By 1. The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Is it cheating to start off with an asylum? Maybe, but this place is no joke. Many people consider one of the scariest places in the world and for good reason.
Located in Weston, West Virginia, it was built in 1881 and housed patients until 1994. In its early years, the institution was a center for people with mental diseases, but medical knowledge at the time was limited at best. As a result, hundreds of patients over the decades suffered from torturous “treatments” and experimental efforts.
It is unknown how many peopled died – or were murdered – there, but it’s definitely a place we are okay with not visiting on an away rotation.
2. The Spanish Military Hospital
Once named Our Lady Of Guadalupe, this hospital is in St. Augustine, Florida. If being in the nation’s oldest city didn’t leave enough room for souls to haunt the place, it was built right on top of a burial ground for the Timucuan Indians.
Although today’s building is a replica of the original, it has stood since 1821, and there was always been a reported eerie presence in the rooms.
3. Ararat Lunatic Asylum Australia
Ararat, now known as Aradale, (yes it is still functioning) is a mental healthcare “treatment” facility where a staggering 13,000 patients have died in the last 130 years. Ararat is known for experimental treatments performed on the most violent and dangerous psychotics in the world. As you can imagine, these treatments often incorporated bizarre and horrifying attempts to make one…”sane.”
Today, the facility is now a functioning wine school, The Australian College of Wine. Is that a wine stain on your shirt?
4. Taunton State Hospital Massachusetts
Tauton has some had some famous patients since its opening in 1854. Jane Toppan, a nurse who killed 31 patients, was kept here. However, some of the nurses who worked here seemed to be slightly more terrifying. Rumors have it that both nurses and doctors would take patients down into the basement to perform satanic rituals. Post satanic ritual era, nurses, doctors and visitors to the hospital always report a tremendous amount of uneasiness, fear and anxiety when near the doors leading down to the basement.
Ever wonder where the fear trope of a human crawling on the walls came from? This crawly thing, also known as “shadow man” was reported as a guest here. Maybe one those satanic rituals gone bad?
5. Beechworth Lunatic Asylum
Beechworth was a sister hotel to Ararat. Beechworth also performed strange Victorian era type operations until the 1950’s. It was reported that the hospital kept rooms of containers with strange human remains. Maybe to be reapplied in future operations? However, it was the Superintendent’s beliefs that made this hospital spooky. Here believed moonlight caused insanity. Leave it to your imagination to think how he remedied this situation.
