Faded Places – Details, episodes & analysis

Faded Places is a film photography podcast exploring the forgotten corners of small-town Iowa. Join hosts Chase and Eric as they hit the backroads with a camera in hand, capturing abandoned places, chance encounters, and the quiet stories hidden between the frames.

Episode 01 — The Asylum in Cherokee In our very first episode, we head deep into the quiet heart of northwest Iowa to explore the abandoned Mental Health Institute in Cherokee. With cameras in hand and curiosity in tow, we wandered the echoing halls of this sprawling, timeworn facility—once a place of care, now a relic of memory. From peeling paint and rusted beds to moments that gave us pause, we talk film, feeling, and the faded stories left behind. Shot on film. Lit by memory. Left untouched.

In this episode of Faded Places, we step into what time left behind—Estherville’s abandoned 6th Street Emporium. Once a space for commerce, community, and conversation, it's now a silent maze of peeling paint, warped floors, and soft light filtering through dust-heavy windows. As we explore with cameras in hand, we talk about how forgotten places quietly hold on to what they once were. Come wander with us through the stillness.