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Inside Philly’s Abandoned Tastykake Factory with Ruin Porn

2 minutes

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(photos by Ruin Porn)

Tastykake Co., the beloved Philly brand (whose Butterscotch Krimpets my dad has been eating for breakfast for about as long as I can remember, and) who are now located in South Philly’s Navy Yard, seem to have some left overs up in their original Hunting Park location… Or at least the people they sold their factory to have… But lucky for you (if you’re as into this sort of thing as I am,) one of my newest Philly obsessions, Ruin Porn, has done us all the favor of risking her life to get us some AMAZING photos of this quickly, very quickly in fact, decaying building. But first, a little back story…

Two months after a fire at their landmark factory on the 2900 block of West Hunting Park avenue in 2010, Tastykake sold it and its surround land to TKMG Associates and their guarantor, Metro Development Company. And while a groundbreaking on a 220,000-square foot shopping center dubbed ‘Bakers Square’ did take place exactly two years ago this month with hopes of coming to a completion by 2012, that project has obviously yet to be fully realized. The latest estimates (at least that I could find) for its opening are now slated for the Fall of 2013.

Today (or at least a month or two ago when these photos were taken,) the building is in a deep decline. Ruin Porn, who’s more typically used to exploring buildings that have been abandoned for at least a few decades, told me she was actually really shocked by the state of things inside the old Tastykake factory considering it had only been vacant for a relatively short amount of time. Evidenced by the photos you see here. In addition to the decay, there was a very creepy room she found and nicknamed “the party room,” which was an old employee lounge of some kind that showed obvious signs of recent alcohol and drug use. It was surreal, she added, mixed in the Tastykake setting.

More photos…

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See Ruin Porn’s adventure inside the late Edison High School, Philadelphia’s forgotten castle HERE!

20 responses to “Inside Philly’s Abandoned Tastykake Factory with Ruin Porn”

  1. Joseph S.

    “…the beloved Philly brand (who is Butterscotch Krimpets my dad has been eating…” No! It’s WHOSE Not who’s, which is short for who is.

    Reply
    1. Conrad

      Thanks, Joe! I’ve just made the update. Not sure how I missed that.

      Reply
  2. deb

    Reblogged this on walkingphilly and commented:
    More great photos, this time of TastyKake’s previous factory. Shows again what we’re losing in Philadelphia, and what the city’s willing to waste while tacky or bland condo towers continue to spring from streets of Center City.

    And, to my wonderful Chicago-residing-Philly-native-TastyKake-loving friend, yo! :)

    Reply
  3. Matt

    I worked there and was there when the company built the new bakery and then was bought. This post made me really sad.

    Reply
    1. Tracy

      :-(

      Reply
  4. Dan

    That couch is in really good conditions!

    Reply
  5. OTM

    Awesome venue and I love the shots. I agree with the comments that there is something profoundly sad about what these abandoned factories represent, but there is something fantastic and fanciful about them too. As a fellow the-streets-are-beautiful Philadelphian, I’d love to tag along and snap next time you do a similar shoot.

    Reply
  6. Inside North Broad Street’s Beury Building with Ruin Porn | Streets Dept

    […] note: If you’re a fan of urbex photography, and you’ve enjoyed Ruin Porn‘s last few posts on this here blog, I might strongly recommend you try and check out some of the framed prints […]

    Reply
  7. Erica

    Do you know what the plans are for the factory?

    Reply
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    […] house in Bannack Montana by Patty Pickett 4.  Abandoned Tastykake Factory in Philadelphia Pa. (via @ruinporn) 5.  Port Mulgrave Mine in UK (via Phil D) 6.  Abandoned Mom and Pop Grocer in Detroit (via […]

    Reply
  9. Don Whitelock

    I spent 32 years of my life at this facility. I never thought I would see it in this condition.

    Reply
  10. Betty Murphy

    You need to get rid of that disgraceful mayor.

    Reply
  11. chris

    its a shame, but the one to blame for this is the company that brought it and promised to make it something. If t.k. would of kept up with keeping the building in good condition it would of still been tastykake today

    Reply
  12. Jessica Handzus

    I had family that worked at Tastykake for years, and I worked there for 10yrs. It’s a shame to see it in that condition.

    Reply
  13. Inside Hunting Park’s Abandoned Tastykake Factory | Streets Dept

    […] Come back tomorrow to see Jimmy’s photos from the trip, and check out Ruin Porn’s awesome set of photos from her trip earlier this year HERE! […]

    Reply
  14. Sean

    Yo it’s kool what you guys do but it’s not kool when you blow up spots by posting the names and addresses of these places…you gotta keep these places low key or else the spot will just get blown up by toys and eventually the place will get closed up..So try and keep some mystery to things..

    Reply
    1. Conrad

      Thanks, man!

      Yeah, I see what you’re saying. But I never post anything you couldn’t find out on Google in 10 seconds or less (like the addresses of these places.) The Tastykake Factory, for one, has been explored by so many people, and its address is published all over the Internet. I don’t think there’s much mystery there.

      That said, I do make it a point to never post photos or talk about how I/we got into these places, which I think is the real valuable thing to keep close to the vest. You know?

      Either way, thanks for your thoughts, man.

      Reply
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  16. Tracie Mccray

    I was born and raised in Philadelphia now I live in West Texas El Paso Texas to be exact my uncle sends us a box of assorted tasty cakes and pies every year for Christmas. The box this year was awful, our family was very upset, the pies seem to be fried they’re bigger and have some kind of glaze over them the tasty cake are dry and, they taste different the chocolate covered cakes have a bitter taste to them usually when we get the box it will last us a week we’ve had this box going on 3 weeks now no one wants to eat them they are awful they taste a lot like little Debbies. for those that don’t know food is regional meaning you can only get certain types of food from different places in the in the country for example those of you who like scrapple scrapple is not sold out west I would have to go back home in order to eat scrapple they don’t even know what it is I’m here. it’s the same with restaurants Dairy Queen is only in certain parts of the United States White Castle hamburgers or only in certain parts of the United States Braum’s ice cream is only in certain parts of the United States and to the new Tastykake company please bring back the old pies andthe old Tastykakes the new taste mighty tasty two people that have never tasted the original cakes and pies and I’m telling you the taste is awesomeI’ve already spoken to my uncle and ask him not to send any more it’s a waste of his money. Dairy Queen is not everywhere in the United States White House hamburgers is not everywhere Braum’s ice cream is not everywhere I don’t know where who told you to change the recipe expecially for the pies but you need to slap that person and go back to the old recipe the piles of fried has a sweet glaze on top the crust is real sick you can’t even taste the feeling is so much going on with the outside but wherever you got that recipe from and whoever told you to use it or change it you need to slap that person and stop using that recipewhen I look up disappointment I see a picture of a tasty cake factory and I have memories of those nasty cakes and pies

    Reply
  17. Susan

    My very first job, summer of 1962, between high school and college. I was a “messenger” and got to walk the entire building, several times a day. My favorite stop was in the pie tasting room. Got to sample all the cherry pie I desired! Yum!

    Reply

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