The Ultimate Terrifying Maryland Road Trip Is Right Here – And You’ll Want To Do It
During the past two months of writing for Only In Maryland, I’ve discovered that Marylanders are REALLY into exploring places off the beaten path. This especially includes dilapidated buildings, abandoned hospitals, and creepy ruins rumored to be haunted. In the coming months I’ll be bringing you some of Maryland’s best road trips, with the very first and scariest one starting TODAY!
You can find the link to this road trip on Google Maps here. This terrifying road trip is full of forgotten towns, spooky asylums, and most important of all, an opportunity to test out Spook Hill for yourself. There are nine locations total and you can start at whichever is closest to you. So without further ado, I bring you Maryland’s most disturbing road trip…
Located in Owings Mills, Rosewood Center was established in 1888 for people with intellectual disabilities. The facility quickly expanded but eventually became over-crowded and short staffed. This resulted in reports of inadequate patient care, neglect, and abuse. Rosewood officially closed in 2009.
A few of the buildings on the campus have been set ablaze by vandals but most still stand abandoned. Ghost hunters have reported hearing eerie sounds and seeing moving shadows dart across the hallways.
Daniels is a forgotten ghost town overgrown with weeds, located in Howard County. Daniels officially became a town in 1810 and for a while, included a thriving textile mill. In 1968, the town's owner notified families that he'd be closing all housing in the area, making Daniels what it is today.
Although no ghost stories are associated with this location, it's still a fascinating spot to visit. What was once home to 90 families, is now a barren, almost apocalyptic wasteland.
This site used to be a seminary for priests in training, and was named St. Mary's College. After years of being abandoned, vandalized, and set on fire, the building was finally demolished in 2006 with some ruins left behind.
Today, rumors still swirl about satanic rituals performed under the altar and "cold spots" felt throughout the ruins. You can read more about this spot in a recently published Only In Maryland article here.
Forest Haven was a live-in facility for people with intellectual disabilities. It has a disturbing history with reports of patient abuse and many deaths from aspiration pneumonia. Several of the patients who died were buried in a mass grave. Some of the graves have since been uncovered by erosion. Toys, medical records, and an abundance of asbestos remain inside the creepy walls. It's a highly guarded area for this reason.
Glenn Dale Hospital was recently a topic on Only In Maryland here. This was once a facility for patients with tuberculosis, and was shut down in 1981 due to asbestos. Visitors have reported the feeling of being watched, but that COULD be because security guards are always on the look-out for trespassers, even going so far as to wearing night vision goggles. Enter at your own risk.
This was a private girls school from 1894 to 1942. Some of the land has since been turned into townhouses and condos, but preservation efforts have saved some of the historic castle-like parts of the property from being touched. Visiting here is like taking a step back in time. Those who have observed the historic National Seminary up close, claim to feel a peaceful vibe.
Remember our recent article about the weird phenomenon of Spook Hill? Science may have debunked the allure of gravity hills, but you should still try it out for yourself, just to be sure. Tales of Civil War soldiers pushing cars up the hill, and finding spooky fingerprints on the bumper afterwards are just a few of the stories associated with this spot.
There's a lot to explore at Antietam Battlefield. While taking in the history of the area, some people have seen shadows hover over the fields and smelled the faint scent of gunpowder.
What appears to be a perfectly normal lake during the day, becomes something completely different at night. People who visit the lake after sunset have reported paranormal-type lights coming from the sky and witnessing thousands of orbs. Take your camera and see what happens.
Are you brave enough to visit all nine locations? Remember to click here for the full Google Map!
NOTE: As stated in the article, the abandoned hospital facilities may be highly secured or have sections fenced off. Use your best judgement at these locations.
NOTE #2: I just realized that the map outline looks like an anglerfish. Don’t assume that if you can defeat this map, you can also defeat an anglerfish.
