The history of psychiatric hospitals and mental asylums in New York is a sad one. Unfortunately, in the past, understanding of mental health was not as advanced as it is today. Patients were most often institutionalized and segregated from society. The horrors that occurred at these institutions were often unspeakable and would today be considered torture. Thankfully, modern society has moved towards kinder methods of dealing with the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. Most of these institutions have been shut down. The buildings are large and difficult to fill with tenants, so they often remain abandoned. Check out a few of these abandoned places in New York.
- Hart Island: The Bronx
cisc1970/Flickr Hart Island belongs on any list of creepy places in New York. It has a really tragic history, ranging from a Civil War prison camp, a tuberculosis hospital, a site for mass burials, and a jail. The Pavilion was a women’s psychiatric institution that was constructed in 1885. It was announced last year that the city would soon tear down the old Pavilion buildings. Access to the island is limited, but you can find out more about the mass burial sites from the Hart Island Project. Hart Island, Bronx, NY, USA
- Willard Psychiatric Center: Ovid
Ron Gilbert/Flickr Willard’s first patient arrived in 1869. Many of the people institutionalized there came from local homeless shelters. The hospital was nicer than many of the time. Patients had access to a bowling alley, movie theater, and even tended crops that were grown there. The hospital was closed in 1995 and most of the buildings are now left unused. Check out The Willard Suitcase Exhibit Online for a sad collection of photos of abandoned belongings from the patients at Willard. Ovid, NY 14521, USA
- Buffalo State Hospital: Buffalo
Shannon O’Toole/Flickr Buffalo State Hospital was intended to provide a home-like atmosphere for patients, and included state of the art (at the time) treatments. The hospital was replaced in the mid-20th century by a newer site nearby, but many of the buildings from the old hospital still stand today. State Hospital, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Hudson River State Hospital: Poughkeepsie
Jonathan Haeber/Flickr The Hudson River State Hospital was built in 1868. The hospital is absolutely massive and treated over 6,000 patients at its peak. The administrative buildings were finally shut down in 2001. Much of the structure was damaged by a fire in 2007. What remains standing is extremely dilapidated. Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
- Letchworth Village: Thiells
Matthew Hester/Flickr Letchworth Village opened in 1911 and once contained 130 buildings. The hospital housed the physically and mentally disabled. Terrible rumors of mistreatment and neglect swirled around the hospital, which finally closed in 1996. Patients were often used in medical experimentation. Thiells, NY, USA
- Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital: Kings Park
Matthew Hester/Flickr Kings Park Psychiatric Center opened in 1885. This hospital suffered severe overcrowding and once held over 9,000 patients. Many of the buildings have been demolished since its closure in 1996, but a few remain standing. Kings Park, NY 11754, USA
- Middletown State Homeopathic Hospital: Middletown
Cheeky The Chicken/Google Maps Middletown opened in 1874 as the first purely homeopathic hospital for mental disorders in the country. The hospital’s baseball team, made up of patients, was one of the top amateur baseball teams in the state. The hospital was made up of more than 100 buildings and nearly 4,000 patients at its peak. It was closed permanently in 2006.
Creepy! How many of these abandoned places in New York did you know about?
The history of psychiatric hospitals and mental asylums in New York is a sad one. Unfortunately, in the past, understanding of mental health was not as advanced as it is today. Patients were most often institutionalized and segregated from society. The horrors that occurred at these institutions were often unspeakable and would today be considered torture. Thankfully, modern society has moved towards kinder methods of dealing with the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. Most of these institutions have been shut down. The buildings are large and difficult to fill with tenants, so they often remain abandoned. Check out a few of these abandoned places in New York.
The history of psychiatric hospitals and mental asylums in New York is a sad one. Unfortunately, in the past, understanding of mental health was not as advanced as it is today. Patients were most often institutionalized and segregated from society. The horrors that occurred at these institutions were often unspeakable and would today be considered torture. Thankfully, modern society has moved towards kinder methods of dealing with the developmentally disabled and the mentally ill. Most of these institutions have been shut down. The buildings are large and difficult to fill with tenants, so they often remain abandoned. Check out a few of these abandoned places in New York.
cisc1970/Flickr
Hart Island belongs on any list of creepy places in New York. It has a really tragic history, ranging from a Civil War prison camp, a tuberculosis hospital, a site for mass burials, and a jail. The Pavilion was a women’s psychiatric institution that was constructed in 1885. It was announced last year that the city would soon tear down the old Pavilion buildings. Access to the island is limited, but you can find out more about the mass burial sites from the Hart Island Project.
Hart Island, Bronx, NY, USA
Ron Gilbert/Flickr
Willard’s first patient arrived in 1869. Many of the people institutionalized there came from local homeless shelters. The hospital was nicer than many of the time. Patients had access to a bowling alley, movie theater, and even tended crops that were grown there. The hospital was closed in 1995 and most of the buildings are now left unused. Check out The Willard Suitcase Exhibit Online for a sad collection of photos of abandoned belongings from the patients at Willard.
Ovid, NY 14521, USA
Shannon O’Toole/Flickr
Buffalo State Hospital was intended to provide a home-like atmosphere for patients, and included state of the art (at the time) treatments. The hospital was replaced in the mid-20th century by a newer site nearby, but many of the buildings from the old hospital still stand today.
State Hospital, Buffalo, NY, USA
Jonathan Haeber/Flickr
The Hudson River State Hospital was built in 1868. The hospital is absolutely massive and treated over 6,000 patients at its peak. The administrative buildings were finally shut down in 2001. Much of the structure was damaged by a fire in 2007. What remains standing is extremely dilapidated.
Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
Matthew Hester/Flickr
Letchworth Village opened in 1911 and once contained 130 buildings. The hospital housed the physically and mentally disabled. Terrible rumors of mistreatment and neglect swirled around the hospital, which finally closed in 1996. Patients were often used in medical experimentation.
Thiells, NY, USA
Kings Park Psychiatric Center opened in 1885. This hospital suffered severe overcrowding and once held over 9,000 patients. Many of the buildings have been demolished since its closure in 1996, but a few remain standing.
Kings Park, NY 11754, USA
Cheeky The Chicken/Google Maps
Middletown opened in 1874 as the first purely homeopathic hospital for mental disorders in the country. The hospital’s baseball team, made up of patients, was one of the top amateur baseball teams in the state. The hospital was made up of more than 100 buildings and nearly 4,000 patients at its peak. It was closed permanently in 2006.
Please note that while many of these buildings are still standing, they are not safe to enter and doing so could result in trespassing charges.
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