These 6 Creepy Asylums In Indiana Will Chill You To The Bone
If you scare easily or do not enjoy all things creepy, we suggest turning around now. No, seriously. Just writing and researching this piece gave us the creeps! Ok, fine, if you decide to keep reading, just remember: we warned you. Below, you are going to learn more about six creepy asylums in Indiana that you’ll never forget (and neither will we – yikes).
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In 1883, there was just one asylum in Indianapolis, and it was full - so, they needed to build a new one. The new facility was built in 1884, and construction continued to expand the grounds for the next 70 years. The Old Longcliff Cemetery was nearby the hospital, and is still there somewhere - but it hasn't been locatable since 1891, when it was abandoned. Oops.
In 1905, there was a bill passed to build a mental institution in southeast Indiana. When the first 600 patients were brought in by train, they were guarded by men with shotguns loaded with rock salt. The center focused on the humane treatment of patients with mental ailments and illnesses. There were many studies conducted at the hospital, including some on the brains of deceased patients. During the Great Depression, a shortage of funds meant that only 100 or so workers were left in charge of looking after more than 1,000 patients. People stayed longer than they needed to, and the types of therapy some people needed were not able to be administered. This, as well as the brain studies, gave the institution its nickname: Cragmont.
The Beatty Memorial Hospital opened in 1951, and later opened a maximum-security division in 1954. This hospital replaced the "Hospital for Insane Criminals" at the Indiana State Prison (nobody said they were the best at naming things back then). Between the years of 1951 and 1979, there were over 18,000 patients admitted to the hospital. Some are said to have never left, even after it officially closed in 1991.
Brickmore Asylum was opened in 1902, and it seemed like something straight out of your favorite horror movie. For instance, the warden cut costs by simply using patients to run the asylum. In addition to this, the asylum was known for its surprising number of deaths. The warden wouldn't allow visitors because he felt the patient's mental illnesses were "contagious". Rumors, and a supposed video, claimed that torture was used to "treat" some patients, including the use of an outlawed Tesla device.
There was a prison built in Michigan City in 1860, but in the 1900s, the state also realized they needed a place for the criminally insane. Opened in 1910, this terrifying facility was used to house 180 violent, ill, or otherwise unstable prisoners. It closed for good in 1945.
The land the Richmond State Hospital sits on was bought in 1878, and construction of the building didn't finish until 1890. The hospital has been called a lot of things over the years, including "East Indiana Hospital for the Insane". It has a lot of unique building features, including stained glass windows and cupolas. The building has been added onto, but the original architecture that remains is still very creepy.
Hunger for more creepy tidbits of media from these spooky old-school Indiana institutions? Check this video out for some old footage from Brickmore:
The thing about creepy asylums in Indiana is that they tend to be abandoned, used as a “haunted” attraction, or remodeled/re-opened for use as something else. Take Norman Beatty Mental Hospital, for example, which was converted into the Westville Correctional Center in the late 1970s. We don’t know about you, but we wouldn’t want to go to a prison that used to be an old insane asylum!
The only question left to ask you is this – are you planning to visit any of these places, or do you just regret reading this article? Yikes!
Craving more creepy Indiana? Check this article out for a collection of all kinds of things!
Address: 1098 IN-25, Logansport, IN 46947, USA
Address: 711 Green Rd, Madison, IN 47250, USA
Address: 498 NW 18th St, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
Address: 5501 S 1100 W, Westville, IN 46391, USA
Address: 5211 S New Columbus Rd, Anderson, IN 46013, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Creepy Asylums in Indiana
April 26, 2021
Tori Jane
Where are the most creepy places in Indiana?
Indiana ghost stories are a staple of just about every generation, past and present, in the Hoosier State. Our state is filled to the brim with eerie, bizarre, and otherwise unsettling tales of hauntings, madmen, terrible crimes, frightening natural disasters, and more. Some of our favorite creepy places in Indiana are the infamous Hannah House, built in the late 1800s, where an unspeakably dark tragedy occurred and was subsequently covered up by the homeowners to avoid arrest for harboring escaping slaves along the Underground Railroad, as well as several spooky town cemeteries like Stepp Cemetery, in Martinsville, and Highland Lawn Cemetery, in Terre Haute. Think you could brave a ghost hunt at Highland Lawn Cemetery?
Are there many abandoned places in Indiana?
Absolutely! Indiana is an excellent place for the urban explorer, as it’s home to plenty of abandoned places – both public and private. Some of the most famous places in Indiana for abandoned buildings are towns like Gary, where the abandoned post office is seriously too cool for words, and the entire (ghost) town of Corwin is said to be crawling with as many restless spirits as there are abandoned silos. In Kramer, Indiana, there’s an abandoned hotel in the woods, overgrown and taken back by mother nature. As long as you know where to look, you can find somewhere abandoned and quiet to admire.
What are the scariest haunted places in Indiana?
Indiana is home to some truly spooky haunted places. Some, however, seem to stick out above the rest in terms of sheer scariness. For example, the Central State Hospital, in Indianapolis, is an old insane asylum that’s well-known for its tortured souls that still lurk the halls. It originally opened in 1848 and was known for its less-than-humane conditions, and it’s really no surprise that it’s so haunted now. The Story Inn, in Nashville, is said to be one of the most haunted places in the entire state, and better still, you can stay the night! It’s said to be haunted by the spirit of someone called The Blue Lady, who you’ll definitely have to meet for yourself someday.
Address: 1098 IN-25, Logansport, IN 46947, USA
Address: 711 Green Rd, Madison, IN 47250, USA
Address: 498 NW 18th St, Richmond, IN 47374, USA
Address: 5501 S 1100 W, Westville, IN 46391, USA
Address: 5211 S New Columbus Rd, Anderson, IN 46013, USA
Trisha Faulkner is a stay-at-home and work-at-home Hoosier momma. She is a huge advocate of Autism awareness, and loves her beautiful boy more than life itself. She is a native Indiana writer who types her best pieces for Only In Your State between 2-4AM when her toddler finally falls over asleep.
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