The World's Most Mystifying Ghost Towns

Published January 11, 2013

Updated November 9, 2023

Ghost Towns: Bodie, California

Evocative of the ephemeral joys that come with wealth and a spectral testament to the consequences of man’s endless pursuit of profit, Bodie, California is one of the United States’ most-photographed ghost towns.

Founded in the mid 19th century following the discovery of gold, Bodie eventually acquired an impressive amount of fortune seekers, infrastructure and cultural centers. However, once word spread that there was more easily attained prosperity in Montana, Arizona and Utah, the only bustling present within the city center was that of tumbleweeds.

Source: Wallpaper Pimper

Source: James Fike

Source: R Rockley

Source: Paranormal Knowledge

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author

Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.

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Cox, Savannah. "Five Of The World’s Most Mystifying Ghost Towns." AllThatsInteresting.com, January 11, 2013, https://mirror.pbh-network.com/mystifying-ghost-towns/. Accessed March 20, 2026.