Haunting Photos of the Abandoned Resort That Inspired "Dirty Dancing"

Last week, we got excited over the news that Grossinger’s, the fabled Catskills report that inspired “Dirty Dancing,” might reopen someday soon. But until that happens, it lies in ruins.

Marisa Scheinfeld has photographed Grossinger’s and many other similar Catskills leisure centers today, as they are being reclaimed by time and nature. Her book,”The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America’s Jewish Vacationland ,” was published by Cornell University Press in October 2016.

She shared some of her best photos of Grossinger’s today with Kveller—from the laundry to the pool, they will astound you with their evocative beauty and desolation.

Tennis Courts, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

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Coffee shop, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Laundry, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Guest room, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY;

Hallway, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Indoor Pool, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Poker Chips and Playing Cards, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Indoor Pool, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Stacked chairs, Grossinger’s Catskill Resort and Hotel, Liberty, NY

Sarah M. Seltzer

Sarah Seltzer, former editor for Kveller, is a writer and editor in New York City. She is a journalist covering culture, activism and gender, most recently as Deputy Editor at culture website Flavorwire.com. Her print and online work has appeared in publications including Poets & Writers, The Forward, Lilith, The Washington Post, Ms. Magazine, The New York Times, Salon, The Nation, The Wall Street Journal, Jezebel, The Hairpin, Refinery29, The Toast, Rolling Stone, and many more. She is a graduate of Harvard University, where she edited The Crimson’s weekend magazine, as well as the MFA in writing program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her first baby, Mikey, is growing up way too fast and she can objectively report that he is very cute. You can follow her at @sarahmseltzer and reach her at sarah@kveller.com.