Abandoned Buildings: Trespassing?

[<AkulA>]

Ok, so I've been seeing a ton of great interior photos of abandoned buildings with spectacular subjects, and great natural lighting.

I would like to try some of this... but to put it quite literally, I'm SCARED!!

Do you guys try and get permission for these kinds of adventures, or just waltz into these places? Do you think having a camera might help you get out of trouble if something were to happen (such as police being notified)? And do you guys have any protection from crazy vagrants or anything? LoL

Any tips, laws, ideas, and especially past experiences would be greatly appreciated!

[Statement]

Go in with a few friends and be careful. Use your common sense. Police don't usually go inside to search for you, because the buildings are too big and it would be a hopeless search. IF the police show up, they will just wait for a little while for you to come outside. You wait them out and just sit somewhere, and eventually they will leave. If not, talk to them, explain that you're sorry and you will leave immediately, you were just working on a project. As a guideline, the places with "No trespassing" signs posted all over are going to be more heavily watched and the police will be a lot less leniant. Pick buildings that are easy to enter and don't have any posted signs.

Crazy vagrants...well, I've gone in buildings for a few years and only seen other people twice. Once it was definitely an insane woman just sitting on a rug chanting...the other time it was another group of kids with cameras. I don't think that there's anything in those places for the homeless or insane, etc. Think about it, if you're looking for a victim, its VERY unlikely that you'll happen to run into somebody in one of those places. But if you see someone, judge them harshly by looks and play it safe..stay back, get away, grab a 2x4, do whatever you need to do, but this is really unlikely.

[Statement]

Hope that helps?

[<AkulA>]

Yea it does... I'm still chicken tho, LoL

[Cynthia in Alameda]

Beware of safety issues on older abandoned buildings. My brother and I went into the abandoned train station in Buffalo, but you really need hard hats, masks (asbestos) and ropes for safety. BTW, people who do this are called "creepers" or "infliltrators" and there are groups of them that go creeping together, especially in New York.

One guy has photographed the Buffalo train station extensively, some of it before vandals destroyed stuff like the marble bathroom.

Here are a few sites to check out:
http://www.infiltration.org/abandoned-bct.html
http://www.buffalohistoryworks.com/terminal/death/death.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_exploration
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/creepers_infiltrators_urban_explorers/

David Morrell came out with a creepy book called "Creepers" last year or so, it was very good.

[MattPollitt]

I go in them all the time. If they are on someone's property like a home, I always ask first. If it's in a city or the middle of no where like when I travel, I just go in. Being an avid NRA member does help as far as saftey goes, but I've never had a problem with someone. If someone asks you to leave, just leave.

[vegasboy]

ive gone into quite a few, its fun.

i went into an abandoned diner once... it was crazy, seeing all the old stuff on the walls...

[Statement]

What's the effect of exposure to asbestos for a couple hours, about once a month?

[Pinto]

Unless the asbestos is airborne it's not going to hurt you. You get in trouble when demolition is in progress and it's in the air.

[anthonyhong]

Use a respirator, I picked mine up for about 50 bucks... better safe then sorry

Another thing, pack light just incase you do need to run... it is possible that you will run into trouble, police or other people. If you do run into police, it would be in your best interest to not cary a weapon or any tools such as screw drivers or you could be charged with robbery.

[Statement]

So if there's no demolition in progress, is it unlikely that asbestos is airborne?

What anthony said was true though, for example I always wear my running shoes when I go to those places. But if police come I really discourage running. If you just talk to them and make up a project that you're working on, they're pretty likely to give you a stern warning and let you go. But I guess it all depends on a thousand variables.

[PaCiFiSt]

More than likely if your carrying 1000+ dollars of camera equpiment with you, the police aren't going to assume your up to know good..

[anthonyhong]

No they wont, but there are those who will screw with you just because they can...

Your chances of running into police are slim, but then again that depends on the area you are going into. Activity, past usage of the building, and who owns the building are some factors you may want to consider.

[2005GLI]

If its a really old building, dont try and walk across a rotted floor, especially if on the 5th floor. A friend tried to and as soon as we said dont walk there, he fell through upto his shoulders with 1 leg stuck on the floor. Barely got him up.

Like others have said, be carefull.

[Statement]

Yeah, I don't trust the floors. I prefer sticking to concrete and steel, definitely don't trust wood, but in general I am pretty much sick of risking my life to take boring abandoned building pictures :)

[michaelbehlen]

If you have seen a couple of my posts in the Urban section you have seen the abandon west wing of my school.I have also gone to about 4 other placers around Fresno. The best advice I can give you is: Just go for it. You maye have to jump a fence or ignore some signs. If the place is big and in the middle of no-where you wont have to worry about police. If the place is in the middle of town, I would make sure to ask around and see the history of it before going in, make sure no-else has gotten caught or in trouble there before. Otherwise go for it. 90% of the time police are just glad your arnt a Meth addict having a trip in an abdonen building, or a group of kids getting high. Tell them you are doing a project for a photography portfoilio or a photography class and youll be fine. Tell them, "Im apologize, and I understand why we shouldn't go in there now, thank you for your time and understanding." Something to that extent.

[Statement]

^^exactly.

[solvent]

Ive been wanting to shoot a huge old abandoned factory down town. However, i know its fenced off. I think an urban explorer also fell down an elevator shaft a few years ago an died.

Ive been contemplating just jumping the fence with some friends, or writing the owners and asking for permission.

Do you guys have any opinion on this? What could I do to sway them into letting me in?

[TrulyAlaskan]

Ok, so I've been seeing a ton of great interior photos of abandoned buildings with spectacular subjects, and great natural lighting.

I would like to try some of this... but to put it quite literally, I'm SCARED!!

Do you guys try and get permission for these kinds of adventures, or just waltz into these places? Do you think having a camera might help you get out of trouble if something were to happen (such as police being notified)? And do you guys have any protection from crazy vagrants or anything? LoL

Any tips, laws, ideas, and especially past experiences would be greatly appreciated!



I love abandoned buildings. I have been an urban explorer for almost 10 years now with around 200 building entries, 100 plus shipwrecks, and a few freshwater sunken buildings. Here is some friendly advice from my past experiences;

1. TRY to get permission. Seriously. This is a biggie, why try to be stealthy and get in trouble when most of the time people will say yes in the first place. Especially if you know what you are doing. Out of the 200 or so abandoned places that I've gone in to, 80% have granted me access, 3 of them GAVE ME KEYS! If there is no possible way to get a hold of the owners, post a notice a few weeks in advance. Put on it what you will be doing, when you will be there, and a number or e-mail for whoever cares to get a hold of you.

2.Go with more than one person, but not a whole group of people. I usually go with a friend or two. Groups are louder and draw more attention, and going by yourself is just stupid, you need someone to get help if you get crushed by debris.

3. Respect the property. If you are exploring the buildings, you will be viewed as an urban explorer. Abide by the code "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." It's people that start messing with things, breaking or taking objects that ruin UrbEx and make us all seem like vandals.

4. What to pack. Think about this for a minute. How big of a building are you going in to? A house? A school? A warehouse? An old rundown apartment complex? What hazards are going to be in there? The top 4: Mold, Rust, Asbestos, and Structural hazards. There are usually more, those are just the top ones. Here's what I pack for a big building...

Steel Toed boots, hard hat, coveralls, full face respirator (must be rated for asbestos,) Primary headlamp, secondary headlamp (both stay on the helmet,) backup headlamp, at least 3 flashlights, light canon (1,000,000 candle power,) gloves, backup pair of gloves, enough batteries to power a small city, MRE's (cliff bars, actual MREs, or anything that I could munch on if I needed to while waiting for help,) cell phone, GPS, handheld radios (if going with a couple people,) at least one animal/transient swatter (up here in AK we don't have a conceal and carry law, this is legal) and all 80 lbs of my camera gear

Again, this is for a big building that will take me all day to explore. If you're going into a house, I would lighten the load a bit.

5. What not to pack. SPRAY PAINT!!! Crowbars, an excessive amount of weaponry. I mentioned in #4 that I carry at least 1 firearm with me but I DO NOT recommend this. I explore mostly in the winter time due to the long hours of darkness. Brown and black bears sometimes get a bit lazy and hibernate inside the buildings. There is nothing worse or more deadly than a P***ed off brown bear charge you for waking it up (only had this happen 1 time and that was enough.) I have personally stumbled on multiple others sleeping the day away in a corner (that freaked me out.) All I'm saying is know your laws. Here I would get more of a lecture from the law enforcement if I didn't have a gun. Anywhere else would consider it a crime, and you'd be on the pavement.
Don't bring anything that could make you look like a vandal.

6. Ok, I have my gear, I'm at the site, now what. Getting in... take the easiest way in. Mark it on the GPS (again, depending on the size of the building) do not pry, or remove any boards, nails, etc to get in. If you can't get in without breaking in, don't go there. Breaking and entering is a felony, trespassing is not. Once you are in, tread lightly, leave only your footprints. Pay attention to your surroundings, if it looks sketchy, it probably is, get out. Trust me, no building is worth getting injured over. Find landmarks and mark them on the GPS. Some GPS units will work indoors (mine will my buddy's won't) If yours doesn't, write down the landmark. (Turn left at the oven, through the orange door) this will help you get back out if you get turned around. You have no idea how easy it is to get turned around in a big abandoned building.

7. If you do get caught by someone, tell them the truth. "I was in taking pictures of abandoned buildings" DO NOT LIE TO THEM it will only hurt you. You may have to delete some photos, you may have to do some fancy talking, but it will keep you out of trouble.

8. Have fun! Take photos!

[Cathpah]

I love abandoned buildings. I have been an urban explorer for almost 10 years now with around 200 building entries, 100 plus shipwrecks, and a few freshwater sunken buildings. Here is some friendly advice from my past experiences;

1. TRY to get permission. Seriously. This is a biggie, why try to be stealthy and get in trouble when most of the time people will say yes in the first place. Especially if you know what you are doing. Out of the 200 or so abandoned places that I've gone in to, 80% have granted me access, 3 of them GAVE ME KEYS! If there is no possible way to get a hold of the owners, post a notice a few weeks in advance. Put on it what you will be doing, when you will be there, and a number or e-mail for whoever cares to get a hold of you.

2.Go with more than one person, but not a whole group of people. I usually go with a friend or two. Groups are louder and draw more attention, and going by yourself is just stupid, you need someone to get help if you get crushed by debris.

3. Respect the property. If you are exploring the buildings, you will be viewed as an urban explorer. Abide by the code "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." It's people that start messing with things, breaking or taking objects that ruin UrbEx and make us all seem like vandals.

4. What to pack. Think about this for a minute. How big of a building are you going in to? A house? A school? A warehouse? An old rundown apartment complex? What hazards are going to be in there? The top 4: Mold, Rust, Asbestos, and Structural hazards. There are usually more, those are just the top ones. Here's what I pack for a big building...

Steel Toed boots, hard hat, coveralls, full face respirator (must be rated for asbestos,) Primary headlamp, secondary headlamp (both stay on the helmet,) backup headlamp, at least 3 flashlights, light canon (1,000,000 candle power,) gloves, backup pair of gloves, enough batteries to power a small city, MRE's (cliff bars, actual MREs, or anything that I could munch on if I needed to while waiting for help,) cell phone, GPS, handheld radios (if going with a couple people,) at least one animal/transient swatter (up here in AK we don't have a conceal and carry law, this is legal) and all 80 lbs of my camera gear

Again, this is for a big building that will take me all day to explore. If you're going into a house, I would lighten the load a bit.

5. What not to pack. SPRAY PAINT!!! Crowbars, an excessive amount of weaponry. I mentioned in #4 that I carry at least 1 firearm with me but I DO NOT recommend this. I explore mostly in the winter time due to the long hours of darkness. Brown and black bears sometimes get a bit lazy and hibernate inside the buildings. There is nothing worse or more deadly than a P***ed off brown bear charge you for waking it up (only had this happen 1 time and that was enough.) I have personally stumbled on multiple others sleeping the day away in a corner (that freaked me out.) All I'm saying is know your laws. Here I would get more of a lecture from the law enforcement if I didn't have a gun. Anywhere else would consider it a crime, and you'd be on the pavement.
Don't bring anything that could make you look like a vandal.

6. Ok, I have my gear, I'm at the site, now what. Getting in... take the easiest way in. Mark it on the GPS (again, depending on the size of the building) do not pry, or remove any boards, nails, etc to get in. If you can't get in without breaking in, don't go there. Breaking and entering is a felony, trespassing is not. Once you are in, tread lightly, leave only your footprints. Pay attention to your surroundings, if it looks sketchy, it probably is, get out. Trust me, no building is worth getting injured over. Find landmarks and mark them on the GPS. Some GPS units will work indoors (mine will my buddy's won't) If yours doesn't, write down the landmark. (Turn left at the oven, through the orange door) this will help you get back out if you get turned around. You have no idea how easy it is to get turned around in a big abandoned building.

7. If you do get caught by someone, tell them the truth. "I was in taking pictures of abandoned buildings" DO NOT LIE TO THEM it will only hurt you. You may have to delete some photos, you may have to do some fancy talking, but it will keep you out of trouble.

8. Have fun! Take photos!

wow....GREAT post. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. Surprised no one else responded to this. You musta scared em all off with all the info!

[Dorman]

I love abandoned buildings. I have been an urban explorer for almost 10 years now with around 200 building entries, 100 plus shipwrecks, and a few freshwater sunken buildings. Here is some friendly advice from my past experiences;

1. TRY to get permission. Seriously. This is a biggie, why try to be stealthy and get in trouble when most of the time people will say yes in the first place. Especially if you know what you are doing. Out of the 200 or so abandoned places that I've gone in to, 80% have granted me access, 3 of them GAVE ME KEYS! If there is no possible way to get a hold of the owners, post a notice a few weeks in advance. Put on it what you will be doing, when you will be there, and a number or e-mail for whoever cares to get a hold of you.

2.Go with more than one person, but not a whole group of people. I usually go with a friend or two. Groups are louder and draw more attention, and going by yourself is just stupid, you need someone to get help if you get crushed by debris.

3. Respect the property. If you are exploring the buildings, you will be viewed as an urban explorer. Abide by the code "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." It's people that start messing with things, breaking or taking objects that ruin UrbEx and make us all seem like vandals.

4. What to pack. Think about this for a minute. How big of a building are you going in to? A house? A school? A warehouse? An old rundown apartment complex? What hazards are going to be in there? The top 4: Mold, Rust, Asbestos, and Structural hazards. There are usually more, those are just the top ones. Here's what I pack for a big building...

Steel Toed boots, hard hat, coveralls, full face respirator (must be rated for asbestos,) Primary headlamp, secondary headlamp (both stay on the helmet,) backup headlamp, at least 3 flashlights, light canon (1,000,000 candle power,) gloves, backup pair of gloves, enough batteries to power a small city, MRE's (cliff bars, actual MREs, or anything that I could munch on if I needed to while waiting for help,) cell phone, GPS, handheld radios (if going with a couple people,) at least one animal/transient swatter (up here in AK we don't have a conceal and carry law, this is legal) and all 80 lbs of my camera gear

Again, this is for a big building that will take me all day to explore. If you're going into a house, I would lighten the load a bit.

5. What not to pack. SPRAY PAINT!!! Crowbars, an excessive amount of weaponry. I mentioned in #4 that I carry at least 1 firearm with me but I DO NOT recommend this. I explore mostly in the winter time due to the long hours of darkness. Brown and black bears sometimes get a bit lazy and hibernate inside the buildings. There is nothing worse or more deadly than a P***ed off brown bear charge you for waking it up (only had this happen 1 time and that was enough.) I have personally stumbled on multiple others sleeping the day away in a corner (that freaked me out.) All I'm saying is know your laws. Here I would get more of a lecture from the law enforcement if I didn't have a gun. Anywhere else would consider it a crime, and you'd be on the pavement.
Don't bring anything that could make you look like a vandal.

6. Ok, I have my gear, I'm at the site, now what. Getting in... take the easiest way in. Mark it on the GPS (again, depending on the size of the building) do not pry, or remove any boards, nails, etc to get in. If you can't get in without breaking in, don't go there. Breaking and entering is a felony, trespassing is not. Once you are in, tread lightly, leave only your footprints. Pay attention to your surroundings, if it looks sketchy, it probably is, get out. Trust me, no building is worth getting injured over. Find landmarks and mark them on the GPS. Some GPS units will work indoors (mine will my buddy's won't) If yours doesn't, write down the landmark. (Turn left at the oven, through the orange door) this will help you get back out if you get turned around. You have no idea how easy it is to get turned around in a big abandoned building.

7. If you do get caught by someone, tell them the truth. "I was in taking pictures of abandoned buildings" DO NOT LIE TO THEM it will only hurt you. You may have to delete some photos, you may have to do some fancy talking, but it will keep you out of trouble.

8. Have fun! Take photos!

This is all extremely sound advice. I've entered a number of abandoned buildings and homes and have been building a portfolio around some of those shots. Be safe, no B&E, no stealing, enjoy!

[mrbojangles13]

a couple months ago i was taking pictures of a quarry and the copps roll up... a month later im in court writing a 400 dollar check... i did everything i could. i even showed the officer my college class schedule on it (as a photo major i have photography classes). they just didnt care what the story was... im saying this cause everyone here is only telling you one side of the story. i just thought you should know the other side too... good luck and dont get caught lol

[TrulyAlaskan]

wow....GREAT post. Thanks for taking the time to write this up. Surprised no one else responded to this. You musta scared em all off with all the info!

LOL, that wasn't really the intent, I just love exploring buildings. I am one of those people that love abandoned buildings because of the story they tell. If you treat each building with respect, it will be there for others to enjoy just as you did.

mrbojangles13 - Did you have permission to be there? Like I had said in a previous post, getting permission is the best way to cover your butt. You would be amazed at how easy it is to find the owner and ask for permission. I have had the police called multiple times (bright lights flashing in abandoned buildings seems to attract attention) but once they got there, I showed them proof that I was allowed to be there, showed them what I was doing... asked if they wanted to help.. and on a couple occasions gave them a mounted print or two to share with their police officer buddies.
I have found that most of the officers that I've met are really very curious on what it is that I'm doing. Take the time to show them, have them help a little bit if they want, and you would be amazed at the connections you can make doing this. Most of the buildings that I've explored have been shown to me by police officers, fire fighters, and even other abandoned building owners.

[nuffi]

Alaskan Dude,

It might seem like a really odd question, but have you explored the option of a dart gun for the bear danger?

It would have two benefits that I can see: It would mean that you wouldn't have to sentence the poor bear to death simply for the crime of being grumpy when rudely awakened; it would mean that any encounter with the cops wouldn't get bogged down in awkward questions about the carrying of firearms.

[LWK]

Beware of safety issues on older abandoned buildings. My brother and I went into the abandoned train station in Buffalo, but you really need hard hats, masks (asbestos) and ropes for safety. BTW, people who do this are called "creepers" or "infliltrators" and there are groups of them that go creeping together, especially in New York.

One guy has photographed the Buffalo train station extensively, some of it before vandals destroyed stuff like the marble bathroom.

...
I have hundreds of images from inside the Central Terminal in Buffalo (the building was recently featured on the Ghost Hunters [TAPS] TV program). While this building was indeed abandoned, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation has in recent years been cleaning and renovating areas of the huge structure. As members, my wife and I have participated in several private tours that the group periodically conducted, - to showcase its challenges and progress to date. It's dark, dirty, and utterly fascinating to climb the 14 floors and view (and photograph) some fascinating snippets of history.

[TrulyAlaskan]

Alaskan Dude,

It might seem like a really odd question, but have you explored the option of a dart gun for the bear danger?

It would have two benefits that I can see: It would mean that you wouldn't have to sentence the poor bear to death simply for the crime of being grumpy when rudely awakened; it would mean that any encounter with the cops wouldn't get bogged down in awkward questions about the carrying of firearms.

A Dart gun? Nope, never thought of that. I can tell you this much, I am totally against hunting and killing without cause. However, if you were in my shoes and had a 600+lb bear charging you, would you really care about the bear? I have been bluff charged 2 times, and neither one resulted in an animal being killed. Alaska is a whole different story when it comes to firearms. I have been lectured for hiking without a gun by a cop passing by. This summer alone, 3 people were killed, and another 6 were seriously injured by a bear. 2 of those had bear mace with them and used it.
Until Alaska changes it's gun laws (unlikely) I will continue to carry at minimum a .45 colt. I care about my life way too much.

[Aucomo]

I knew a Guy that carried a "flash-Bang" with him when he hiked in ak. Do not know if he ever used it or where he got it. Seems to me a good side arm would make me feel better.

[KellyPeet]

Be very careful when taking pictures of abandoned buildings. I was shot in the face on April 4th 2009 by a man while I was taking photos of an old log cabin in Fraziers Bottom, WV. I had been granted permission to take the photos by the owner, and while doing so his neighbor took it upon himself to shoot with his scoped Magnum 22 onto his neighbor’s property, shot me in the face and almost killed me. I’m still trying to recuperate. If you want to read more about this go to www.kellypeet.com

In my case…the legal system hasn't decided if it is criminal or accidental yet…

I found this site because I was searching the Internet to find out if any other photographers have been shot in a similar situation, and after reading about what other photographers are doing...I thought that I'd give a word of caution.

[TrulyAlaskan]

I knew a Guy that carried a "flash-Bang" with him when he hiked in ak. Do not know if he ever used it or where he got it. Seems to me a good side arm would make me feel better.

These have since been banned in Alaska. Otherwise I would have one in place of the gun.


Be very careful when taking pictures of abandoned buildings. I was shot in the face on April 4th 2009 by a man while I was taking photos of an old log cabin in Fraziers Bottom, WV. I had been granted permission to take the photos by the owner, and while doing so his neighbor took it upon himself to shoot with his scoped Magnum 22 onto his neighbor’s property, shot me in the face and almost killed me. I’m still trying to recuperate. If you want to read more about this go to www.kellypeet.com (http://www.kellypeet.com)

In my case…the legal system hasn't decided if it is criminal or accidental yet…

I found this site because I was searching the Internet to find out if any other photographers have been shot in a similar situation, and after reading about what other photographers are doing...I thought that I'd give a word of caution.

Wow Kelly, I'm really sorry to hear that. Thanks for the words of caution. I have now had 3 guns pulled on me by curious neighbors, but never yet been shot. I will however, keep my guard up more now. Good luck with the recovery.

[Todd Lambert]

Wow... Kelly, you are quite an inspiration. Your story just breaks my heart and I wish the absolute best.

Hopefully soon, you'll be able to get to that all-you-can-eat buffet that you're craving so badly!

You have great photos too by the way. Best wishes!

[BigBlueDodge]

Kelly's post (and her website) give a dose of the harsh reality of what can happen if people aren't fully aware that you are going into these buildings. KNOW YOUR STATE LAWS BEFORE ENTERING ANY BUILDING. Depending on the state you are in, it can be highly likely that you WILL get a gun drawn on you by the property owner, or even neighbor, if you enter property that is not your own. Even worse is that you could get shot/killed.

Then there are the inherint dangers of encountering vagrants, gang members, or drug dealers who use these places to to conduct their business. The fact that you are carrying several thousand dollars worth of equipment makes you an attractive target.