Photographing the abandoned and kinda famous Lund House

In the heart of Special Area No. 2 is a landmark abandoned farmhouse. It's a home that is often photographed by the many rural explorers who travel the great expanse of Canada's open prairies searching for beauty in the abandoned. 

The Lund house, as it is known, is located along Highway 855 between and north of Craigmyle and Hanna. The countryside is beautiful in the Hanna area. And north of Dowling Lake where the Lund House is located, the low rolling hills and farmland is particularly nice in the summer. 

If you are interested in the history of the Lund House, check out Glen's Travels.  Glen clearly spent a good deal of time researching and presenting the history of the place and the former residents. There is no point in me even trying to do what Glen has already done. 

Why is the Lund House so Photographed? 

So as the title to this blog post suggests, the Lund House is kinda famous amongst rural explorers and photographers.  I think there are a few reasons for this fact. 

First, the interesting shape of the home. Its narrow and long and fronted with an interesting porch that is still kinda holding up.  The building is very different from most of the old prairie farm homes. 

The other interesting aspect of the actual home is its current appearance. It almost looks like the entire building was shingled.  I wonder whether the Lund home looked like this in its original state?  Is the current appearance more the consequences of decades of decay?  It would be interesting to know how the exterior originally looked. 

Regardless, in its dilapidated state, the shingled home exterior really stands out. It's so interesting to photograph, such a unique texture for a building. I haven't seen anything like it. 

Second, the location is perfect. Its located within easy range of Calgary, and that's important for day trippers like myself. I know its a little further from Edmonton, but the drive is still manageable. As I mentioned, the countryside is beautiful and Hanna has some cool, independent shops for lunch. 

But the important part is the accessibility of the location. The home is located right off of the highway along a gravel road. So you don't have to walk in to the location, or drive through sketchy dirt roads.  No fear of getting stuck.

The site is also not marked by no trespassing signs, and people commonly go there so it seems to be a pretty open location.  

The house itself is surrounded by grasses. The landowner of the field next door either does not own the plot where the house is located, or has chosen not to cultivate that area yet. I assume when the home is gone, this land will be turned over to production. 

The important thing about this is that you don't need to walk in anyone's field, the grass in surrounding the house is great as a foreground. Quite frankly, there is nothing worse than freshly cultivated fields or stubble for a foreground. I prefer the long grasses and the cold freezing snows of winter when taking photos of abandoned locations. 

Well, that's it for now. Let me know if you have ever visited the Lund House and what you like best or worst about this location. 




abandoned places,

abandoned places,

abandoned places,

abandoned places,


Looking for more locations in the general area of Hanna? Check out Garden Plain. 



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Location: RVF9+MX Dowling Lake, AB, Canada

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