Mr. P. Explores

Good evening, all. This one goes out to everyone who follows Mr. P. Explores, followers old and more recent and everyone in between.

I wanted to take a moment to talk about something that's been happening behind the scenes; something that many of you have probably seen on your own pages or maybe even on pages you follow on Facebook. Many of you have probably noticed that posts from this page aren't showing up in your feeds as often as they once did (or maybe even at all). Unfortunately, that's not your imagination. Over the past few years, the reach and engagement on this page have steadily declined. Photos that once reached thousands of people and produced discussions and conversations are now often seen by only a small fraction of that audience.

The strange thing is that the page itself is larger than it has ever been. More people follow it than ever before. Yet fewer people are actually being shown the content. I don't believe this is because people have stopped caring about abandoned places, forgotten history, road trips, Rust Belt stories, old factories, lost amusement parks, ghost towns, or the strange corners of America that we explore together. I think (no, I pretty much KNOW) it's because social media has changed. The dreaded algorithms increasingly decide what people see, and pages like this one often get buried beneath endless streams of recommended content, videos, advertisements, and whatever else the platform decides should be in front of you that day.

What makes this frustrating is that this page has never been about chasing trends. It has always been about visual storytelling and the history of America's lost places. It's been about preserving places before they disappear, sharing local history, documenting forgotten corners of the country, and introducing people to locations they might never otherwise see. Every photograph represents hours of driving, researching, editing, writing, and exploring.

The good news is that there are things you can do to help (and I'm hoping perhaps you will feel the desire to help and keep this going here!). If you enjoy the content here, please consider liking, commenting on, and sharing posts when you see them. Even a short comment helps tremendously. Facebook's algorithm pays attention to those interactions and is more likely to show future posts to other people. It's sad that this is the way it is, but here we are. You can also make sure you're following the page and set it to show favorites or prioritize posts from Mr. P. Explores in your feed. Many people are surprised to discover they follow a page but rarely see its content anymore.

Most importantly, keep participating. Tell your stories. Share your memories. If a photo reminds you of a place you worked, a neighborhood you grew up in, a factory your family was connected to, or a road trip you've taken, tell us about it. The conversations have always been the best part of this page.

I started Mr. P. Explores back in 2018 because I wanted to document a disappearing world and share it with others who cared about history, architecture, photography, and the stories hidden in forgotten places. That mission hasn't changed and I don't plan on stopping that. As long as there are abandoned factories to photograph, forgotten roads to travel, old stories to tell, and curious people willing to come along for the ride, I'll keep posting.

I just want to say thank you for being here. Thank you for reading. Thank you for caring. I appreciate all of you, wherever in the great wide world you happen to be hailing from. Have a great evening and thanks for hearing me out!

Let's keep on exploring: - Mr. P. Explores

Intriguing lines and shapes at a storage yard that held shipping/storage containers for automobile parts. These containers would be loaded up with various parts for different cars and trucks, and once secured, would be sent to various vehicle assembly plants. The lines and geometry here on this warm early summer afternoon made for a great hour or so of photography in the industrial heart of Detroit, Michigan. Enjoy the rusty metal goodness and have an amazing Saturday out there today, all! -Mr. P.

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This is a longer post today, but bear with me on it, as I feel that I need to bear witness to the passing of this amazing place. Yesterday, due to a massive fire that yesterday annihilated all that you will see in the photo set below, the Hudson Valley Psychiatric Hospital, for almost all intents and purposes, save for the charred shell of the structure, is gone. Investigations into the fire (which according to reports started in two separate areas of the building, making things seem quite suspicious) are not completed yet, but hopefully we will find out who was behind this. Despite its clear dangerous state, there WERE real plans to save portions of it, most importantly the beautiful administration building at the front, but that is now gone as well.

So, the story. Perched high above the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, New York, the Hudson River State Hospital (later known as the Hudson River Psychiatric Center and Hudson Valley Psychiatric Hospital) was one of the most impressive and haunting psychiatric institutions ever built in the United States. The state purchased the property in 1867, and construction began shortly afterward on a massive Gothic-style complex designed under the Kirkbride Plan, a revolutionary 19th-century approach to mental health treatment that emphasized light, fresh air, and beautiful surroundings. The hospital opened to patients in 1871 and continued expanding for decades. Its grounds were landscaped by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, the same team that designed New York City's Central Park.

At its peak in the mid-20th century, the sprawling campus housed more than 6,000 patients and included workshops, farms, laboratories, recreation facilities, and numerous support buildings. Like many large state psychiatric hospitals, however, changing treatment philosophies, deinstitutionalization, and advances in medication gradually reduced the need for such enormous facilities. The original historic Kirkbride campus closed in 2003, while remaining psychiatric services continued elsewhere on the property until the broader psychiatric center finally shut down in 2012.

After closure, the abandoned complex became a magnet for trespassers, urban explorers, vandals, and (sadly, tragically) arsonists. Fires became a recurring tragedy. A lightning strike in 2007 caused a devastating blaze that destroyed large portions of one wing. Additional suspicious fires followed, including intentionally set fires in 2010, 2016, and a major arson fire in 2018 that heavily damaged the already deteriorating administration complex. No one was ever publicly charged in connection with the 2018 blaze.

Redevelopment plans eventually emerged under the name Hudson Heritage, a mixed-use community intended to preserve portions of the historic campus while adding housing, commercial space, and other development. Demolition of many auxiliary structures began in 2016, with additional buildings removed over the following years. While several historic structures were slated for preservation and adaptive reuse, progress moved slowly and large portions of the site remained vacant and vulnerable.

Then, in June 2026, just yesterday in fact, disaster struck again. A massive fire erupted in the abandoned complex, beginning in the Avery Building and spreading to multiple connected structures. More than a dozen fire departments responded as flames and smoke consumed portions of the historic campus. The blaze ultimately destroyed the landmark Administrative Building, one of the most significant surviving pieces of the original Kirkbride complex. Smoke could be seen for miles, nearby businesses were affected, and firefighters battled the inferno for more than a day. The cause remains under investigation, though officials noted the abandoned buildings had no electrical service. Many preservationists fear the 2026 fire may represent the final chapter for one of America's most architecturally significant psychiatric hospitals.

The site remains a mixture of redevelopment, demolition, preservation efforts, and loss. What was once a self-contained city devoted to mental health treatment has become one of the Hudson Valley's most famous abandoned landmarks; a place where grand Victorian architecture, changing attitudes toward mental illness, and decades of neglect have combined to create one of New York's most fascinating and tragic historic sites.

I try to explain the sheer majesty and magic of this place to anyone who has never been. To stand next to it, looking up at the architectural flourishes and to stand inside of it, no matter how terrifying the integrity of the floors might be, and settling in there with its dim mysteries and heavy, thick history, your camera in hand...that was to know the place and come to truly love the building and property. While I was only able to visit three times in the last few years, I know there are those of you out there who spent so, so much time there, in all seasons, for years, soaking up the personality of this beautiful old girl. My heart is breaking along with yours; whether you've been there once or a thousand times, she was quite a place to behold and witness. She'll be missed.

I do hope that they find the people or organization that may have made this happen. There is always the possibility a random individual started this fire, but considering the development plans and the fact that money for abatement on the asbestos in the building was significant, AND the reports that fire was seen in different parts of the building...it seems quite a lot suspicious. We shall have to wait and see what the investigation brings about.

That being said, here are a collection of photos from my three times spent here, each near full days of wandering, documenting and marveling. And my heart again is with all of you who also spent time here and who are grieving the loss of this truly fantastic building. Enjoy the photos and have a great day out there, all. -Mr. P.

MR. P. INFO:
FOR MORE MR. P. ADVENTURES, FOLLOW ON INSTAGRAM:
https://www.instagram.com/mr.p_explores/ .p_explores
ON TWITTER: https://twitter.com/ExploresMr
ON BLUESKY: https://bsky.app/profile/mrpexplores.bsky.social
ON FLICKR: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mrpexplores/