I get paid to explore abandoned places. (Urban Explore) I travel, photograph, explore, and film documentaries of them. I have found a lot of cool things, I have ran into a lot of interesting people, have almost been attacked multiple times, and ha...

What's the spookiest encounter you're willing to share?

We were going to this abandoned mine, and it was in the woods, and before we got there there was, I would probably say 30 feet around pentagram circle with 666 all over. That was pretty spooky. Furthermore we ended up going in the mine, and towards the back we saw light. And it appears to be a candle. We have to do what is best for the videos. (Unless we are directly at risk then we won’t, but a light, isn’t a valid enough reason to cut production) So we walk towards it 😅 And it’s a little battery powered candle. The sketchy thing is, I know those battery’s don’t last long. So somebody could’ve been in there with us. There is stories of people going to the mine and coming across satanists and being chased out. That didn’t happen to us. Still spooky and uneasy though.

Edit: This isn’t the spookiest encounter. Not at all. I just have already been asked this, and I have been changing my answer each time so I don’t keep repeating myself.

Have you ever found someone sitting in complete darkness like something out of I Am Legend?

Not yet!! And I hope not!!

How often do you get permission to explore? How often do you bandit?

I plead the fifth 😂

No but in all reality, it really just depends. We look at public records and things like that to find the owners. We have paid our way into places before. Example (Packard Plant, in Detroit, the largest abandoned building in America, paid $50 to get our team inside) but we have also gone into places with out permission. It all depends on what the risk assessment report is and what we are comfortable with doing.

Why would you pay to get into the Packard? You could just walk in, security and law enforcement never cared about people being there. I've been through it a few times over the years showing friends.

Well we were going to. But got caught on our way inside.

How many ventilation masks do you go through?

It all depends. Some places that recently close are safe. But if it’s an old place, and there is asbestos, lead, mold, etc. we have heavy duty N95 masks. The filters get swapped after every use.

I love how fluent we are in masks now that there was no follow up question about filtration of the N95.

THANKS COVID!

We had these masks before covid. These are very heavy duty. Industrial grade.

Not the normal N95

If you’re concerned about asbestos, you should be going for more then n95. N100, P100, or R100. The N95 masks or filters are only good for 95% filtration, however ‘heavy duty’ they are.

I just checked. The filters we have our P100.

I used to follow a prolific Urban Exploration group from Minneapolis called Action Squad but the lead guy, Max Action, looks like he retired many years ago Ever cross paths with them or their work?

I have not come across them or there work before!! I will check them out for sure. Thanks 🙂

What's the nicest "abandoned" residence you have found squatters in? I'm imagining some Mansion or huge factory with someone living like a king.

There was some homeless people living inside of the abandoned federal reserve bank of Kansas City. It hasn’t even been abandoned for 15 years. It still had power on inside less than 3 years ago. But that building is magnificent. Architecture and all.

I would love to see this.

federal reserve bank of Kansas City

Here you go, all virtual and such.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0fwZUo95do

That’s our video!! 😁

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They were living there I guess. But weren’t supposed to be. Security came through and cleared them out before we went in.

There's gotta be some structural damage in these joints. Have you ever been injured?

In 2021, I fell about 20-25 feet in an abandoned mine. It was very bad. I think my helmet saved my life. I had to get pulled out. We were climbing in an entrance and I lost my footing and took a tumble. I was convinced I had broke my legs on the fall, but come to find out they were just cut and bruised badly. But no broken bones.

Have you ever been arrested? Tell us the story?

Never have been arrested. Have been stopped by the police close to a dozen times though. They usually don’t care what we are doing. I have almost been arrested when we first started. Set off a monitor detector, and before I knew it they mutliple cops had searchlights out scanning the entire property. And we got caught coming out. The police wanted to take us in, but the property manager was telling them no. Shoutout to the property manager for being cool. That was 5 years ago. We are a lot smarter now.

What's the most important thing you learned to avoid being arrested?

Be cautious and use discretion. Get permission if you can. If the cops come, don’t run. Be professional and talk to them and explain to them what your doing.

What sort of gear do you wear to explore? Besides the N95 as needed

If there is climbing, I would bring gloves. If you mind your shoes getting muddy bring boots. Multiple light sources and batteries. If your going in a mine bring glow sticks or sting. We have all of our cameras and equipment. Which is usually two cameras. A Gimble, a drone etc.

glowsticks or sting

Sting, like the elven dagger? Are there goblinses down there?

String* 😂

What was one of the most interesting or out-of-place things you've come across?

We found a burning campfire in an abandoned insane asylum. That was kinda freaky and out of place.

This is a cool profession! Alright… let’s hear it what’s a spooky incident you’ve run into exploring? Whether it be paranormal or a strange encounter with a person?

We were filming at this 20-25 story abandoned building in a city downtown, (it was in the Midwest) and we had just gotten to the top and we were finishing up on the roof. It was about 10 p.m. then all of a sudden we heard just screaming right below us. This was really weird as we had just been on that floor before. So we were pinned on the roof as this guy was screaming. So we had to wait him out, and after about 20 minutes, we all quite literally ran down the stairs. It was almost 7 months later, before we went back and we finally finished filming.

That’s not the scariest encounter. We’ve had a gun pulled on us, and other stuff. But the spookiest had to be the roof. I can still hear that guys deranged screaming.

Gotta be Detroit

Midwest, 20-25 story building? Yep. And the D has a ton of abandoned buildings.

West Bottoms, KC has buildings that fit the bill.

Not the west bottoms. Right City though ;)

Lol, If you ever need backup (assistant) for exploring let me know. My best abandoned place I visited was North Brother Island in NYC, Lots of buildings to explore. Moved to KC area 3 years ago but haven't explored locally yet.

My best advice is always check basement and attics if safe to do so. So many weird things in attics, And anything underground bring air monitoring equipment. Retired FF so I am experienced and careful about exploring.

Just went to NYC a few weeks ago. That’s some good advice. We will let you know if we ever need some assistants :)

How did you turn Urbex into a business to live off of? Is it all Youtube and Social media influencer revenue, or are your trips and videos funded by a bigger production company - related to your press card maybe?- and if so, were you approached or did you approach them?

So I have my own business I run outside of this. It’s not related at all. It’s an asset management/diversification company. But with this we make money off of TikTok and YouTube. That funds our trips. I have also sold prints in the past. I have been featured on radio stations, news, podcasts etc. and things like that as well. Which help gain revenue. We are our own production team we work with. Everything is done in house.

Have you seen or experienced anything paranormal, like ghosts?

I have been to over a dozen abandoned hospitals all over, nursing homes, houses, mansions, multiple asylums, I know what everybody wants to hear 😂 but I have not experienced anything paranomal or supernatural. None of our videos have picked up and “ghosts” as far as I know. Some of our viewers will tell us they saw ghosts in the shadows on the videos after we have released episodes. I have gone back and watched at the parts they tell me to, and tbh I don’t see it most of the time, or I remember what the shadows were from when we were filming and there pretty explainable.

I respect that you’re pretty upfront about that just cus it seems many YouTubers would use that to get more clicks and pursue more of a “ghost Hunter” route for their content.

I am going to tell myself that it was a teenager 😂but no you guys were bad to do that to those people. Probably scared them forever

...'almost been attacked'?! Can you share your most interesting story about this?! Are you okay 🥺?

We were filming a documentary on Kenloch, Missouri. It’s a suburb of St. Louis. The crime rate is 480% higher than the national average. So we had not even started filming. We were just trying to scout out and we’re driving around the town. And we drove down this dead end street, and at the dead end street there were two guys, and as soon as they saw the car, they pulled a handgun out and started running at the car. Luckily are driver got us out pretty quick. It sucks though. The entire Kenloch documentary got cancelled due to safety concerns.

What's the most remote place you've been to for filming/documenting?

First place that came to my mind, was Gilman Colorado. It’s I think 2 hours outside of Denver. A little under. Pretty remote in the mountains. It’s a completely abandoned mining town.

How do you choose a location and do you research it first?

Absolutely we research it. We will often scout/or have someone scout the property before us. If we can get permission or need to pay we will do that. But a lot of times, we will just go in, and sometimes buildings we think are worthy of getting an episode, are not very good and don’t get one. And vise versa. We also talk to other explorers who have been there before us, to see if it’s worth it.

Has anyone tried to hire you as a Justin Bieber stunt double?

Edit: Relax, downvoters; I'm simply noting there's a resemblance. But, maybe I just spent too much time staring at the poster on my bedroom wall as a teen and now I see him everywhere.

I get that all the time in airports 😂 nobody actually thinks I am Justin Bieber ofc. They just say I look like him. I find it entertaining and I am not to bothered 😂👍

What is one place that you thought wouldn't be interesting but was? Also the opposite. A place you were really excited to visit but was a bit of a let down if that's ever happened?

We were checking out this tiny little warehouse. It wasn’t really tiny. Maybe 10k-12k square feet. Upon entering we found tons of crazy stuff. We found a fire truck from the 50s, mutliple cars from the 70s-30s. The 1930s car was in (near) perfect condition. We also found an ice cream truck in there😂, no ice cream though :( but that is probably the coolest place that was a suprise.

The place that was kind of a letdown was the Packard Plant in Detroit MI. It wasn’t that bad. It was still really cool. The packard plant is 3.5 million square feet and is the largest abandoned building in America. Well it was. They started demolishing it. But the entire thing was just empty. Just graffiti and big empty rooms. Still glad I went. We weren’t expecting much but it was kind of a letdown.

What’s the most surprising thing you have encountered on a shoot?

We found a gun once. This abandoned complex was right by a bridge going over a river. Somebody tired to throw the gun in the river and missed and it landed in the abandoned complex. So we came to the conclusion it was most likely used in a crime. That’s just kinda one of the first things that came to mind.

Did any place you visited or saw, change you drastically?

I wouldn’t say an abandoned place in specific. But going to abandoned places in general, a lot of these are times capsule of the past, you often leave with a kinda solemn/reflective feeling if that makes sense. Kinda give you a different perspective it’s hard to explain.

How do I get started?

With exploring abandoned places? I would say Google and Google maps is your best friend. It takes a lot of research and building connections. But whatever city you live there should be a list online of common abandoned places. Or just jump in your car and drive around and see what you can find. Start there. Don’t go alone. Try to get permission. I am not encouraging trespassing. I advise you to follow all of your local city/state/providences laws. But whatever you do It’s always at your own risk.

what is the most creepy place you have ever visited?

Topeka Hospital Insane Asylum in Kansas or the Northville Insane Asylum which is in Michigan.

What’s the coolest item or thing you found? Did you get to keep it?

We found this car from the 1930s. Completly all there and in brand new conditon. Didn’t get to keep it. But I wish. Here is a photo of it.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COixx5TA5O-/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=](https://www.instagram.com/p/COixx5TA5O-/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=)

What’s the difference between “urban exploring” and “trespassing?”

You can trespass and not be urban exploring. You can be urban exploring and not trespassing. Or you can be urban exploring and trespassing. All depends on what your doing and if you have permission.

What do you feel that TV shows about ghost hunting are doing wrong? Not just in the paranormal aspect, but also in their general on camera action

The ghost hunting stuff is 90% faked I’d say. I’ve been to most of these supposedly super haunted places abandoned places, and myself or the production crew haven’t seen anything. Regarding the camera action, most of what you see isn’t really authentic it’s all adjusted in post editing, lighting, sounds, etc. people think what there seeing on tv is real and take it as reality

You mean to tell me reality tv isn’t real? I’m shocked.

A lot of people think it’s for real 😂

90% is a low estimate.

I just kinda threw that number out there 😂

Have you ever taken a memento from an abandoned place? If so what is your favorite memento and why?

I try not to take things from abandoned buildings. It kinda breaks the code of exploring. But I have took keys before, or an old newspaper or something like that.

Have you ever turned up at a place, and something about it made you nope out before even looking inside? What are the red flags that will make you turn back?

Security of police at the property 😂 but in all reality everything is really fair game for us. As long as we can do it safely. Also be aware of individuals around the property/suspicious characters

What’s your ultimate dream city to visit ?

Chernobyl. Kinda can’t go there right now. But on the states side? I want to go back to NYC or Philadelphia.

Do you travel with lockpicks? What do you usually carry with you?

No lockpicking here. Haven’t done it, don’t plan on it. I try to keep it as legal as possible

Do you have health insurance?

Ofc 🙂 completly covered.

What’s your most and least favorite abandoned places that you visited, and why?

It’s to hard to pick my favorite. Picher, Oklahoma Ghost town is cool. Jamestown Mall in St. Louis. The Northville asylum in Michigan, they are all up there. There is just so much history there and the places are massive. I don’t keep track of the least favorites. I try to focus on the positive. But I will say Packard Plant in Detroit was kind of a letdown

Have you ever gone to Centralia Pennsylvania? If not why not?

I haven’t not gone there yet. We just have a lot of other places on our list.

Do you plan to comb Russia, the holy grail of vast, unreachable, squeaky, abandoned places?

Yes. Absolutely. Whenever it is safe to do.

I love the UE sub. Did you ever experience walking around a place and lose your footing or fall through flooring due to it being structurally compromised? I’m also a big fan of old asylums, visited any abandoned ones?

I fell into an abandoned mine. It was about a 20-25 foot fall. I had to be pulled out. I thought my legs were broke. But they were only bruised. I am convinced my helmet most likely saved my life. My favorite asylum is the Northville Insane Asylum in Michigan. The Topeka Insane asylum in Kansas is pretty cool.

You hiring? That is right up my alley

We are not hiring right now. Sorry.

Have you encountered cool abandoned cars before?

Lots of cool cars. I’ll send you some links to photos.

https://www.instagram.com/p/COixx5TA5O-/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=

https://www.instagram.com/p/CQUCAkkATrX/?igshid=ZmMyNmFmZTc=

How much does your job involve breaking the law?

I plead the fifth

Similar to working on a show like Mysteries of the Abandoned on the Science channel?

Somewhat similar. Same concepts.Just not as official or as popular 😅

How do you make a living doing this?

Great question. We make money from YouTube and Tik Tok. I have my own business not related to this that I run also. But the ad revenue from this covers trips.

How did you get into this line of work?

The first thing is you have to start!! Just start posting online!! Lots of market share still available. Make sure your having fun and being safe that’s the most important thing.

Have you seen something you should not tell about? Just answer yes or no

I plead the fifth 😶

I LOVE photographing abandoned things but I would love to do it with others.

I have always wanted to join a group of urban explorers to do this. How do I find a reputable group in my area to do this with?

Start with your friends and go with them!! Or if you don’t have friends try some online forums like Reddit and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.

If you encounter squatters or other explorers in a location, do you immediately call it off or does it depend on how they behave?

Have you ever found anything serious that needed to be reported to the police?

100% depends on they behave. I wasn’t there, but a fellow explorer, found a dead body in an abandoned building about a month ago. I was talking with him about it and the police got called and it was kinda a mess.

Would you want to do a show on a network why or why not?

Absolutely!! I just want to inspire people to explore the world around them, and a big network would allow me to do that. And help finance us a little easier.

How do you get paid to do this or who pays you?

YouTube, TikTok and our followers/sponsors.

Do you know Exploring with Josh?

I know of him. Never have met him. I know people who have explored with him though.

That’s…it?

That’s it. 🙂

What equipment do you use for photography/videography? I'd imagine you can't bring too much gear into different abandoned places

We usually have two cameras, and a gimble. We also have a drone. This is spread across multiple people. So the load isn’t to bad.

How old are you?

I absolutely admire what you do. My favorite passtime as a teenager was exploring abandoned places, getting on top of tall structures, or just general trespassing in my small town's downtown. It was a rush! I stopped doing it as I got older, idk why, but eventually the stress from it started to outweigh the high.

Follow up question; any idea what is so enjoyable about doing it?

I am 20 years old. I think I do enjoy the adrenaline rush. But also I get to travel around the country with my best friends and make a little money while we’re at it. It’s not my main source of income.

Ever been to Alaska? We have an abandoned missile site above Anchorage that I've spent some time in. Pretty damn interesting.

Have not been to Alaska. I want to go so bad. That missle silo sounds awesome.

Why is this getting downvoted?

Not sure. It may not be for everyone. Just thought some people might be interested 🙂

I am curious as to the way you can afford to do this. I am into photography in some ways that are similar to you, but i have to pay for everything. Do you contract with people or work for an org that supports you?

So we make ad revenue off of the videos. We get paid by Tik Tok and YouTube as well. That covers the trips and equipment. I have my own company I run not related to this as well, that makes a considerable amount more than what I make exploring. Hopefully that answers your question!!

Did you enjoy Room 1408?

I did. I made it past the hour 😅

What’s it like being able to have enough money to afford permission to locations?

Only some places. Not all of them 😉

Who or what kind of entities/people pay you to explore? Thanks!

We make money on advertisements when we run the documentaries also we make money from YouTube, and Tik Tok, Ad Revenue.

How did you get started with urban exploring? And where is somewhere you really want to explore that you haven’t gotten to go?

Chernobyl. Been wanting to get in ther forever. Just haven’t yet. I originally got started about 6 years ago. We only started traveling in the last 2. But it all started with me and some friends local to my city.

Are you open for an interesting location? I know of a pretty awesome place but it takes some guts to explore?

Always.

Have you encountered anything that you have no choice but to chalk up to paranormal activities ?

I know what everybody wants me to say. But I haven’t. Nobody on the production team has either. We’ve been all over the country, to hospitals, houses, asylums, nothing.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve seen left abandoned that could have been taken by anyone exploring? Have you ever taken anything yourself as a souvenir?

I try not to take souvenirs. But the most expensive thing I’ve seen is this completly pristine car from the 1930s. Worth probably 50k+ just sitting in a rotting abandoned warehouse

Do you need a camera guy or flashlight holder? Lol

I think we’re good for now 👍

Do you need an assistant or apprentice? Please?

Not at the moment sorry 😢

Have you ever encountered something you thought was supernatural in one of those abandoned places?

I have not. I know what everybody me to say. But I am just being honest. What most people see on tv isn’t real.

What is the Apex of abandoned places (Besides I’m guessing Chernobyl) in the world and have you been?

I haven’t been to Chernobyl. Whenever Ukraine situation is resolved we are going. The best place might be Detroit for the US. But Europe and Africa has lots of bandos.

What is your body count?

🤨