visit an abandoned asylum

I’m lucky enough to live about 5 minutes from the Topeka State Hospital, so I’ve visited several times. The buildings that remain are beautiful, and are very captivating.

I’ve also been up to the old Menninger Hospital. While there we found old blueprints for the buildings, as well as one of the tunnels.

I grew up in Peoria, Il. A few miles away were the ruins of the old State Mental Hospital. As teens it was deserted and we used to go out there and look around. Then I found out my Grandmother had been there and died there. It’s really sad to walk around and try to feel what those poor people felt…most not even being diagnosed like people are now. My grandmother was there because she tried to kill herself by drinking bleach because her husband beat her regularly. For this, she was the one sentenced to this place…

Later, I did some research on the state hospital and others like it in Illinois. It was very interesting and worth learning about the history and transformation of the mental heath industy along with the decline of it.

I was one of the few people who was given the opportunity to visit Dixmont before it was demolished. Sadly, a Wal-Mart now stands in it’s place.