This Abandoned Kansas Hospital Is Thought To Be One Of The Most Haunted Places On Earth

The remoteness of the Kansan prairie can be a little spooky. Of course, the peace and tranquility are fantastic ... but sometimes when you're out in an abandoned area, you feel a chill down your spine like the ghosts of the past are right there beside you. If you're looking for haunted places in Kansas, it doesn't get much creepier than the abandoned buildings at Osawatomie State Hospital. This place features a graveyard of nameless bodies and a creepy abandoned bridge. Walking through the property will give you chills. It's said that unspeakable horrors occurred in the hospital when it was still functioning, and that kind of trauma leaves a mark on a place that can never be erased. Locals sometimes share Osawatomie State Hospital horror stories that are spine-chilling. This is such a fascinating place, but we certainly wouldn't want to visit at night!

The Osawatomie State Hospital was originally opened in 1866. It was also known as the Kansas Insane Asylum. The hospital is actually still open today, but many of the original buildings on the campus have been abandoned or torn down.

The bridge that spans the Marais Des Cygnes River to reach the hospital, known as the Asylum Bridge, is a unique structure that's not present in any other bridges in Kansas.

The bridge is now closed to vehicle traffic and overgrown with weeds. When it was in use, it served as a dark crossing point for those who had been committed. For many patients, the bridge was their last contact with the outside world.

Some of the stories surrounding the hospital are absolutely horrific. In the early 1900s, the medical field lacked an understanding of how to deal with people suffering from mental illness, and patients were often horribly mistreated.

A journalist who visited the hospital said he observed a patient who had been chained to his bed for so long that his skin had grown over his shackles.

Reforms were made in the 1950s and patient care improved dramatically, but even so, the hospital still saw its share of horrors. In 1992, a therapist was murdered by a patient.

The hospital's graveyard is a particularly haunting place. The residents who passed away were buried with nothing more than a number to mark their existence.

Even if you're not normally a believer in the supernatural, it's not hard to imagine a place with a history like this would have some spirits lurking around.

Most of the older buildings that were part of the hospital have been torn down after decades of abandonment. The Asylum Bridge still remains standing and there are many groups advocating for it to be renewed and turned into a landmark. It's possible it's the only bridge of its construction type in the entire world!

Were you familiar with the Asylum Bridge or the haunted grounds nearby? Have you heard of any Osawatomie State Hospital horror stories? Share your stories in the comments! For more places like this, feast your eyes on these amazing photos of abandoned places in Kansas. You may also consider taking a haunted road trip through Kansas. Just make sure you check out our ultimate road trip packing list before you go!