling the truth, and ultimately, the act of forgiving oneself.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Bake with Jake (Hough Bakery Industries - Cleveland, OH)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 18:20


    Cleveland's Hough Bakery was once the largest multiple-unit bakery with locations across Ohio-- but in 1992, the company filed for bankruptcy and closed all 32 locations. Join Blake as he guides you through the ruins of the Hough Bakery on Lakeview Road, alongside one of his favorite humans on the planet.This episode features:Jacob Yarian(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Daniel: The Sunflower of Ukraine (Miradouro Panorâmico de Monsanto - Lisbon, Portugal)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2023 17:20


    On our first venture to an international location, join Blake atop a hill overlooking the vibrant city of Lisbon, Portugal, as he guides you through an abandoned restaurant while daydreaming of his Ukrainian friend and brother, artist Daniel Skripnik.This episode features:Daniel SkripnikThis episode features the song “Freedom” by Oleg Fedak.Music Info: Freedom - by SoulProdMusic.Music Link: https://bit.ly/3CkncRh(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Julie is a Homo[wack] (Homowack Lodge - Spring Glen, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2023 20:39


    Julie navigates the ruins of America in the same way she faces stage IV breast cancer: with a rambunctious and determined heart. At least, on the surface. Join Blake as he explores the architectural remains of the Homowack Lodge, alongside his fierce compatriot Julie, a compassionate and sensitive queer community leader in Hudson Valley, NY. While they wander through the abandoned Catskillian resort with its curious name, Julie reflects openly on cancer, America, and the unmitigated medicine of laughter.This episode features:Julie Novak(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Shannon and the Crisis of Confidence (Unknown I-10 Gas Station - Cactus City, CA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2023 17:03


    While reflecting on what makes an ideal friendship with his pal Shannon, Blake pokes about the ruins of an abandoned gas station in the California desert. Join him as he time warps back to 1979, when gas lines were long, Coca Cola was 45 cents a bottle, and President Jimmy Carter warned Americans about the Crisis of Confidence.This episode features:Shannon BordenLacey KeaneNik Magill(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Eric: Curious by Default (Great Barrington Fairgrounds - Great Barrington, MA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 17:20


    Featuring its cornerstone horse race track and grandstand, the Great Barrington Fairgrounds has sat abandoned since 1998. Join Blake as he wanders among the ghosts of fairs-gone-by while reflecting the hidden truth of his relationship with his lover Eric.This episode features:Jeremiah WenutuKrista BuccellatoAdam Machart(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    The Last Rites of Last Chance, CO

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2023 16:13


    Just over an hour east of Denver is a small ghost town called Last Chance. Upon first glance, it might look like just a clump of tiny abandoned houses. But look closer with Blake as he guides you through the ruins of Last Chance, Colorado, and together, uncover the mystery of why the remains of this widely unknown, defunct American geographical icon have continued to haunt passersby for decades after its demise.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Isabel and the Allentown Mafia (Lehigh Valley Dairy - Allentown, PA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2023 19:15


    We're kickstarting the second season of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast with a mafia hideout, a milk factory full of phantoms, and a curious, ghostly plant manager named Victor. Alongside his sister-from-another-mother, join Blake as he embarks on a mysterious trip to the abandoned Lehigh Valley Dairy where he ponders friendship, FDR's New Deal, and the dark side of the imagination.This episode features:Isabel WilderNik Magill(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Trailer (Season 2) | abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 14, 2023 5:00


    Coming September 28, 2023…Welcome to season 2 of the award-winning abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast. Join host Blake Pfeil as he guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States. Along the way, abandoned asks critical questions about American history and culture, community, capitalism and economics, the environment, and mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Reawakening Ruins: Charles Ferri and the Hudson House & Distillery

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2023 34:40


    Charles Ferri spent years searching for something, but it wasn't until he stumbled upon an empty monastery overlooking the Hudson River that he realized he'd found it. Join Blake as he explores the story behind the accidental preservationist of the once-abandoned Christian Brothers Monastery & School in West Park, NY.Read the transcript of this episode here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlLearn more about Hudson House & Distillery here: https://www.thehudsonhouseny.comLearn more about All-American Ruins: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    All-American Ruins at North Carolina Museum of History: History + Highballs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 14, 2023 62:11


    On July 20, 2023, North Carolina Museum of History hosted All-American Ruins as part of their History + Highballs virtual series. The program, entitled All-American Ruins: Reawakening the Healing Power of Imagination in Abandoned Spaces, started with a question: “Can the human imagination serve as a space of healing and serenity as much as it serves as a space of creativity and wonderment?”From North Carolina Museum of History: “Join multidisciplinary artist Blake Pfeil (creator of All-American Ruins) as he guides you through abandoned spaces across the United States and explores the healing power of imagination. Using multiple styles of storytelling, Pfeil draws an alternative roadmap of the country, investigating the cultural significance of American ruins, their lasting impact on American history, and ultimately, how the human imagination can have a powerful impact on our mental, emotional, and spiritual health.”You can rewatch the entire program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9vU42ieCLg&t=1760sYou can view the program deck here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gtVsSG3-Iqn25CjG55Gz3FHIFBfWyF6SqJf8FtSkdOY/edit?usp=sharingLearn more about All-American Ruins: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    What I'd Leave Behind (Unknown Cabin - Hudson Valley, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 3, 2023 16:29


    “What would I leave behind?” In this special bonus episode, join Blake on an existential quest to an abandoned cabin in the middle of the woods where he reflects on legacy, death, and imagines what his own home might look if it was abandoned.**Content warning: This episode contains what some may consider a gay slur. While referenced as a term of endearment - or, a reinvention of the word - some listeners may find it to be offensive. Please take care of your ears.Learn more about Artist Sharone Halevy: https://www.artbysharone.com/Read the transcript and learn more: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Little Kingdoms: Dylan Thuras and the Road Less Traveled to Atlas Obscura

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2023 32:00


    Dylan Thuras is the cofounder of Atlas Obscura, but he's more than a fancy title. Join Blake on this special bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast as he explores Dylan's journey to becoming a part of the urbex community, from his humble beginnings as a road trip kid, to a burgeoning graffiti artist who started to find his creative POV at the abandoned Gold Medal Flour Factory in Minneapolis, MN.Learn more about Atlas Obscura: https://www.atlasobscura.com Learn more about All-American Ruins: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    An Unexpected Eulogy for The Pines Hotel (Pines Hotel - South Fallsburg, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2023 10:55


    On June 18, 2023, The Pines Hotel (South Fallsburg, NY), one of the many abandoned Borscht Belt hotels, burned down. The two alarm fire that ravaged the property leaves behind an impactful cultural legacy for the decades of guests who created memories inside-- and a powerful personal legacy for abandoned host Blake Pfeil, who created different kinds of memories behind its shuttered windows and locked doors, far after it was left to ruin in 1998.http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Preserving the Borscht Belt: Marisa Scheinfeld

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 28:40


    Join Blake for this special episode profiling Marisa Scheinfeld, the preeminent photographer, historian, and preservationist of America's nearly forgotten Borscht Belt. Follow Scheinfeld's unique and deeply personal journey as she preserves the legacy of the “Jewish Alps,” from publishing The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland to spearheading the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project.Learn more about Marisa: https://www.marisascheinfeld.com Learn more about the Borscht Belt Historical Marker Project: https://www.borschtbelthistoricalmarkerproject.org/ http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Abandoned World App Co-Founder Maxime Gerbe: A Special Bonus Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2023 18:39


    Join Blake for this special conversation with Maxime Gerbe, the founder of Abandoned World, a tech platform that puts crowdsourced, mapped locations for abandoned spaces across the world at your fingertips. This conversation originally aired on The Pfeil File, a weekly program on Radio Kingston/WKNY (AM 1490/FM 107.9 in Kingston, NY).Learn more: www.itsabandoned.comwww.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Greta Thunberg House, Revisited: A Special Bonus Episode

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2023 7:46


    Abandoned spaces can inspire artists and explorers in all sorts of ways, including through music. Join Blake for this special bonus episode where he shares a song he wrote, inspired by his quest to the abandoned “Greta Thunberg House” from season 1, episode 11.Happy Earth Month!Learn more: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The Dairy Farm, Revisited: A Special Collaboration with History Colorado

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2023 30:54


    In partnership with History Colorado, join Blake for this special, award-winning bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast where he takes a deeper dive into the history of the original All-American Ruins location from his childhood: the abandoned dairy farm at the Modern Woodmen of America Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Colorado Springs, CO.Read the companion article "All-American Ruins" in History Colorado's The Colorado Magazine: https://www.historycolorado.org/story/2023/01/27/all-american-ruinsWatch the entire "The Land of Sunshine" 1933 PSA about the MWA Tuberculosis Sanatorium here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yft_uoglRzM (courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District)Watch the entire United States Public Health Service's "This is TB" 1949 PSA here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjQhclE6Sl0&t=10s (courtesy of the National Library of Medicine)Learn more about the tuberculosis epidemic in Colorado here: https://www.cspm.org/cos-150-story/the-city-of-sunshine/ (courtesy of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlThis episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast was honored as part of the Society of Professional Journalists Top of the Rockies Awards for 2023.Special thanks:Sam Bock at History ColoradoKevin & Marie Bush at the Woodmen Valley Fire DepartmentMatt Mayberry, Hillary Mannion, and Susan Conde at the Pioneers MuseumThe staff at the Pikes Peak Library DistrictArchivist Sister Stephanie McReynolds at Mt. Saint Francis Nursing CenterK from the No Tracers PodcastLeah White at Modern Woodmen of America Fraternal Financial You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    The People Who Used to Live Here (Unknown Mansion - Hurley, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2022 18:23


    In the season one finale of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, follow Blake into his imagination as he recounts his experience exploring an abandoned mansion off a county highway in Ulster County, NY where he reflects on capitalism, exile, and chosen family.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Panic Like the House is on Fire (Unknown House - Kingston, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2022 19:20


    PANIC LiKe the houƨe iƨ on fiReJoin Blake on his expedition to an abandoned house at the foot of the Catskill Mountains that has been transformed into a makeshift artistic monument honoring climate activist Greta Thunberg--and Mother Nature herself.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Kings Park Psychiatric Center - Kings Park, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 8, 2022 26:35


    Join host Blake Pfeil for this special episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast as he chats with Radio Kingston/WKNY Executive Director Jimmy Buff about his personal experiences at the notorious abandoned psychiatric hospital on Long Island, NY.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    The King of Letchworth Village (Letchworth Psychiatric Village - Thiells, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2022 28:42


    It's 1972, and Geraldo Rivera is on a mission to expose the horrific conditions inside psychiatric hospitals across New York. Fly back in time with Blake where he meets a curious, new imaginary friend named Carl who shows him around the abandoned, infamous psychiatric facility Letchworth Village in Thiells, NY.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Norman Bates and Gerald Foos and Me (Sawyerkill Motel - Saugerties, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2022 27:40


    In 1960, the world was introduced to the fictional voyeur and motel owner Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's revolutionary horror film Psycho; and in 2016, the world was introduced to the nonfictional voyeur and motel owner Gerald Foos in Gay Talese's book The Voyeur's Motel. In this episode of abandoned, host Blake Pfeil is introduced to both (in his imagination) as he wanders the abandoned Sawyerkill Motel just off the New York State Thruway in Saugerties, NY.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Sometimes I Pretend I'm Erin Brockovich, Pt. II (C&D Technologies - Huguenot, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2022 24:35


    Fall into part two of Blake's Erin Brockovich fantasy thriller as he explores the second of two abandoned industrial spaces, infamous for former EPA violations: C&D Technologies in Huguenot, NY. (Listen to "Sometimes I Pretend I'm Erin Brockovich, Part I here.)(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Sometimes I Pretend I'm Erin Brockovich, Pt. I (Al Tech Specialty Steel Co. - Colonie, NY)

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2022 21:48


    In the first of a two-part episode, fall into Blake's Erin Brockovich fantasy thriller as he explores two abandoned industrial spaces infamous for former EPA violations. First up: the Al Tech Specialty Steel Corporation, a Superfund site just outside of Albany, NY.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    Coyote (Marin Headlands - Sausalito, CA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2022 21:53


    The Marin Headlands is an enormous chunk of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Hillside, cliffside, and waterside all-in-one, the unique geography is dotted by several abandoned military sites. It is also the location of this deeply personal episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, where host Blake Pfeil reflects on divorce, codependency, self-forgiveness, and a surprise encounter with a coyote.(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

    acast coyote hillside sausalito marin headlands golden gate national recreation area ryan pfeil
    Dodgin' COVID-19 Like the Cops (Penn Hills Resort - Analomink, PA)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2022 18:45


    Four days before the January 6th insurrection at the United States Capitol, Blake wanders the Penn Hills Honeymoon Resort in the Poconos, unaware of what's about to happen to the country. On this episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, time travel to a homogeneous couples resort with a history wrought with tax evasion, swingers parties, and good-ol'-fashioned heart-shaped tubs.Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones

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