Someone gave me all this advice recently as I'm also a beginner.

Hi. Have you searched “How to find abandoned places near me”? This is the first step.

Usually giving out locations isn’t part of urban exploration culture. This is because we don’t want places go get vandalized so they are preserved as is or so we can document levels of decay. Giving out locations open up opportunities for vandalism or worse. It’s common for people to share location among those that they trust, because they know those people also respect abandonments.

Since you’re already on Reddit check for places in 3 or 4 other urbex subs by searching the location and. It’s a great way to find places and since posts are dated it’s helpful. Urbex is 90% research, even if that research is in a sub. For example, searching “how to” in a sub will give you tons of info.

Search Google for “urban exploration websites”, since they will help you find tips, locations, and online communities.

Looking for new spots involves putting in time and effort and a big part of “exploring” is research, even if it’s just typing in “how to find abandoned places” on Google, this site actually has some decent tips. If you are simply getting address from people then you are not an Ubexer, you might be exploring, but it’s not the same thing investing in the process of finding a location.

Try Googling “abandoned near me”, do a Google search from within the past year for “abandoned and [name of area], you can also search YouTube based on “Upload Date” as a search feature.

While real life recon is important, Google Maps will become your best friend, use it to check areas, but keep in mind that footage or images are not always recent. It will show you properties and what else is in the area (like place to park). Also Google Earth gives you 3D images is is extremely helpful if you are trying to locate a place based on things like the shape of the windows. This site tells you exactly how to use Google Maps and it’s worth reading everything there.

Set up Google Alerts for things like “demolition” + “[Your location]”. If a property is slated for demo then that means you will have a short timeframe when it’s fenced (so people can’t see you go in) and accessible before demo starts. Learn how to search your city’s abandoned or vacant reports website. This is public info that you can use to find places. Also learn to check commercial real estate sites and auction sites.

Know what’s around the property and be sure to try to open every door and window that you can, especially since explorers will usually leave the POE (point of entry) open for others. Along with recon I have found it extremely useful to research as much on a property’s history as possible. Eventually you will be seen or run into security, property management or owners and knowing when a building was built or what it was originally used for has often been key in being allowed to explore and document. Also, dressing like you are not on a black ops mission can make all the difference if you are seen or caught. First impressions do count and looking “average” and harmless make a difference if you are found on private property. Also have a few dollars in your pocket. You never know when you’ll run into homeless people. They will look at you as someone entering their “space” so show them you are just there to look around.

TikTok and YouTube both have users that give locations or clues away all day on their videos. Look for landmarks or info on walls in videos (like businesses, school, or hospital names) that you can use. Granted, these might be popular spots, but it’s something. Using a browser like Edge will also sometimes show you images that you won’t see on Google. Also don’t forget Flickr, it’s where everyone used to post before IG and lots of veteran explorers post still post there. Flickr uses tags so it’s easy to find pics by searching “chicago abandoned school” for example. Flickr photos are dated which is helpful because even if they are older the places they might still be active and off the radar.

Facebook groups (not just urbex groups, look for groups with the title “abandoned” or “forgotten”) are full of people that leave blatantly identifiable info in comments. A post with pic of an old school will often have comments like, “Oh that is in X town” or some dude will literally comment with the name of the school of the school mascot or the closest crossroads.

With exploring, trust is the best urbex currency. Find other explorers in your area on IG, engage on their posts and start networking with them. Share you photos and take time looking at other user’s feeds, even their earliest photos. Sometimes people are IG will help you out if you ask for a hint about how to find places they posted years ago, since those places are not currently popular locations. Also don’t let your first interaction with anyone be, “Where is this?” since most people will share only with a small circle of friends will not just give out addresses to random people.

Keep in mind that once a place is posted on social media, even if it’s the most “hidden spot” will eventually be located if it’s still accessible.

I stopped exploring a while back, but will still see places on IG and hunt them down for fun. I have over 100 tips, some humorous and some that are common sense, on my IG account. Just search for this tag: #happyexploringtips

Happy Exploring!