Ghostly Activities and AGHOST visited a former asylum, Northern State Hospital, in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Watch a video clip with haunted highlights and see the image gallery after the jump.
Athens Lunatic Asylum opened in 1874 and closed in 1993. It helped rehabilitate Civil War veterans, mentally handicapped patients, the violently insane and TB patients. The doctors treated many patients with lobotomies, electroshock therapy, hydrotherapy and psychotropic drugs — all treatments considered torture now. That makes it obvious why Athens Lunatic Asylum is considered…
Peoria State Hospital had two starts. Originally, it used the Kirkbride layout, but the Illinois government deemed it unsafe for patients. Then, developers used the cottage plan, like nearby Manteno State Hospital, in the early 1900s. For most of its history, the hospital did a fine job caring for its patients. That may be…
Trenton Psychiatric Hospital, originally named New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum, has a long history of helping mentally ill patients — and harming them. The hospital opened in 1848 and welcomed 86 patients. The first superintendent, Horace Buttolph, was a good man and provided excellent care for the people in his care. Then, Dr. Henry…
Danvers State Hospital was one of the most notorious asylums during its time. Built in the 1880s, it served the noble purpose of helping mentally ill children. Things changed in the 1920s and that horrible period formed the ghosts we know today.
Pennhurst Asylum still haunts Spring City, Pennsylvania. It opened as a home to mentally disabled children, but a reporter’s story in 1968 unearthed its true nature, and led to its closing twenty years later. Today, paranormal researchers consider it one of the most haunted places in America.
They were places of horrible conditions, neglected patients and death. Most insane asylums have shut down since the 1990s, but their ghostly legacy continues. As you can guess, our next topic is haunted asylums.