Silent Hill: the real ghost town



The Silent Hill from the homonymous and renowned videogame franchise of psychological survival horrors, is described as an holiday resort on the Toluca Lake, divided into various areas, amongst which stand the residential district and the old part of the town. Built on an ancient Indian cemetery, the town had a troubled past that led it to be populated and abandoned many times, and then to become the place where a sect practised human sacrifices and necromancy. In the game, Silent Hill is constantly shrouded in thick fog, with rain, snow, and ashes coming down all year long. At the sound of air raid siren, the town turns into the “Otherworld”, a distorted parallel dimension where everything takes the aspect it would have after a terrible fire: everything burned, blood everywhere, and bodies hanging from the wall. A purgatory to cross and where one must face their inner demons or die. 


In 2006, a film based on the videogame was made, directed by Christopher Gans, in which the plot follows loosely the first and third episode of the series. In the film, Silent Hill is a West Virginia Ghost Town abandoned in 1974 due to a devastating fire. But in this case, the script does take inspiration from a real story… 


The nightmarish has, in fact, really existed. Its name isn’t Silent Hill, but Centralia, and it stands in Pennsylvania. The city rose in the first years of the XIX century over a deposit of anthracite, a 95% pure coal, that was extracted in huge quantities until the end of the century. During its golden age, Centralia was home to over 2.000 inhabitants, but in May 1962 a fatal accident scarred forever their fate…the coal-vein suddenly caught fire, blazing everywhere underground, and any attempt to put it out proved useless.
“This was a world where no human could live, hotter than the planet Mercury, its atmosphere as poisonous as Saturn’s. At the heart of the fire, temperatures easily exceeded 1,000 degrees. Lethal clouds of carbon monoxide and other gases swirled through the rock chambers.” – David DeKok (1986) 

The real causes of the fire are yet unknown. Apparently, it started from the introduction of burning wastes into a disused deposit. What’s certain is that the consequences were disastrous. Clouds of ashes and smoke covered the city, the trees died, the asphalt melt and everywhere formed cracks and chasms. In the following twenty years the population was progressively evacuated. In 1979 a thermometer inserted into the ground to check the petrol level of a malfunctioning station, and much to everyone’s surprise it showed 77.8°C. In 1981 a twelve-years-old fell in a 46 metres chasm that suddenly opened under his feet; luckily, thanks to his brother’s help, he survived. 

Today, Centralia is a ghost town were only about ten people live. Many buildings were pulled down and dangerous carbon monoxide flows out from some of the cracks in the road. The fire underneath Centralia is still active and it is estimated it will be for hundreds of year. Its tragic fate turned it into a gloomy and sadly instructive touristic attraction.



Translation by Marco Salvadori
Image gallery on ORIGINAL POST

54 comments:

  1. Very good information, and you are infected ir.Pero I can not love the games, just missing me:
    SILENT HILL ​​ORIGINS 1
    SILENT HILL ​​5 HOMECOMING
    And no, thank you for the information :)!

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    1. what about SILENT "HILL 4: The Room" the one with the best soundtrack and a damn fine story, even if it does have really shitty graphics

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    2. Is the show based on this place as far a. The movie goes

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    3. It says within the Wiki, The first Silent Hill film was created in a town within West Virginia, within a county named Toluca County, which is hidden from maps.

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  2. Thanx for the history

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  3. thanks for the info i really needed just a little extra history lesson!!

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  4. Thank you. That was very helpful.

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  5. Awesome info thanx

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  6. thank u I hope I get to go there n see it n visit n take pictures

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  7. I would like.to go to silent hill what does anyone think?

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    1. I am thinking the same thing it would be amazing and an interesting sight to see

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    2. I am going this summer

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    3. I am going this summer

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    4. I cant wait, the Japanese pointed this place out to us by making a video game way before the movie

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    5. Id like to go as well. o and what bout silent hill restless dreams??

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    6. If you go to Silent Hill Maria Petika late me know...

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    7. Info was great want to go visit
      Tony Donaldson
      Greensboro,nc

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    8. Same here I would like to go to

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    9. Same here I would like to go to

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    10. Yes would like to go . See the town with my own eyes.

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    11. I would love to go with you

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  8. Thanks for the info I plan on makeing a trip there on interstate 80 from omaha Nebraska

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  9. I can't wait to go. Sounds interesting...I'm thinking a week?(:

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  10. God I wld love to go myself. what funn interesting... if anyone really goes let me kno how it came please

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  11. I thought that this was only just madeup in the movies! Really interesting!

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  12. ID LOVE TO GO AND VIST LOVE STUFF LIKE THAT THE HISTORY BEHIND IT IS COOL

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  13. All of you that go are crazy ass hell....

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  14. But why would you go there....?.....

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  15. I knew this movie wad based on a real place but now I know where it is. It would be very cool to go there just for the experience. Thanx for the great info!

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  16. Silent Hill, very dark and misunderstood...those who travel...beware..for even though it was a story to sum but true to others, make no mistake...you will witness a unbelievable entity which you might not want to see....Information...no..just not this time...

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  17. Centralia is haunted. Been there. Not haunted by ghosts, but by demons or very angry spirits. You MIGHT see some apparitions. You definitely hear whispers and voices.

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    1. Keep watching scary movies!!!! Lol Apparitions!!!!! Common grow up

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    2. Demn. That's creepy.

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  18. its see so scared ...

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  19. Thank you for the info, would love to visit one day. very spooky!!!

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  20. Well now that I know this is a real story. Its very sad. And my heart goes out to whom ever survived, put I find it hard to believe that with how some people that THINK there smart. Can't get the fire out.......... And if it is toxic how is there people living there? Just saying.? But I think I will have to take a trip.¥ And say a prayer, for those that didn't survive.
    Blessed be

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  21. I am going to make a plan to go there. Im interested in to see if its really hanted by something. I hope it goes well

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    1. i hope ure not gonna scared going in there while im scare is just a movie even u that have a plan maybe u cant get out hahahahhahha

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  22. This information really freaked me out i mean seriously wen i first descovered silent hill movies/games i thought everythin was a made up story but now i know that silent hill really does exist except for the other dimension of course,but for some things im certain that silent is full of lethal things, poisonous atmosphere, outraging fires that still exist today,a place that has extreme hot tempratures wer no man could live, an indian cemetery, a place wer sacrifices wer once accomplished this place is terrifying but people we could simply describe it as HELL.....

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  23. Silent hill exists i never knew lol

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  24. I think It is real and I am glad to see believers. Thats why I am going to tell everyone about this site. This site has helped me with my research.

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  25. Hate to disappointment everyone, I am from Pennsylvania about an hour away from Centralia. There really is not a lot to see, not many buildings left. And my ancestors survived working the coal mines, I'm sure the last remenants of Centralia will survive the home they choose

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  26. I need to go there because the spirits is needs me and also i 'mm dream

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  27. I am interested too May be this summer. Any suggestions?

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  28. Let them all rest.for disturbing ashes unfolds irresponsible demeaning

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  29. I've lived in west Virginia all my life and there are some pretty strange things I've witnessed over the years that have no explanation for so have fun if u go .

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  30. I grew up in Ne Pa an hour from there. And in the same highway that ran threw there. Route 61

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