On The Border Of South Dakota And Nebraska Lies A Well-Preserved, Abandoned Village

Driving along Highway 71, just north of the South Dakota and Nebraska border, travelers will find a desolate village of abandoned homes and cars. Ardmore Ghost Town didn't always look this dilapidated. It was a once-thriving frontier town in the late 1880's, and an important stop on the railroad route. With unfortunate droughts destroying resources, and the train no longer stopping in town, the population rapidly declined. Today, all we see are ruins of this once-magnificent railroad hub. It truly is peculiar how a place so busy can suddenly become so obsolete. Such was the case with an abandoned resort in the Smoky Mountains, now a haunting ghost town as well. 

While one might typically think of ruins along Route 66 when thinking of abandoned ghost towns, Ardmore more than lives up to its expectations. The town has a Main Street and a volunteer fire department, but it has all been left abandoned to the elements. Visitors will see old wooden homes that have fallen apart, and more solid brick dwellings that have withstood the test of time. It is a far cry from the best preserved, most photographed ghost town in Nevada, but in fairly good condition. Only weather damage and time seem to have affected the village, unlike other ghost towns riddled in graffiti.

Most of the buildings are structurally sound and physically intact, but the interiors seem to be ransacked and full of junk in some spaces. An old mattress can be seen in one of the debris-filled homes, as if the town had seen vandals or squatters throughout the years. Some relics have been left behind, like a collection of empty mason jars, but most spaces have been left gutted and empty.

There is something unsettling about seeing groups of vehicles left behind, as if everyone had to leave on short notice. Some visitors think the town is spooky and unsafe to visit, as the abandoned village is a bit too reminiscent of a post-apocalyptic zombie horror flick. While most of the buildings look inhabitable from the outside, others are downright destroyed and in shambles.  It is uncanny how many scattered lots of old classic cars remain, decades after the town's heyday, like beloved collections that had suddenly been forgotten. 

As you wander through the faded road signs and run-down sheds, it might be tempting to explore and see the amazing finds one could discover. If you decide to pass through this fascinating roadside relic, please be respectful of fencing and property lines, so as not to further disturb this abandoned town. While the structures could seem intact from the outside, keep in mind they are old and might be dangerous and unstable to walk through.

Besides the usual abandoned houses and cars, travelers will notice boarded up stores and an old water tower while wandering around the village. There used to be a train that brought water to Ardmore when steam engines were at their peak, but after the train stopped running water to the town, its water supply dwindled. This was one of the main factors contributing to the town's fateful decline, since there was otherwise no water in town. There is also a general store and post office that remain, closed, but in decent shape. Sometimes locals can be spotted around town, suggesting there is still some life in this seemingly forgotten place.