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The grim and lengthy history of 'lunatic asylums,' now known as psychiatric hospitals, is marked by darkness and brutality. These institutions began as little more than prisons for those with mental illnesses, with their structures often consisting of nothing but empty cement cells for those considered 'abnormal.'
In the 1800s, when the mentally ill began to be treated as patients rather than outcasts, conditions worsened in disturbing ways. Many so-called 'treatments' were ignorant of both science and medicine, often cruel and violent. The frequent mistreatment of patients by staff turned asylums into hellish places until they were closed or repurposed during the 'deinstitutionalization' movements of the 1950s and 60s.
Since then, many of these former asylums have been abandoned, though not always empty. Paranormal activity is often reported at these sites, suggesting that the spirits of those who suffered there remain, unable to find peace. If ghosts truly exist, abandoned asylums may just be the best places to encounter them. Here are ten asylums believed to be haunted, with some even offering evidence to support the claims.
10. St. Augustine’s Asylum
Also known as Kent County Lunatic Asylum, St. Augustine’s Asylum is situated in Chartham, Kent, England. Operating from 1876 to 1993, the institution endured for 117 years, during which it became a site of unimaginable human suffering. In the 1970s, a nurse working at the asylum collaborated with a local university researcher to produce an extensive report documenting the numerous inhumane practices they observed within St. Augustine’s walls. Most notably, they highlighted the widespread and often unwarranted use of electroshock therapy on patients.
Visitors to the remaining structures of St. Augustine’s report sensations of being watched, hearing footsteps trailing behind them, seeing strange lights, spotting floating orbs, and experiencing sudden waves of fear and despair. Even without any paranormal explanations, simply watching footage of the decaying, eerie interior is enough to unsettle anyone.
9. Ararat Lunatic Asylum
Ararat Lunatic Asylum, later renamed Aradale, was the largest asylum in Australia when it opened in Ararat, Victoria, in 1867. The facility did not fully close its doors until 1997. Over its long history, it housed tens of thousands of patients, including many violent offenders whose mental health issues made it impossible for them to be placed in traditional prisons.
For many years, Ararat was considered one of the most haunted places in Australia. The asylum was home to over 13,000 patients who died within its walls, and it became infamous for the restless spirits said to haunt the place, forever trapped in their suffering. This reputation helped make Ararat one of the country’s top destinations for ghost tours.
8. Taunton State Hospital
Taunton State Hospital opened its doors in 1854 in Taunton, Massachusetts, and throughout its history, it became home to thousands of individuals with mental health issues. One of the most infamous residents was Honora Kelley, known as ‘Jolly Jane.’ Jane admitted to committing 31 murders and proclaimed her goal was 'to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who has ever lived.' It's said that her dark work is far from finished, and she continues to haunt what remains of the asylum today.
Rumors surrounding the asylum suggest even darker stories, including claims that a Satanic cult once operated there. Allegedly, the cult used patients as sacrifices in sinister rituals held in the hospital’s basement. Many of the ghostly encounters reported in the area have taken place in the basement, where visitors have claimed to see a shadowy figure crawling along the walls, watching them. Some even report an unseen force that prevents them from moving beyond the first step on the basement stairs.
7. Beechworth Lunatic Asylum
Beechworth Asylum, also known as Mayday Lunatic Asylum, operated for 128 years, from 1867 to 1995, in Beechworth, Victoria, Australia. During that time, more than 9,000 patients died within its walls, with some believed to still remain there, their restless spirits lingering long after their deaths.
One of the ghosts reportedly haunting Beechworth is that of a woman who was thrown out of an upper-floor window simply because she was Jewish. Tragically, the Rabbi called to help her reach medical care was unable to arrive in time, and she died a slow, painful death on the lawn. Another ghost is a young boy named James who converses with visiting children. The asylum is also said to be home to a host of other spirits—doctors, nurses, patients—all with their own tragic or eerie histories.
6. Athens Lunatic Asylum
Athens Lunatic Asylum opened its doors in 1874 in Athens, Ohio, and quickly became known for housing both the mentally ill and the criminally insane. The asylum soon faced overcrowding and lack of funding, which led to widespread abuse of its patients. Electroshock therapy and other brutal treatments were commonplace, but the most horrific of all was the frequent use of ice-pick lobotomies performed by the staff.
Scattered across the asylum’s grounds are thousands of unmarked graves, each containing the remains of unidentified patients. These graves are simply marked with numbers, though the system used to assign those numbers has been long forgotten. Visitors to the gravesites often encounter ghostly apparitions, and inside the building, there is said to be an outline left behind by the corpse of a patient, one that cannot be erased no matter how many times the area is cleaned.
5. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Whether or not you believe in paranormal activity, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in West Virginia is an awe-inspiring building. It's the second-largest asylum in the world and the second-largest hand-cut stone masonry structure, after the Kremlin. The building's sheer size is as imposing as its history. Originally designed to house 240 patients, by the 1950s it was home to ten times that number, including, for a brief period, the infamous Charles Manson.
Along with the overcrowding, the asylum was known for rampant abuse and neglect. Visitors often describe a pervasive feeling of suffering that hangs in the air, and many report seeing ghostly figures. One such apparition is Ruth, a vengeful spirit who is known to attack visitors. The screams of patients are still said to echo from the electroshock therapy rooms. One building manager even witnessed 40 doors to patient rooms slamming shut all at once. Today, the owners have embraced the asylum’s haunted reputation, offering regular ghost tours and other paranormal-themed events.
4. Danvers Lunatic Asylum
Danvers Lunatic Asylum holds a unique place in history. Located in Danvers, Massachusetts, it was originally called Salem Village, the same Salem that was the site of the notorious witch trials of 1692. The asylum’s dark gothic architecture inspired H. P. Lovecraft’s Arkham Sanitarium, which in turn influenced the creation of the famous Arkham Asylum in the Batman series.
The conditions at Danvers were so horrific that the asylum has often been compared to a modern concentration camp. Overcrowding resulted in patients being forgotten, sometimes left isolated for days or deprived of food. It earned the grim title of 'the birthplace of the prefrontal lobotomy,' a chilling distinction. Before it was almost entirely demolished, the abandoned asylum became infamous for its ghostly apparitions, unexplained noises, and eerie lights.
3. Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Waverly Hills Sanatorium originally began as a school, but was quickly repurposed into a tuberculosis ward with the capacity to care for just 40 patients. However, following a devastating tuberculosis outbreak, the facility was forced to accommodate more than 400 patients. Along with the overcrowding, rumors of mistreatment and even illegal medical experiments surfaced. It's said that between 20,000 and 63,000+ patients perished within the walls of Waverly.
One of Waverly’s most infamous features is the 'body chute,' or ‘death tunnel.’ This underground passage was constructed to discreetly transport the deceased away from the eyes of the living patients. While the tunnel itself is a well-known hotspot for paranormal activity, the entire sanatorium is said to be equally active with spirits. Many consider Waverly to be 'the most spiritually charged location in the world,' and it’s not hard to see why.
2. Rolling Hills Asylum
The small town of East Bethany, New York, is primarily known for housing the Rolling Hills Asylum. The facility was not only home to the mentally disabled but also to the physically disabled, criminals, the homeless, orphans, and even widows. All who were housed there, regardless of their circumstances, were referred to as inmates. Official records state that around 2,000 patients died at Rolling Hills, though many more are believed to have been quietly buried in unmarked graves scattered across the grounds.
The location is infamous for its remarkably high level of paranormal phenomena. A prime example is the well-known Shadow Hallway, a corridor said to host the darkest and most intense shadowy apparitions in the world. Another notable ghost is Roy Crouse, a towering 7’5” figure who lived and died on the premises. His spirit is said to still haunt the building, but he is considered a benign presence rather than a threatening one.
1. Pennhurst Asylum
Pennhurst Asylum originally opened in 1908 as a school for mentally and physically disabled individuals but quickly transformed into a much darker institution. A significant case, Halderman v. Pennhurst State School & Hospital, revealed that Pennhurst had violated its patients’ rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments. The case ultimately led to a groundbreaking ruling that ensured disabled individuals in state care had the constitutional right to receive proper care and education.
Among the severe abuses allegedly carried out at Pennhurst were chaining patients to the walls, confining adult patients in child-sized cribs for extended periods, and even the murder of patients deemed troublesome. The facility has been the focus of numerous high-profile paranormal investigations, with many investigators leaving with at least one eerie encounter or unsettling experience.
