CHICAGO’S DAMEN SILOSUnearth What's Left Of This Abandoned Grain SiloThe Run DownExplore what’s left of an abandoned grain silo ju

CHICAGO 窶髏 Chicago photographer Mike Kinsch loves visiting the abandoned Damen Silos.He usually has company, too."Many of my friend

THIS DILAPIDATED LANDSCAPE WAS ONCE A working system of interlocking grain elevators. Now abandoned but still left standing, the structures beckon urban explorers, graffiti artists, and general thrill seekers who wish to attempt the climb to the top.In 1977, an explosion left the processing factory unusable. It was abandoned, but the many tunnels snaking throughout the sprawling property were never sealed. The tunnels and silos have since become canvases for graffiti artists.

CHICAGO — Chicago photographer Mike Kinsch loves visiting the abandoned Damen Silos.He usually has company, too.“Many of my friends frequented the spot and you would always see a group of teens exploring when you went there,” said Kinsch, who makes a habit of exploring abandoned Chicago places like Edgewater Medical Center. “There have been days this past summer where you would find 20-25 people there, giving the feeling that it was a Chicago tourist destination.”The 15-story grain silos at 2860 S. Damen Ave. have been useless since a 1977 explosion. They were built in 1906 by the Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, and they had capacity for 400,000 bushels of grain.