Sometimes, the scariest things are the most unassuming. For proof of this, look no further than Alfred Hitchcock. The Master of Suspense, Hitchcock knew how to mine tension and terror out of common, seemingly benign situations, and his films are truly the stuff of nightmares. Hitchcock would have liked Kinton, Oregon. The creepiest ghost town in Oregon, Kinton is an area whence it seems people left in in a big hurry — the town sits abandoned, silent, and shrouded in secrets.
Kinton is an unincorporated community located in Washington County, the heart of Oregon Wine Country.
Bill Reynolds/Flickr
You’ll find it near the northern shore of the Tualatin River, near the intersection of Oregon Route 210 and River Road, a major county route that runs northwest towards Hillsboro.
Kingofthedead/Wikimedia Commons
Kinton was named for Peter Kindt, a pioneer who took up a donation land claim nearby.
M.O. Stevens/Wikimedia Commons Kinton actually had its own post office from 1894–1903. But today, you won’t find anyone actually in Kinton; the town sits abandoned.
The ghost town’s most notable landmark is an abandoned schoolhouse. Aside from the school, any other administrative buildings or stores in the town seem to have up and vanished.
M.O. Stevens/Wikimedia Commons There’s something about an old school house that makes the imagination wander.
Of course, an iconic example of this is Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
Donna Sutton/Flickr While generally a hub of noise and activity, the film’s Potter Schoolhouse became a place of tension and terror.
Because beneath the facade of everyday life, there are more sinister forces at play.
Silvision/Flickr
Nothing really is as it seems – and that truth is truly terrifying.
By Teaser screenshot - The Birds teaser/Wikimedia Commons
This beautiful, abandoned schoolhouse in Kinton seems to be screaming out its truth.
Ian Sane/Flickr What happened inside these schoolhouse walls? Why did everyone leave in such a hurry? Where did everyone go?
That remains a mystery. A beautiful, haunting mystery still waiting to be solved.
Bonnie Moreland/Flickr
Hitchcock could have easily made a movie about this ghost town in Oregon. Have you explored Kinton before? Is it a place that intrigues you?
Bill Reynolds/Flickr
Kingofthedead/Wikimedia Commons
M.O. Stevens/Wikimedia Commons
Kinton actually had its own post office from 1894–1903. But today, you won’t find anyone actually in Kinton; the town sits abandoned.
There’s something about an old school house that makes the imagination wander.
Donna Sutton/Flickr
While generally a hub of noise and activity, the film’s Potter Schoolhouse became a place of tension and terror.
Silvision/Flickr
By Teaser screenshot - The Birds teaser/Wikimedia Commons
Ian Sane/Flickr
What happened inside these schoolhouse walls? Why did everyone leave in such a hurry? Where did everyone go?
Bonnie Moreland/Flickr
If you’re into adventures of the paranormal variety, definitely check out our terrifying road trip through Southern Oregon.
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Address: Kinton, OR 97007, USA
