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An in-depth View
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Mine Fire History
Visiting Centralia
Mine Fire Chronology
Satellite, Aerial Photos
360 Virtual Tours
Downtown Panoramic
Centralia Multimedia
Scientific Study
Memories of Centralia


Panoramic Virtual Tours:

Mine Fire Hot Spot
Downtown Centralia Mainstreet Centralia Damaged Hillside

 
 
   
Knoebels Amusement Park (only 15 miles from Centralia!) 
Ghost Towns
Area 51 - Groom Lake
Abandoned PA Turnpike
Defunct Amusement Parks
Abandoned Places

  

Photo Updates:


Centralia in HDR

July 2006 360? Virtual Tour of Downtown Centralia PA

Centralia's Neighbor:
Byrnesville, Pa

Zeisloft's Mobil
Gas Station

July 5th 2008
Centralia PA

Centralia PA 2008
January Photos and 
commentary by
Donald Davis


2006 Photos


2005 Photos
of Centralia


 

IMG_0215b.jpg (116899 bytes)
2004 Photos
of Centralia


2003 photos

of Centralia

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2002 photos

of Centralia


360 Degree Virtual Tours of Centralia PA
 

Fire In The Hole
by Kristie Betts
A fictional story based on Centralia
 

The Little
Town That Was

by Donald Hollinger

 

RESIDENTS TO SAVE THE BOROUGH OF CENTRALIA - FACT SHEET #6 - MARCH 1984 - This "Fact Sheet" was transcribed from a photocopied, original March 1984 newsletter from a Centralia organization called "Residents To Save The Borough Of Centralia".  Read the News Letter here


130th Anniversary
of the 1877 Shamokin Uprising and the Great Railroad Strike .. Read More

 

Centralia Today
A Photo Documentary
of Centralia today.

 

Mine Emergency Response Program
Details from the
Saskatchewan
Mine Rescue Manual
 

















 

The Real Silent Hill

Since the first Silent Hill game back in 1999, fans have wondered if the title town had a real-life counterpart. Is there a particular town that inspired the haunted wasteland we've come to know and fear in the games? There have been many speculations, and now here's a place you can actually visit... for REAL...

In researching the different elements of Silent Hill, screenwriter Roger Avary (Killing Zoe, The Rules of Attraction) came across the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania (it's interesting that LA moviemakers look to the deep Midwest [or in this case, the eastern U.S. in Pennsylvania] when they're looking for something "strange" or "different"). Centralia planted the seed for what developed into the cinematic version of the town of Silent Hill.

As recently as 1981, there were over 1,000 residents living in Centralia, although the population has now dwindled to 11 (we'll say that again: 11 people) as a result of a 40-year mine fire burning beneath the borough (we'll say that again: it's been burning for 40 years... underneath the town). This is certainly not unlike Silent Hill, which was left deserted since devastating coal fires ravaged the town and its people.

The inferno started when a trash fire was lit in an abandoned mine pit in Centralia in 1962. The fire ignited an exposed vein of coal and spread throughout the mines beneath the borough. Several attempts have been made and millions of dollars have been spent unsuccessfully to extinguish this fire that still burns today.

The "problem" wasn't really acknowledged until a series of accidents in the '70s and '80s, including the appearances of sinkholes hundreds of feet deep. In 1984, Congress allocated more than $40 million for relocation efforts, and most residents moved to nearby Mount Carmel and Ashland.

However, a very few families opted to stay, and they're still there, despite the fact that the state of Pennsylvania has condemned all the buildings in the borough and the US Postal Service has revoked its zip code of 17927. The 11 holdouts include the town's 89-year-old mayor, Lamar Mervine, who refuses to leave because "I like it here."

You can find more information on Centralia, Pennsylvania here. Or perhaps one day you will heed its call and find yourself exploring its deserted streets...  Well, almost deserted.  Source: Underground Online and Sony Pictures
 

 

To Read more about the Movie Silent Hill Click Here.
http://silenthill.ugo.com/features/realsilenthill/default.asp
Silent Hill (TM), ® & © is a registered trademark of Konami Corporation and Sony Pictures. Copyright © 2006.

 

Centralia
  then...

...Centralia
now

Photo courtesy of: Karl Xydexx Jorgensen
 
 

More about Centralia here

Additional Silent Hill Links
 

Silent Hill By Sony Pictures
The main Site for info about the movie

Silent Hill Heaven: The Ultimate Silent Hill Fansite
Covers all aspects of all the Silent Hill series, including puzzle solutions, walkthroughs, downloads, images, maps, fan art, previews and reviews

SILENT HILL Trailers
The eerie and deserted town of Silent Hill draws a young mother desperate to find a cure for her only child's illness. Unable to accept the doctor's diagnosis that her daughter should be permanently institutionalized for psychiatric care... more...

Silent Hill on Yahoo! Movies
This site contains information and you can watch the trailer for 'Silent Hill' on Yahoo! Movies.

The Silent Hill Forum
Forums to discuss all aspects of the series.

SILENT HILL Reviews
from the nation's top critics and audiences. Also includes movie info, trailer, poster, photos, news, articles, and forum.

Silent Hill website
A site dedicated to the Centralia inspired fictional town of Silent Hill as well as the Silent Hill Video games. 

 

 
 
  Mine Fire History Mine Fire History Historical Photos
  Pictures From Today Mine Fire Chronology Visiting Centralia
  Centralia Then & Now 360? Virtual Tours Scientific Study
  Satellite, Aerial Photos Downtown Panoramic Centralia Books

  

Other Interesting Things

 

 


 

So you want to Visit Centralia PA?  What you should know before you go to Centralia PA.

 

The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict

 


















 

What's near Centralia?

Plan your visit around one of Pennsylvania's best kept secrets located only 15 miles up the road from Centralia...


Knoebels
Amusement Park

Click Below for
 more details...

Knoebels
Amusement Park

 


Silent Hill & Centralia
Centralia PA inspires screenwriter Roger Avary during the making of the movie Silent Hill.
Read More Here...

 

Remembering ...
Byrnesville PA
By Mike Reilley

 
  Books about Centralia
  Maps of Centralia
  Around Town Today
  Local Attractions
 
  Personal Notes
  Additional Reading
  Haunted Centralia?
 
  Gerry McWilliams and
  the album "Centralia"
  
  Silent Hill Inspiration
  Other Mine Fires
  Search Centralia
  Centralia Sites/Books
  
Panoramic Virtual Tours:
Mine Fire Hot Spot
Downtown Centralia Mainstreet Centralia Damaged Hillside
  
 
  Centralia Infrared


Centralia PA in B&W Infrared
Infrared Photography
by Donald Davis

Video Tour
in Infrared of
Centralia PA
by Donald Davis

  

The Little Town That Was
by Donald Hollinger
 
  
Made in U.S.A. - 1987 movie that was filmed on location in Centralia PA See the opening Scene that started in Centralia during the peek of the mine fire disaster

 
 

 

Is Centralia Haunted?
Explore the possibility

 
The Real Disaster Is Above Ground: A Mine Fire and Social Conflict
 
  

Is there Hope
for Centralia?

Maybe...

Through the use of Nitrogen-Enhanced foam the Pinnacle mine fire was extinguished by Cummins Industries, Inc.  Cummins proposes to tackle the Centralia Mine fire and bring an end to the 
40 plus year fire.

Read this White Paper which evaluates the effectiveness of remotely applied nitrogen-enhanced foam to aid in efforts to isolate and suppress a mine fire.