abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the blog version of this story, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-41-what-would-julie-do-fd8082db524eTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-36-sunset-town-edb49cd412dbTo 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.

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.This episode was featured in People Magazine.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.

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.

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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-20-sober-f250f88d4a3bTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-8-silent-hill-and-the-zombie-apocalypse-7c6dc84f3a7To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-22-a-chance-encounter-a2bf315594c1To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-21-sex-drugs-depression-354c3da40591To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 HenryNik Magill(Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-17-mrs-dalby-and-the-gravekeeper-of-hatteras-island-c0f701762b03To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-18-gerry-1b3370a21a28To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-27-in-which-i-let-you-go-at-an-abandoned-cement-plant-fe851b146f64To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-23-jake-9b24e30cf84To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-14-sunflower-for-daniel-for-ukraine-440f1480fc7cTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/all-american-ruins-chapter-16-julie-9b4cc910de04To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://medium.com/@allamericanruins/chapter-19-shannon-b95b012efcd7To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-15-curious-by-default-649cbcd653eaTo learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.

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 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.)To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.htmlTo read the original story this episode is based on, click here: https://allamericanruins.medium.com/chapter-33-the-last-rites-of-last-chance-co-61a404ffe711To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.comPlease 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.