great site!

Hello,
I enjoyed your exploration pictures of the old Abbot Hospital at 110 East 18th Street in Minneapolis. For a brief period of time in the 1980s, this building was owned and operated by the Ebenezer Society and was run as a Transitional Care Facility called Ebenezer Caroline Center. I worked as a nurse in this facility from March 1985 to July 1986. I started on the fourth floor (4West) which was the Closed Head Injury unit specializing in rehabilitation care for people who suffered a serious head injury. Many of our patients were relatively young people who had suffered unfortunate head trauma. Our unit moved to the second floor of the newer east wing while I worked there. I lived at the time just a few blocks away on 1st Avenue and 24th Street. Much later after I returned from my graduate education as a nurse practitioner, I worked in a clinic that admitted people needing end of life care to 2west, the palliative care unit when the facility was known as City of Lakes Transitional Care Center.

I have many good memories of working at Ebenezer Caroline Center my very first job as a nurse in the Twin cities. Thanks for the trip down memory lane! It would be fun to see the inside of this place again before they tear it down.

This is one of the greatest websites I've ever seen. I always thought I was weird because I've been known to stand on the brakes and back up when I see a sign saying something like "Abandoned Mine Disaster Site" or "Penitentiary Tours". Whenever I see or hear of an old abandoned building, tunnel, whatever, I find myself figuring out how to get in. I have been able to extensively explore the Mansfield Reformatory ("Shawshank Redemption")- even made it to Potter's Field and did't turn back until guards held guns on us. Good times.

Dear Actionsquad,

Stumbled across your site tonight after seeing what was on the web about the old Gopher Ordnance Site in Rosemount. I enjoyed your 'missions' and explorations. I am totally unfamiliar with any of them other than those of “U-land”.

Had cousins that knew the caves and tunnels along the river through St. Paul very well, but I grew up in Rosemount and my dad worked at the 'U/M Research Farm' as I did for two summers in the early 60's before graduating from high school. In fact I worked in the restricted area among the 'ruins' as you call them.

I recall going through one of the old abandoned barrack type buildings during a break bailing hay, and found a map of the entire storm sewer system and the run to where is exited into the river down by the Pine Bend Oil Refinery Loading Dock. Never did get a chance to check it all out or what happened to the map.

When in collage, my brother, just back from the military had taken over a scout troop of kids still in high school. I knew them all and after one of their meetings we piled into cars and headed for the restricted area. The Army National Guard was spending an evening bivouacked out in the restricted area. I had just read “Popski's Private Army” the book the tv show 'Rat Patrol' was based on. We got dropped off outside the restricted area and hiked about ¾ mile through corn fields to their site. We located their 'sentries', and then slipped between them to the row of trucks parked on the road. We went from truck to truck taping 3x5 cards to the steering wheels that said “This vehicle has been destroyed by Popski's Private Army”. We then fell back to just inside the sentries. Opened up a backpack and pulled out half dozen M-80's taped to rocks. We lite and threw them back toward the trucks. As they went off the sentries ran in, we ran out. Got back to out pick up point and rode into Rosemount where there was a NG jeep parked at the VFW. So we put card on his steering wheel also.

One day I grabbed one of the highway flashers put on barricades. That weekend at night some friends from college and I went out to the eastern plant which was still standing along with the coal ramp you see on that picture you post from the forties. We worked our way up on the roof of the ramp, until we could drop inside through a hole. That run is a lot longer inside than it looks and the angle didn't help with no lights. Once on the plants roof, I climbed up the first chimney. I had cut a 1 gallon gas can in half and poked a hole in each corner to insert two U shaped steel rod down through the corners. When I got to the top I spread the rods so it would straddle the lip of the tower, turned it on and climbed down. It flashed up there for months, and was finally blown off by high winds. If I can find it, I'll send you a photo of it we took from the air later that week. We could go inside the plant from the top but it was totally empty, no floors, just four walls and an immensely high ceiling.

The area's you call arena's were actually above ground water reservoirs, one for each plant, all with covered roofs. In the sixties the roofs had just caved in, and eventually they just rotted away although there was some clean up occasionally. Don't know how many gallons they were, but impressive when you think about it. The front of the buildings where there were rooms were where the pumps were for forcing the water into the plant in the event of a fire. One of the last trips out there before I enlisted in the military for my vacation from school so I could go to Vietnam, I found that the entire front portion of the western 'arena' was filled with large lead containers about half again as big as a 'jerry can'. They were labeled, “40mm smokeless powder”. Can only think powder production was ahead of ammo production so they needed to store it somewhere, what better than an abandoned powder plant in a restricted area. Of course there were no doors on the building, so it was totally accessible.

Thanks for the memories, and I wish you luck on your voyages,just be safe, as if you aren't, ain't no one gonna find you.

Saw you on the Urban Explorers movie on netflix. Really cool...Looks like a lot of fun. I'd love to go do this sometime with a camera on hand. Oh and I don't exactly understand why you took No Drinking off your rule list? Fuck it. I'd want a little buzz on every once in awhile.

I live in Okinawa, but am from Texas. As an urbex enthusiast I am just doing some research for when I come back to the states and what states I should visit for the best adventure possible. If you guys have any tips for me please let me know. I'm a photographer ad want to get some great shots while exploring. Thanks for the inspiration on the site.

In your entry for Red Wing- Red Wing has a space in it, and the other bluff you went to was called Barns Bluff. I am glad you guys got to visit Red Wing's "caves" sorry there isn't too much to them!

Good luck with the law suit.
The guy sounds like a dick.
Cheers

U.E. since 1970's

Awesome site. Currently working on planning a few covert excursions myself.

Cracking read,lost an hour of my life on your site.

Hello!

I've recently come across the documentary _Urban Explorers: Into the Darkness_ and found your squad fascinating! I'm an amateur urban explorer myself, living in Chicago. However, I will be moving back to my hometown of Moorhead, Minnesota for the summer and was wondering if I could tag along on an outing down in Minneapolis sometime. In Chicago, it's mostly factories and buildings and such, so I'm very curious to see what is beneath the surface. Let me know if this is do-able.

Much thanks.

I am a fellow "Action Squader", (without proper title), and I've been exploring the Twin Cities for a few years. Much appreciation to the original Action Squad!

are you still active?

interested in chatting with people who find this kind of stuff appealing. would like to get a group together do some exploring evaluate some options see what becomes of it. have lived all over mn and have inside information to not alot of places, but a few places that would be great fun to explore. i would like to keep the same tradition and respect for places that actionsquad has had. get at me through email johnny_slade@live.com

to actionsquad...i fully appreciate your site i sat here for 4 hours and read everything. great work but like many others would like updates.. also if you are looking for good solid information for future expiditions, i would be happy to supply you with that as i trust from your site that you would respect your findings and not vandalize. i got good information on fergus falls regional treatment center which at one time was used as an insane asylum and i know it has underground tunnels and could provide you with as much as a map as my memory would allow me to create, also good solid information about west hills circle in owatonna which i know has underground tunnels because i have been inside them. i used to work for the city of owatonna. if this is something you are interested in get at me via the email above.

take care and happy exploration
-johnny

Hey Action Squad Boys & Girls!

Great site! I grew up with the Mushroom Caves/Wabasha Street caves as my playground. Know most of them like the back of my hand. 98% of their orginal entrances have been sealed now by the City of Saint Paul. I have known of this site for several years but just watched "Urban Exploerers" on netflix last night.

Anyway

May the Force be with you

Outstanding.

Just in the middle of watching into the darkness. I am a very, very, inexperienced urban explorer/archeologist/spelunker. However, whenever I found myself near and industrial archeological site, I just had to explore! You guys have to come to Montreal. Its over 500yrs old with some spectacular sites. Death Race was filmed here.

Why not try to make this a job

Every time I visit this site I get lost in it - there's so much to see!!!
I love it!!!
They have cut down most of the trees at Gopher Ordinance the last couple years so you can see a lot more foundations - armed with a laptop with the Gopher Ordinance pictures from the Minnesota Historical Society you can figure out better what stuff is!

Awesome site. As an explorer myself I truly appreciate the time spent on the outstanding write ups and photos. Keep up the good work. Cheers!

Excellent stuff!

I really love this sight, and even though I am still very young am reminded of myself when I read about some of the explorations. I am very interested in tunnel exploration as I have only brief experience of storm drains in Duluth. Also about a year ago I lived near the Cambridge Sanatorium and looked for it for hours to no avail. Do you know if it is still standing? How exactly do you get there?

Kinda made you guys (and girls) feel alive, didn't it! I say, "Go for it!" every time you get some radiucal idea for a new adventure ... after all, we only pas through this veil of tears once!

u have secret crush on greg brick and you nose it you just doesnt want us to no

Awesome site. Any advice for a young guy with a craving for adventure?

Sweet site! I have vicariously enjoyed exploring the abandoned underbelly with you. It amazes me how things that were so massive and expensive, with time, become useless and ripe for discontinued use. Abandoned in place.

Keep it up!

You guys really went into the underground tunnels of cambridge. I've heard stories about it but what did it look like exactly?

Just watched your movie, wish I could hook up with you guys, I love to explore new places!!

Wow!!! Great website, I will be back many more times to read it all!
I know and have been to most of the places you have here - many when they were still active...

Just saw your Movie on Netflix, When I was much younger I spent many years spelunking throughout Calif, nothing like what you did...wish I had known about this back then. Great Film, Look forward to seeing more

you guys should check out he old cedar bridge place is the shit lol p.s. it's almost been a year since a update lol

Wow, fantastic story on your treks through the Ford tunnels and plant. I only just saw a link to your adventures from a Ford Forum this morning, and have spent the last hour or two reading the whole lot. Very interesting and entertaining reading!
Any updates on Brick with an apology?
Cheers Dan.

great pics

Love what you folks are doing

check out peters cartridge factory in ohio

You guys (and gals) are just way too cool. I discovered your site a year or so ago and have it bookmarked so I can visit it often. I think you should have a TV show. This stuff is way cooler than that crap you see on TV now. Hope you are still active and hope to see more.

Kick ass web site and wow, wish I could have been with you guys. and greg brick is a dick!

Hey guys, may be you know abandoned places in Virginia Beach area?
I'd love to check them. Please let me know if you know smth. mail regimantasrd@gmail.com

Thanks!

You guys RULE!!!

Great pictures, great adventures, great locations!!!

Been "kinda" I to urbanexploring for years. Basically I'm a retired artist (@30 lol).'not paint, but we'd find old stuff and stack them, semi-fix old broken stuff in pre-1900 factories and buildings. I dunno,'sounds stupid, but it's nice to see what you guys are doing. I enjoy this website, ans read the conduct, and totally agree with them, when though some of the stuff I've done has been considered "vandalism",'ita not like I ever painted or destroyed or took anything!
Love it love it love it!!!!!

great images of your exploring
im in NYC and im creating my list of places
to start exploring here.
i seen your movie on netflix got me ready to roll
cant wait to see more of your work soon

would like to know how to find some cool caves to go into.
iv'e seen some before shityones,call me if you have time 6122985209 mark, thank you.

i love this website

like a boss

Hey i love what you all are doing. i watched your Documentary and it inspired me to do my own urban exploration here in Kuwait where i work keep up the site and all your missions maybe one day i can go out with you all!!!!!

Thank you for posting all the great adventures! Thanks too for the Teapot story. It was surrealistic and very touching. Never give up on your dreams.

Hey watching yall's video on netflix pretty cool shit! i have always wanted to explore EVERYTHING, more the things ppl havent seen yet, but things that ppl havent seen in years is epic as well, i deff think i found a new use for my old airforce gear! Happy exploring!

Rad site

me and my friend just started a page on face book the 805 urban explorers we are in san luis obispo county