1

Bodie, California

Image: Michael & Diane Weidner

This former gold-mining hub in the Sierra Nevada once boasted nearly 10,000 residents, dozens of saloons, and a reputation for being one of the wildest towns in the West. Today, it's preserved in a state of "arrested decay," meaning the buildings are maintained exactly as they were found, complete with dishes still on tables and goods still on store shelves .

The California State Parks system manages Bodie, which means it's well-maintained but authentically eerie. About 200 buildings still stand, including a church, schoolhouse, and that infamous red-light district (though considerably quieter now).

2

Jerome, Arizona

Image: Strange Happenings

Perched impossibly on Cleopatra Hill in central Arizona, Jerome has pulled off the ultimate comeback story. This former copper mining town was literally sliding down the mountain in the 1950s, but instead of becoming a pile of rubble at the bottom, it reinvented itself as an artist colony and tourist destination. Today, it's one of the few ghost towns where you can actually spend the night, grab dinner, and browse art galleries .

The town's steep streets are lined with buildings that seem to defy gravity, and many claim the place is seriously haunted: the Jerome Grand Hotel, a former hospital, supposedly has particularly active spirits. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, you'll definitely believe in the impressive engineering it took to build a town on a 30-degree slope.

3

Rhyolite, Nevada

Image: Dino Reichmuth

In 1905, this place exploded from nothing to a town of 5,000 people in just two years, complete with electric lights, a stock exchange, and even an opera house. Then the financial panic of 1907 hit, the mines proved less profitable than hoped, and by 1916, the lights went out for good.

What makes Rhyolite especially photogenic are the ruins themselves—massive concrete structures and the famous Bottle House, built entirely from beer and liquor bottles . The three-story bank building and the remnants of the jail are particularly impressive, showing just how convinced everyone was that this town would last forever.

4

St. Elmo, Colorado

Image: Arturo Rivera

Tucked in the Sawatch Range at 10,000 feet, St. Elmo is Colorado's best-preserved ghost town and one of the most visited. Founded in 1880 as a mining and rail hub, it once had a population of 2,000 people and all the amenities a Victorian-era miner could want.

What really sets St. Elmo apart is accessibility and atmosphere. It's an easy drive from nearby towns, and during the summer months, a few seasonal residents actually run the general store, selling snacks and souvenirs .

5

Bannack, Montana

Image: Donald Merrill

Montana's first territorial capital, Bannack, sprang up in 1862 after gold was discovered in Grasshopper Creek. Within a year, it had 3,000 residents and a serious problem with road agents (fancy term for bandits). The town's sheriff, Henry Plummer, turned out to be secretly leading the gang of robbers—one of the West's great scandals. After Plummer was hanged by vigilantes in 1864, Bannack settled down, but eventually, the gold ran out, and so did the people. The last residents left in the 1970s.

Now a well-preserved state park, Bannack features over 60 structures you can explore, including the hotel, church, schoolhouse, and Plummer's old jail . They even host a popular "Bannack Days" event each July with period costumes, demonstrations, and activities.

6

Grafton, Utah

Image: Arturo Rivera

This tiny Mormon settlement near Zion National Park has been featured in dozens of movies and commercials, most famously in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Founded in 1859, Grafton struggled with flooding from the Virgin River, conflicts with Native Americans, and general isolation. By 1944, the last resident had left, but unlike many ghost towns, Grafton's buildings were later restored and maintained by preservation groups.

Today, only a handful of structures remain—a schoolhouse, a church, and a few cabins—but they're set against absolutely spectacular red rock canyon scenery . The Grafton Cemetery, still maintained by descendants, sits on a hill with jaw-dropping views. It's free to visit, though donations are encouraged for preservation efforts.

7

Terlingua, Texas

Image: Glen Carrie

Once a thriving mercury mining town with 2,000 residents, it collapsed in the 1940s when the mines closed. Today, it's home to about 60 full-time residents, plus a rotating cast of artists, wanderers, and people who just couldn't handle civilization anymore.

The original townsite features impressive ruins of the Chisos Mining Company headquarters, a crumbling movie theater, and a cemetery with elaborate Mexican grave decorations . But the real attraction is the eccentric present-day community that's grown up around the ruins. You can stay in unique lodgings, eat at the famous Starlight Theatre, and experience some of the darkest night skies in the continental US.

8

Garnet, Montana

Image: Natalie Nicks

Located deep in Montana's mountains about 35 miles from Missoula, this gold mining town boomed in the 1890s with about 1,000 residents. The last 11 miles are on a rough dirt road that's impassable in winter, but that difficulty is exactly why Garnet remains so well-preserved and authentic. Casual tourists don't make the trek, which means you'll likely share the site with only serious ghost town enthusiasts.

About 30 buildings still stand, including the surprisingly intact Kelly's Saloon, complete with bar and furnishings . The Bureau of Land Management maintains the site and even offers rustic cabin rentals if you want to spend the night.

9

Centralia, Pennsylvania

Image: Megs Harrison

This isn't a Wild West mining town—it's a modern ghost town with an underground coal fire that's been burning since 1962 and could continue for another 250 years. At its peak, Centralia had over 1,000 residents. Today, fewer than five people remain in what's become one of America's most surreal abandoned places. The fire releases toxic gases through cracks in the ground, and the heat has buckled roads into impossible angles.

The most famous feature is the graffiti-covered section of abandoned Route 61, where smoke sometimes rises through cracks in the pavement . Most buildings have been demolished, but the street grid remains, marked by empty lots and crumbling foundations. It inspired the video game and film "Silent Hill," and it's easy to see why—the place feels genuinely otherworldly. Technically, Centralia is off-limits, and Pennsylvania has tried to discourage visitors due to safety concerns about the underground fire.

10

Calico, California

Image: Volodymyr Hotsyk

Founded in 1881 after a major silver strike, it boomed to 1,200 residents before the silver price crash killed it in the 1890s. Unlike other ghost towns on this list, Calico was reconstructed and restored as a theme-park-style attraction in the 1950s by Walter Knott.

Today, Calico is a San Bernardino County park with restored buildings, shops, restaurants, and even staged gunfights on weekends . You can tour a genuine silver mine, pan for "gold" (spoiler: you'll find some), and ride a narrow-gauge railroad. About half the buildings are original, and half are reconstructions, giving you the ghost town experience without the sadness of actual decay.

1

Point Roberts, WA: The 49th parallel accident

Imagine if you had to cross two borders just to get to the market for a gallon of milk. That’s actually a reality for residents of Point Roberts, Washington. That’s because, following the Anglo-American Convention of 1818, the 49th parallel divided Canada and the U.S. In 1846, the line was extended westward and then officially recognized by the International Boundary Commission in 1925.

However, a tiny tip of the Tsawwassen Peninsula poked out just below that line. Since then, the locals have lived in a boundary quirk. To get to the rest of Washington State by land, they must drive through Canada, show their passports, and do it all over again on the way back.

2

Statue of Liberty: Common misconception

If you want to start a friendly argument at a dinner party, ask whether the Statue of Liberty lives in New York or New Jersey. The funny thing is, both answers are technically right . While the statue physically sits in the waters of the Garden State, Liberty Island is legally an exclave of New York. This dates back to a 1664 land grant by the Duke of York in a document so vague and confusing that it took a 1834 Compact between the two states to settle the deal. New Jersey gets the water and the submerged lands, but New York keeps the monument.

However, the Federal Government actually manages the site through the National Park Service (NPS), providing security and maintenance.

3

The State of Franklin: Failed 14th state

If you think Tennessee was the 14th state to join the Union, there’s a catch. Before Tennessee, there was Franklin. In 1874, three counties in North Carolina felt neglected by their government and decided to strike out on their own . They even elected a governor, John Sevier, and printed their own money. They came just two votes short of being recognized by Congress as a formal state. Eventually, things got heated, and North Carolina sent troops, leading to a small civil war between the locals. By 1879, the dream of Franklin was dead and buried, and the territory became part of Tennessee.

4

Kentucky Bend

If you look closely at a map, there’s a piece of Kentucky that looks like it doesn’t belong. That’s the Kentucky Bend, also called the New Madrid Bend, a tiny peninsula in Fulton County that is almost completely separated from the rest of the Bluegrass State . The strange situation was the consequence of the massive series of earthquakes that took place in that area between 1811 and 1812, which were so violent they famously caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for several hours. When the dust settled, the river had carved a new path that looped around this small patch of land, surrounded by Missouri and Tennessee instead of Kentucky. The 9 residents living there today go through Tennessee just to get to their home state.

5

The State of Deseret: The empire that almost was

Imagine a state so big it makes Texas look tiny. That almost happened back in 1894, when Mormon pioneers proposed the State of Deseret. The territory comprised what we now know as Utah, most of Nevada, parts of Arizona and Colorado, and a massive chunk of the California coast, including San Diego.

Had it been formalized, it would have been a powerhouse with its own seaport and total control over the West. However, Washington, D.C. wasn’t so keen on one group having that much territory and power, so they whittled it down, and we ended up having the states we know today.

6

The lawless "No Man's Land"

Have you ever wondered what happens when two governments simply give up on a piece of land? Between 1806 and 1821, there was a strip of land in what is now western Louisiana that was, literally, No Man’s Land. Neither the U.S. nor Spain, which owned part of the territory, could agree on the border, so they declared it "Neutral Ground" to avoid armed conflicts . The plan backfired as, with no laws to contain it, it quickly became a favorite for the outlaws in the West —meaning deserters and bandits hiding there were legally untouchable. The conflict was resolved by the 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty, which officially set the Sabine River as the legal boundary.

7

The Republic of the Indian Stream

In the early 1830s, people living in a small area between New Hampshire and Quebec were fed up, and in this case, taxes were the problem. Both Canada and the US were trying to collect taxes, and nobody likes being double-billed . In 1832, the residents essentially said "neither of them can tax us" and formed their own country called the Republic of the Indian Stream. They had their own constitution and Capitol for four years, until 1836, when the militia marched on the disputed territory to reclaim the land. It wasn’t until 1842, when the land dispute and the double-taxation was definitively resolved by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty, which assigned the land to New Hampshire.

8

The Northwest Angle: Mapping mistake of 1783

When the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783 to end the Revolutionary War, the mapmakers used a chart that was flat-out wrong. They thought the Mississippi River started much further north than it actually did. Because of that mistake, a piece of Minnesota got cut off from the rest of the country . To this day, the "Northwest Angle" is the only place in the lower 48 states north of the 49th parallel. Much like Point Roberts, you have to cross a massive lake or drive through Canada just to visit it.

9

The District of Columbia’s "lost" corner

If you look at a map of D.C., you’ll notice it’s missing a chunk; it’s not a perfect square as it was originally intended. Originally, the capital was a perfect ten-mile square diamond , taking land from both Maryland and Virginia. But by 1846, things got tense. Residents in the Virginia portion, which included Alexandria and Arlington, were worried the federal government would abolish slavery in the District, which was the backbone of their economy. They successfully petitioned to have Virginia "take back" that portion of the land and subsequently changed the shape of the national capital forever.

10

UN Headquarters: International territory

If you want to feel international, go to the United Nations Headquarters on the East River in midtown Manhattan, New York. Once you cross that gate onto the 18-acre site, you are technically leaving the United States. You don’t need to show your passport, but that’s international territory, which means it has its own laws , its own security force, and even its own postal service. It is a legal hole in the middle of New York City.

1

It was invented in Switzerland

While the name suggests a US origin, the technology that created American cheese actually began in the heart of the Alps. It was developed in 1911 by Swiss researchers Walter Gerber and Fritz Stettler, who were looking for a way to extend the shelf life of their country’s famous Emmental cheese.

The problem with traditional cheese is that it eventually dries out, molds, or separates into a greasy mess when heated. By shredding the cheese, adding sodium citrate, and heating it, the Swiss duo discovered they could create a stable, smooth product that didn't separate. While they weren't trying to create "American" cheese as we know it today, their emulsification process laid the foundational science for every single-wrapped slice produced today.

2

It was popularized by a Canadian

The man responsible for the global dominance of American cheese was James L. Kraft. Ring any bells? Kraft was a Canadian immigrant who moved to Chicago in 1903. While he didn't invent the concept of processed cheese, he perfected the industrial scale of its production and marketing.

Kraft noticed that retailers struggled with cheese spoilage; if a wheel of cheddar didn't sell quickly, it was a total loss. He experimented with various methods of heating and blending cheese until he found a formula that could be canned and shipped long distances without spoiling. In 1916, he received a patent for his "processed cheese," and during World War I, the U.S. government purchased millions of pounds of it for soldiers, cementing its privileged place in the American diet.

3

It was almost called "Embalmed Cheese"

When processed cheese first hit the market, it had its detractors. Traditional cheesemakers were horrified, and so were pure food advocates. These critics argued that the product shouldn't even be called cheese. They’ve even gone so far as to call it "embalmed cheese" because of its unnaturally long shelf life and the chemical emulsifiers used to keep it stable. Yet, Kraft’s marketing prowess and the sheer convenience of the product ultimately won the naming battle. At least in the court of public opinion.

4

Technically, it isn’t cheese

Kraft may have won the battle among the people, but legally, American cheese is not considered cheese. If you look closely at the packaging, you will rarely see the word "cheese" on its own. Because of strict FDA regulations, most varieties are legally classified as "Pasteurized Process Cheese Product" or "Pasteurized Process American Cheese Food."

To be labeled "cheese," a product must be made primarily of milk, salt, and enzymes. Processed American cheese, however, is made by blending real cheese—usually cheddar or Colby—with emulsifying salts, whey, and sometimes extra milk or fats.

5

Any cheese can be made into American cheese

The term "American cheese" refers more to a process than a specific flavor. In theory, you could make "American-style" brie, blue cheese, or parmesan. The defining characteristic is the addition of an emulsifier, which breaks down the proteins and allows the fats and water to stay together.

In fact, some high-end chefs now make their own artisanal American cheese with aged cheddars processed with sodium citrate to create a slice that has the complex flavor of an expensive block but the melting point of a Kraft Single.

6

It isn’t naturally yellow

The vibrant orange-yellow hue of American cheese is entirely a cosmetic choice. Traditionally, cheese color varied by the season; when cows ate fresh grass in the summer, their milk contained more beta-carotene, leading to a naturally yellowish cheese. To make their cheese look high-quality all year round, cheesemakers began adding dyes.

American cheese takes this tradition to the extreme. It is typically colored with annatto, a seed from the achiote tree. Without this dye, American cheese would be a pale, creamy white, which is how it is sold in many delis as "White American". Yes, that’s right, there is no flavor difference between the white and yellow versions.

7

It has an extremely low melting point

The scientific superpower of American cheese is its meltability. Traditional cheeses have a protein structure that tightens when heated, which is why a slice of aged cheddar on a burger often results in an oily puddle and a rubbery clump.

Because of the emulsifying salts, the proteins in American cheese can withstand heat without clumping together. This gives it an incredibly low and stable melting point, transforming the slice into a silky sauce. This is why it remains the undisputed king of grilled cheese sandwiches.

8

It’s been in space

When you're hurtling through orbit in a cramped capsule, you need food that is stable, easy to eat, and won't crumble into thousands of tiny, electronics-clogging pieces. American cheese fit the bill perfectly for early NASA missions.

Processed cheese in tubes or cubes was a staple of the Apollo missions. Because it doesn't separate or sweat oil in varying temperatures and pressures, it was one of the few dairy products that could reliably provide flavor and calcium to astronauts.

9

It helped bring cheese to the masses

Before the advent of processed cheese, cheese was often a seasonal luxury. It was difficult to transport, expensive to store, and highly variable in quality. James L. Kraft’s invention changed that. By creating a product that was uniform in flavor and shelf-stable, he made cheese affordable and accessible to every corner of the United States.

10

The U.S. Government once gave it out

The U.S. government not only bought tons of American cheese during World War I. In the 1980s, the term "government cheese" became a thing. During a period of dairy surpluses, the government bought millions of pounds of cheese to prop up prices for struggling farmers.

To avoid letting it rot, the Reagan administration began distributing five-pound blocks of cheese to low-income families, seniors, and schools. For many who grew up in that era, that pale orange processed cheese was a lifesaver.