- Centralia funeral home obituaries. ” Centralia, Pennsylvania, sits within Columbia County and has become one of the most recognized near-ghost towns in the United States. Jun 27, 2025 · On Jan. Graffiti Highway, a popular tourist spot in Centralia, was covered up in 2020 due to vandalism and safety concerns. Centralia (/ sɛnˈtreɪliə / sen-TRAY-li-ə) is a borough and near- ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population declined from 1,000 in 1980 to five residents in 2020 [8] because a coal mine fire has been burning beneath the borough since 1962. . See pictures, explore history, and visit Centralia Pennsylvania. Through a series of calamitous events, Centralia, a once-thriving settlement buoyed by the anthracite coal industry, descended into near-total abandonment and has become known as “PA’s Toxic Ghost Town. Oct 31, 2023 · Yes, you can visit Centralia. com. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. To discourage visitors, Graffiti Highway, a once popular attraction, has been covered in dirt, according to The Travel. Centralia (/ sɛnˈtreɪliə / sen-TRAY-li-ə) is a borough and near- ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the coordinates 40°48′12″N 76°20′30″W, Centralia possesses a haunting history intertwined with coal mining and disastrous outcomes. Sep 2, 2014 · The Centralia PA mine fire has been burning for over 50 years. Apr 19, 2024 · Centralia in Pennsylvania was once a thriving mining town but is now abandoned due to underground fires that have been burning since 1962. Feb 8, 2024 · Since May 1962, a coal fire has continuedly burned underneath Centralia, PA, and forced residents to flee this once-prosperous mining town. Today, there are fewer than 10 remaining residents. Records tell us it had 1,435 residents in the year 1960. 13, the TV game show “Jeopardy!” used the town in a category named “Where in the world is that?” The clue: “About an hour from Wilkes-Barre, the Centralia Mine Fire in the Buck Mountain coal bed in this state has been ablaze since 1962. A look around Google Street View reveals hilly roads through beautiful low lying green mountains. Oct 11, 2023 · The smallest municipality in the Keystone State, Centralia, Pennsylvania, is a former mining community located about two hours northwest of Philadelphia in Columbia County. However, you may have a hard time getting there. ” The answer: “Where is Pennsylvania?” Aug 12, 2017 · Once a booming mining town, today not much more than abandoned houses and decaying roads surround the area of Centralia, northwest of Philadelphia. Although the area has become a macabre tourist destination, it is not closed off to the public, and it is not illegal to go there, per OffRoaders. cnqhfw igul fchkbow jagizt vpxkhqkv pgafcx xtis flmoh vvmkf hbdlf