Mysteries of the Abandoned

A serene institution in the American Midwest, seized in righteous anger; a subterranean lair in France designed with a disturbing objective; and a Spanish settlement, concealing a story of forbidden love and ruthless retribution.

In New Jersey, a symbol of American pride and dominance; a top-secret site in Japan used for wartime missions of no return; and an Italian town, whose residents were given lethal advice by government officials.

A compound in Seattle, rocked by a high-profile military scandal; a concrete shell in London, devastated by the city's largest explosion; a Wisconsin farmstead that brewed up a storm; and a hilltop stronghold in Greece that incurred a sultan's wrath.

A remote island near Peru, besieged by a violent rebellion; a peaceful refuge in Nevada, that offered hope to its occupants; a French worker's paradise, seized by an invading force; and a rural Italian settlement trapped in a downward spiral.

A dilapidated mansion in Virginia, raided during the Civil War; the nerve center of a heroic rescue mission in England; palatial ruins in Estonia that hosted a formidable empress; and a colorful fitness facility in Detroit where a champion made his name.

An illustrious sporting complex in Atlantic City, infiltrated by a notorious gang; a tranquil Japanese island, converted for a chilling cause; and a top-secret bunker in Lithuania raided in the name of freedom.

Nazi towers in Berlin, defended to the bitter end by child soldiers; a Chicago institution, once the largest of its kind in the world; an eccentric vision in the Malaysian jungle; and a complex in San Francisco, born from the ashes of tragedy.

An iconic Philadelphia venue that set the stage for era-defining artists; a French compound, where a staggering deception was launched; and a Malaysian mansion, the scene of a baffling crime.

In Michigan, a top-secret military base embroiled in an unexplained disappearance; an Italian wonderland, shattered by links to the Mafia; a California transportation hub that inspired lasting change; and a Croatian complex drawn into a brutal conflict.