Years ago, I embarked on a nighttime hike to the Indiana Army Ammunition Plant in southern Indiana—a site renowned as the largest abandoned industrial complex in the United States, sprawling over 19,000 acres. Our objective was to photograph and document one of its power plants, a task expected to occupy an entire day. However, the facility boasted two power plants and numerous well-maintained buildings left dormant since the end of the Vietnam War. It promised to be a lengthy endeavor.
To evade detection by the armed guards patrolling the area in their trucks, we parked at a nearby forest reserve and navigated through long-abandoned railroad tracks and overgrown roads illuminated solely by the moonlight. After traversing three miles in the darkness, we arrived at a decommissioned coal-fired power plant, standing tall at seven stories with ample lighting emanating from its massive windows. Ascending a labyrinth of grated stairs and walkways, we shielded our flashlights to prevent any inadvertent illumination that might attract unwanted attention.
Once atop the power plant, we established our camp and attempted to rest for a few hours. The arduous journey proved worthwhile as we found ourselves surrounded by deserted buildings and occasional passing patrol vehicles for miles around. In that fleeting moment, with the sunrise casting a warm glow over the brick and asbestos-clad structures, it felt as if the world belonged solely to us.
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Add Yours →You would not recognize it today. Nothing is left of the old site. It is a modern commercial/industrial area today.