Packard Plant, Detroit, Michigan

Detroit's Packard Plant is a massive complex of industrial buildings that have become an icon for the failing automotive industry. The plant has long been abandoned; Packard closed its doors in the 1950s, and the site has been left largely forgotten ever since. You can see several great sets of black and white photos of the Packard Plant at Silent Buildings.

As with so many abandoned buildings in Detroit, it has been victim to much vandalism and arson. A June 2010 fire at the Packard Plant burned for about a week; there are unstable tunnels running below the plant, so bringing fire trucks into the complex is too risky. See photos from the fire here.

University Club, Detroit, Michigan

This abandoned building once housed the University Club, an exclusive, members-only organization that provided such amenities as racquetball courts, gardens, and guest rooms. The building was erected in 1931 and was used by the University Club until the group filed bankruptcy in 1992. DetroitFunk has a fabulous set of photos from the University Club; check them out here.

Big Rapids Drive-In, Big Rapids, Michigan

At the peak of drive-in movie popularity in 1972, Michigan was home to 137 drive-in theaters; as of 2010, only 8 remain. Among the abandoned theaters is the Big Rapids Drive-In. Though the screen has long since been torn down, the projection and concessions building still stands on the site along with other remnants of the theater. See pictures of what remains here.

Albion Drive-In Theater, Albion, Michigan

Though the decrepit screen was torn down in the late 1980s because of safety concerns, the projector building/concession stand from the Albion Drive-In Theater still stands. The speaker poles also still stand in rows across an overgrown field, and piles of screen pieces are still strewn about. See some pictures of the remains, plus some older pictures of the theater, here.

Edgewater Park, Detroit, Michigan

Detroit's Edgewater Park was a small amusement park that was open from 1927 until 1981. Though the site has since been demolished (a church now sits there), the park is remembered here with historical photos, old family photos, and a lot of wonderful photos of the ruins of the abandoned park before the site was cleared to make way for new developments.

Four Bears Water Park, Shelby Township, Michigan

The Four Bears Water Park in Shelby Township, Michigan operated from 1983 until 2004. By 2008, everything but the main building was dismantled and demolished, making way for a block of condos. You can see more photos of the park before it was torn down here.

Wonderland Mall, Livonia, Michigan

The Wonderland Mall in Livonia, Michigan was built in 1959 with Montgomery Ward as the anchor store. Originally built as an outdoor mall, it was enclosed in the 1980s. In 2003, the Wonderland Mall was closed and soon met with the wrecking ball, demolished to make way for a "power center" with several major store surrounded by restaurants. Click here to view historical photos of the mall, photos of the empty mall prior to demolition, as well as photos of the demolition process and remaining rubble.

Eastown Theater, Detroit, Michigan

Another great set (as always) from DetroitFunk features the Eastown Theater. How majestic and gorgeous this place must have been in its heyday, and how sad it is now. It started out as a home for stage productions, hosted a bunch of rock shows (including Alice Cooper), and ended its life in the 1980s after a run as an adult movie house. There are multiple sets of photos of the theater on the website; check out another one here.

United Artists Theater, Detroit, Michigan

The United Artists Theater opened in February of 1928, taking its place as one of the city's opulent movie houses of the era. Today, most of these theaters that remain standing have been renovated, however the UA stands abandoned in a forlorn state of decay, constantly worsening from the elements and vandalism.

There are many great photos of the theater at Forgotten Detroit, along with a complete history of the building.

Hiawatha Iron Ore Mine, Iron River, Michigan

Michigan's Upper Peninsula is home to scores of mining ghost towns and other abandoned remnants of the area's mining past. This abandoned iron ore mine shaft in Iron River is made of cement that is stained red from the iron dust that has escaped from the shaft. The photo is from a Flickr set by hole-in-one; you can see the rest of the set here.