Abandoned and Still Amazing: Photos of 8 Vacant Antarctic Whaling Stations and Bases

Antartica has seen its share of exploration, research, and commerce: whaling stations, fishing villages, home bases for mapping and exploring, and scientific facilities. The unique weather conditions have basically keep these unique places refrigerated for decades, preserving their contents. io9 catalogs eight of these now abandoned communities: “Many of these facilities have since been abandoned, left to the snow and ice. But they still serve as remarkable time capsules to the industries and expeditions of their times.” 

In addition to fully stocked huts and cabins, as seen above, there are lots of fascinating cultural pieces left behind, such as this bust of Lenin, which sits atop a several story pole, now buried. “If you dig down through the ice, you’ll find a golden visitor’s book to sign.”

Or this abandoned theater and movie cinema in the Norwegian fishing village of Grytviken, which also contains a church still occasionally used for marriage ceremonies. 

See the rest of the sites and photos at io9: 8 Abandoned Antarctic Whaling Stations and Bases that are Still Amazing