abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating host Blake Pfeil’s experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and around the world. Along the way, the show asks critical questions about American history and culture, community, economics, the environment, and mental health while encouraging folks to activate their imaginations as a tool for healing. Winner: Ambie Award (2025 - Best DIY Podcast), Signal Awards (2024 & 2025 - Best Experimental Podcast), CineHealth Media Festival (Best Podcast), Sydney Web Fest Michael Ajakwe Award for Innovation (2025) Nominee: UK Press Gazette Future of Media Awards (2024, 2025 - Regional Podcast of the Year), Ambie Awards (2024 - Best Indie Podcast) To learn more, visit www.allamericanruins.com.

Episodes

All-American Ruins: Live at the Ulster County Historical Society

October 23, 2025 • 85 mins
On October 12, 2025, Blake was joined by All-American Ruins guest host and writer Isabel Wilder at the Ulster County Historical Society in Kingston, NY for a 90-minute program. Participants explored how ruins reflect America’s past, present, and future—while doubling as playgrounds for creativity, imagination, and healing. To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com if ...
Mark as Played

In Which I Let You Go at an Abandoned Security Gatehouse (Schrade Cutlery Factory - Ellenville, NY)

September 4, 2025 • 16 mins
On the one-year anniversary of his best friend Julie’s death, Blake makes his way to the ruins of the Schrade Cutlery Factory in Ellenville, NY. The only remaining structure is a crumbling security gatehouse which Julie and Blake always talked about getting to but never did. Covered in vines, Blake reminisces on his friendship with Julie and asks her ghost if it’s time to let her go. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we st...
Mark as Played

The People Who Used to Live Here, Part II

June 12, 2025 • 30 mins
Wander through fantastical realm of a real giant beige house (at the end of a very long driveway), abandoned and hidden on the banks of a famous river in New York-- where you’ll meet the ghost of the old woman and connect the dots between this story and “The People Who Used to Live Here, Part 1” from Season 1. This episode features: Margarita Meyendorff (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you ...
Mark as Played

The People Who Used to Live Here, Part I (A Season 1 Re-Release)

June 5, 2025 • 17 mins
In preparation for the season 3 finale, “The People Who Used to Live Here, Part II: The Giant Beige House at the End of a Very Long Driveway,” we’re diving back into the archives for this special re-release of “The People Who Used to Live Here, Part I.” You know; for context. This episode originally aired on December 29, 2022. Original episode description: In the season one finale of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, foll...
Mark as Played

Frozen in Time (Borden Farmhouse - Wallkill, NY)

May 29, 2025 • 30 mins
Feeling trapped in their Covid bubble, Blake and his pandemic pod-mate Isabel explore an abandoned Hudson Valley farmhouse where Isabel discovers the Borden family’s influence on the country’s dairy industry and reconciles with childhood ghosts. In an All-American Ruins first, join Blake as he passes the storytelling reins to his sister-from-another mother who you may recognize from previous episodes in season 2, "Isabel and the Al...
Mark as Played

The Anti-Ruin: Michael Townsend and the Secret Mall Apartment

May 22, 2025 • 74 mins
What does it look like to revitalize an abandoned space - that’s situated inside an active and excessively large shopping mall - in 2005? On this special bonus episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast, you’ll meet Michael Townsend, one of the eight artists who, from 2005-2008, did just that: built a secret apartment inside the Providence Place Mall. Michael is one of the subjects of the smash documentary Secret Mall Apa...
Mark as Played

Star Wars Dad (Mountain Drive-In - South Fallsburg, NY)

May 1, 2025 • 22 mins
While exploring the ruins of a once-popular drive-in movie theater, Blake thinks about his complicated relationship with his father, reimagining a screening of Star Wars that they attended together the year John was diagnosed with stage IV mesothelioma. May the 4th be with you. This episode features: John Pfeil Tiernan Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode...
Mark as Played

A Finnish Ghost Story (Unknown Cabin - Pohjola, Finland)

April 24, 2025 • 19 mins
Deep in the woods of the Finnish countryside sits a quaint house, red, and completely abandoned. In this international episode of abandoned, follow Blake inside where he has a run-in with a ghost-- and not an imaginary one. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https...
Mark as Played

Someone Lives Here (Unknown Casa - Merida, Mexico)

April 10, 2025 • 20 mins
“Abandoned” doesn’t always mean “empty,” and in one particular vacant mini-mansion in Merida, Mexico, that is precisely the case. Continuing on his international circuit, join Blake as he spins an imaginary folk tale about the people who used to live in this house, while wandering its halls and reflecting on family, poetry, and gun violence. This episode features:  Perla Ayora Joseph Darnell Dorian Darnell Elsa Darnell (Note...
Mark as Played

Fear (Homemakers Custom Draperies - Niagara Falls, NY)

March 27, 2025 • 21 mins
Formerly a curtain shop in Niagara Falls, NY, a strange abandoned commercial space overlooking the St. Lawrence Seaway draws Blake in as he ruminates on fear, in all of its unknowable power and mystery. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast.) To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com...
Mark as Played

A Detour (Colorado Motorsports & Greyhound Track - Byers, CO)

March 13, 2025 • 17 mins
An accidental pitstop at the ruins of a motorsports track becomes a silent meditation on spirits, open carry laws, and the function of fear as an explorer of the past. Walk with Blake through a history full of the distant sounds of race cars burning rubber around and around the track, surrounded on all sides by the sunny plains of Colorado in autumn. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones ...
Mark as Played

Cinema for the Ears at Garden State Film Festival

March 6, 2025 • 21 mins
Join Blake in conversation with Garden State Film Festival executive director Lauren Concar Sheehy as the pair discuss the festival’s groundbreaking accessibility program “Cinema for the Ears,” which will feature season 2, episode 8 of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast in Asbury Park, NJ on March 29, 2025. For tickets and more information, visit GSFF.org. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wea...
Mark as Played

American Train (Bilevel Metrarail CalTrain - Jacumba Springs, CA)

February 27, 2025 • 18 mins
All-aboard as Blake guides you to an abandoned double-decker passenger train in the middle of the California desert. While wandering the ruins of the great American railway industry, join Blake as he reflects the evolution of transportation, the unraveling of corporate greed, and his lifelong love of trains, deserts, and making music. This episode features: Omen Sade “American Train” written and performed by Macabre Americana: Wi...
Mark as Played

Nick and the Assassination of JFK (Irish Centre of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh, PA)

February 13, 2025 • 21 mins
A last-minute decision to peek into the abandoned Irish Centre of Pittsburgh transforms into a daydream of a haunted heads-up penny and the assassination of JFK. Nestled among the City of Steel’s rolling hills, join Blake as he guides you through a forgotten cinder block sanctuary of the past, where he reflects on the death of his first love and how the grief from the loss helped him survive. This episode features: Nicholas John C...
Mark as Played

Megan and the Very Bad Dream (Tillson Elementary - Tillson, NY)

January 30, 2025 • 20 mins
What do Blake’s sister, a giant, and a very bad dream have in common? Find out as Blake guides you through the abandoned Tillson Elementary School where he ponders his relationship with his sister and a recurring nightmare he had as a child. This episode features: Megan Pfeil Ryan Pfeil (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-American Ruins Pod...
Mark as Played

Nazis in the Canyon (Murphy Ranch - Los Angeles, CA)

January 16, 2025 • 18 mins
Once upon a time, there was an active Nazi compound situated in a Los Angeles canyon. After it was emptied of its filth in 1948, Murphy Ranch sat abandoned for years before the city transformed it into a public park, where, over time, the architectural remnants of evil slowly faded away, reclaimed by the dirt and stone of the canyon. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every epis...
Mark as Played

Busted (Delmar Inn - South Fallsburg, NY)

January 2, 2025 • 21 mins
The art of urban exploration often includes evading the authorities, but every once in a while, an adventurer gets caught. In the season 3 premiere, join Blake as he wanders the abandoned summer camp at the Delmar Inn, hidden away off a Catskill Mountain highway in New York. This episode features: Julie Novak The Caretaker (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of ...
Mark as Played

Trailer (Season 3) | abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast

December 5, 2024 • 4 mins
Welcome to season 3 of the Ambie-nominated abandoned: The All-American Ruins Podcast. Join host Blake Pfeil as he guides listeners through immersive audio fantasies, recreating his experiences exploring abandoned spaces across the United States and around the world. Along the way, abandoned asks critical questions about American history, culture, community, economics, the environment, and collective mental health while encouraging ...
Mark as Played

In Memoriam: What Would Julie Do? (A Season 2 Re-Release)

September 6, 2024 • 27 mins
On Saturday, August 31, 2024, All-American Ruins lost its biggest fan, and host Blake Pfeil lost his greatest urbex buddy: Julie Novak. In this special re-release of season 2, episode 4, “Julie is a Homo[wack],” join Blake for this audio memorial of a beloved community leader, queer mentor, and dear friend. (Note: For the best immersive experience, we strongly suggest you wear headphones 🎧 for every episode of abandoned: The All-A...
Mark as Played

Goodbye, I’m Shelley Duvall (Nevele Grande Hotel - Ellenville, NY)

July 18, 2024 • 15 mins
In this special bonus episode, Blake returns to the abandoned Nevele Grande Hotel where he says goodbye to one of his All-American Ruins muses, Shelley Duvall. To read the transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.blakepfeil.com/aar-podcast.html To learn more, visit: http://www.allamericanruins.com You can join the All-American Ruins Expedition Club now: https://plus.acast.com/s/abandoned-the-all-american-ruins-p...
Mark as Played

Popular Podcasts

    Dateline NBC

    Dateline NBC

    Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com

    Are You A Charlotte?

    Are You A Charlotte?

    In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.

    Stuff You Should Know

    Stuff You Should Know

    If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

    The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.

    Crime Junkie

    Crime Junkie

    Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Advertise With Us
Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

Explore

iHeart

Live Radio

Podcasts

Artist Radio

Exclusives

News

Features

Events

Contests

Photos

Information

About

Advertise

Blog

Brand Guidelines

Contest Guidelines

Subscription Offers

Jobs

Get the App

Automotive

Home

Mobile

Wearables

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.