The Graffiti Highway is one of the most popular locations to visit in Centralia PA. On a typical day, one can travel along the road and see many other people walking it.
This thoroughfare wasn’t always known as the Graffiti Highway. In fact, that name was coined as recently as 2010. Previously, the road was simply called by what it truly is – an old, abandoned section of Route 61.
A piece of Route 61 just south of the town had to be closed in the early 1990s. The mine fire in Centralia Pennsylvania posed a real threat to the structural integrity of it. Subsidence was leading to uneven surfaces and steam poured out through cracks in the asphalt.
PennDOT bypassed this section of Route 61 with an improved portion of Byrnesville Road. After it was upgraded, the bypass adopted the name Route 61, and the old section of the road was left to the elements.
For some time, no one gave much thought to visiting the nearly one mile long abandoned stretch of Route 61. However, as Centralia began to develop a following online, more curious onlookers explored the town.
One of the results was that some people found and used the open road surface as a canvas. They brought cans of spray paint and began to design on its surface.
This inspired still other Centralia PA visitors to test their artistic skills. No one knows for sure exactly when the graffiti began on the road, but it appears to have accelerated sometime after 2007. This may have had to do with the film Silent Hill coming out the year before.
What’s certain is that by 2010, a significant portion of old Route 61 was covered with graffiti images. The paintings range from the vulgar and profane to the thought provoking and even beautiful.
Today the road is popularly known as Centralia’s Graffiti Highway. During a typical visit, at least a few individuals can be spotted placing their own marks on it’s surface.
The Graffiti Highway is another piece of mine fire’s legacy that makes the town of Centralia Pennsylvania such an interesting place to visit.
I recently went to centralia pa on 3-13-16 with my bff and we visited the graffeti highway, the couple remaining houses and even met one of the people who still remain we also did a lot of hiking and many other fun things it was truly an awe inspiring place and I will remember it for the rest of my life it was amazing I highly recommend visiting either if you are passing this ancient beautiful town or just simply wanting to take a hike I am 15 and I didn’t think I would have fun I’m the kind of teenager you would see sleeping all day and on her phone but it was truly a remarkable place I will definitely take my kids too I highly recomend it it was amazing
Thanks for the great information??? You have a great mind, I know your going to be a great addition to society
Not a single punctuation mark. Impressive.
I drove through and around Centralia in 2001. The couple houses that remain aren’t going to be in Home and Garden any time soon.
The chewed up roads and steam escaping from asphalt and dirt mounds alike; gave off a macabre feeling. Like the devils breath, stinking rot as it gasps outward. Angry tendrils of foul vapor, snuffing all that is alive and serene.
The place reeks of despair.
Bless the folks who stayed.
Centralia is a foreboding shadow of coal town USA.
You NEED to write poetry. That was beautiful.
I agree. Just for those words, I am going to see this place myself.
On a late note; town is pressing the definition.
I saw three “houses” in 2001. Located In the center of town.. A couple shacks here or there blocks away.
The main streets(4 blocks by 4 blocks are gone. Asphalt rubble, I drove a grand cherokee; made roads passable.
Past that it is an overgrown, half mile square; of rubble.
The “Rt 61 tribute” is cool as is the steaming earth vents.
Day trip? Meh, may be go Mt.Caramel for a draught Shlitz and a polish brat after.
BTW. Tne B&B in Caramel has horrible mattresses. Horse hair I swear.
Why is it that people just feel they HAVE to ‘leave their mark’ on abandoned places? Whether it’s this closed section of Route 61 or even the abandoned sanitarium on west mountain near Scranton, people vandalize these places as a way to let others know they were there? How about just telling friends and others you were there rather than defacing something?
Humans have been leaving there mark where ever we go since the beginning of time. Examples of this can be found in the cave paintings found in France from prehistoric man. These were the first attempts to communicate and create language, in essence it gave way to higher forms of thinking. The human desire to leave a mark where ever we go speaks to our most primitive desires of self expression and a longing to be understood and connected. It is a beautiful form of art… why should it have to be restricted to a museum?
the best is: remove this fuck graffiti highway completly – incl. pavement. selling the pavement to recycling for new roads and walks. in german – this highway was removed just by closing in beginn of the 90ties and renature the rest. i wait for the day – penn dot does it !
April 2020??
Penn dot no longer owns it
Are people being sited for tresspassing now?
When the State Police catch them, but they can’t monitor the road constantly.
This article really needs to be updated. It is now illegal to walk on the Highway. There are “No Trespassing” signs on both ends which are routinely ignored. The State Police can’t monitor it minute by minute. 10 years ago you could drive through the town and see smoke all over the place. I’ve not seen a wisp of smoke anywhere for the last 5 years.
It truly amazes me that people are willing to risk their lives to look at grafitti.
I just visited today! It’s kind of a bummer as there are an insane amount of dirt bikes, ATVs, Jeeps, 4 wheelers driving around all over this town. I can’t imagine what the remaining residents must experience. I thought visiting would be an experience as some call it macabre but nope… my husband and I were getting run off Graffiti highway by ATVs. It’s cool to see in person but it’s not much of an experience. Maybe people should just let the residents be. It can’t be very peaceful for them. I almost feel bad for being a part of it today. The amount of parked cars, and people walking all over was like a circus sideshow. You don’t truly realize until you’re there. Some of the graffiti is beautiful but most of it is pointless and idk how many penises really need to be spray painted on that stretch of road but really ppl, get a grip! If you’re gonna leave a mark… make it meaningful.
Tim Szilagyi, stunning words and Shannon I have not had the pleasure of visiting this site but agree strongly about the “pornographic” graffiti, absolutely unnecessary, it just shows the shallow empty minds some humans now house.
OPEN GRAFFITI HIGHWAY BACK UP! Just because COVID-19 got assholes being dicks doesn’t mean the highway should be closed off to people who actually enjoy nature and Pennsylvania for its history
This would be a perfect place to cook meth or test nuclear weapons. What about a super secret annex for military biological experiments? Those things are just going by the wayside, they’re like a dying art. We must all work to preserve Americana.
What is a good GPS location to use to get to the graffiti highway/Centralia. I need an address or something, thanks!
Oh noes—a ruined, cracker, abandoned highway might have graffiti on it! Dispatch the fun police immediately!
It never fails. Whenever there is some kind of impromptu site or gathering where no money can be made and no government oversight can be had, you’ll find some finger wagging idiot claiming “danger!”, making up stories of rampant vandalism (didn’t happen), and finding a way to shut things down. Happens EVERY time. I’m guessing these were the nerds who signed up to be Hall Monitors and who made sure to remind teacher that she’d forgotten to give homework before the 3:00 bell rang
I would like to see a documentary on this place. I suspect interest in this place will increase as Troegs releases their Graffiti Highway brew.