Centralia Home Page
Centralia PA History
Mine Fire History
Pictures From Today
Centralia Then & Now
   
 
 
An in-depth View
Film and Song
Historical Photos
Mine Fire History
Visiting Centralia
Mine Fire Chronology
Satellite, Aerial Photos
360 Virtual Tours
Downtown Panoramic
Centralia Multimedia
Scientific Study
Memories of Centralia


Panoramic Virtual Tours:

Mine Fire Hot Spot
Downtown Centralia Mainstreet Centralia Damaged Hillside

 
 
   
Knoebels Amusement Park (only 15 miles from Centralia!) 
Ghost Towns
Area 51 - Groom Lake
Abandoned PA Turnpike
Defunct Amusement Parks
Abandoned Places

  

Photo Updates:


Centralia in HDR

July 2006 360? Virtual Tour of Downtown Centralia PA

Centralia's Neighbor:
Byrnesville, Pa

Zeisloft's Mobil
Gas Station

July 5th 2008
Centralia PA

Centralia PA 2008
January Photos and 
commentary by
Donald Davis


2006 Photos


2005 Photos
of Centralia


 

IMG_0215b.jpg (116899 bytes)
2004 Photos
of Centralia


2003 photos

of Centralia

DSCF0059.jpg (65114 bytes)
2002 photos

of Centralia


360 Degree Virtual Tours of Centralia PA
 

Fire In The Hole
by Kristie Betts
A fictional story based on Centralia
 

The Little
Town That Was

by Donald Hollinger

 

RESIDENTS TO SAVE THE BOROUGH OF CENTRALIA - FACT SHEET #6 - MARCH 1984 - This "Fact Sheet" was transcribed from a photocopied, original March 1984 newsletter from a Centralia organization called "Residents To Save The Borough Of Centralia".  Read the News Letter here


130th Anniversary
of the 1877 Shamokin Uprising and the Great Railroad Strike .. Read More

 

Centralia Today
A Photo Documentary
of Centralia today.

 

Mine Emergency Response Program
Details from the
Saskatchewan
Mine Rescue Manual
 

















 

July 5th 2008 Centralia PA

I just recently moved to PA from Wisconsin. While living in Wisconsin I came across your web page while searching for ghost towns etc across America. The photos you provided mesmerized me and I always dreamed of seeing the town first hand. After moving to PA I decided to embark on my mission. We left early in the morning the day after Independence day and arrived around Two O'clock. It was already a sweltering hot day and you could definitely tell it was warmer the closer you got to Centralia. We came into the Town from Mt. Carmel and parked at the north end of the closed section of Route 61 near St. Ignatius Cemetery. Surprisingly there were about 6 other people around that had the same idea as us. We moved from 61 across the highway to the old dump where the fire originated. Unfortunately for me I had neglected to bring a map of the area and hot spots so we missed the most recent one on the SE side of town. I should have walked a bit farther west. Darn. We proceeded across town to Railroad street observing where the railroad tracks used to run down the center of the road. Back at the car we checked out the area next to the graveyard that was still smoldering. The smell of sulfur hung heavily in the air and steam could be seen rising from cracks in the ground. I had a chance to snap a shot of white sulfurous crystals that had formed near a crack. The heat was intense.

You get a beautiful view of the town from there as well as the Russian Orthodox church on the hill to the north and the current mining operation to the Northeast. We drove a bit down big mine run and found an old abandoned house not far out of town on the right hand side if you are leaving. Huge piles of coal and what looks to be some old equipment reside there still. Once again I wish I had driven farther east to the hard turn of big mine run where the streams are. We finished our trip with the Old wash house at the south end of 61's bypass. Over all I spent most of the day there and had an amazing time. We didn't experience any real problems with the air or fumes aside from the slight shortness of breath near the burn areas as a result of the Carbon monoxide. Centralia is the definition of a peaceful town in my opinion. It's sad though to see all the graffiti and trash on the abandoned part of 61 and near the old dump. Centralia is still a beautiful place and it's sad that people have to ruin it be leaving refuse all around. All in all I would tell anyone who has the urge to see it to jump in your car and take a trip because it is definitely worth it.  I hope you all enjoy the pictures of our trip. Have fun and happy offroading.

Ian Mahun and Courtney McDonald
 

 

 

 


Knoebels
Amusement Park

Looking for a reason to visit Centralia?
Plan your visit around one of Pennsylvania's best kept secrets located only 15 miles up the road from Centralia PA.
 

 

  photos continued, follow this link...

 
  Mine Fire History Mine Fire History Historical Photos
  Pictures From Today Mine Fire Chronology Visiting Centralia
  Centralia Then & Now 360? Virtual Tours Scientific Study
  Satellite, Aerial Photos Downtown Panoramic Centralia Books

  

Other Interesting Things

 

 


 

So you want to Visit Centralia PA?  What you should know before you go to Centralia PA.

 

The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict

 


















 

What's near Centralia?

Plan your visit around one of Pennsylvania's best kept secrets located only 15 miles up the road from Centralia...


Knoebels
Amusement Park

Click Below for
 more details...

Knoebels
Amusement Park

 


Silent Hill & Centralia
Centralia PA inspires screenwriter Roger Avary during the making of the movie Silent Hill.
Read More Here...

 

Remembering ...
Byrnesville PA
By Mike Reilley

 
  Books about Centralia
  Maps of Centralia
  Around Town Today
  Local Attractions
 
  Personal Notes
  Additional Reading
  Haunted Centralia?
 
  Gerry McWilliams and
  the album "Centralia"
  
  Silent Hill Inspiration
  Other Mine Fires
  Search Centralia
  Centralia Sites/Books
  
Panoramic Virtual Tours:
Mine Fire Hot Spot
Downtown Centralia Mainstreet Centralia Damaged Hillside
  
 
  Centralia Infrared


Centralia PA in B&W Infrared
Infrared Photography
by Donald Davis

Video Tour
in Infrared of
Centralia PA
by Donald Davis

  

The Little Town That Was
by Donald Hollinger
 
  
Made in U.S.A. - 1987 movie that was filmed on location in Centralia PA See the opening Scene that started in Centralia during the peek of the mine fire disaster

 
 

 

Is Centralia Haunted?
Explore the possibility

 
The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict
 
  

Is there Hope
for Centralia?

Maybe...

Through the use of Nitrogen-Enhanced foam the Pinnacle mine fire was extinguished by Cummins Industries, Inc.  Cummins proposes to tackle the Centralia Mine fire and bring an end to the 
40 plus year fire.

Read this White Paper which evaluates the effectiveness of remotely applied nitrogen-enhanced foam to aid in efforts to isolate and suppress a mine fire.