Holmesburg Prison was opened in 1896 to help with the overcrowding at Philadelphia's Moyamensing Prison. The prison experienced frequent riots, breakouts and reports of corruption and murder of inmates by guards. However, its closure in 1995 didn't end its controversial story – a book published a few years later exposed decades of dangerous experiments on prisoners, including testing of radioactive and toxic substances. In summer 2021, following a petition for reparations to the victims, the University of Pennsylvania issued a written apology for the research.

Abandoned government buildings that cost a fortune