Urbex, short for Urban Exploring, is the practice of exploring and documenting abandoned buildings. Urbex does not condone graffiti or vandalism… you should take only photographs and leave only footprints. Urbexers never break into places; they only enter places previously broken into. When urbexing, you have to be aware of broken glass, nails, mold, insulation, drug transactions, gangs and of course, cops. Technically, this is trespassing, so Urbexers get a serious rush, but… they are nice people.
I was an Urbexer.
Recently, a Meaford, Ontario woman, Viz, invited the Meaford Camera Club into the sub-basement of her building, which was built in 1874. This was a hardware store for a long time, so there were many old, antique tools and supplies in the dirt-floor sub-basement, which I like to call Viz’s Dungeon. You had to climb down a ladder to get in.
This was not Urbex, as it was not abandoned and we were invited in. But, it was fun and educational. Thanks Viz!
A few years ago I was involved in an Urbex group and below are included a sample of photos from my adventures, along with Viz’s dungeon.
[Click on any photo for the slideshow. Please leave comments at the bottom of the page.]
***
Viz’s Dungeon
Viz’s Dungeon
Viz’s Dungeon
Viz’s Dungeon
Viz’s Dungeon
Kodak plant, Toronto, 2011
Kodak plant, Toronto, 2011
Barbie loves abandoned places, Kodak plant, Toronto, 2011
Barber paper mill, Georgetown, 2011
An urbexer at the Barber paper mill, Georgetown, 2011
Happy faces at Barber paper mill, Georgetown, 2011
We were welcomed by the colonel, but we had to climb into the Firestone plant, Hamilton, 2011
Firestone plant, Hamilton, 2011
Firestone plant, Hamilton, 2011
Falconburg, Ontario ghost town, 2011
Falconburg, Ontario ghost town, 2011
St. Clements Church, Toronto, 2011
St. Clements Church, Toronto, 2011
Germania, Ontario ghost town, 2013
Scrap yard selfie, 2014
Germania, Ontario ghost town, 2013
Ontario Place, Toronto, 2013
Ontario Place, Toronto, 2013
Ontario Place, Toronto, 2013
February 26, 2025 at 10:17 pm
….YIKES…..BLOODY YIKES !!!!….make sure your tetanus shots are up to date………….
February 26, 2025 at 10:52 pm
HAHA! Very funny Linda
February 26, 2025 at 11:43 pm
Len, that Canadian Port in photo 5 must have been really well aged!!!!
Interesting as always. You must have had fun exploring!
Len
February 27, 2025 at 2:42 am
Yes Len, this is always fun and thrilling!
February 27, 2025 at 1:17 pm
Some great pictures Len, but might induce nightmares if I had them on the bedroom wall!
Good to see that Barbie got an outing.
The picture I kept returning to was the scrapyard – the light and blurring reminds me of a rock concert – is that Len or Neil Young in the shot?
February 27, 2025 at 5:56 pm
It’s me. I think the lighting is just because of the reflections.