It is the largest “airplane graveyard” in the world. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), commonly referred to as “The Boneyard,” is the final resting place of more than 4,000 military airplanes and helicopters spanning over 2,000 acres on Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson. Don’t even think about trying to scope out this spot unless you’re prepared to sweet talk your way out of a trespassing ticket. However, the moldering aircraft rest on the Gila River Indian Community, and a permit is required to visit or photograph the planes. Today, it has become a popular destination for daring taggers, photographers, videographers and adventurous Instagrammers. Built in 1942, the airport once played host to aerial operations during World War II. This dilapidated former airport, which consists of a half-dozen large airplanes in various stages of decay, lies still in the middle of the desert in Chandler. However, the Grand Canyon State is also home to an abundance of abandoned airplanes that have been silently dwelling in the desert for years. With Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson, it’s obvious that Arizona has a longstanding history in military aviation. Two Guns was operational between the ‘60s and ‘80s, but now the roadside ruins are only good for a quick photo op off the I-40. A few dilapidated structures scattered across the area, including the gutted gas station, an empty pool and a weather-beaten building with the word “KAMP” painted across the A-frame roof.
A weathered wishing well, vandalized, boarded-up buildings and a bubblegum pink train (derailed and decomposing) now stand as the town’s only source of Christmas spirit.Ībout 30 miles east of Flagstaff in Winslow, what’s left of this former souvenir shop/gas station/campground has been taken over by nature and graffiti artists. Talbot’s vision of a village where children could sit on Santa’s lap 365 days a year now lays in disrepair, with sporadic red and green remnants as the only reminder of a once lively roadside resort. The quirky town’s only restaurant, The Santa Claus Inn, was a big hit in its heyday, as was the town’s post office, which saw an influx of letters to Santa. The town was built by eccentric realtor Nina Talbot, who had high hopes for a year-round holiday haven. The Christmas-themed village in Mohave County achieved full-on ghost town status in the mid-‘90s. Once booming and blossoming with promise and kitschy mystique, these spots now serve as sad, hollow skeletons from a simpler time.īuilt in 1937 as a garish tourist gimmick, the town of Santa Claus was a popular Route 66 destination for a few solid decades until business declined in the ‘70s. Visit to learn more about a citizens group dedicated to preserving the history of the park.įrom forgotten mining towns to relics from Route 66, the state of Arizona has no shortage of ghost towns at varying levels of decay.
The colossal building has sat vacant and in decaying disuse ever since, with a few exceptions like a motorcycle show in 1988, a swap meet in 1991, and most notably, the 1998 film No Code of Conduct starring Charlie Sheen, in which the windows of the trotting park were blown out for an explosion scene near the end of the movie. The park closed in 1966, after hosting just a handful of races, due to low attendance and its remote location. The pigeons have pretty much taken over now.Ĭonstruction of Phoenix Trotting Park began in 1964 on what was then a barren stretch of desert along what is now the bustling I-10 near Goodyear. Swap meets subsequently took over the space throughout the decade, but by the mid-’90s, the track was completely desolate and at the mercy of squatters, who busted most of the stadium chairs, shattered all the glass, stripped the plumbing, and spray-painted the walls. Built in 1967 by the Funk family, the dog track ran greyhound races until closing in 1982.
Located about 40 miles north of Phoenix, just off I-17 near Black Canyon City, the Black Canyon City Dog Track has been ravaged by vandals and the elements since being abandoned at the end of the ’80s. While both of the abandoned dog tracks described below have been well trodden in the past by urban explorers/trespassers, they are located on private land and visitors are not allowed.