3. Kennecott, Alaska
The Kennecott mill town and mines are an important part of America’s past. The town’s impressive structures and mines depict a prosperous period of exploration, discovery, and technological innovation.
Kennecott was a copper mining camp that produced millions of dollars between 1911 and 1938, but once the supply was consumed entirely, this town didn’t have much to offer.
Despite Kennecott’s early success, the low price of copper during the Great Depression really put an end to everything that was happening in the Kennecott Mines and all their deposits had been depleted.
The city was populated by miners and their families, but they all started to leave when the area became mined out. By 1940, the town was completely empty and it’s been abandoned ever since.
Kennecott became a National Historic Landmark in 1986, when the National Park Service took over most of the land and started stabilizing and rehabilitating many of the mill and town buildings. Nowadays, this town is a popular tourist attraction where you can take guided tours, which will let you visit the town and get inside the buildings.
