Haunting beauty of abandoned churches and auditoriums across America

Photographer Lucas Mackin, 25, regularly travels across New England from his home in Connecticut in search of once-grand buildings now left to decay. Pictured, an abandoned church had been gutted of its pews and altar. An aisle can still be made out through the centre of the buildings and debris is littered where the vicar once stood. Despite the state of disrepair, an ornate ceiling and stunning stained glass remain untouched 

In another image an organ has been left with its music book still balanced on the stand, as if the organist has only just left and will soon return to finish playing. Debris and dust covers the ivory keys. In the rest of the church the pews have been moved to the edge of the room

Mr Mackin has pictured hospitals, churches and theatres to capture the haunting beauty of buildings that now feature broken windows and layers of dust. This auditorium has been left to stand exactly how it was in its heyday with a piano still in the corner of the stage. The balconies are still beautifully decorated and there’s a stunning design around the arch over the stage

Images show ornately decorated ceilings, grand carpeted staircases and incredible stained-glass windows. This auditorium entrance hall features black and white tiles with marbled walls and sconces on the walls for lighting. Huge windows allow daylight to stream into the room during the day and the carpet appears to still be in pristine condition.

In one image a brown teddy bear with red love hearts on its paws and a red nose was left propped up on the stage, potentially left over from the final performance at the theatre. Mr Mackin said his favourite thing about exploring abandoned buildings was the history he didn’t know

Some buildings were left in better conditions than others, as one image shows a church aisle cluttered with furniture and trash. This church appeared to have become a spot for fly-tipping. Sofas, old suitcases, clothes and draws have been abandoned along with the building. Yet incredibly beautiful stained-glass windows remain mostly intact

Statues of angels overlook a large mess littering the floor where the altar once stood. Leftover scaffolding has been left to the side of the church, meaning work to repair the structure could be ongoing. While the floor has been left in a mess, there are still beautiful details on the wall to the right

The circular gold ceiling design offers a glimpse into the opulence of the building at the time when performances were still held there and a murel can be seen on the wall to the left of the photograph. The chandelier still hangs down from the centre of the ceiling, just as it did in the theatre’s heyday

This church has been gutted of its furniture but the building itself appears to be in a good condition. The walls are still painted a bright white and other than a bit of debris on the ground there doesn’t appear to be a large amount of dust or dirt on the organ that sits on the balcony

Mr Mackin’s photographs capture the large auditorium’s sheer size. He usually works as a real estate photographer so can frame the lighting in a way to achieve the best images. This picture shows the number of seats in the theatre, showing how popular going to the theatre used to be in the US

This circular-shaped auditorium has clearly been visited by others before Mr Mackin. Elaborate spray painting was left on the wall behind the stage, which appears to be in a state of disrepair. By contrast, the seating area seems to be in a good condition but the chairs themselves have been removed

A wooden door centres this image of the inside of an abandoned church building, taken during the daytime. Light streams in through the stained-glass windows, showing the church has been left in an interesting state. The red carpet along the aisle is dirty and a concrete brick has been left in the right-hand corner

There are two pianos left in this theatre. Mr Mackin took this image from the balcony, offering a view an audience would once have enjoyed during a performance. Rows of seats line the floor and layers of dust and debris have discoloured the wooden flooring. The walls also look as if they could do with a lick of paint

Mr Mackin’s passion for photographing abandoned places developed after he started exploring and realised he loved enjoying the ‘serenity’ of historical buildings. He said he soon became ‘addicted’. This photograph features palm leaves left on the floor following the annual celebration of Easter

Lucas mostly roams around New England to find old buildings but has also travelled to Florida, and out west in Arizona, California and Mexico. This theatre features vintage red satin chairs in the balcony overlooking the stage. A red and orange carpet still lines the floor

The wooden floor of the stage appears to be giving way slightly, a problem potentially caused by damp. The piano still stands in prime position with the pianists chair still next to it as it would have been during performances. Rows of seating face towards the stage

Mr Mackin takes help from fellow photographers as well as Google to spot the locations. He said: ‘New England area holds most of the oldest buildings in the United States.’ He admitted to experiencing the ‘supernatural’ during a few of his expeditions but he just tries to ignore it. This image shows rows of seating at the back of an auditorium

The paintwork in this building has chipped away from the wall, creating an eerie effect. The floor is covered in dirt and a pipe comes in through the window at a precarious angle. The pews are all mostly still in place and there’s a strange love heart symbol at the front where the altar is

This photograph captures the entire auditorium. A beautiful murel has been painted at the back wall of the stage depicting a town in the middle east, potentially used during one of the theatre’s productions, and a grand piano has been placed in the centre of the stage

Chipped paint, peeling carpet, debris and dust are the predominant features of this image. The pews are all still in place and the building could potentially have been a synagogue due to the raised platform. The Torah is read in the Jewish faith on a raised platform, known as a Bema. It is likely the structure laid on its side in the centre of the room is part of the Bema