RiddimRyder Photography

RiddimRyder Photography Exploring and documenting abandoned places — one location at a time. I photograph what remains, look into the history, and share the full experience.

🏚️ The Abandoned Ceramic Studio FarmhouseThis was one of those abandoned properties where the longer I explored, the mor...
09/07/2026

🏚️ The Abandoned Ceramic Studio Farmhouse

This was one of those abandoned properties where the longer I explored, the more interesting it became.

From the outside, it looks like a fairly ordinary rural farmhouse. But inside, the house still contains a large ceramic-making workshop, complete with shelves packed with plaster molds used for slip-cast ceramics.

And then there are the dolls. 😳

Vintage dolls are scattered throughout the house, including a chair completely filled with them, while others remain lined up on shelves and countertops. It’s definitely one of those interiors that sticks with you.

The living areas are just as interesting. Much of the house appears frozen in the 1970s and 1980s, with s**g carpeting, patterned wallpaper, honey-oak cabinets, retro bathroom fixtures and an old CRT television still sitting in one of the bedrooms.

What really surprised me was how quickly the property deteriorated. Records and Street View show signs of activity as recently as 2015, but by 2018 it appears to have been abandoned. Now, years later, parts of the ceiling have collapsed, moisture has taken over, and the interior is deteriorating rapidly.

There’s also a second little building out back and an old tire swing still hanging from a maple tree.

It’s a strange combination of rural farmhouse, time capsule and abandoned ceramic studio all in one.

😳 Would you have been comfortable walking into this room and finding all these creepy dolls waiting for you?

🏚️ This abandoned country estate had one HUGE problem…From the outside, this looked like a substantial country home that...
09/06/2026

🏚️ This abandoned country estate had one HUGE problem…

From the outside, this looked like a substantial country home that could have been beautiful. The red brick exterior, massive windows, three-car garage and sprawling property gave you no idea what was happening inside.

Then you got to the basement. 😳

The rear walkout terrace had essentially turned into a pond, with stagnant water, algae and duckweed rising several feet against the house. That water had made its way inside, leaving much of the basement submerged.

And the damage was incredible.

The walls were covered in heavy mold, the flooring throughout the upper levels had buckled and warped from years of moisture, and the entire house showed the unmistakable signs of prolonged water damage and neglect.

What's really interesting is that the main and upper floors still looked surprisingly intact in places — with the original kitchen, formal dining room, sunroom, bedrooms and bathrooms still sitting inside.

It was almost like two completely different houses: one that looked reasonably intact upstairs and a disaster zone underneath.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a happy ending for this one.

The house has since been demolished. 🏚️💔

Would you have attempted to save a house in this condition, or was this one simply too far gone? 👀

🏛️ Buffalo State Asylum — One of Buffalo’s Most Incredible Abandoned LandmarksWalking up to the former Buffalo State Asy...
09/05/2026

🏛️ Buffalo State Asylum — One of Buffalo’s Most Incredible Abandoned Landmarks

Walking up to the former Buffalo State Asylum, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer scale of the place. The massive Richardsonian Romanesque complex was designed by architect H.H. Richardson, with the grounds designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux. Construction began in 1871, and the asylum opened its doors to patients in 1880.

The design followed the Kirkbride Plan, which was based on the idea that architecture, fresh air, natural light, exercise and peaceful surroundings could play a role in the treatment of people with mental illness. The original campus covered more than 200 acres and even included farmland worked by patients.

But as approaches to mental health treatment changed, the massive historic buildings gradually became obsolete. The last patients were moved out of the original wards in 1974, and many of the buildings were subsequently left vacant. Years of neglect, weather and vandalism took a serious toll on the interiors.

And that decay is what makes walking through the photographs so fascinating.

Peeling surfaces, damaged plaster, abandoned rooms and the sheer scale of the corridors show just how different this place must have looked when it was operating.

Thankfully, the story didn't end there. The complex was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1986. After decades of uncertainty, major preservation efforts eventually began, saving significant portions of the complex from complete loss.

Swipe through the photos and take a look at both sides of Buffalo State Asylum — the incredible exterior architecture and the haunting decay that existed inside.

Which photo stands out to you the most?

Six years ago today, I explored the abandoned Elmvale Drive-In with Zenning with Zay !This place had quite a history.Ope...
09/05/2026

Six years ago today, I explored the abandoned Elmvale Drive-In with Zenning with Zay !

This place had quite a history.

Opening in 1960, the drive-in became a summer tradition for generations of families and moviegoers. During its busiest years, as many as **1,500 people in 500 cars** could pack the field for a night at the movies. It was even popular enough that cars sometimes had to be turned away.

But times changed.

By 2012, the drive-in was only operating on weekends and half-price Tuesdays, and attendance had fallen dramatically. The move from traditional film to expensive digital projection was ultimately one of the factors that brought its long run to an end.

After more than five decades, the projector was shut off for the final time.

When Zay and I explored it six years ago, the giant screen was still standing, while the projection booth and concession building sat abandoned and deteriorating. The once-busy parking field had become overgrown, and it was hard to imagine hundreds of cars filling the same space on a summer evening.

There was something especially strange about standing there knowing that generations of people had once spent their summer nights watching movies under the stars.

**Did you ever go to the Elmvale Drive-In? What movie do you remember seeing there?** 🎥🍿

🏚️ This abandoned cottage still has a lot of its story sitting inside.From the outside, it looks like a modest 1.5-story...
09/04/2026

🏚️ This abandoned cottage still has a lot of its story sitting inside.

From the outside, it looks like a modest 1.5-story cottage with white siding, a brick chimney and an overgrown yard. Even a little red kiddie pool was left behind in the driveway.

Inside, the living room is surprisingly intact. The sectional, fireplace, staircase and even a sight-word board covered with children’s artwork are still there.

But the kitchen is a completely different story. The ceiling has collapsed, exposing the wooden framing and insulation, while cabinets and drawers have been torn apart and buried under debris.

And it was obvious scrappers had been through this place. Virtually every bit of copper wiring had been removed. Beside the garage, I even found a huge pile of stripped wire — basically all the plastic insulation that had been pulled off to get at the copper.

Upstairs, there are still several bedrooms with colourful walls, built-in storage and exposed wooden beams. One has been heavily vandalized, while another still looks surprisingly much like a child's bedroom from years ago.

It’s always the little personal things — and the evidence of what happened after everyone left — that make these places so interesting.

Do you think this one is too far gone to be saved?

🏚️ A few more photos from this incredible abandoned country estate!After going through the first batch, I still had plen...
09/02/2026

🏚️ A few more photos from this incredible abandoned country estate!

After going through the first batch, I still had plenty of shots that I wanted to share. There are so many interesting details throughout this house that the first batch just wasn't enough!

Here are 10 more from my recent explore with Zenning with Zay.

Did you spot anything in these photos that you missed the first time around? 👀

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