Every place has a story.
Learn how to read it.
A practical guide to urbex, from finding places you can visit to understanding a map record and making photographs with context.
A different way to read the city.
Urban exploration starts with curiosity about places and the lives they once held. A useful record goes beyond the atmosphere of an empty building.
Read guide 4 min readPlanning a visitFind a place. Confirm the visit.
Start with places that welcome visitors, then use maps and historic records to understand what you are looking at.
Read guide 4 min readReading the mapA pin is the beginning of the record.
A location, a condition report, and an access note tell you different things. Read them together without treating any one field as the whole story.
Read guide 4 min readPhotography & field notesPhotograph the place. Preserve its context.
A striking photograph shows how a place looked. A thoughtful set of photographs and notes can also help someone understand it.
Read guide 4 min readCuriosity, with something to go on.
These guides focus on the useful work around a visit: research, current access information, careful observation, and clear records. Sources link to heritage agencies and mapping documentation so you can follow the evidence yourself.
A map helps locate information. The owner or operator’s current arrangements determine your visit. Keep those two roles distinct, and there is much more room to understand the place.
See how the uMaps map works