Incredible discoveries from 8 abandoned homes

Curious discoveries lurk behind these doors...

What do the things we leave behind say about us? These urban explorers got rather more than they bargained for when they ventured inside some curious abandoned homes. From secret features to unexpected items and even large sums of money, these unusual discoveries offer a window into the lives of the people who once called these crumbling properties home.

Read on to discover the strange things discovered in these fascinating abandoned houses...

French château-style estate, Toronto, Canada

Located on the Bridle Path, Toronto's Millionaires' Row, this grand château-style mansion was once the crowning jewel of the affluent street. Urban explorer and photographer Dave of Freaktography visited the abandoned mansion in the summer of 2022 when nature had begun reclaiming the vast estate – curtains of ivy veiled swathes of the exterior and weeds were taking root between the cobblestones.

The imposing residence was constructed in 1985 for local real estate tycoon Robert Campeau, who requested a sprawling, French-inspired pile straight out of Provence, along with a few extra features...

French château-style estate, Toronto, Canada

The 30,000-square-foot (2,787sqm) property lived up to Campeau's expectations. Over the decades, its dazzling halls were graced by the biggest names in Toronto's social scene, from Hollywood icon Jane Fonda to the former Canadian prime minister Pierre Trudeau.

Yet the good times came to an abrupt end when Campeau's business empire went bust and the mogul was fired from his own company. Forced to sell the mansion, it passed into the hands of Harold and Sara Springer, who imparted 17th-century European charm to the interiors through a series of renovations.

French château-style estate, Toronto, Canada

One of the couple's more surprising additions to the residence was this miniature town of sorts in the ground-floor corridor. Full-scale murals of quaint shopfronts, from an antiques store to a Cartier boutique, enveloped the charming space, while the sky overhead was peppered with clouds.

The home's most curious feature, however, was likely inspired by the political tensions at the time of the estate's construction, back when the Cold War was still raging.

French château-style estate, Toronto, Canada

Original owner Robert Campeau commissioned a secret bunker to be built beneath the mansion where he could flee if disaster struck. Fortified by thick concrete walls, the shelter was utilitarian in design, a stark contrast to the grandeur above ground. The space was designed to be fully self-sufficient with its own generator and battery.

Unfortunately, the bunker couldn't protect the house from its fate. The Springers eventually sold the mansion in 2020 for CA$30.8 million (£17m/$22.8m) and it was sadly demolished in August 2022, the same month Dave documented the house for the final time. A new mega-mansion is being constructed in its place.

Greek Revival home, Alabama, USA

Home to a storied roster of residents over the decades, this grand estate in Birmingham, Alabama was left to languish for almost a decade. Despite crumbling paintwork and signs of damp across the brickwork, the majestic mansion was still an imposing sight with its towering Corinthian columns.

Photographer Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast took a tour of the impressive property in early 2023 and stumbled upon more than a few surprising discoveries inside.

Greek Revival home, Alabama, USA

The home's historic interior was almost untouched from its heyday – the hallway featured intricate mouldings across the ceiling, exquisite botanical wallpaper and a gilded chandelier. A collection of glassware occupied the sideboard here, as though it had just been cleaned.

The property was built in 1902 for Lee Carrington Bradley, a prominent member of Birmingham society who practised law in the city. When Bradley passed away in the 1940s, the home was purchased by Ollie Dalton Smith, a former FBI agent, who like his predecessor, became a lawyer and businessman. The mansion laid vacant after Smith's death in 2016, before falling under the ownership of a limited liability company owned by his descendants.

Greek Revival home, Alabama, USA

When Kent toured the property, many intriguing leftovers from the mansion's former owners still littered the rooms. Hidden amongst the boxes, Kent came across what appeared to be an Egyptian sarcophagus, pictured here near the window, complete with a lifelike face engraved on the exterior.

However, on closer examination, the ornament's narrow depth suggested that this may have been a theatre prop. Perhaps one of the home's past residents had a flair for the dramatic...

Greek Revival home, Alabama, USA

Even more curious items had been left behind upstairs. In what may have been previously used as a dressing room, a spectacular ruffled wedding dress hung on a mannequin, perhaps a reminder of a happy couple's big day. Meanwhile, a rack of jackets lined the adjacent wall, unclaimed.

Despite the historic mansion appearing to be an ideal renovation project, it was sadly demolished in September 2023. Now, the property and the lingering belongings of those who once called it home only live on in memory.

Tech tycoon's mansion, Ontario, Canada

In an undisclosed location in Canada lies an expensive house that has fallen some way from the heights of its previous grandeur. A crumbling swimming pool, a debris-strewn terrace and a barricaded entrance now blight what was once the landscaped grounds of a millionaire's home.

Shrouded in mystery, Dave of Freaktography lifted the veil on the intriguing abandoned mansion and brought its secrets to light in the summer of 2023.

Tech tycoon's mansion, Ontario, Canada

According to the photographer, an infamous 'Crypto King' last owned the property. The shady figure, who is said to have run their empire from the house, is rumoured to have disappeared years ago.

The grand proportions of what may have been a primary reception room are clear to see from this photograph, which captures elegant wood-panelled cabinetry, swathes of floor-to-ceiling windows and marbled floors. A pile of boxes perhaps indicates items left behind in a hasty move, while a leak from the ceiling has pooled into a garish, fluorescent puddle.

Tech tycoon's mansion, Ontario, Canada

Beneath the faded living rooms of the upper storeys lies an unexpected secret space in the depths of the home's basement. According to Dave, this was likely the headquarters of the former owner's crypto-mining operation. It's not clear if the space has been stripped since the mansion's abandonment or if the house was vacated in the middle of a basement renovation.

The windows down here are blocked up, while thermal insulation hangs from the ceiling – both helpful ways of regulating the room temperature to ensure crypto-mining hardware doesn't overheat.

Tech tycoon's mansion, Ontario, Canada

Rows of metal shelving stand vacant. They would've once held the hardware – known as a mining rig – that supported the so-called Crypto King's empire.

The floor of the basement is littered with empty boxes for computer graphics cards, which usually sell for hundreds if not thousands of dollars. The discarded packaging for a tabletop fan points to another way the former owner kept their equipment cool.

The future of this fascinating mansion is unclear. At the time of Dave's visit in 2023, he said the lot was on the market as development land with an estimated value of CA$4.2 million (£7.6k/$2.3k). If it finds a buyer, the estate may sadly be heading for the wrecking ball.

Time-capsule home, Ontario, Canada

Tucked away in rural Ontario, this dilapidated house has certainly seen better days. The property has been abandoned for nearly 40 years and remains a perfect time capsule, frozen in 1985.

Packed with memorabilia, photographs and family heirlooms, the home tells an interesting story of the family of Polish immigrants who were its first inhabitants back in the early 20th century. However, it was also hiding one massive surprise…

Time-capsule home, Ontario, Canada

Inside, the home is in a complete state of disarray, with pots and pans discarded in the kitchen sink, rotting furniture strewn across the floor and long out-of-date appliances – such as an old clothes wringer and an antique sewing machine – discarded in corners.

Holes in the roof mean that the property’s interiors have been exposed to the elements, further exacerbating the decay of its contents.

Time-capsule home, Ontario, Canada

From the piles of belongings and family photos scattered around the property, it's clear that the owners left in a rush, leaving behind precious mementos like these.

Other surviving documents, such as a collection of school and college books, were once the property of younger members of the family.

Time-capsule home, Ontario, Canada

However, the most shocking surprise this home was hiding was the whopping $6,800 (£5.1k) in cash that was stashed inside a plastic bag tucked behind an upturned mattress. The cash, which consisted of a combination of American and Canadian dollars, was bound up in rubber bands and marked in pencil, which seemed more than a little suspicious when it was first discovered by photographer Dave of Freaktography.

Dave made contact with the grown-up daughter of the family that used to live in the property, who along with her brothers, now owns the house, and the money was reunited with its rightful owners.

Payphone house, Florida, USA

This Colonial Revival home in Jacksonville's historic Springfield neighbourhood dates back to 1908 and has been captured by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast.

The Florida home once belonged to David Swearingen, a locksmith for the Southern Bell telephone company, who sadly passed away in 2020. While David and his family are no longer in residence, there are more than a few relics inside this three-bedroom home that speak to his former line of work.

Payphone house, Florida, USA

To begin with, the home’s magnificent antique staircase is inexplicably lined with 13 payphones, all a testament to David’s business. He became an industry-leading master keying specialist and designed complex systems for the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and other major institutions. Later, David went on to found the Florida Public Telephone Company.

Payphones weren't merely David's professional life, they seem to have somewhat taken over his private life as well.

Payphone house, Florida, USA

Another slightly stranger find in this abandoned property is this collection of haunted mansions, including one based on the famous attraction of the same name at Disneyland California.

These remarkably detailed models may have been bought for David’s son, William, but they’re still an unusual thing to find in an abandoned house.

Payphone house, Florida, USA

However, we certainly haven’t seen the last of the payphones. Out in the garage, boxes upon dusty boxes house the tools of David’s trade, including various payphone handsets, locks and keys.

David appears to have epitomised the phrase ‘bringing your work home with you,’ and in addition to the tools, a few more payphones can be found tucked in among deserted boxes of belongings. We can’t help but wonder if the phone company is still looking for them!

Historic home renovation, California, USA

While not exactly an ‘abandoned’ home discovery, this couple’s experience is the stuff horror stories are made of.

Having purchased their new home and excitedly settling in, Courtney and Matt (otherwise known as @living_in_history) received a letter addressed simply to ‘the purchaser’ from the ‘last surviving member’ of the 130-year-old estate’s previous owners – the Madisons.

Historic home renovation, California, USA

The letter contained a set of instructions for uncovering an assortment of hidden rooms, chambers and compartments throughout the house.

The couple documented their discoveries in a viral series of TikToks, the first of which shows them discovering a dusty collection of bottles hidden behind a sliding panel behind a mirror in their front parlour.

Historic home renovation, California, USA

Meanwhile, the couple’s bathroom hid another collection of secrets. Behind a wall of wood panelling, Courtney and Matt found a mysterious crawl space. Opposite the toilet, there was also a strange small door that led into an enormous trunk room, which the couple had been unaware of when they bought the house.

Historic home renovation, California, USA

However, the discoveries didn’t stop there. Documented in their videos, Courtney and Matt have gone on to find antique furniture, curious decorations and even a music box, which plays the wedding march.

They have yet to identify their mysterious informant, but their house is certainly a treasure trove of historical secrets.

Hoarder house, Georgia, USA

With 15-foot (4.5m) ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows and pine floors, this ramshackle home in Louisville, Georgia was once a true southern belle. But when its last occupants left many decades ago, it became a mouldering wreck of its former glory.

Frozen in time somewhere in the 1980s, it also hid some unexpected relics – as photographed by Leland Kent of Abandoned Southeast.

Hoarder house, Georgia, USA

The last owner of the property is thought to have been Ms Eve Griffin, a regular fixture on the lounge music circuit in the 1960s and 70s. Eve is believed to have bought the property in 1987 for $29,500 – that's the equivalent of around $80,600 (£60k) today – as a place to retire from her successful singing career.

The house was soon nicknamed the ‘hoarder house’ by Eve’s neighbours, who observed the property slowly being packed with old toys, clothes and pieces of furniture.

Hoarder house, Georgia, USA

Captured in a forlorn state back in 2016, the home was still a shrine to Eve’s eclectic tastes.

The once-elegant living room boasted a green brocade sofa and sumptuous window drapes. However, the carpet was littered with crumbling plaster and the space was home to an unusual collection of stuffed animals and dolls, which looked rather out of place against the backdrop of faded grandeur.

Hoarder house, Georgia, USA

The home’s other rooms were even more cluttered. Some, like this first-floor bedroom, were packed with so many boxes, old clothes and broken furnishings that it was difficult to find the floor under all the debris. Who knows what other vintage treasures might have been lurking beneath all that chaos?

It seemed like the home's fortunes were looking up in April 2020, when preservationists Laine and Kevin Berry purchased the property. While they planned to transform the structure into a historic bed and breakfast, their plans never materialised. Tragically, a tree outside the house was struck by lightning in July 2020 and the residence caught fire. It was reduced to ashes in hours.

Boarded-up historic home, Scotland, UK

Complete with boarded-up windows and overgrown vines, this abandoned home shared by TikTok user escapade_z is truly packed with history. The stately pebbledash home was likely once a sophisticated residence, but having been left empty for quite some time, the property is now frozen in the past and packed with dusty relics discarded by previous occupants.

Boarded-up historic home, Scotland, UK

Once inside the home, the eye is immediately drawn by a pastel-coloured antique wood-burning stove and adjoining oven, complete with a bread-warming drawer and a coal scuttle. Along the top of the oven are an impressive collection of Royal Doulton ornaments, which are likely worth a good bit of money, and an ornamental carriage clock.

Boarded-up historic home, Scotland, UK

The home’s main living area also boasts an interesting assortment of antiques, including an upright piano, and, on the piano bench, a fox fur wearing, inexplicably, a top hat.

Aside from this whimsical tableau, the living room is packed with more old china, framed pictures and antique furniture and appliances, including a sewing machine, radio and grandfather clock.

Boarded-up historic home, Scotland, UK

Upstairs are yet more antique furnishings, including a beautiful Victorian vanity overflowing with family photos, which seem to date to the turn of the last century.

Other bedrooms boast an impressive collection of early 20th-century toys, dolls and children’s books, plus a couple of marionettes. Whatever children once lived here were a lucky bunch!