List of ghost towns in Wisconsin facts for kids

A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's mostly empty. Imagine a town that was once busy, but everyone moved away. That's a ghost town! This is a list of some of these fascinating, quiet places in Wisconsin.

What Makes a Town a Ghost Town?

Ghost towns aren't all the same. They can be completely gone or still have a few old buildings. Here are different ways we classify them:

Barren Site

A barren site means the town is completely gone.

• There are no buildings left.
• The area might be covered by water, or it could have turned back into fields.
• Sometimes, you might find a few old foundations, but they are hard to spot.

Neglected Site

A neglected site still has some signs of the past.

• You might see piles of rubble.
• Some buildings might still be standing, but they usually don't have roofs.
• Most of the houses and buildings are just ruins.

Abandoned Site

An abandoned site has more buildings still standing.

• All the buildings and houses are empty.
• No one lives there, except maybe a caretaker.
• Sometimes, only one or two buildings remain, like an old church or a general store.

Semi-Abandoned Site

A semi-abandoned site is a town that's almost a ghost town.

• Many buildings and houses are still there, but most are empty.
• Only a few people still live in the town.
• It's much smaller than it used to be.

Historic Community

A historic community is a town that was once much bigger.

• Buildings and houses are still standing.
• It's still a busy place today.
• But its population has shrunk a lot, sometimes to a fifth or less of what it once was.

Ghost Towns of Wisconsin

Here is a list of some of the ghost towns and former communities in Wisconsin. Each one has a unique story about why people left.