An urban explorer has shared a wondrous glimpse inside an aircraft hangar full of slot machines and casino games from a bygone era.
In a series of eerie pictures posted to social media under the handle Arkland - Urbex, a man who asked to simply be referred to as Arkhoss shared the astonishing contents of the hangar located near Liege in Belgium.
Belgium is something of a treasure trove for urban explorers. The publication European CEO estimates the Flemish nation is home to at least 300 abandoned buildings.
This architecture ranges from discarded mansions to now-derelict hotels and castles. They make for breathtaking viewing.
"I had known about this place for a while," Arkhoss told Newsweek. Yet the descriptions offered to him by fellow urban explorers did little to prepare Arkhoss for what they ultimately stumbled on. "It was in the middle of a commercial area [business park] and, without being aware of it, you would not have suspected that this shed would contain such treasures," he said.
Even finding the exact hangar containing this cave of wonders was a process of trial and error. "To get there, we first had to go through three or four empty hangars before finally reaching the right one," Arkhoss said.
Once inside, he was greeted with the spellbinding sight of machines and paraphernalia from another time. "Inside, complete darkness, aided by our flashlights, we could see that all the machines were arranged in rows, with, in front, a large number of red high chairs and a strange little character who looked like the Monopoly man," he said. "There were also blackjack and roulette tables with some arcade terminals."
The pictures Arkhoss took provide a glimpse of what he saw; dusty slot machines, discarded roulette wheels in seemingly pristine condition and gun-based arcade games and driving simulators that once entertained kids for countless hours.
He reckons the machines came from a selection of casinos that once operated in the Liege area of Belgium, although this can't be confirmed. Regardless of their origin, it's the kind of discovery that could turn many on to the idea of urban exploring with its heady mix of excitement, tension and nostalgia.
The pictures have certainly proven popular on Reddit, with social media users flocking to comment on the haunting shots shared. "What a perfect movie scene," one user commented, with another writing: "I really hope someone saves these vintage machines. They are worth a lot, and more importantly the parts for these machines are harder and harder to find."
Some compared the scene to something out of a horror movie, but Arkhoss didn't see it that way. "It wasn't scary, more nostalgic. You have that feeling of being both in a film but also in a kind of strange space."
Whatever the case, he's glad to have been there and documented the experience for others. According to Arkhoss, the hangar has since been emptied and demolished while the machines and items inside have been sold or simply deconstructed.
But while that strange scene may no longer exist, it lives on in the pictures shared by urban explorers like Arkhoss. Check out a selection of his best pictures here:
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jack Beresford is a Newsweek Senior Internet Culture & Trends Reporter, based in London, UK. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
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