An urban explorer has uncovered an abandoned funeral home with eerie reminders of past life – including what he claims appears to be human remains and Polaroids of embalmed people.
Ben James, 29, found the building in Illinois, US, while looking for another deserted site.
The explorer shares his findings with his 131,000 Instagram followers (@places_forgotten) and is no stranger to uncovering hidden secrets in derelict spaces.
READ MORE: Creepy abandoned prison discovered – with old cells and court room left to rot
“I found the funeral home while looking for an abandoned cemetery,” Ben told What’s The Jam.
“The place looks to [have been] abandoned for many years.
“I spoke to a local who said the owner vanished one day and never returned, so it closed and fell into disrepair.”
The explorer found a variety of materials at the site, including metal scissors, needles and bands with the words “do not resuscitate”, as well as death certificates, embalming fluid and more.
But his most shocking find is not for the faint-hearted.
Under layers of rubble and dust, Ben claims to have discovered human remains dating back to 2005.
He said: It was amazing to see all that was left, death certificates, embalming fluid and prep tools.
“But the most shocking discovery was human remains and Polaroids of corpses being embalmed.
“It was a very creepy place.
“Locals all say it is haunted and they wish it would get demolished, but then the spirits will have nowhere to go.”
Online, social media users have expressed their thoughts on the gruesome findings.
Bea said: “They could at least have buried the ashes of the deceased.”
“For us, who live in a country, where events like this could never happen, this is incredibly fascinating!” said another user.
“The Polaroids! This is my favorite,” added someone else.
Another user added: “Thanks for sharing!”
READ MORE: Explorer rewinds the tape to visit time capsule VHS store ‘abandoned for 20 years’
