asylum tour ohio

Walking Tour of the Historic Athens Asylum

November 14, 2020

Walking Tour of the Historic Athens Asylum Tour the famous Athens Asylum, one of the few Kirkbride Asylums left. George Eberts, long time Asylum employee and local expert on the Athens Asylum, will be leading an outdoor walking tour of the historic Asylum grounds and buildings. His insights on patient treatment throughout the asylum’s 150-year existence are peppered with stories, personal anecdotes, and hidden locations throughout the grounds. Learn about the history of the famed Kirkbride and other buildings, the renowned landscaped grounds, historic cemeteries, and the evolution of mental health treatment from the inception of this storied institution until its closure a quarter century ago. The tour will last approximately two hours. Due to Ohio University restrictions, access to the inside of the buildings is limited, but you can tour the main entryway as well as the Kennedy Museum. We meet at the Kennedy Museum of Art, in front of the original Administration Building of the Athens Asylum- 100 Ridges Circle, Athens, OH 45701. This is an outdoor tour so please plan accordingly. MASKS ARE ENCOURAGED, but not required. Social Distancing will also be practiced. This is an outdoor walking tour and will cover the entire loop of the grounds including the cemeteries so if you have small children, bring a stroller! Ticket Prices: Southeast Ohio History Center Members - $15 Regular Non-Member Adult - $18 *Non-members can also pay $20 and receive admission to the History Center too! Students with a Student ID- $10 Children 12 and Under Are Free For more information or to reserve a space on the tour contact the Southeast Ohio History Center at 740-592-2280. Tickets can be purchased at the History Center at 24 West State Street in Athens. Tours do sell out regularly, so please reserve your tickets prior to the tour. Rain Policy: We conduct the Asylum Tour in rain or shine so please bring appropriate clothing and umbrellas as conditions require. Cancellation will take place only if dangerous weather such as lighting storm or high winds are active. In winter months, if there is a level 2 or 3 snow emergency, the tour will be canceled as well. In the event of cancellation, those with prepaid tickets can call us and choose either another tour or receive a refund.

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Saturday 2:00 - 4:00

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Outdoor Walking Tour of the Historic Athens Asylum

Date & time, about this event.

Learn about the history of the famed Kirkbride and other buildings, the renowned landscaped grounds, historic cemeteries, and the evolution of mental health treatment from the inception of this storied institution until its closure a quarter century ago. 

The tour will last approximately two hours. Due to Ohio University restrictions, access to the inside of the buildings is limited, but you can tour the main entryway as well as the Kennedy Museum. We meet at the Kennedy Museum of Art, in front of the original Administration Building of the Athens Asylum- 100 Ridges Circle, Athens, OH 45701. This is an outdoor tour so please plan accordingly. The tour will cover the entire loop of the grounds, so if you have small children bring a stroller! 

***Preregistration is REQUIRED. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the History Center. For more information about the tour, or to purchase tickets by phone, contact the Southeast Ohio History Center at 740-592-2280.

REFUND POLICY- Refunds will be given only under the following circumstances:  • Requests that are pre-paid and made at least 48 Hours prior to tour.   • Inclement weather (discretion of SOHC).   • Level 2 or higher snow emergency

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Athens Asylum 100 Ridges Circle Athens, Ohio 45701 United States

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The Ridges is a district of Ohio University centered around the former Athens Insane Asylum.

The Ridges is a district of Ohio University centered around the former Athens Insane Asylum. Built in 1874 by the State of Ohio, the asylum housed mental patients until it was closed in 1993. After being purchased by Ohio University, the site is now called The Ridges and is the location of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. Many of the asylum buildings still stand, but are not open to the public. Even still, the main building towers over the landscape and The Ridges provides a hilltop view of the city of Athens. There are hiking trails located on site. The Cemetery Trail takes you alongside the asylum cemetery containing numerous marked and unmarked graves. Between the three cemeteries, 1,930 people are buried here. The Ridges Trail takes you up to Radar Hill alongside OH-682, providing a view of Athens’ west side. The Southeast Ohio History Center provides monthly tours of the district for $15. Tours are scheduled for the third Sunday each month between March and December.

Notes for Travelers

Due to their close proximity, consider visiting the Kennedy Museum of Art and the Dairy Barn Cultural Arts Center during your visit. If you’re thinking about taking a tour, the Southeast Ohio History Center strongly suggests pre-registering via phone call.

Additional Resources

• Athens Lunatic Asylum (The Ridges)

Formerly The Athens Lunatic Asylum

Many mental institutions in the United States are said to be haunted and thus The Ridges from Athens, Ohio , is no exception to that. If you have ever watched a horror movie, you must have observed that these types of buildings are presented as hulking structures with lots of cobwebs and ghosts that are waiting and haunting at each corner. The abandoned buildings are even worse when it comes to haunting rumors. The Ridges from Athens, Ohio is one of the abandoned places that are said to be powerfully haunted.

The Mental Medical Centre opened here on January 9th 1874 and it specialized in the treatment of criminally and mentally insane patients. It was then known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum. It took over six years to be built and many people thought that a nice quiet place would be a benefit for the health of the insane patients. The majority of the original patients were admitted there by court order or even by their own families. Sometimes these kinds of mental institutions paid an amount of money for every patient they registered when they were lacking them so many families entrusted them with their disturbed family members.

Everyone knew that, despite the large number of disturbed individuals residing there, The Ridges was a calm peaceful place, where patients benefited from fountains and picnics on the beautiful grounds. But this idyllic scenery would not to last a long time. The Ridges soon turned into an overcrowded institution that was treating its patients in a cruel way. Ice water baths, electroshock therapies and lobotomies become regular practices. The kinds of patients submitted to treatment also changed, because children turned their older parents over to the asylum and teenagers that were considered rebellious were brought here by their parents as well.

Several other strange things have happened at The Ridges, besides the cruel treatment applied to the patients. On the 1st of December 1978, a patient named Margaret Schilling mysteriously disappeared. The legend says she was playing hide and seek with the nurses, who got distracted and forgot to look for her. Over more than a month, on the 12th of January 1979 her body was found by a maintenance worker.

Her death was not as mysterious as the marks her body left on the floor. An imprint of her clothes and hair are perfectly visible on the floor. Some said that her body decomposed and the outline was formed because of the reaction of the corpse to the sunlight. This is not a very good explanation, though, because the stain is still there and reappears even after been cleaned up. Margaret Schilling is not the only former patient that is said to be still haunting The Ridges.

The Asylum has a cemetery where those who died were buried and there are rumors it is haunted as well. Because many of the patients were admitted at The Ridges by the court system, they had no remaining family and no persons to pay the funeral expenses. They were thus anonymously buried in simple graves with a number attached. At one area the linear shapes of the graves form a circle, which is said to be a witches’ meeting point.

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77 thoughts on “ athens lunatic asylum (the ridges) ”.

I am looking for someone who can assist me on scheduling a paranormal investigation for the Ridges. If someone can get ahold of me asap that would be fantastic. My team Clyde Paranormal Investigation would love this opportunity and a few already know about this location.

What would the Athens PD doing you went into the building?

My mother was a patient there twice she told me stories that I didnt believe at the time…but now do Rape/abuse etc. Also Im not sure she wasnt part of an experiment (MK Ultra)

Dad took me one time to visit but I had to stay in the car. Patients roamed the grounds and came to the car and pounded the glass. I was terrified It was like a horror movie

The building is gone forever. I was there..never went in just hiked around and explored the outside of the building. I have hiked the ridges a few time and I always get spooked and goose bumps even though its always during sunlight..even my dog has got spooked. We live in the woods, so normal forest noises don’t faze him… Athens Ohio is BadAss.

Hey, me and my friend are doing a report for a school assignment and wanted to know if we were allowed to take a short walk during the day for a certain fee. Of course, with a staff member or perfessed worker.

just wanted to give a heads up to anyone hoping to get in the ridges through the wooden door thats been mentioned in a few comments that its no longer a option that door was secured nov.2016 so well that its probably the most impossible way to get in. I just wanted to warn anyone planning going there with the hopes of getting in that way you’ll end up disappointed cus nothings getting in that door now. and to people asking yes the facilities main and largest building is still there. small buildings have been removed and the tbward sadly was tore down for more reasons then constant break in and vandalism. it was structurly unsafe the concrete floors on upper levels where completely caved in in places and at night u had to be really careful where you walked in the dark. we were exploring one night and a group of drunk kids came in and i had to run after one that was about to walk right into a room missing the floor. the main building is huge the right wing is the only part that has remained in its original abandoned state. it was once the womens ward.you can go in its basement, 3 floors, and attic, but the halls are so long and to turn a corner you enter another huge hall each floor is a maze. the ward alone is so huge in itself it takes hrs to cover. i cant even guess how many times i’ve been in there and also the tb ward before being tore down. i love old buildings, n things and my great grandpa was a patient and died there. it really is a amazing place and sad they dont share it with the public. o.u. owns the property now. and its 100% no joke about cops patroling the place i’ve had at lest 4 times i thought for sure i was going to jail. jail is a for real possibility and risk your taking. even being around the outside of the building at dark is grounds for tresspassing there. we have had a lot of experiences inside there. we heard stomps on stars noises from rooms, evps and even having our lights that were on the floor turn off and on when asking ?’s.and also had sat in a room with a camera recording sitting on a solid n firm concert floor and no one moving or even standing for close to a half hr. when we got home and reviewed the footage on it, the camera had moved over a inch during the time it was sitting there instead of facing the wall where we placed it to be filming, it had slowely moved and turned toward the door.We were capturing so much that we felt like we needed to return and we went back for 4 nights straight and for the most part of the night. ive had peope ask me to take them and once in for a few mins they are so scared and flip out and try to get out not knowing the way and its like they try to run from the fear they feel but make it even worse. Anyone considering attempting going in please make sure you think it through and are confident you can handle it. and the risk of jail. it can be overwhelming to some seeing cells, n solitary cells with wooden doors to hide there window and little doors on the doors that open to observe the patients that were in those type. the light switches on the outside of the rooms. my roommate has all the evp recordings saved on her laptop and i have tons of pics. if u can get passed being scared the place is like a castle or something. but be safe and cops will try to catch you.

Hi bro can you send me the vedio please….

Oh man that would be so fun to explore that 🙂

my grandpa used to work here after he served in the army

There is a way to get inside of the asylum. There is a wooden door with a broken lock. I don’t recommend it. I’ve been inside multiple times. However, once come sundown I experienced something paranormal. I had photos from 1963 of various types of fungus fly into me from a mysterious gust of wind inside of the complex. There was no wind outside, or airflow in the complex, the photos came from a corridor that had no windows near. Being an engineer, I can’t come up with a logical explanation as to what happened from a physics standpoint. I kept and still have the photos. I never believed in anything paranormal until this happened, and it kind of shattered my reality.

could i see the pictures perhaps??

I walked the outside of the building today, came across the door you’re talking about, somewhere by the a/d corner. The deadbolt is visible as the door jam is broken. Tried it and it seems to be secured from the inside somehow. Wasn’t too bothered, just being there and seeing the cemetery was enough.

Can you give me more information and send me some photos please??…………

……………………………

When is the best time to try to get into here to explore? Obviously with the least amount of risk of running into the cops.

I conducted my psychology rotation from 1987 to 1990 at The Ridges/Athens Mental Hospital. I remember taking the stairs down to, and walking the long tunnel area in the basement (each time I visited the site), that connected the main building with the hospital ward. In the basement, I’ll never forget walking past a series of concrete cells, with metal bars and fixed metal rings to chain someone or something to. The hospital/OU psych staff, and all of the patients that I built a rapport with, were all first rate individuals.

my son recently took a series of pictures in this place. One of the pictures shows a dark figure in the hallway on the first floor. It is really creepy and I think is one of the better “ghost” pics out there. I will attempt to post it on this site.

is anyone allowed to explore the cemetery i am very interested in this

I know it’s illegal to go in but my husband and I are willing to take a chance, does anyone know the best place to get in?

You really just have to look around. I am a student at OU and I’ve been in a couple of times. You may have to walk around a few times to find it. In the back of it by garages/loading docks theres a door hidden by trees and bushes against the back right. The door is open there and you can get to any level through that door, including the basement. Good luck and don’t get lost! 😉

Ryan, You are just letting everyone in lol. You know these are public sites and The police can read this and close that off for everyone….That is not cool bro! Way not cool! -Ajay

so i kno thast going into the buildings is illegal and you will be aressted but how strick are officers about the trails paths and roads?

I Lived on Dairy Lane for a short period in the early seventies. The dog almost had a nervous breakdown and wouldn’t behave and whined constantly. I never connected it to the hospital.

I’m writing a paper on the history of The Ridges. I found a lot of neat information from numerous websites however i need more! If anyone could give me some background info or even share some experiences you or a friend has had or a story you’ve been told that would be awesome! Thank you!

Many people were tortured and died there but I think all the story’s are maid up. I found a verry old video of the place and a man who worked there said all the story’s were bogus. The outline on floor is there tho. I see many people wanna sneek in and go at night I strongly suggest u not because oupd and Athens pd will arrest u for trhsspassing. I’ve been there n done that. They will lie or do whatever they gotta do to file charges if ur caught. I was steeling is what they said when I was seen there broke down at 3am. Even tho I had no property in my car I was a theif. Lol. Police these days are rediculous

can any of this be bought and the plans for the original buildings that were torn down i really want to live in this place

Does anyone know how old Margaret Schilling was when she was admitted to Athens very important homework….? please anyone…

I read that the TB ward was torn down because it was full of asbestos and it was just not economically viable to restore or use.

My great grandmother was a nurse here when the women went missing and her body found. Yes the story is true! Now wether she haunts it or not is up to you if you believe or not!

Found the video I know it does not have the best quality https://youtube.com/watch?v=3m3f-mjTJAk&list=LLOObIsNDpl26Y5CZ_27iDOw at the end of the video you can hear some spirits talking.

ill post it on later if anyone wants to watch it

i found a video on youtube that someone posted that you can actually hear some spirits talking ill have to find it again if i remember correctly it should be in my liked video or playlist folder.

I have been inside the main building. (The one no one is supposed to be in) It was very cool to see the history in it. The patient rooms were so small and all the paint was peeling away. I took some pictures and on one of the videos I spotted a weird light but I am not a believer in the supernatural. I love history and I got to see the oldest wing of the facility (I did it legally too). I happened upon the chance to see the facility while doing some work on campus.

how dare you not believe in ghosts lol

I remember reading in a Haunted Ohio book, a few years ago, that the Ridges Insane Asylum was built on an old Indian Orphanage. As I recall, the children had been horribly abused and there were many unexplained deaths in the orphanage. The home was closed & torn down. Does anyone remember this story ? Any truth to it ? Or am I remembering a different Ohio institution ?

This place sounds really interesting I been there a few times and even help build a part of the ridges… Can anyone post pictures u have of it if u caught anything and it truly sucks u can’t walk through it.. I want to so bad.. Does anyone know where I can find the death records for the place??? Thanks a lot and I love reading what u guys have commented..:)

There are a lot of stories associated with the Ridges. The main buildings are now used for offices and the like (including the SBA). But the biggest building, the Main building itself is now an art museum with a cafe. My friend and I decided to have a looksie through the art museum. While it was a neat cultural experience, we didn’t stay long. The further towards the back of the building we got, the harder it was to breath.There was just a really intense pressure on your chest. As soon as we left, the feeling lifted.

I was saddened that they razed the TB ward. There was a petition prior to save it, but I think we only had a couple hundred names on it.

Thanks for posting my YouTube video. That was from my visit to the TB Ward in 2008. There is absolutely nothing left of the building unfortunately. Everything else is still standing. They even have a cafe in the main lobby now. I am so glad that I was able to get into the main buildings back in 2002-03 as well. Very cool inside.

Thank you for documenting your experience in the building and sharing it with everyone. It gives others who never had the opportunity to visit the TB Ward a glimpse back into a piece of history that’s now forever gone.

hi my name is brian Osborn I had a great grandmother that was a patient way back when lol….. and I was wondering if I could get some information on this place please and also I took a trip to the asylum with my mother and I walked up a flight of stairs on the out side of the building and looked in when I seen one of the wheel chairs move and also heard some noises come from inside of the building so if you can I would like to talk to you and see If I can get some of the history on the place it has a lot of meaning to me and my family because of my great grandmother being in there thank you for your time……..

Was in Athens in 1999 with husband checking out campus/ college for oldest son and stopped to eat at restaurant down below front of building. As we left to go to car,we decided to walk closer to building,so strolled around it, As we approached,thought we saw disheveled, middle aged woman in window on second floor looking out. Did not find out until much later,what the building was,and it’s history. Had eerie feel to it.

Good pictures i heard à lot of horror stories avoir that place glad psyc medicine has advanced!

Are the doors unlocked? And is it illegal to go in there? Also, has anyone experienced any paranormal things while at the ridges?

Yea it’s eligal. Athens pd are pricks to. I don’t recommend going.

http://hauntedathensohio.com/the-ridges-mental-health-institution/?replytocom=2064#respond

Is it illegal to go in there at night? And are the doors locked?

RIP TB Ward…..

Do you know of anything still open I can walk thru the cemetary or anything? I will be visiting there soon and would like to explore I love paranormal…. Thank you!!

Is the insane asylum still standing or is that what they tore down??

What a sad day when they tore down the tuberculosis ward. That truly saddens a lot of people and it’s a shame that it happened. You’d think having a couple rent a cops patrol there a little more frequently would have been a better solution then to tear down such a historical building that had so much presence and history in the area.

Why did they tear it down? I just found out about this site today and am so curious. If i was able to do all the walking i would so love to sneak around and see what i might find. lol Too bad someone wouldn’t buy this old place and turn it into apartments. Tamrisa

There are offices in there now so I don’t recommend breaking in……and last I heard they stopped doing the tours on Halloween:( I’ve been there and to all the cemeteries numerous times and didn’t see anything

been in there through most of the old buildings myself. spent most of the night there.

I’ve been all over that building. You do not need authority to do so, the facility is huge and the chances of getting caught are almost zero. I have personally taken over 20 groups up and through the facility with no problem.

Growing up in Athens, as a rite of passage, one has to at least have explored the entire place at night by the age of 18. If you are in College, take time in the evening to check the place out. OUPD is understaffed and more so, they are not going to file serious charges against their own students. Trust me, they want your money. It isn’t in their interest to expel you over something so little. If caught, you’d merely get a slap on the wrist; Play dumb, bring a leash, say you are looking for your dog.

A particular interest of mine, (more than the stain) is a Mozaic Swastika on the floor, in one of the larger rooms. Also, there is a network of underground tunnels connecting the old buildings at OU; some even at the ridges. Do yourself a favour, buy a respirator and go have some fun.

I’d really be interested in seeing the place, but I have no idea how to get inside. I stopped by today, and I didn’t see an entrance that wasn’t boarded up. When do people hang out there, and what’s the best way to get in? Also what’s the best way to avoid the OUPD? They were hanging out there this afternoon.

I’d appreciate any advice – thanks!

Don’t attempt to avoid them because they patrol that place 24/7. They are ass holes to. I was arrested for being there one earley morning they tried to say I was a theif and was steeling. Go during the day not at night

Believe me Athens pd has a abundant amount of officers and they will press charges. I went there at 3 am as a result of a overheating car and was approached by a Athens pd officer and was told I was steeling. I was took to jail and received a ticket for driving under suspention. They are ass holes.

Are you still giving tours? I’d love to see this place!

athenshistory.org/asylum-walking-tour

are there any halloween haunts in the area and can you visit the asylum or the ridges at night around october. looking for halloween scary things to do and see in Athens any info would be appreciated

This can be found @ athensohio.com…. “Please note that the only former state hospital building open to the public is the Kennedy Museum. Photos of the asylum are often on view here. No tours or other access is offered to the public.”

my grandmother worked here and she now nearing 90 yrs old. She has told me stories of things that went on at the ridges and told me there was always an odd feeling to the place. many patients died there due to treatments gone wrong! She worked the electroshock therapy section and said that screams were heard all through the night. Weather they were screams of the patients or from those beyond the grave she couldn’t say. I grew up in Athens Ohio and use to try to seek into the property of the Ridges every Halloween as many locals do. LOL we always got scared and left before seeing or hearing much.

Hi,my name is Mike miller,my Grandfather was a patient there and went through the shock treatments. He cummited sluiced there. If u could please give me a call at #740-703-1533 thanks. My email is messed up rite now.

we did Romeo and Juliet with the school of theatre there in 1978,, when it was still in use, we got to explore it at night, got caught by security trying to get into this chained up building at the top….did you also know that Billy Milligan was treated up there…. go read ” The Minds of Billy Milligan” by Daniel Keyes I believe.. he was teaching there at the time

My dad used to work there and he told me stories of Billy Milligan, one of the patients on his rounds. He said he was a very likable guy and fascinating to talk to, but he suffered from multiple personality disorder, and you never knew which personality you would get and some of them were not very nice and he could be dangerous at times.

I did my psych rotation at the Athens Hospital The Ridges…we were the last class there before they closed it completely and moved to the new facility across the river. It was very interesting and we got to take a tour of the closed parts of the buidings. I got to see the body outline on the floor. Very interesting place to say the least.

I’d have to agree that eeire is a great way to describe the feeling when on the grounds at The Ridges. Every time that I’ve been there it feels like I’m being watched from the windows in all of the buildings.

don’t have it anymore but my xstep mom had someone take a photo of her standing in front of the ridges there was a ghost in the window behind her yeah fun

Once performed a concert in this facility with the Community Band. Was an eerie experience.

Ive been wanting to explore this place for a while now does anyone know the exact address?

Leah, you can find it here…. To The Ridges: From US 33, take the SR 682/Ohio University Exit. Turn left onto Richland Avenue. Take the first right onto Dairy Barn Lane, then turn right into The Ridges.

I agree, is there a fee of sorts of a team of investigators to have an over night investigation?

This can be found @ athensohio.com…. “Please note that the only former state hospital building open to the public is the Kennedy Museum. Photos of the asylum are often on view here. No tours or other access is offered to the public.”

Tours are available at Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, WV. It’s worth every nickel. Would LOVE to tour this one.

Hi, I just wanted to know if overnight investigationd are allowed on the property and if so how much are they? thanks, Jim

There are historical walking tours of the entire grounds outside (about a two hour tour) given by the Southeast Ohio History Center on the third Sunday of each month with extra tours given during Halloween and Brew Fest season. For more information go you athenshistory.org.

Ohio University has never allowed overnight investigations. Several well know paranormal investigation groups have tried and been denied.

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The Athens Lunatic Asylum “The Ridges” 

• September 15, 2024

In a city named Athens, in Ohio, you can find the former Athens Lunatic Asylum, which was built in 1868. Today, this huge building belongs to the Ohio University and offers space to the Kennedy Museum, an auditorium, an office, several classrooms, a storage facility and… a couple of ghosts. The students have gotten used to them, well, kind of. 

The history of the Athens Lunatic Asylum  

The first patient to be admitted to the asylum was a 14-year-old girl with epilepsy. Her parents thought she was possessed by a demon and therefore locked her away. From 1874 to 1993 this was a facility for people with all kinds of mental illnesses. People who were admitted were Civil War veterans, rebellious teenagers, homeless people, elderly people and even violent criminals. Also, tuberculosis patients were taken care of in the seven cottages which are part of this massive terrain. The asylum  is about 4000 acres  ( 400 ha)  large, which can be compared to  800 soccer fields.

More and more buildings were added when the number of patients increased. When the building was abandoned, there were 78 buildings on the premises. The asylum wasn’t self-sufficient, even though it could have been. There were cattle, greenhouses, an orchard, a dairy farm, and the water came from self-dug wells. There are also three cemeteries on the premises, because where people live, people die.  Today, the Athens Lunatic Asylum is named The Ridges. This name was chosen in name contest which was organized in 1984. Until then, it had at least 8 other names.  

The Kirkbride Method  

Dr. Thomas Kirkbride believed the keywords for mental patients were rest, cleanliness and regularity. Men and women were treated separately in their own wing and even had their own dining halls. The main building could house up to 572 patients, but that is double the amount Kirkbride would advise. At its peak, over 2,000 patients were being treated, which, of course, was unacceptable according to the method. The asylum created a lot of employment for people living in the surrounding area, but this medical staff was often unskilled.

This made procedures such as the much-feared lobotomy treatments risky. During these treatments, a thick needle was drilled into the patient’s skull, into the brain, through a spot right above the eye. Apart from the fact that a wrong lobotomy could lead to death, it could also lead to a condition in which the patient would be locked inside their own body forever. Another feared treatment, called hydrotherapy, was performed daily. During this treatment, the patient would be bathed in extremely cold or extremely hot water. And  last but not least  there was the electroshock therapy method, in which a patient was exposed to a highly dosed power surge which caused the body to convulse. Sometimes these convulsions were so intense, that even bones would break.   

Reasons for patients to be admitted  

Back then, there was an enormous list which was used as a manual for admitting people at an asylum. Things like the menopause, menstruation issues, alcohol abuse, epilepsy and even asthma were “illnesses” that were to be treated in an asylum back in the days. It’s hard to imagine, isn’t it? But the main reason people were admitted to the asylum was… masturbation. And this is no joke. When a family member was admitted, all contact was broken off. That was best for the patient according to the Kirkbride Method. That is perhaps why some people (700 women and 959 men) who died during their stay at the asylum were buried on the premises with only a number on the headstone.  

The cemeteries  

A total of 1930 people were buried at the asylum’s cemeteries. Some patients were claimed by family members after they died and buried elsewhere, but most family members were ashamed of the fact there was mental illness in the family. They didn’t want anything to do with that person anymore. From 1943, headstones were given names and data. Unclear is what caused the change because before that, only a number was given. Over 80 Civil War veterans are buried there as well. They were eventually honored in 2000 by the NAMI: The National Alliance of Mental Illness. They organize an annual memorial for these soldiers. The cemeteries are now under the maintenance of the Ohio Department of Mental Health.   

Asbestoses in the walls  

Almost all buildings have been renovated when the Ohio University moved in. All, except for “Cottage B”, one of the 7 cottages used for patients with tuberculosis. The walls and ceiling of this  particular cottage  were  literally  packed with asbestosis. This is ironic, knowing this cottage was used for people whose lungs were already very sick. The other cottages were renovated into campus for students who study at the university.   

  In the news   

The Athens Lunatic Asylum hit the news at least twice, and not in a good way. The first time was in 1977, when multiple personality rapist Billy  Milligam  was admitted. He committed several felonies including armed robbery raping three Ohio State University students on campus. His attorneys claimed his other personalities committed the crimes without him even knowing it. A year later, on December 1, 1978, the Athens Lunatic Asylum was in the papers again, this time because patient Margaret Shilling had disappeared from her department.

They searched everywhere, except on the top floor of Building 20, where her decomposing corpse was found 42 days later by a caretaker. She was found naked, on her back, with her arms crossed over her chest. Prior to her death, she took off her clothes and neatly folded them and put them on a chair.  According to the pathologist, Margaret died of natural causes. She had a cardiac arrest. Did she feel it coming? There are a lot of mysteries surrounding her death. When her body was taken away it left an impression on the concrete floor. Probably due to the decomposition in combination with the bright sun coming through the large windows. The stain Margaret left behind is impossible to clean, even up to this day.     

Ghosts of the Athens Lunatic Asylum  

Many people claim both the former asylum and the cemeteries are haunted. But there are more recent hauntings as well. The fact that part of the area used to be an Indian burial ground, makes it even more spooky. Some buildings are still vacant, so who knows what ghosts lurk there?  

The main building  

The main building is now called Lin Hall. Today it houses music, geology, biotechnology offices as well as the Kennedy Museum of Art. Strange figures have been seen roaming around the old floors. Others have heard disembodied voices, footsteps and screaming. Most appealing to the imagination is the basement. Some claim severely disabled patients were kept on chains in this dungeonlike place. Some say they’ve even heard chains being pulled.

There is no evidence that patients were ever chained to the walls here, but the arches in the basement sure look creepy. The ghost of Margaret Shilling has been seen looking out of the window from the place she was found, but she’s also been seen on  other  floors. Doors open and close by themselves and people hear footsteps when they are alone. People also “feel” the presence of others and shadow people are frequently seen. A man with a long, black coat creeps out students in the men’s room for years.  

The cemeteries have been vandalized during the time the buildings were abandoned. Shadowy figures and strange lights have been seen here. In one area, the shapes of the graves form a perfect circle, which is rumored to be a witches’ meeting point.  

Wilson Hall   

Nearly all the buildings on the West Green are haunted. This is where the Indian burial grounds were located. Wilson Hall is no exception. This is the most haunted dormitory on the campus. This hall is also right in the middle of a pentagram formed by several cemeteries in the Athens region. Most hauntings occur on the fourth floor. Apparitions have been seen, voices have been heard and doors slam shut by themselves. A student committed suicide in a room on the fourth floor.  

The Convo  

The Convocation Center, The Convo in short, is also located in the West Green area. This place is haunted by several ghosts, mostly in the dormitory part of the building. A Resident Assistant was supposedly killed by her boyfriend here, and she now roams the corridors. A student who died here in his sleep now tends to embrace other students while they are sleeping.     

Washington Hall   

Washington Hall is in the East Green area and the dormitory is allegedly haunted by an entire basketball team of high school girls. They were killed in a bus accident after they visited the university. Students have reported  hearing  running feet and bouncing basketballs.   

The Athens Lunatic Asylum today   

Today, the Athens Lunatic Asylum or The Ridges as what it is now called, is an operating campus. You cannot just visit it, but there are some tours that you can take. There’s the Asylum Tour provided by the Athens County Historical Society and Museum. This is not a ghost tour. They used to have ghost tours around Halloween, but they are very limited. Please note that you cannot explore the vacant buildings on your own. If you really want to experience the hauntings, there’s only one thing to do: go back to school!  

Cover photo: Sarah Hina via flickr CC BY-NC 2.0 Sources:   wikipedia , legendsofamerica.com, atlasobscura.com, hockinghills.com and onlyinyourstate.com   Address : S. Plains Rd, Athens, Ohio, 45701 USA  

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Athens Asylum

Today, this complex, called the Ridges, is part of Ohio University, but these historic buildings once housed the Athens Lunatic Asylum. Not only are these buildings steeped in history, but some are also said to still “host” visitors from the past.

The historic hospital got its start in 1867 when the Ohio Legislature appointed a commission to find a site for an asylum in southeastern Ohio. A suitable site was found in Athens, and Levi T. Scofield was chosen as the architect. The buildings and grounds’ designs were influenced by Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, a 19th-century physician who authored a book on mental hospital design. His designs were often recognizable for their “batwing” floor plans and lavish Victorian architecture.

The original design included an administration building with two wings, one that would house the males and the other for females. The building itself was 853 feet long, 60 feet wide, and built with red bricks fired from clay dug on-site. Built onto the back were a laundry room and boiler house. Seven cottages were also constructed to house even more patients. There was room to house 572 patients in the main building, almost double of what Kirkbride had recommended, leading to overcrowding and conflicts between the patients.

The administrative section, located between the two resident wings, included an entrance hall, offices, a reception room on the first floor, the superintendent’s residence on the second floor, and quarters for other officers and physicians on the 3rd and 4th floors. A large high ceiling amusement hall filled the 2nd and 3rd floors, and a chapel was included on the 4th floor. Behind and beneath the building’s public and private spaces were the heating and mechanical systems, kitchens, cellars, storerooms, and workspaces.

The site, which was first comprised of 141 acres, would eventually grow to 1,019 acres, including cultivated, wooded, and pasture land. The grounds were designed by Herman Haerlin of Cincinnati and would incorporate landscaped hills and trees, decorative lakes, a spring, and a creek with a waterfall. Not only would the patients enjoy the beautiful landscape, but citizens also enjoyed the extensive grounds. Though the facility would never be fully self-sustaining, over the years, the grounds would include livestock, farm fields and gardens, an orchard, greenhouses, a dairy, a receiving hospital, a Tubercular Ward, a physical plant to generate steam heat, and even a carriage shop in the earlier years.

The hospital, first called the Athens Lunatic Asylum, officially began operations on January 9, 1874. Within two years, it was renamed the Athens Hospital for the Insane. Over the years, its name would be changed many times to the Athens State Hospital, the Southeastern Ohio Mental Health Center, the Athens Mental Health Center, the Athens Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center, and the Athens Mental Health and Developmental Center.

Bird’s Eye view of Athens, Ohio Asylum

During its operation, the hospital provided services to a variety of patients, including Civil War veterans, children, the elderly, the homeless, rebellious teenagers being taught a lesson by their parents, and violent criminals suffering from various mental and physical disabilities. With diagnoses ranging from the slightest distress to severely mentally ill, these patients were provided various forms of care, many of which have been discredited today. The asylum was best known for its practice of lobotomy, but it was also known to have practiced hydrotherapy, electroshock, restraint, and psychotropic drugs, many of which have been found to be harmful today.

More interesting are the causes listed for admission, including epilepsy, menopause, alcohol addiction, and tuberculosis. General “ill health” also accounted for many admissions, which included in the first three years of operation 39 men and 44 women. For the female patients hospitalized during these first three years of the asylum’s operation, the three leading causes of insanity are recorded as “puerperal condition” (relating to childbirth), “change of life,” and “menstrual derangements.” According to an 1876 report, the leading cause of insanity among male patients was masturbation. The second most common cause of insanity was listed as intemperance (alcohol). Depending upon their condition, a patient’s treatment could range from full care to amazing freedom.

Over the years, numerous buildings were added, including a farm office, a new amusement hall, additional wards and residences, a laundry building, power plant, garages, stables, mechanics shops, a firehouse, therapy rooms, and dozens of others. By the 1950s, the hospital was using 78 buildings and was treating 1,800 patients.

Athens Asylum cemetery courtesy Encyclopedia of Forlorn Places

In the 1960s, the total square footage of the facility was recorded at 660,888 square feet. At this time, its population peaked at nearly 2,000 patients, over three times its capacity. However, the number of patients would begin to decline for the next several decades as de-institutionalization accelerated. As the number of people at the Asylum declined, the buildings and wards were abandoned one by one.

Comprised of three graveyards, burials began soon after the institution’s opening as there were deceased patients who were unclaimed by their families. Until 1943 the burials were headed only by stones with numbers, with the names of the dead known only in recorded ledgers. Only one register exists today, which contains the names of 1,700 of the over 2,000 burials. In 1972 the last patients were buried in the asylum cemetery. Today the cemeteries continue to be maintained by the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

In 1977, Athens Asylum made news when it housed multiple personality rapist Billy Milligan. In the highly publicized court case, Milligan was found to have committed several felonies, including armed robbery, kidnapping, and three rapes on the Ohio State University campus. In preparing his defense, psychologists diagnosed Milligan with multiple personality disorder, from which the doctors said he had suffered from early childhood. He was the first person diagnosed with multiple personality disorder to raise such a defense and the first acquitted of a major crime for this reason. Milligan was then sent to a series of state-run mental hospitals, including Athens. While at these hospitals, Milligan reported having ten different personalities. Later 14 more personalities were said to have been discovered. After a decade, Milligan was discharged. He died of cancer at a nursing home in Columbus, Ohio, on December 12, 2014, at 59.

The next year, the hospital made the news again when a patient named Margaret Schilling disappeared on December 1, 1978. It wasn’t until January 12, 1979, 42 days later that, her body was discovered by a maintenance worker in a locked long-abandoned ward once used for patients with infectious illnesses. Though tests showed that she died of heart failure, she was found completely naked with her clothing neatly folded next to her body. More interesting is the permanent stain that her body left behind. Clearly, an imprint of her hair and body can still be seen on the floor, even though numerous attempts have been made to remove it.

By 1981 the hospital housed fewer than 300 patients, numerous buildings stood abandoned, and over 300 acres were transferred to Ohio University. In 1988, the facilities and grounds (excluding the cemeteries) were deeded from the Department of Mental Health to Ohio University.

The Athens Center officially closed in 1993, and the remaining patients transferred to another facility. The property stood vacant for several years before restoration began. The name of the property was changed to the “Ridges” and in 2001 renovation work was completed on the main building, known as Lin Hall. Today it houses music, geology, biotechnology offices, storage facilities, and the Kennedy Museum of Art. Over the years, other hospital buildings were modeled and used by the University, although many others still sit abandoned.

It comes as no surprise that the buildings of this historic asylum are allegedly haunted. One of the most famous ghosts is that of Margaret Shilling, who left her body print upon the hospital floor. Her spirit is said to have appeared staring down from the window of the room where her body was found, has been seen attempting to escape, and has been known to wander various parts of the building at night. And, according to some, she is not alone. Other former patients are also said to remain in residence, with reports from visitors seeing strange figures standing in the empty wings of the former hospital, hearing disembodied voices and squeaking gurneys, seeing strange lights, and hearing screams echoing through the walls. More frightening, there are rumors of spirits of patients who remain shackled in the basement. These many spirits are thought to be those who died or suffered at the hands of staff in the asylum.

The cemetery is also said to be haunted by shadowy people and strange lights. In one area, the graves’ linear shapes form a circle, which is said to be a witches’ meeting point.

Tours of the outside grounds of the old asylum are held on the third Sunday of each month.

©  Kathy Weiser-Alexander / Legends of America , updated April 2021.

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The athens lunatic asylum.

The Athens Lunatic Asylum, now a development known as The Ridges, was a mental hospital in Athens, Ohio. It was in operation from 1874 until 1993. During its tenure, the hospital provided a wide variety of services to many different types of patients including Civil War veterans, children, and those who were declared to be ‘mentally unwell’ including violent criminals. The hospital is best known as a site of the infamous lobotomy procedure, as well as countless ghostly sightings.

One may think Ohio is unassuming in regards to hauntings, but let us prove otherwise with our Cincinnati ghost tour !

Athens Asylum Construction

Levi T. Scofield of Cleveland, Ohio was the original architect for the building. The hospital grounds were designed by Cincinnati’s Herman Haerlin. The design was influenced by Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, a 19th-century physician who developed a special type of design style for mental asylums, which are characterized by their bat-wing floor plan and sprawling grounds.

The land where the hospital was built belonged to the Arthur Coates and Eliakim H. Moore farms. The ground was broken in mid-autumn of 1868, with the first iteration of the asylum consisting of only 141 acres, much less than the usual Kirkbride designs of the time. Over the years, the hospital sprawled, and it grew to occupy over 1,000 acres.

The Asylum’s Operating Years

Athens Lunatic Asylum opened its doors for operation on January 9th, 1874. Within two years, the hospital was renamed The Athens Hospital for the Insane and changed names, some a bit questionable, a few times before finally landing on the Athens Mental Health Center.

Many Kirkbride asylums operated as makeshift communities — for decades the hospital had livestock, gardens, and farming fields. It also included an orchard, a dairy, a plant to generate steam heat, and a carriage shop. A large percentage of the labor carried out daily on the farm was done by the hospital’s patients. Skilled labor was seen by the Kirkbride Plan as a form of therapy and was also economically advantageous to the state.

The asylum expanded exponentially by 1950, where two other hospitals and cottages are built to house more patients. by the mid-1950s, the hospital was the town’s largest employer with 1,800 patients on a one-thousand-nineteen acre, 78 building campus. At its peak, the Athens Lunatic Asylum served fifteen Ohio counties.

The Asylum’s Patients

The first patient treated at the hospital was a 14-year-old girl with epilepsy, which was considered to be caused by the possession of a demon. Epilepsy was a reason for admission in the early years of the asylum. The first annual report stated that 31 men and 19 women were admitted due to epilepsy during the first year.

Ailments such as alcohol addiction, tuberculosis, and menopause were cause for enrollment at the asylum. For female patients, the leading causes of their ‘insanity’ were ‘change of life,’ ‘menstrual derangements,’ and ‘hysteria.’ Women with postpartum depression were also sent to the asylum to recover. As one can see, patients were often institutionalized for ridiculous and sometimes even fallacious reasons.

Records from the asylum tell of what caused mental illness during the time of its operations, as well as the practice of lobotomies and other harmful treatments. The Ohio University collected information in regards to the training that the asylum employees underwent, some of which had none. More disturbing is the documentation of electroshock therapy, lobotomy, hydrotherapy, and early psychotropic drugs, most of which have become known as being extremely inhumane.

Decline and Closure

The mental health industry rapidly changed in the 1950s for the better. Research began to show that the mentally ill did not pose an inherent danger to the people around them and it wasn’t necessary to separate them from their homes and communities. The public also was becoming aware of the risks and inhumane nature of procedures like lobotomies and electroshock therapy. The availability of medicines for the treatment of mental illness was also increasing, and allowed for most patients to be treated without the need for institutionalization.

The Athens Asylum declined through the end of the 20th century and eventually closed in 1993. In the same year, the Athen’s Lunatic Asylums’ property was deeded to Ohio University. The college kept the property in good shape and it was maintained for reuse.

Urban exploration and modern ruins became increasingly popular through media and Kirkbride Plan asylums enjoyed a renewed sense of attention, such as Danvers State Hospital in Massachusetts.

The property was restored into a mixed-use development called ‘The Ridges.’ and most of the buildings have been renovated and turned into classrooms and offices.

The Mysterious Cemeteries

Many mysteries surround the asylum due to the secrecy and lack of information surrounding the patents who were treated there. What is known, is that there are 1,930 people buried across three cemeteries located at The Ridges. Most of these people were patients who were unclaimed by their families and are marked only with a number — their names dying with them, a truly heartbreaking thought. By the 1980s the cemeteries were no longer being taken care of, and vandalism as well as natural weathering caused irreparable damage. These days, the National Alliance on Mental Illness is working to gather information about the patients buried there, and to restore their headstones and the cemetery as a whole, bringing their memory back to the forefront.

Hauntings of the Athens Lunatic Asylum

While many deaths occurred in and around the asylum, as few truly stand out. One tells of a patient named Margaret Schilling, who disappeared on December 1st, 1978. It wasn’t until January the following year that her body was discovered in a long-abandoned ward. While her autopsy showed she died of heart failure, she was found completely named with her clothing neatly folded next to her body. More interesting in the permanent stain that her body left behind, imprinted on the floor, unable to be removed by numerous cleanings. Her spirit is said to be seen staring down from the window of the room where her body was found, she’s also been seen attempting escape, and is known the wander the building at night.

Other former patients are also said to have stayed behind, appearing as full-bodied apparitions standing in the empty wings of the former hospital, disembodied voices and yells. Squeaking gurneys, strange lights, and screams are also commonplace. Even more frightening, there are rumors that patients who were shackled in the basement for ‘bad behavior’ still remain.

The cemeteries are all reportedly haunted as well. Shadow figures running and hiding behind trees and headstones are reported, and in one area, the grave’s linear shapes form a circle, which is said to be an old witches meeting spot.

While the truth is mixed in with legend when it comes to the asylum, there is no doubt that many people suffered here at the hands of abusive staff members and archaic methods of healing. Spirits of those who died and were forgotten are the loudest, banging on the windows and the walls of the old asylum, wandering the grounds, looking to catch the attention of anyone who comes looking for them.

For another spooky asylum down under, check out our article about Australia’s Aradale Asylum!

Sources Cited:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athens_Lunatic_Asylum

https://www.hockinghills.com/members/The_Ridges.html

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History of The Ridges

The Ridges was originally developed as the site for Athens Lunatic Asylum, 150 years ago. The main structure that functioned as the mental hospital building was designed under the famous Kirkbride plan and gave this structure its memorable and beautiful layout. After years of declining patient numbers and the onset of the de-institutionalization movement in the 1980’s the mental hospital saw its inevitable end, and in the early 1990’s Ohio University acquired the entirety of the land and buildings. 

Current Use of The Ridges

History At a Glance

• Dr. Thomas Kirkbride's plan  outlined a new approach to the challenges of mental illness. Kirkbride advocated for Moral Treatment: An approach that emphasized humane conditions with the goal of rehabilitating patients to the highest extent possible. This included creating the physical building to certain specifications including size, access to light and fresh air, a natural setting for recreation, stimulation and farming.
• 1868 —  On November 5, 1968, the first cornerstone was laid.
• 1874 —  Asylum opened
• 1880 — A decade-long endeavor started, called the Healing Landscape , to update landscaping to make the area a sustainable healing community. Work included designing a water purification system and ponds, farming/working fields, boating, grading/filling/leveling fields, adding a vegetable garden and permeable boundary, livestock, a greenhouse, orchard, and more.
• 1903 —  Moral Treatment model shifted to Custodial care model. This new plan shifted from asylum-based care to research-based modern medicine specialties. Cottages were constructed to house even more patients, grouping patients in dormitory-like rooms.
• Throughout the 1950s, psychiatry sought new ways to help patients and alleviate their suffering, including hydrotherapy, electro shock, lobotomy and art therapy.
• In the 1950's, a major breakthrough happened with the release of the first psychotropic drugs for treatment of mental illness. This provided sometimes dramatic improvements in mental function, reducing the need for institutionalization.
• 1970s-1980s — Asylum population was reduced from 1,800 to 200 by 1985. A new modern hospital was built (Appalachian Behavioral Health Care).
• 1988 —  State transferred the facility to the stewardship of Ohio University. community contest renamed the Asylum to The Ridges.
• 1993 —  Last patients transferred to nearby Appalachian Behavioral Health Care facility.

Historical Overview

This information is largely based on the "Historical Overview of the Athens State Hospital" prepared by Nancy Recchie and is used with her permission.

The large complex of buildings sited on a wooded hillside overlooking the campus of Ohio University, which is known today as The Ridges, was originally called the Athens Lunatic Asylum and later the Athens State Hospital. As it was originally conceived during the late 19th century with additional building in the early 20th century, the construction and development of this facility for the mentally ill was a massive undertaking.

Opening in 1874, the Athens asylum represented the vanguard in the treatment of mental health patients. It was based on the ground-breaking work of Dorothea Dix, a social reformer, and Dr. Thomas Kirkbride, superintendent of the Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane for 43 years, who became a leader in the Moral Treatment concepts as the basis for asylum design and construction. Three Ohio mental institutions were constructed according to the “Kirkbride Plan” — Dayton, Athens, and Columbus (since demolished).

Dr. Thomas Kirkbride was a leading proponent of the theory that the institution itself - in its design and administration — played a key role in the cure of its patients.

The site was considered as important as the building, and Kirkbride suggested that mental institutions be located in the country and besurrounded by attractive scenery. In addition,  he suggested that every hospital have adequate acreage for “farming, gardening, exercise, labor and occupation.” The development of the grounds began in the 1870s and continued for many years.

Landscape Architect Herman Haerlin, from Cincinnati, worked with Athens gardener George Link to create a parklike setting of approximately 60 acres. By the early 20th century, there were four ponds, a waterfall, paths and a large variety of types of trees, plants and flowers.

By the turn of the century, mental health advocates were beginning to advocate a different physical plan for treatment of the mentally ill — the cottage plan. The gaining popularity of this movement is evident from the number of independent buildings constructed during the first decade of the 20th century.

The facility adapted to evolving theories of the best practices for treating mental health patients and in the 1940’s the facility was renamed the Athens State Hospital.

This site is cherished by the local community as many residents have family members that worked at the Ridges or were patients there. The community and county residents used the grounds of the Ridges as a public park and many have fond memories of picnicking and going to see the alligator that once resided in the fountain at The Ridges. By the 1980s treatment for the mentally ill changed radically and moved away from institutionalization toward treatment in the community -- either as out-patients or in smaller group homes placed in residential neighborhood settings.

This course of action led to the closing of the Athens State Hospital complex and discussion of its possible demolition. Instead, the State of Ohio transferred the property to Ohio University, which has been gradually upgrading the buildings as new uses are found for the space. 

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The creepiest abandoned asylum tours in the U.S.

Poor, unfortunate souls.

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Created by Destination Strange - May 2nd 2017

I t's hard to think of anything creepier than an abandoned sanatorium or asylum. The very concept of locking away the mentally ill, let alone in such inhumane conditions as the patients of these asylums experienced, is horrifying today. Between 1825 and 1865, the number of asylums in the US skyrocketed from nine to 62... and that wasn't even the peak. Thankfully, a better understanding of mental illness and increased accountability have rendered most of these institutions obsolete, especially in the 1950s, with the invention of antipsychotic medication... but in many cases, the buildings (often beautiful, ornate old structures) remain, a grim reminder of an era of lobotomies, straight jackets, and electroshock "treatments". Here are a few abandoned asylums you can tour today.

Rolling Hills Asylum

East Bethany, NY

Rolling Hills Asylum started its life as a poor house in 1826; it was originally created to care for orphaned children, destitute elderly, the physically handicapped, alcoholics, the mentally unstable and morally corrupt, even criminals, the homeless and the very poor. It was a functioning farm and the "inmates" (yes, they were all referred to as "inmates" regardless of their situation) did all of the work; those who were a danger to themselves or others were housed in a different building. Today, it is, without a doubt, very haunted, possibly by the spirits of those buried in the forgotten cemetery onsite. Historical tours, flashlight tours, ghost hunts, and horror movie screenings all take place here periodically... in case you've ever wanted to watch a scary movie in a haunted insane asylum.

Willard Asylum For The Chronic Insane

The Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane opened in 1869 and quickly filled up with patients. Most of them spent the rest of their lives here on the grounds of the asylum. They were free to walk around, use the gym and bowling alley, or work on the farm, and were likely better off than they would have been at home... but they were still confined to the grounds, and many were subjected to brutal treatments. Willard was abandoned in 1995, and today the grounds are used as training facilities for the Department of Correctional Facilities. You can't really visit per se, but there's an exhibit that goes on display periodically that features the recently discovered suitcases containing the belongings of some of the inmates. Seeing what the institutionalized brought along with them, dolls, clothes, newspaper clippings, drawings... it's a humanizing experience that's incredibly powerful.

Pennhurst Asylum

Spring City, PA

As if being an actual abandoned, haunted asylum wasn't enough, Pennhurst Asylum (aka Eastern Pennsylvania State Institution for the Feeble-Minded and Epileptic) operates as a haunted house during the Halloween season. Historically, it had a massive campus with 3,350 beds and was known for its often brutal treatment of patients. In the late 60s, an expose on the harsh conditions caught widespread attention, and in the 80s, workers were charged with abuse and assault of the patients and each other. Finally, a federal abuse lawsuit forced the closure of the asylum. If you're really dedicated to ghost hunting, you can rent out the place and do some investigating on your own... if you dare!

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

Construction on the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum began in 1858, and was completed in 1864. The building, which was designed in the Kirkbride Plan style, was self-sufficient, meaning it had its own farm, waterworks, and even a cemetery located on the 666 acres of land (spooky!). The long staggered "wings" of the asylum were built specifically to bring in fresh-air and sunlight, and to give patients privacy, which was something many were not used to during that time period.

Initially the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum was only supposed to hold 250 patients, but at its peak in 1949 the asylum was holding upwards of 2,600 people in dangerously overcrowded conditions. At the time the hospital was home to people being treated for various conditions including, "epileptics, alcoholics, drugs addicts, and non-educable mental defectives", but by 1949 local newspapers were reporting on the poor sanitization and dangerous conditions at the hospital. Unable to keep its doors open any longer, Trans-Allegheny officially closed in May of 1994.

For many years the asylum had a reputation for being an extremely dangerous and violent place with many reports of patients attacking and even killing one another. There are stories of female employees who were raped and killed by patients not being properly monitored thanks to overcrowding and understaffing. One woman's body was even discovered after two months at the bottom of an unused staircase, where she had been killed and dumped.

Many believe that all of this death and violence that took place inside the hospital helped to create one of the most haunted buildings in the country, and often visitors report having run-ins with spirits still trapped inside. Many of those experiences include the sound of gurneys being moved, screams coming from inside the electro-shock room when there is no one else around, and strange shadows. The most active part of the building is rumored to be the fourth floor, where many have experienced banging, screaming, and even the spirit of a soldier named Jacob who has been seen walking the empty corridors in the night.

In 2007 the building was bought at auction for $1.5 million and even though the National Historic Landmark offers both historical tours and ghost tours, the survival of the building is still at risk. Guests are invited to take one (or all) of the 5 unique historical tours, and fans of the paranormal are in luck because TALA offers 8-hour ghost hunts of different wards depending on what you're interested in.

Historical tours run between March 29th to November 2nd, but make sure to book your appointment ahead of time. The hospital offers day time ghost hunts, and flashlight tours that will run you anywhere between 10 to 40 bucks, which for a 2 hour guided tour is pretty darn awesome.

St Albans Sanatorium

Radford, VA

St Albans Lutheran Boys School opened in 1892, and in 1916, it was converted into a hospital for the mentally ill. Electroshock therapy, insulin coma therapy, and hydro shock therapy didn't stop many patient suicides, and you can sense a lot of the dark energy here even just by coming onto the property. They offer tours and events on the property a few times a year, and ghost hunts are very popular at St Albans, so if you're feeling brave enough to explore, keep your eyes peeled.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Louisville, KY

Waverly Hills Sanatorium was actually built to house patients with tuberculosis, a very contagious disease that, in the 19th century had reached epidemic proportions. Hundreds of patients passed through the doors of the sanatorium and most never left; even though they weren't classified as mentally ill and didn't experience EST or ice baths, they still endured some pretty harsh conditions, including extreme isolation. By the time a cure was discovered in the 1940s, many had succumbed to TB here, and today, you can tour the incredibly haunted estate.

Cedar Lane Cemetery

Milledgeville, GA

Cedar Lane Cemetery is home to rows upon rows of numbered iron markers. What these markers represent are the souls of the insane that died at Milledgeville's Central State Hospital, which at one point was the world's largest insane asylum. However, the insane asylum in Milledgeville was sorely lacking in effective burial methods. It's believed that the fields around where the asylum once stood are the site of a secret mass grave, where tens of thousands of souls are interred, without identification by way of grave markers. The hospital was built in 1842 in response to social reform movements. By 1872, the ratio of patients to physicians was a shocking rate of 112-1.

During the 40s the hospital had about 10,000 patients, who lived there for about 20 years on average. During this time shock therapy was introduced on a massive scale. As if that wasn't bad enough, in 1951, lobotomies were introduced. 125 patients received lobotomies. By this point, local area newspapers began to take note of the deteriorating conditions and frequently ran reports of patient abuse. Despite all this, people continued to send unwanted patients here. By the 60s the hospital housed over 12,000 patients.

Some patients were lucky enough to be discharged from the hospital eventually, following treatment. Unfortunately, many, many others were not as lucky. For these unlucky patients, what waited for them after death was burial in an unmarked mass grave. It's believed over 30,000 of these neglected souls are now buried throughout the surrounding grounds.

In the late 1930s, an African-American cemetery was dug up and the bodies were removed, often placed in small boxes, and marked with a lone metal pole. Each new body was identified numerically. There are six cemeteries that went neglected for decades. Many consider this mass burial ground to be the world's largest for the mentally ill.

The historic marker at the cemetery states the following:

"In 1997, a cemetery restoration began here triggered a movement to memorialize patients buried at state psychiatric hospitals nationwide. After discovering nearby neglected cemeteries interred some 25,000 people, members of the Georgia Consumer Council pledge to restore the burial grounds and build a memorial. A grassroots campaign raised funds to erect the adjacent gate and display 2,000 numbered iron markers displaced from graves over the years. A life-size bronze angel was placed 175 yards south of here to serve as a perpetual guardian."

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