A California ghost town, which made a cameo in “Tenet”, sold to a mystery buyer for $22.5 million

From once-blooming mining communities to declining modern settlements, the United States is home to 3,800 ghost towns. These places serve as time capsules and offer a snapshot of the past. Some ghost towns still welcome tourists and even appear in the movies. However, most of these deserted communities are simply forgotten. 

Eagle Mountain, one of California's largest ghost towns, is among a few lucky places that caught public attention. Located three hours from Los Angeles, this mining town recently changed owners. A mysterious buyer, known as Ecology Mountain Holdings, purchased Eagle Mountain, which spans across 10,000 acres, for $22.5 million, SFGate reports. 

Founded in 1948, Eagle Mountain was formerly a mining town. In its prime days, this area was home to 4,000 people, most of whom worked for Kaiser Steel Mine. In addition to more than 400 houses, this town also included three schools, a hospital, a movie theater, a shopping center, a bowling alley, and a swimming pool. 

The Kaiser Steel Corporation extracted iron from nearby mountains. However, as the demand for iron declined, the town fell into despair. In 1981, the company announced that it would close its operations in Eagle Mountain. The closure of the mine triggered layoffs, and people began to leave the town. 

Over the past decades, Eagle Mountain transformed from a vibrant community to a desolate ghost town. However, despite being nearly empty, this town still attracted visitors and even some world-famous filmmakers. Eagle Mountain appeared in fourteen movies, including Christopher Nolan's Tenet and Michael Bay's The Island. 

There were several unsuccessful attempts to revitalize the once-thriving Eagle Mountain. This town, which is open to the public, remains one of the best-preserved ghost communities in the country. It is located near the Joshua Tree National Park. The new owner of the town did not share their plans for this vast property. 

Image credit:

el-toro (Flickr)

Resources:

“California Ghost Town Purchased for $22.5 Million By Mysterious Buyer,” by Charlotte Collins (Architectural Digest, 2023)

“Mystery buyer purchases California ghost town for $22.5 million,” by Elizabeth Napolitano (CBS News, 2023)

“A California ghost town sells for $22.6 million to mysterious company,” by Terry Castleman (Los Angeles Times, 2023)