Kettering High School in Detroit was once a staple of the community until it closed in 2012. For 12 years, it sat empty and abandoned before finally being demolished in 2024.

There's something about seeing photos of an abandoned school that feels eerie, like you can almost feel the life that used to be there. It's a strange feeling that mixes nostalgia with emptiness, as if time just came to a screeching halt.

Kettering High School used to sit on Van Dyke Road in Detroit before it was demolished last year. The school was a vital part of the community before a massive decline in enrollment, which was the main reason the school shut down, along with financial challenges.

Detroit Unseen
Detroit Unseen
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👇Kettering High School Photos From 2012 and 2024👇

The school opened in 1965 and was named after Charles F. Kettering, a legendary inventor and engineer who helped create the electric self-starter for cars.

See Also: See Inside This Abandoned 100-Year-Old Michigan Mansion

Whenever we share abandoned photos from Detroit Unseen, it's usually just photos from when the building is already falling apart, but this time we have photos from when the school had just closed and photos from 12 years later when it was completely forgotten and left to decay.

Detroit Unseen reports that in 2019, commercial developers for Dakkota Integrated Systems bought Kettering High School and built their factory right next door. The school was ultimately demolished in late 2024.

Urban exploring can be dangerous and in some cases, it's illegal. Urban exploring should only be done with the permission of the owner. 

Abandoned Kettering High School in Detroit (2012-2024)

Kettering High School used to sit on Van Dyke Road in Detroit before it was demolished in 2024. The photos below are from 2012, just after the school closed, and 2024, showing the abandoned building in its final days.

Gallery Credit: Detroit Unseen

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