These Haunting Photos of Abandoned Catskills Hotels Will Chill You To the Bone

The Catskill Mountains in upstate New York used to be a bustling vacation hub, a destination filled with family-friendly resorts and comedy clubs. Known as The Borscht Belt due to its largely Jewish clientele, the Catskills were a breeding ground for the country's best comedians — people like Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, and Joan Rivers came up through the ranks of those resort rooms.

Then, like that, it was gone. Photographer Marisa Schienfeld grew up in the Catskills in the 1980s as the popularity of these resorts was petering out. She had parents who experienced it in its hey-day, and she saw it decay in front of her own eyes. So starting in 2010, she revisited the mountains to photograph what was left of The Borscht Belt.

What started out as a photo series called Echoes of The Borscht Belt is now a book. You can buy Schienfeld's The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland and see her other work on her website. Schienfeld's unique perspective allowed her to connect emotionally with what's left of this great cultural event and cultivate a truly moving series of photographs.

Take a look at the rest of Marisa Schienfeld's work here.

Indoor Pool, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Lobby, Homowack Lodge, Spring Glen, NY

Rotary Phone, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, NY

Chaise Lounge, Cardroom, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, NY

Tamarack Lodge, Greenfield Park, New York

Prayer Book, Homowack Lodge, Spring Glen, NY

Ski Hill at the Concord Hotel, Kiamesha Lake, New York

Outdoor Pool, Commodore Hotel, Swan Lake, NY

Black Magic Showroom, Commodore Hotel, Swan Lake, NY

Guest Room, Tamarack Lodge, Greenfield Park, NY

Handball Court, Echo Mountain Bungalow Colony, Monticello, NY

Coffee Shop, Grossinger's Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Guest Room, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York

Dining Room, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, NY

Outdoor Pool, Laurel’s Hotel and Country Club On Sackett Lake, Monticello, NY

Hallway, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York

Bedroom at the 4 Corners Bungalow Colony, Kiamesha Lake, New York

Persian Room, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, New York

Outdoor Pool at the Nevele Grande Hotel, Ellenville, New York

Palms Country Club, South Fallsburg, NY

Wedgewood Room #2, Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, New York

Outdoor Pool, Tamarack Lodge, Greenfield Park, New York

Lobby, Grossinger's Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York

Outdoor Pool at the Paramount Hotel, Parksville, New York

Pines Hotel, South Fallsburg, New York

Hotel, Woodbourne, New York

Indoor Pool #4, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, New York

Rosemond Hotel, Woodridge, New York

Kitchen, Nevele Grande Hotel, Ellenville, New York

Outdoor Pool, Vegetarian Hotel, Woodridge, NY

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