ECHOES OF ELSEWHERE | an urban exploration podcast

Courtney Autumn

Echoes of Elsewhere explores the forgotten, the haunted, and the hidden. Through immersive storytelling and in-depth interviews with fellow explorers and seekers of the strange. Each episode uncovers the echoes left behind in abandoned places. This season introduces Beyond the Abandoned—a segment where the forgotten meets the paranormal + beyond. Follow on social media @urbexechoes and on the Echoes of Elsewhere FB page for more!

  1. Sep 16

    EP. 53 | ECHOES | The Shape of Absence (film)

    For nearly two years, I’ve been walking through places that most people have long since walked away from. Abandoned homes. Forgotten schools. Empty hospitals. Farms, hotels, churches, factories.. places where something once existed, and now only traces of it remain. But somewhere along the way, Echoes of Elsewhere became about more than exploring abandoned places. It became about the people who are drawn to them. The stories we uncover. The beauty we find in decay. The things we leave behind. And the things these places somehow manage to leave behind in us. The Shape of Absence is my first long-form film and the Season 4 finale of Echoes of Elsewhere. It’s a reflection on nearly two years of exploring, photographing, filming, and trying to understand why we’re so captivated by places that have been left behind. With the help of some incredible explorers from the community who contributed their voices and experiences, this film brings together the ideas, moments, and questions that have shaped this journey so far. This is more than a film about abandoned places. It’s about what happens when we step through the threshold and allow those places to reflect something back at us. And for the first time, you can experience Echoes of Elsewhere not only through your headphones, but on screen as well. Welcome to The Shape of Absence. Season 5 begins October 31st. Explore the contributors, episode links, and everything Echoes of Elsewhere below. KENNETH MORGAN BLAKE STEV CHRIS TY NOLADEEJ ECHOES SITES + SOCIALS

  2. Aug 31

    EP. 52 | TRESPASSING THROUGH TIME | Interview with @Dauntless_Obscura_

    In this episode of "Echoes of Elsewhere" Courtney Autumn sits down with photographer, explorer and friend Eva, known in the urbex community as Dauntless Obscura, discussing how shared exploration can become real connection. Eva shares how her fascination with abandoned places began in childhood, how she got serious about photographing bandos after buying her first digital camera in 2010, and how she began posting consistently on Instagram around 2019–2020 after discovering the online urbex community. They talk about Buffalo’s evolving abandoned and renovated sites, including Buffalo Terminal and Silo City’s American Malting building conversion, plus favorite location types like industrial decay, theaters, temples, and prisons. The conversation includes safety and police encounters, bucket-list international spots like a famed overseas power plant and Chernobyl, and ends with Courtney previewing the Season Four finale project, "The Shape of Absence." DAUNTLESS OBSCURA IG ECHOES OF ELSEWHERE SITE, SOCIALS + MORE

    EP. 52 | TRESPASSING THROUGH TIME | Interview with @Dauntless_Obscura_

  3. Aug 18

    EP. 51 | THE HOUSE IN THE WOODS | Beyond The Abandoned (5)

    On this episode of Echoes of Elsewhere we dive in to another segment of Beyond the Abandoned to tell the story of Cati Blauvelt, a 22-year-old from Simpsonville, South Carolina, who vanished on October 24, 2016. After midnight on October 26, her friends searched an abandoned farmhouse in the woods and found her body concealed in the basement; she had been stabbed. Suspicion quickly focused on her husband, Army recruiter John Blauvelt, amid a volatile marriage and allegations of domestic violence, he then fled the state with 17-year-old Hannah Thompson. A cross-country manhunt followed, with surveillance and vehicle evidence, Hannah’s later statements that John admitted killing Katie, and years of John living under an alias in Oregon until his 2022 arrest. For more details and sources used for this episode visit the links below: 911 CALL | Audio Source NEWS RELEASE | Hannah Thompson 48 HOURS | most extensive coverage on this case Domestic Violence Support: RESOURCES IN EACH STATE TALK TO SOMEONE Contact Courtney: urbexechoes@gmail.com POD SITES + SOCIALS

    EP. 51 | THE HOUSE IN THE WOODS | Beyond The Abandoned (5)

  4. Aug 4

    EP. 50 | THE ELASTICITY OF TIME | Interview with Stev Hull-Allen

    Host Courtney Autumn introduces writer and urban explorer Stev Hull-Allen, recommended by Blake Pfeil of All American Ruins, for a conversation about why people are drawn to abandoned places beyond photography. Stev recalls first exploring Medfield State Hospital at 13 and discusses the mental health, identity, authenticity, and “elasticity of time” he experiences in ruins, often exploring alone because it feels most authentic and calming. Courtney and Stev connect these pull factors to hardship, moving frequently in childhood, and later-life realizations about ADHD and autism, while reflecting on shared humanity and ordinary traces of lived lives. They critique social media’s clout-driven “urbex,” argue gatekeeping can be conservation, and describe how Steph met and now collaborates with Blake. Steph shares favorite sites, bucket-list interests abroad, music associations, and his Substack, A Field Guide to Briar and Bone, plus an upcoming All American Ruins episode on August 6. STEV HULL-ALLEN SUBSTACK STEV'S INSTAGRAM BLAKE PFEIL'S ALL AMERICAN RUINS PODCAST ECHOES SITE + SOCIALS

    EP. 50 | THE ELASTICITY OF TIME | Interview with Stev Hull-Allen

  5. Jul 13

    EP. 49 | ABANDONED YOUTH (Carolina Springs Academy) | Beyond The Abandoned (4)

    Some abandoned places leave behind more than empty buildings. For years, Carolina Springs Academy promised desperate families hope—a place where struggling teenagers could find discipline, healing, and a second chance. But behind those promises, many former students describe a vastly different reality. In this special documentary episode of Echoes of Elsewhere, Courtney explores the history of Carolina Springs Academy, its ties to the troubled teen industry and WWASP, survivor testimony, lawsuits, investigations, repeated rebrandings, and the lasting impact these programs have had on countless families. This episode also examines the broader conversation surrounding institutional accountability, modern-day programs like Trails Carolina and Asheville Academy, and why these stories continue to matter today. At its heart, this isn't simply the story of an abandoned school. It's the story of abandoned youth. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of child abuse, institutional abuse, physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse allegations, suicide, animal neglect, death, trauma, and mental health that may be distressing to some listeners. WWASP SURVIVOR PAGE UNSILENCED PARIS HILTON - PROVO CANYON SCHOOL KATHERINE KUBLER - THE PROGRAM - NETFLIX TREY BINDER YOUTUBE - PROGRAM STORIES TRAILS CAROLINA + ASHEVILLE ACADEMY INFO

    EP. 49 | ABANDONED YOUTH (Carolina Springs Academy) | Beyond The Abandoned (4)

  6. Jul 5

    EP. 48 | FINDING REFUGE IN THE RUINS | Interview with @_Explore_Mor

    In this episode of "Echoes of Elsewhere," we get to know Morgan (_explore_mor), an urban explorer, photographer, and self-portrait artist who returned to exploring in 2024 after starting as a teen. We discuss how urbex tends to shift from rebellious thrills to an adult perspective that supports mental health, creativity, and appreciation of history. Morgan shares her formative locations, differences exploring the South  and favorite types of abandoned sites. She recounts a standout explore at a fashion designer’s mansion with an eerie backstory, plus experiences with the usual things we encounter while exploring the abandoned. We also discuss exploring alone, entry risks, gatekeeping and pin-sharing, safety advice for female explorers, and how self-portraits became an extension of identity and self-love. _EXPLORE_MOR INSTAGRAM ECHOES SITE + SOCIALS

    EP. 48 | FINDING REFUGE IN THE RUINS | Interview with @_Explore_Mor

  7. Jun 18

    EP. 47 | THE SUITCASE ON MOORE STREET | Beyond The Abandoned (3)

    Host Courtney Autumn returns to Echoes of Elsewhere’s “Beyond the Abandoned” segment to examine a disturbing discovery in Walterboro, South Carolina: officers entering a forgotten abandoned building found a suitcase containing a body. The investigation moved from unidentified remains to the confirmed identity of 32-year-old local woman Victoria Jean Beach, and what began as a missing persons case became a murder investigation. Beach was reported missing on April 10, 2024.. the same day her remains were discovered.. yet investigators indicated she likely had been deceased for two to four weeks, highlighting a troubling gap between official reporting and biological time. With limited public details, no official cause of death released, and speculation of possible gang-related motives, the case remains under investigation as the episode emphasizes Victoria’s life, family, and the ongoing need for answers. VICTORIA BEACH NEWS ECHOES SITE, SOCIALS + CONTACT

    EP. 47 | THE SUITCASE ON MOORE STREET | Beyond The Abandoned (3)

  8. Jun 6

    EP. 46 | THE BODY IN THE FREEZER | Beyond The Abandoned (2)

    Abandoned places sit in a strange limbo.. physically there, yet socially ignored, making them easy hiding spots for things people don’t want discovered. This episode follows a setup familiar to the urban exploration community: a supposedly haunted house, a group of curious adventurers, and a routine exploration that suddenly takes a dark turn when a shocking find transforms an ordinary afternoon into a murder investigation. It’s a reminder that the scariest stories tied to abandoned locations often have nothing to do with ghosts.. sometimes the real horror is entirely human. This is the story of Robert Fuller and the mysteries surrounding an abandoned house in Orangeburg, South Carolina. NEWS ARTICLE | DISCOVERY AT ABANDONED HOUSE NEWS ARTICLE | FIRE AFTER DISCOVERY AT ABANDONED HOUSE BLOG | ARTICLE ABOUT THE MYSTERY POD SITES + SOCIALS

    EP. 46 | THE BODY IN THE FREEZER | Beyond The Abandoned (2)
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4 Ratings

About

Echoes of Elsewhere explores the forgotten, the haunted, and the hidden. Through immersive storytelling and in-depth interviews with fellow explorers and seekers of the strange. Each episode uncovers the echoes left behind in abandoned places. This season introduces Beyond the Abandoned—a segment where the forgotten meets the paranormal + beyond. Follow on social media @urbexechoes and on the Echoes of Elsewhere FB page for more!

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