(c) 2014, Robyn LaRue
This week’s “Before I Die…” post excites me as it is a location that I have actually visited. Centralia, Pennsylvania is a modern-day ghost town and real life Silent Hill. Yep, you heard me right, a real life Silent Hill. Walking through town, knowing the world burns beneath your feet, you are on edge. If you have seen the Silent Hill movies or played the video games, you can’t help to feel a panic in your chest, waiting for that air siren to sound.
In 1962, a fire started in an interconnected coal vein underneath the town and it has been burning ever since. The fire is expected to continue burning for the next 1,000 years. Before the fire started, the town had a population that was over 1100. In the 1980s, the town had been almost completely evacuated. Only about 11 residents remain – refusing to leave. The buildings that are left, are uninhabited and are slowly falling into decay.
Centralia feels like it is not a part of this world. Smoke and steam rise from gaping cracks in the Earth. Heat radiates from the ground. Your eyes and nose burn from the toxins in the air. Silence eerily commands the air. It truly feels like you are on the cusp of stepping into Hell.
I went through several videos, and found this one that resonated best with my experience visiting Centralia. If you ever find yourself near Centralia, Pennsylvania, I highly recommend visiting the area. However, a word of caution, the area is hazardous. Steam escaping from the cracks in the Earth can be laced with toxins, which can be extremely dangerous if breathed in. Also, the ground is in subsidence. There is always a chance that the ground could give way beneath your feet. Under no circumstances should you visit this area alone.
Amanda Headlee 
How horrible for the former inhabitants. Like hell on earth.
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I know. That is the most horrible aspect about this place – everyone who lost their home.
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I have read about this many times. I am surprised that we haven’t decided to make it a destination. My guess is that we will on one of our trips. Man made Hell on Earth for sure.
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Definitely check it out on your next venture out this way.
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Oh no. You can’t make it sound that cool and then try to cover yourself by warning us about the danger. If I end up disappearing in a puff of smoke, it’s boing to be on your head. This sounds like an amazing setting for a story.
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Well… I had to cover myself incase anyone went traipsing about up there and ended up dead 😉 But it seriously is that cool. Very sad about everyone who had to be displaced though.
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I’ve always been interested in Centralia ever since I had heard that it was the ‘real’ silent hill and how much it really related to the plot. It’s very eerie in a beautiful kind of way. Thank you for posting this.
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You are welcome. If you are intrigued, you definitely have to visit it someday!
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Is Centralia the idea behind Silent Hill? Sounds like a terrifying place to visit. Are those 11 residents still there?
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As far as I know, they still are. And it truly feels like that – especially when you go up and there is a light snowfall or frost.
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