Last episode
Churchill's Shadow War
s13e12 · 2026-03-26
Running · US
Mysteries of the Abandoned
Science Documentary
What it is
Some of the world's most incredible engineering projects now lie in ruins. These deserted places are home to extraordinary mysteries and untold secrets, and we revisit them to understand how they were built, and why they were abandoned.They were once some of the most advanced structures and facilities on the planet, standing at the cutting-edge of design and construction. Today they are abandoned, dangerous, some of them even deadly. From uninhabited cities to empty factories, these long-forgotten engineering marvels are scattered around the globe. Science Channel uncovers why some of the world's most advanced architectural achievements were eventually left behind in the all-new series Mysteries of the Abandoned.Each of the six, hour-long episodes of Mysteries of the Abandoned features stories behind engineering wonders, why they were built, and the reasons they were eventually left to crumble. Each story recalls the people who originally designed the structure, their historical significance, and why they were ultimately no longer of use. The premiere episode explores California's Goat Canyon Trestle railway, known as the 'Impossible Railroad,' that required the biggest wooden trestle bridge in the world; Ukraine's Duga, the notorious anti-ballistic missile radar, known as the 'Russian Woodpecker,' that still stands in within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone; and the Grand Goulets Road in the French Alps, an astonishingly narrow and perilous mountain passageway.
Episode highlights
Next episode
None captured
Episode guide
24 this season · 142 totals09e01 Derelict Housing of Protest 2022-01-03 03:00
Derelict Housing of Protest
The bizarre remnants of a housing complex lie mysteriously deserted in the Ohio industrial town of Campbell. Experts investigate and uncover the dark, turbulent past of the oppressive steel firm Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company and the labor strikes that resulted in deadly riots in 1916.
s09e02 The Beached Leviathan 2022-01-10 03:00
The Beached Leviathan
An enormous war machine, the KM (Korabl Maket), known colloquially as the Caspian Sea Monster, lies stranded in a coastal grave along the beaches of Dagestan, Russia; experts investigate and uncover the ruins of an experimental Soviet ground-effect vehicle designed to strike fear in Western governments during the Cold War.
s09e03 Desolation of Ponte City 2022-01-17 03:00
Desolation of Ponte City
A looming skyscraper, Ponte City, once an exclusive residential complex, turns into a dystopian ruin in Johannesburg, South Africa; experts investigate and uncover a symbolic structure of urban decay under the shameful shadow of apartheid.
s09e04 Bangkok's Ghost Tower 2022-04-15 00:00
Bangkok's Ghost Tower
Experts investigate how a ruinous financial crisis combined with murder mystery schemes caused the decline of the Sathorn Unique Tower, an opulent skyscraper in the heart of Bangkok's busy streets, a structure now little more than an empty shell.
s09e05 Ruins of the Nazi Resort 2022-04-22 00:00
Ruins of the Nazi Resort
A majestic vacation estate for the rich and powerful now lies abandoned in the highlands of Argentina - the Hotel Edén in Córdoba Province. Experts investigate and uncover a once struggling hotel transformed into a luxurious resort outpost for elite Nazi German sympathizers.
s09e06 Romanian Royal Desolation 2022-04-22 01:00
Romanian Royal Desolation
The sprawling ruins of a once lavish destination are now mysteriously deserted in the mountains of Romania. Experts investigate and uncover the remains of the Herculane Spa, a luxurious spa resort and royal retreat entangled in a web of corruption.
s09e07 Ruins of the Zoo Fortress 2022-04-29 00:00
Ruins of the Zoo Fortress
The ruins of a coastal fortress sit atop a jagged outcrop along the beaches of Wales - St Catherine's Fort and Island in Pembrokeshire. Experts investigate and uncover a derelict 19th-century British fortification that housed a series of occupants, including an exotic, private zoo.
s09e08 Hidden Hell of Angel Island 2022-04-29 01:00
Hidden Hell of Angel Island
A cluster of military defensive structures among a quaint holiday village lies deserted on a San Francisco Bay island; experts investigate and uncover a mysterious Civil War outpost on Angel Island that conceals a dark and hellish history.
s09e09 Ghost Village of Nazi Invaders 2022-05-06 00:00
Ghost Village of Nazi Invaders
An eerie ghost village in west-central France, Oradour-sur-Glane, appears as if it were mysteriously abandoned and destroyed all at once; experts investigate and uncover the remains of a derelict settlement left as a memorial to a murderous WWII Nazi raid.
s09e10 Remnants of Traitor Chateau 2022-05-13 00:00
Remnants of Traitor Chateau
An opulent chateau perched in the middle of a lake, the Château de la Mothe-Chandeniers, now stands dilapidated in the Loire Valley of France. Experts investigate and uncover the remains of a festering palace whose owner was labeled a traitor by France's most notorious king.
s09e11 Remnants of Alien Contact 2022-05-20 00:00
Remnants of Alien Contact
A research complex housing two enormous satellites is now mysteriously derelict in the rural expanse of Woodbury, Ga.; experts investigate and uncover the Woodbury Research Facility, where planetary scientists explored possible evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence.
s09e12 Psychiatric Ruins of Scotland 2022-05-27 00:00
Psychiatric Ruins of Scotland
The ruins of a mental health institution, Hartwood Hospital in North Lanarkshire, lie deserted in the Scottish woodlands; experts investigate and uncover the terrifying past of a notorious psychiatric asylum where many entered, but few escaped.
s09e13 Desolate Remnants of Agdam 2022-06-03 00:00
Desolate Remnants of Agdam
The remnants of a desolate ghost town with a violent past, Agdam, lie in the shadow of the Caucasus Mountains in Azerbaijan; experts investigate and uncover a destructive ethnic and territorial conflict, the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, that forced the evacuation of the entire city.
s09e14 Hidden Tunnels of Gibraltar 2022-06-10 00:00
Hidden Tunnels of Gibraltar
A forgotten military fortification connected to a network of secret tunnels are mysteriously hidden within the Rock of Gibraltar; experts investigate and uncover a derelict war-torn complex constructed for a highly classified WWII spy operation.
s09e15 Remnants of Rocket Complex 2022-07-01 00:00
Remnants of Rocket Complex
The remains of a derelict industrial complex connected to a mysterious water canal lie deserted in the Florida Everglades; experts investigate the Aerojet Dade Rocket Facility, an abandoned solid-fuel rocket testing facility critical to humanity's race to the stars.
s09e16 Secret Vaults of Scotland 2022-07-01 01:00
Secret Vaults of Scotland
A series of dark, subterranean vaults lie hidden beneath the bustling streets of Edinburgh, Scotland; experts investigate and uncover a vast network of tunnels and chambers that contain a history of opportunity, crime, and destitution.
s09e17 Ruins of Variety Theater 2022-07-08 00:00
Ruins of Variety Theater
The Variety Theater, a once-majestic theater hosting entertainment for generations in lavish surroundings, now lies mysteriously derelict in Cleveland, Ohio. Experts investigate a record-breaking heavy metal concert performed by Motorhead on December 2, 1984, that would spell the theater's eventual downfall. With a sound level of 130 decibels, this was the loudest rock performance ever recorded.
s09e18 Curse of Cowboy Mountain 2022-07-15 00:00
Curse of Cowboy Mountain
The bizarre remains of an Old West mining town lie mysteriously deserted high in the mountains of Maggie Valley, North Carolina; experts investigate and discover an abandoned ghost town theme park that some local residents believe carries a curse.
s09e19 Castle of the Nazi Occult 2022-10-14 00:00
Castle of the Nazi Occult
Houska Castle, an eerie castle with a supernatural attraction, stands derelict in the dense forests near Doksy in the Czech Republic; experts investigate and uncover legends of a concealed gateway to hell and links to horrific Nazi Germany occult experimentation.
s09e20 Urban Ruins of Varosha 2022-10-21 00:00
Urban Ruins of Varosha
Varosha, an entire city district of desolate streets and derelict buildings in Famagusta, lies mysteriously untouched for decades in Eastern Cyprus; experts investigate and uncover a once opulent resort town suddenly entangled in the 1974 Turkish military invasion, Operation Atilla.
s09e21 Historic Remains of USS Hornet 2022-10-28 00:00
Historic Remains of USS Hornet
A legendary U.S. Naval war vessel, the USS Hornet (CVS-12), now stands as a monument to space exploration in Alameda, California; experts reveal how the formidable WWII aircraft carrier served a vital role in historic Apollo spaceflight recovery missions.
s09e22 Liberia's Tower of Ruin 2022-11-04 00:00
Liberia's Tower of Ruin
A disintegrating tower, once a thriving cultural hub, now stands hollow and derelict in Monrovia, Liberia; experts investigate and uncover a landmark skyscraper left to decay in the wake of a bloody political coup.
s09e23 Lake Delores Waterpark 2022-11-11 01:00
Lake Delores Waterpark
An eye-catching collection of graffiti-covered structures that were once a pioneering entertainment attraction now stand derelict in the Mojave Desert; experts investigate and reveal the revolutionary remnants of America's first waterpark.