Posted in Vermont Creepy, Haunted July 06, 2022 by

The Story Behind This Haunted Asylum In Vermont Is Truly Creepy

Built in 1834 as the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, the Brattleboro Retreat (which sounds a little nicer… even though it wasn’t) has some places and points that you won’t want to go near after dark. This haunted asylum is beautiful, and in some areas, terrifying. Come explore one of the single most haunted places in Vermont… if you dare.

The Vermont Asylum for the Insane was originally founded in 1834 and funded by a $10,000 gift that was willed for this purpose.
Flickr/Vermont Historical Society
It was renamed The Brattleboro Retreat in the late 19th century in order to eliminate confusion with the state-run Vermont State Asylum for the Insane.
This Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Facility is on 1,000 acres.
Flickr/Vermont Historical Society
More than 600 acres of the campus, including most of its buildings, were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
The institution based its philosophies on the humane treatment of mentally ill patients.
Flickr/Putneypics
The patients were treated with dignity and respect in a caring, family-like environment.
The Retreat emphasized good meals, fresh air, and exercise.
Flickr/University of Liverpool Faculty of Health & Life Sciences
However they still cautiously approached treatments such as electroconvulsive therapy ("ECT"), although they were utilized in a fairly limited capacity. Today the Retreat's ECT clinic is closed.
The most notorious building here is the Retreat Tower.
Flickr/Vermont Historical Society
This is where most of the hauntings on the campus happen.
This tower was built in 1887 by the patients of the Vermont Asylum (now the Brattleboro Retreat).
Wikimedia
At the time, doctors believed that physical labor could help mental patients regain their stability.
Groups of patients were put to work building this large stone tower.
Flickr/Vermont Historical Society
The tower was meant to provide a scenic overlook of the asylum grounds.
However, many of the patients chose to use the tower in a different manner.
Flickr/Putneypics
They would climb to the top of the tower and leap off onto the rocky cliff below to commit suicide.
The exact number of suicides that occurred here is a closely guarded secret.
Flickr/Putneypics
The tower was sealed off and remains so today, although they do open once or twice a year to allow the public to climb the spiral staircase and take in the view from the top.
There have been several reports of a ghostly figure jumping from the top of the tower…
Flickr/jodene e
...but the apparition always disappears before it hits the ground.
Another area of the Retreat that gives an eerie and ominous feel is the cemetery...for obvious reasons.
Flickr/Putneypics
The tombstones date back as far as the 1800s and are in poor condition.
Visitors to the cemetery and tower report strong feelings of uneasiness.
Flickr/NIKONCAMERACT
Some have reported seeing fleeting shadow figures or images out of the corners of their eyes.
Many of the graves are marked with only numbers or “Unknown.”
Flickr/Lindsey Turner
There is a registry of the deaths that occurred at the retreat, yet there are far more names than there are graves.
Today the Brattleboro Retreat is still a treatment center for mental health patients.
Flickr/Putneypics
But the legends and stories of the old days, and perhaps the ghosts, live on.

If you like scary things, take the ultimate haunted road trip through Vermont!

Address: Brattleboro Retreat, Brattleboro, VT 05301, USA

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The OIYS Visitor Center

Haunted Places in Vermont

July 11, 2022
Tori Jane

Where is the Brattleboro Retreat Tower?  

It looks like something from a fairy tale, but nope – it’s just Vermont. The Brattleboro Retreat Tower is a literal tower (seriously, like in Rapunzel) in the woods near Brattleboro, Vermont. It was built in 1887 with good intentions: here, humane care would be provided for sufferers of mental illness. Unfortunately, though, it ended up becoming one of the creepiest places in Vermont. The treatments offered were not helpful, and many patients died by suicide when they plunged from the top of the tower to their deaths below. Now, it’s said to be one of the most haunted places in Vermont and it’s a popular destination for curious ghost hunters to check out in hopes of seeing something scary.  

What are some interesting Vermont history facts?  

Vermont’s a cool little state filled with interesting history tidbits! Did you know that Vermont was the first state to abolish slavery in its state constitution? It was also the first state to pass marriage equality legislation, and it’s not terribly large. Its largest city is Burlington, which is home to just 42,000 people. There are only 626,000 people living here. There are some amazing state parks in Vermont with intriguing histories and interesting value to culture and society, and there are lots of awesome places to visit in Vermont for those who wish to explore it.  

Are there any old Vermont asylums that are still open?  

Well, they’re definitely not called “asylums” anymore, but we digress. First and foremost, the Brattleboro Retreat (where the above-discussed tower is located) was Vermont’s first institution for the mentally ill. It was originally called the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, and we’re pretty glad they changed that eventually to something a little more humane. In terms of places that are still open to this day, though, check out the Vermont State Hospital, also found nearby Brattleboro Retreat. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.  

Address: Brattleboro Retreat, Brattleboro, VT 05301, USA

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