When we call a place home, instead of a house, we’re ascribing a sort of positive emotion to it. But on the flip side, a windowless, empty house can evoke melancholy, sad, and even spooky emotions as our brains wonder why the people left in the first place. Mortgage costs are boring, it must be ghosts.

The “Old and Abandoned Houses” Facebook page gathers images of buildings from a bygone age that no one lives in anymore. So get comfortable as you scroll through and be sure to upvote your favorites and comment why you think some of these places are devoid of people below.

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#1 Grimmenstein Castle, Austria

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#2 Abandoned Victorian Bathtub

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While on the surface, these are mostly just decrepit old buildings, there are some psychological factors in play that make them fascinating to us. First and foremost, we do have an innate curiosity about abandoned places, as some part of our brain wants to confirm if it’s truly abandoned. Perhaps we think we can find something interesting or find answers to why people left.

It’s also worth noting that in most cases, the places we live in are not abandoned, so it’s a unique chance to see just what age does to a home, something we don’t see every day. Add in the fact that many of these houses are built in an “older” era and it’s easy to see why the average person might find such a building interesting.

#3 Abandoned Mansion In Michigan

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#4 Abandoned Fairy Tale House

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#5 A Boot-Shaped House Hidden Deep In The UK Forest

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We aren’t the only people who think that old “ruins” are interesting, there is some evidence that in the 18th and 19th centuries, Medieval castles, no longer necessary as fortifications, were purposefully allowed to crumble and fall apart, as they would yield “aesthetically pleasing” ruins. While modern historians might grumble at this, the logic is sound.

#6 Into Abandoned Old House

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#7 The Room Of An Old Abandoned House In Italy

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#8 Abandoned Castle

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In cases where there weren’t readily available ruins, people would simply fake them. Architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg designed a set of “Roman ruins” for the garden of the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria. The Hapsburg rulers of the time, like many fashionable people, had a passing interest in the ancient world and didn’t think fake ruins were weird at all.

#9 Such A Shame

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#10 Abandoned

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#11 Abandoned Mansion

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And before you judge, consider that modern humans regularly erect haunted houses, horror escape rooms and take tours of places associated with death. There is a thrill associated with a location, while the houses in this list also might be just spooky enough to titillate a real horror fan.

#12 An Abandoned Mansion In The Irish Forests

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#13 Abandoned Beauty Found In An Apartment

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#14 Left Behind In France

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For some, an abandoned house isn’t enough, they need a whole street or even a region. This is why some companies make a profit by offering tours of Pripyat, near Chornobyl, still mostly restricted since its nuclear power plant suffered a catastrophic failure in 1986. People have a chance to explore a ghost town, plus see a relatively untouched Soviet town, as long as they don’t care about a little exposure to radiation.

#15 Abandoned Mansion In France

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#16 Abandoned House In Coudersport, Pennsylvania

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#17 An Overgrown Pool At An Abandoned Mansion

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Others might go to Hashima Island, Japan, where mines have been abandoned since the 1970s. While not really dangerous, These locations are still “wild” enough that visitors feel like they may stumble across something new or unexpected. The presence of a tour guide would suggest otherwise, but most prefer an interesting delusion to reality.

#18 Entrance Of An Abandoned Castle, France

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#19 An Abandoned Haunted House Located In Berlin, Germany

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#20 Would You Explore This?

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This is perhaps the same psychology that drives people to explore the most uncomfortable caves known to man, even if it means risking life and limb to see a bit of rock that no one else has. Of course, by definition, an abandoned house can’t be “unseen” since it had to have been at least built.

#21 Abandoned House In Forest

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#22 Your Inheritance… Keep It Or Sell It?

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#23 A Forgotten Masterpiece In An Abandoned Mansion

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If you are still interested in exploring an abandoned house and looking at these images isn’t enough, there are some safety tips one should follow. First, get permission if you can. Walking around an old house only to get slapped with a trespassing charge is probably not fun for anyone. Avoid going alone and preferably tell someone where you are headed, just in case.

#24 The Red Stairs

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#25 Abandoned House

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#26 Amazing Abandoned Castle’s In The World – Scotland

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If you do end up going, don’t say you weren’t warned by us, the law, 1001 films, and common sense. But do be sure to take some photos and document these locations for the rest of the world to see. In many cases, these houses have probably sat untouched and unseen for decades, so it would be interesting and educational for all to get a peek inside.

#27 Abandoned Castle

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#28 Abandoned Church

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#29 Abandoned Mansion, Belgium

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And if you are interested in more house-related content, Bored Panda has got you covered, you can take a look at our list of things people recommend you do before buying your first home. Or, if you want a good laugh, check out our post collecting the best “Ugly Belgian Houses,” which might make you wonder if they are an architect’s practical jokes.