Best Abandoned Places In Fort Collins, Colorado For Urbex

Abandoned places no matter how they look or where they are tend to evoke a feeling of awe and curiosity in many people. They are both eerie and beautiful all at once.

Their ruins tell stories of how life was lived decades and sometimes hundreds of years ago. These locations can be found anywhere in the world. But for this article, we will be looking at some abandoned places in Fort Collins, CO.

If you’re curious to know what abandoned places lie in Colorado’s fourth-largest city, then you’re in luck.  Below are a few interesting and unusual abandoned places Fort Collins has to offer.

Abandoned Places In Fort Collins, CO

 

1. Old Fort Collins Elementary

Before more modern schools were built, there was one school every student in Fort Collins went to. That school was Old Fort Collins Elementary.

It was in operation since the 60s and the school had for decades ran successfully with little to no incidents or major hassles. It was until 2006 that a new elementary school was built closer to growing residential areas which caused OFCE to begin dropping in attendance numbers.

After a few short years, the school body began dwindling to the point that only a few classrooms were being filled. Because of rising costs to keep the school open, the Fort Collins school board in 2010 made the decision to shutter the school for good.

Since then, it has been sitting empty and slowly decaying away. The totally decrepit and massive 4-story tall abandoned school in Fort Collins has for years attracted many urban explorers. One of them is Colorado Springs YouTuber that goes by the name Deathpunch347.

In 2019, along with his exploring crew, they entered the school for an exploration of their own. From his video, you can tell that the school is in poor condition because of years of neglect.

Like many abandoned places in Fort Collins, it’s almost certainly poised for demolition one of these days.

 

2. White Satin Amalgamated Sugar Plant

The sugar industry helped build the state of Colorado. All throughout parts of the Northwest you can find many sugar factories that now lie in ruins. One of them is the White Satin Amalgamated Sugar Plant in Loveland, CO.

The plant has for decades been abandoned and left to rot. When it was in operation, it was considered one of the most successful sugar mills in the state. It was built in the early 1900s by businessman Charles Boettcher who worked with the Great Western Sugar Company.

Together, they built and operated the massive sugar plant which was used to process and ship tons of beet sugar all over the US for many years. A railroad track was built to haul refined sugar from building to building.

It would go on to be closed 80 years after its opening in 1985 when its’ parent company went bankrupt. Before abandoning it, the factory was partially dismantled and the bricks and machinery were sold off.

The only buildings that remain standing today are the silos, offices, and processing facilities. It is one of the most popular abandoned places near Fort Collins today.

 

3. Great Western Effluent Flume and Bridge

The Great Western Sugar Company operated a number of sugar plants all throughout the state of Colorado. The Loveland plant that you just read about above is one of them, but there was also another one located in Fort Collins during the same years.

That plant was shut down and demolished in the 60s but a part of it that survived was the effluent flume and bridge. That now abandoned bridge was built as a means of carrying and disposing of waste generated from the mill to a dumping ground across the river.

The flume was made up of a metal trough that was suspended across the Poudre River by cables between double concrete abutments. Today the bridge and flume still stand and it was also inducted into the National Register of Historic Places in 2015.

Like with many other abandoned places in Fort Collins, plans to reuse the structure have been made but so far nothing has been done.

 

4. Hendersons Family Farm

Located on the south side of Fort Collins just past Fossil Creek lies this creepy family farmhouse in the middle of the woods that’s been abandoned for over 40 years.

Urban explorer and avid devil’s lettuce enjoyer, NickNitty420, discovered the abandoned house in Fort Collins after having heard rumors of it. According to the Coloradoan, a Fort Collins news website, the family did not abandon the house on their own.

They were forced out by the state because of a federal government project that involved seizing the land the home was in. The Hendersons were given a check for the home value and told they had 2 months to move out.

Even though the home had been in the family for generations, they were not allowed to stay. They supposedly left for Denver in a hurry because the home is full of old stuff that’s just strewn all over the ground.

The house itself is in really bad shape with collapsed walls, overgrown trees and grass, and unstable floors. Behind the house are two wooden shacks with stuff still inside. It’s sad to see the dilapidated home just decay away like this.

 

Any Abandoned Places in Fort Collins We Missed?

It would take months of research to make a complete list of abandoned buildings in Fort Collins. The city has been expanding throughout the years and with this growth, it has left behind many structures that are no longer occupied.

If you want to find more abandoned places near you, drive just about anywhere east of 1-25. You will find tons of abandoned locations if you just get on the dirt roads and drive. Desserted places for miles, from Greeley to Cheyenne. You just need to get out there and look.

Places including houses, hospitals, schools, churches, and businesses are left abandoned and they are scattered all throughout the city. If you’re an urban explorer in the Fort Collins area, let us know what abandoned places we missed that should be included on this list.