My ex boyfriend is from Traverse City, Michigan. He said that growing up, his mother was the Head Nurse. He also said that the hospital was self sufficient....there was a laundry, dairy cows, chickens and a large gardens. They had specific things for the patients to do for therapy.
Wow imagine that now for people who need mental stability.. I will guess the severe would need more help.. but to have gardens, seating under trees, birds chirping, green grass.. nothing like today.
We often walked these grounds when I was a kid in the 90's. The Laundry building was always spooky to me. It was like people just left. There were piles of laundry sorted waiting to be put in the machines, was half folded towels, ect.
My grandmother was mentally ill and she had a breakdown after her son, my uncle died, when he was just 14 years old. Unfortunately, she was institutionalized, and as a result she was not cured nor did she trust doctors after that. I always felt for her because she was tormented by her illness and it negatively effected all of her relationships. It was exhausting to be around her and mentally draining because of her needs. Her soul is finally resting 6 feet under and it's relief knowing she is no longer suffering mentally.
I was fortunate to be an electrician on one of the renovations, Was even able to get one of the original double hung windows with triangular top that was in one of the dormers in the attic. I took photos out of that window on what would have been seen looking out and will someday blow that up and make like a shadow box kind of thing. In 2009 I bought a storage unit contents in Williamsburg Michigan near Traverse City for 25 dollars and found out most of it was salvage from the building 50 renovation. It contained one of the drab institutional green notice board/boxes and it was the same exact green from the window I got years later. Also in that unit was 23 of the tall doors that would have gone in the openings of where you saw in the videos. The doors were wild, most had a 2" hole with a metal screen to look in on patients and only nobs on the outside an no way to open door from the inside. I sold every door on Craigslist to a Brownstone downtown Louisville Kentucky that the builder had stolen the doors in a fire renovation. The owners needed the exact dimension and number of doors and paid me 1900 for the doors and 900 dollars to deliver. They loved knowing the history behind the doors. I have cool photos of the attics like shown in the video and also photos of one of the finished renovations.
@@futeramonfuturamet4830 In the renovation I was part of around ten years ago they did do the attic which was the fourth floor, some of them had a loft.
i grew up knowing a man who was placed in this place for a crime he didnt commit. he had a speech impediment. he was castrated and treated very badly. he was not allowed to attend school. he taught him self to read. he would bring my family books to read. reading was so important to him. about a year later they figured out who burnt the barn down and never filed charges. orie rossell was a good man. he had a very hard life.
@@dianelopes8199 he couldnt speak well so they thought he was retarded. his father was a drunk and beat him a lot. he would beg his dad to take him home. he finally did but orie went through hell first.
It's the traverse city state hospital. I lived in the area for awhile, i worked on the construction crew that restored building 50, and as a kid we used to break into all of the buildings
To my eye, those beautiful wood floors are quarter-sawn oak. This type of floor can last for centuries if well maintained. Beautiful old buildings. Love the framing in the attic spaces. Thanks for posting!
The barns have a garden called Lucille’s Garden, that’s my great grandmother. I spent summers around these buildings in the late 80’s, early 90’s. I was just there. ❤
I live in mid-Michigan, and my sister lives just west of the asylum a few miles. I've passed it many times on Silver Lake Rd. It used to be awesome to see years ago, even from the road. It was very spooky looking. Thank you for the inside tour. What a fascinating place!
THIS is how historical buildings should be. Even if they have a sad past! A shame that the main part is gone now, but the fact that they’ve preserved much of the building and that you can take a tour through the not restored parts is amazing. History is always best learned when you are able to see it and experience it in person. How cool to see a Kirkbride that isn’t rotting away or torn down for once! They are few and far between today. I mean it’s a bit sinister to think that they were designed to purposefully confuse the patients so they could not leave, however as I stated before, whether tragic or not, history needs to be preserved and shown to people to have a more experiential way of learning rather than just in textbooks
@@futeramonfuturamet4830 the do a great job with that in some cities. Like in Philadelphia. A lot of old warehouses and factory buildings are mice apartments now. It’s super cool
Most Kirkbride buildings that have been restored kept the center building, but nooo, just this one was deemed a fire hazard. Sigh. The Minervini Group has plans to rebuild the center of Building 50, but not till other renovations are done. It will likely be a while.
They weren't designed to confuse the patients. Only the outermost wings had patients that couldn't leave (the unrecoverables). In the early years of the asylum, most residents worked. And as their mental health improved, they moved closer to the center building (closer to the exit). For a long time, the Kirkbride plan actually worked and patients recovered and went home. But then outsiders decided the hospital was exploiting the patients and shut down patient work. That's when the mental hospitals started to decline.
My mom did a nurses rotation when in nurses school 70 years ago. She mentioned some of the rooms for severe psychiatric patients had scratched and teeth marked window frames. The worst thing she had to do is bring medical waste down in the basement refuse area. Spooky to say the least
I worked at a New York State maximum security psychiatric center for 14 years. I've watched a LOT of TH-cam channels who tour such places after they've shut down. Just wanted to say you've done the best I've seen in researching, explaining and presenting what these places were like. Good job! If you or anyone else reads this though, all I have to say is,,, I'd never recommend to anyone thinking of working in a facility like this, not even a civil facility. It's not worth the pay, benefits or ptsd. Regardless of the position.
This is fucking amazing. In my town in Norway, everything older than the 1960s have been removed. Been watching all of your videos and the US have so much interesting to offer. Been to NY, NJ and FL. One day i want to visit all states
Pennsylvania is beautiful ❤. I've lived all over the country. Do your research to find what you are looking for. I was born in Michigan and grew up in the Chicago suburbs. But I feel living in PA was one of my favorites. You would enjoy the Biltmore in Asheville NC. Largest privately owned home in the US ❤
So cool that you are in my neck of the woods. My mom remembers school field trips to the asylum when she was high school in the 60s and yes, they were allowed in the wards with patients. She says it was pretty awful. Equally awful, when it did close, many patients were just let go to fend for themselves. Many ended up homeless.
You’re amazing Chris finding these architectural jewels! Sadly, this country needs psychiatric living facilities for all the mental health issues we face🥺 Money! Resources! 🙏🏻
It begs the question, are we as a society any better today than they were back then? Now many of the mentally ill are homeless, living out on the streets.
@@darlenegriffith6186 No where worse in that regard . now they wonder attacking people and commiting crimes and doing drugs at least they got them off the street back in the day
My great grandmother was a patient there (1930s and 1940s). She was an immigrant from Lithuania and struggled with her new life in the United States. Losing 2 children as infants, language barrier and isolation caused her mental pain. Our family has often wondered if the new medications we have available would have helped her.
I misspoke. Yes. Modern medicines can help you feel better. But there are specific side-effects to the medication that sometimes make it harder to take. I think finding the right kind of medication probably would've helped in the long run with any mental health problems. It all depends on what type of medication you are taking, though, but that's for a doctor to decide for you. @@cplcabs
Hi from Australia!! I love old buildings, and the original décor and structure. This place looks amazing. THANKYOU so much for sharing this. What a incredible man to consider the welfare of the occupants and how ahead of his time was he??? The sunlight and exits to the outside are beautiful and so relaxing and healing. if only the walls could talk, it would be so interesting and probably would offer some insight to how far (or not) we have come in supporting people with mental illness and disabilities. Wow the tunnels...and the condition they are in is outstanding! Again thanks so much for sharing, incredibly interesting. Really enjoy your style of just walking and talking and having a conversation about what your filming.
I worked in an old assylum during the 1990's in England during my training to become a Psychiatric nurse. Next door was a cemertary where Agatha Christie was buried !!!
My grandmother and aunt both retired from the State Hospital. They both worked night shifts their entire careers. I am sure there is many many lost souls in these buildings. Many of us enjoyed going thru the tunnels and buildings before they were restored.
That’s exactly what I have thought: lost souls. Is it haunted? I can’t help but feel it could be. I toured this in 2019 and it was fascinating, beautiful but spooky.
The largest building is called Building 50. This is located in the town that I live in. My great-grandmother was a nurse but she was also bipolar. When she needed treatment, she would go in that hospital.
I had never heard of this Kirkbride(?) style and approach to patient care. Kalamazoo, MI had a large farm property on a lake that our local asylum used to send more stable patients to live. There were several "cottages"; really, 3-4 story mansions. The grounds were well-kept. The patients worked on the farm. They kept a lot of the food but also sold some as well. The theory for the staff was that patients, just like anyone else, like to have some purpose, some work, and also benefit from being outside. They saw great success in it. On occasion a patient would have a breakdown and have to be sent back to the hospital. Once they were stabilized, they always requested to go back to the farm. I appreciate hearing this story you have done as well, because so often we only hear about the dark side of psychiatric care with all the "ghost hunting" and horror story telling. As someone who has a chronic mental illness, I am gladdened to hear of places that (while not perfect) really made the efforts to give their patients comfort, fun, and meaning in their lives.
Another awesome video! That building is amazing! Wow! So glad they are restoring instead of destroying it. It seems so peaceful there. Thank you for sharing this special place!
Outstanding architecture and design!!! So much potential for that building and grounds.... would love to do a ghost hunt there. 😁 These places are so badly needed today, not only for the homeless, but those less fortunate than others, just sad the man's inhumanity to man is so rampant.... 😓
You’re so right about the need. Those of us who worked in these places told the administrators that some of these people needed long term care and considered the facility their home. Living in the community may not be in their best interest. But we were accused of trying to hold onto our state “cushy” jobs. Some people have done wonderfully out of the facility and that’s a good thing. But all you have to do is watch the nightly news to see that we were not all wrong. You have a right to be crazy in the community now and self medicate on illicit drugs. There are agencies who are trying their best but……🤷
Its smart all together what they have done here. Not only the restored businesses and residences but the tour and then letting ppl wander about. People will get into these places you may as well do it in a controlled way where you get a tour and then can poke about. Reduces the bad actors being able to mark up and destroy things
Even when I'm not in the exploring mood I just can't scroll past a new Mobil Instinct video. This is such a beautiful building (in the rough, ofcourse)! And, I love the old photos to compliment the explore! Thanks for another great video!
Hi, during my visit to Traverse City, my sister and I went there in 2010, I took some pictures of the buildings, they turned out different than what we took a picture of, example I took a picture of the electric shock treatment room, all looked like stretched out taffy. There was no tours back then we walked were we wanted, nobody cared, as we left we drove past a home that belonged to the main doctor, there was a pale yellow spirit. This is all true, my sister and I have seen all of it.
I was thinking about visiting the hospital because I will be living in the exact same area next year and I wanted to make TH-cam videos about it. I wanted to visit the electric shock treatment room and other parts of the building, as well.
My high school has one of those elevators from the 20's in. I graduated in 1997 and my son graduated a few years ago. It's still there and functioning. Chattanooga, TN
I was there at the very beginning of the restoration. Creepy and fascinating at the same time. It was its own village. With post office, Bakery, Milk House and more on the property.
Trans Allegany Lunatic Asylum is also a Kirkbride building, it's beautiful!! If you are ever in Weston West Virginia you should definitely check it out.
I went through a three year RN program in Grand Rapids, MI and graduated in 1970. My class was the first class that did not go through our psychiatric rotate at I believe this Traverse City State Hospital
Went to art school in a former psychiatric hospital in Auckland, New Zealand and went on to teach art to people with AOD and mental health issues living in the community.
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Reminds me of North Park Village on the northwest side of Chicago. Formerly a sanitarium complex. Buildings are reused as apartments. Tunnels still there with outbuildings. I can send you more info if you are interested.
Nice, I've been obsessed with the history of the Danvers state hospital in Massachusetts. This fits my obsession very well. Those tunnels towards the end are so cool! Thanks for the video! love your stuff friend. Thanks and take care!
There's a grave for an award winning milk-cow, that lived on the property back in the early 20th century. Munson hospital in Traverse city handles the mentally ill now, I think. My grandparents used to take us here, just to see the old buildings. Very beautiful grounds, and strangely enough, I never got that depressing, heavy sadness, that asylums usually give off. I didn't go through the tunnels though.
If you ever get to Asheville, NC there's a former asylum called the historic Kenilworth Inn. It has a similar history and is now apartments (I lived there for four years and it's got some very quirky aspect, including part of an old bowling alley in the basement!).
That is such a beautiful stunning building I'm so glad they didn't tear it down... People need to start restoring old historical buildings not tearing them down
Must have been an insane place in it's prime! (pun intended) But seriously, its great that they found a way to preserve it by repurposing it. I especially like the roof framework, looks pristine!
So glad they are trying to save these buildings. The state facilities Where I worked were left to rot and used by cheap and disrespectful you tubers who didn’t really seem to understand that PEOPLE lived there. Not referring to you. Very nice work on your part. That sink was in a housekeeper closet and the “steeples” provided ventilation. Tunnels also helped staff to get to places in the hospitals in bad weather
I used to work in an _Old Wing of a Memphis Hospital. They had an Elderly Gentleman (who was probably 85ish) as the elevator operator with the same crisscross gates over the doors.. He sat on this little round drop down shelf as he operated :) was a trip into the past ! ps. I loved the glass block stairwell walls.
Awesome place. I've toured it and have lots of books and ephemera. 3 of my relatives were there and another relative and his wife worked there. I have records and pictures. The clerk has early annual report books that are very informative. And sad.
I used to live close to The Commons. On my days off I would love to ride my bike through their to the barns. It's changed a lot. It's nice to see it being preserved but it's not the same.
Here in NYC, we used to these old decrepit buildings on Roosevelt Island...now an upscale area. Years ago, many indigent, and Psychiatric patients were sent there.
Hope your trip to Michigan treated you well! I was born and raised here in Michigan! I know of a lot of places around Michigan that’ll be interesting to visit. Such as Seven Gables Road. It’s southwest of Dansville and it’s definitely a interesting place. If you’d like to visit it, I would absolutely love to show you around
oregon state psychiatric hospital has an original Kirkbride building. The hospital has been completely rebuilt but they kept the main kirkbride building as the Administrative Building and built around it. It’s a beautiful building. I worked for the state hospital for a period of time.
Yeah but the heating bills per unit probably aren't that high. This is the main benefit of giant buildings being divided into multiple units rather than having only one entity occupying the building.
I remember riding on elevators like that i had a sister who was a patient in a few places like that and my family would visit her back in the 1960's i was very young back then
We need to open some of these back up. Mental health has come a long way. So many treatment options now but it’s really hard to treat someone when they’re living in a tent next to the RR tracks.
Hey Chris...have you ever seen the movie "Session 9"? I hear you mention Kirkbride...the movie takes place and is filmed on location at another abandoned psychiatric hospital built by him, and a character in the movie mentions him by name. You've done horror movie locations before, so I thought it would be up your alley. It's a little independent horror film from 1999 and has the distinction (I believe) of being one, if not the first movie shot on digital video, which gives it this hyper-realistic unsettling quality. Its unconventional for a horror film, well acted, well shot, very atmospheric and pretty damn scary. Some of the shots remind me of "The Shining". If you like abandoned places, architecture and horror movies, this one is for you. Keep in mind, it is subtle and tense and takes its time, not a load of blood and guts. I had no idea WTF was going on until the very end, and it stayed with me since I was a kid. It's a good one, try it out and hit back if you liked it.
I took the tour. We got to explore a building but it wasn't like the one you explored. We only go to explore the 1st floor. That tunnel was a part of the original experimental heating system which ultimately didn't work as well as they thought it would.
With some restore, this beautiful building can be a very nice hotel, shops, special event spaces, and partial historical museum, for visitors and locals. I can see and say that most of these architecture were based off European design and construction .
My friend use to work there when it was open, in fact she was one of the last people out of there. A few years ago she tried to go through some of the restored areas, she can't do it, she said she call still hear the screaming. She was attacked (knocked out for a few minuets, when she woke up she was being strangled, thankfully a doctor who was also in the tunnels heard the commotion and came and saved her) once by a lady in the tunnels once, patients were not suppose to be in the tunnels without an escort. She was also hit in the head and knocked out once by a guy. He would often beat his wife, and I guess she looked similar to his wife. She tells me stories all the time about working there.
The need to bring these county/regional mental health institutions back and _fund them fully_ to take care of our most challenged fellow citizens. Closing them all and letting everyone fend for themselves was a crime. Do you know who cares for the mentally ill of Cook County, Ill. today? The Sheriff's department. They are treated only after they land in jail.
@@marks.c4753 correct. Mentally ill people left to live on the streets will commit crimes to survive. Mentally healthy people left to live on the streets will also commit crimes to survive.
they had one in Pontiac mi called Clinton valley hospital. it creeped me out as a kid. it's been long gone but I guess one building was left as the club house for the neighbor that was built in the grounds. read up about it. it was an interesting place. alot of local stories about that place.
Wish it was restored like this one. It was beautiful also. Always wished I could go through the buildings but also like that one once all the funding was gone they just let the people out be homeless on the streets. Some of the people were out during the day and would have to go back at night and they would hang out at the mall across the street or come into the businesses surrounding the hospital. I worked in a building that one particular lady would come in everyday and pick the cigarette butts out of the ashtrays she would sometimes get upset because there weren't enough for her and she would throw a little fit right in the waiting room. One day she got so upset she slapped the receptionist and was no longer allowed to come back in the building. Don't think I would want to live in the houses that are there now.
2022: Left that area in 2011. Walked the same grounds and took my own pics. I know they've made a lot a progress in the past 12 years, but a lot still looks the same.
My Mother was a patient there when I was a young boy, I don't what exactly happened,my older siblings know more about it because I was quite young, I just know she had a break down as was there quite awhile,They gave her shock treatments an I think it made her worse,She was a very loving person but when she came home I remember she was afraid of water an seemed a little scitafrenic an had fear of things an always worried about everything,But never did any harm to anyone she was very loving from what I remember they had her on about 10 different medications the rest of her life an it made her tired a lot,I don't like to talk about it much an it was hard for me to make this post those people went through hell every day of their lives,She is resting in piece now since 1997
Right at the very beginning of this video I knew that this style of Fairview Milyer I live in Trenton New Jersey and our psychiatric facility is massive. It looks exactly like this are very similar in the entranceway is dead on almost the same. Though we are missing all of the decoration in the roof pieces but the building is their overall
Hey, my friend. Glad I caught this video. I'm subscribed to your channel but don't get notifications. Thanks for sharing this. Glad you're in Michigan.
A mental hospital not far from me, Pilgrim State Hospital, was the largest hospital of any type in the world in the 1950's, with more than 10,000 patients. It's still open though at a much reduced level.
Don't forget Kings Park and Central Islip hospitals too. the "Farm Colonies" as they were called. They even had a railroad between CI & Pilgrim. There's a great book at the libraries if you're interested.
we have one of those kirkbride style buildings around here in MN too. it also was an old psychiatric hopital thats been empty since the early 90's, they've been trying to save it for years but everything seems to fall through. still hoping they can, it's a beautiful huge old building
I did get to see it when it was open, unfortunatly my uncle was admitted there, i remember playing outside on the lawn. i was only like 10 years old then so i don't remember much about the inside and what it looked like
Cool video. I have yet to see a TH-cam video of the City on the Hill. Harrisburg Lunatic Hospital as it was called in the early days. Security is tight though. It started in 1852. Only 2 small brick buildings remain from 1852. Most remaining were built in 1893. Some more modern in the back section..It was self maintained had it's own barn for milking cows they worked the fields for their vegetables. Had an ice pond for ice. Has it's own power plant etc.
Those buildings were really nice. It was really cool what they changed some of the buildings into. Paying for a high end condo so I can live in a old mental hospital. I agree with that other post about it being haunted.
I don’t think it’s very expensive compared to the rest of the available housing in the TC area. It’s hella expensive to live “in town” as the somewhat locals say. Most people live in towns around TC like Interlochen (home to the Interlochen Arts Academy where I think Bruce Willis’ kid went one time), Kingsley, Buckley, Acme, etc. Going “in town” just means going to TC. People usually only go there for bigger grocery stores with slightly better prices. Gas is usually cheaper in town, with the exception of a few oddball gas stations in some slightly further out towns. Go too far out, and the price is high again. No one goes into town unless they have to during tourist season, especially during Cherry Festival!!
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My ex boyfriend is from Traverse City, Michigan. He said that growing up, his mother was the Head Nurse. He also said that the hospital was self sufficient....there was a laundry, dairy cows, chickens and a large gardens. They had specific things for the patients to do for therapy.
Wow imagine that now for people who need mental stability.. I will guess the severe would need more help.. but to have gardens, seating under trees, birds chirping, green grass.. nothing like today.
@@Elmnt5 just doing daily chores was therapeutic for some of the mental health patients…..the patients who were okay to be outside the hospital
Would be great for todsy
@@Amor1990 yes it would be. Part of the hospital now has expensive shops and a few eating places
We often walked these grounds when I was a kid in the 90's. The Laundry building was always spooky to me. It was like people just left. There were piles of laundry sorted waiting to be put in the machines, was half folded towels, ect.
My grandmother was mentally ill and she had a breakdown after her son, my uncle died, when he was just 14 years old. Unfortunately, she was institutionalized, and as a result she was not cured nor did she trust doctors after that. I always felt for her because she was tormented by her illness and it negatively effected all of her relationships. It was exhausting to be around her and mentally draining because of her needs. Her soul is finally resting 6 feet under and it's relief knowing she is no longer suffering mentally.
Countries like Sweden and Russia had programs to send their mentally ill to America, boatloads of them.
Her soul is at rest. Not 6 feet under but in the glorious Heaven with our Father.
im so sorry your family had to go through this. may god bless you .
1.8 meters under? Maybe.
😭🌹
I was fortunate to be an electrician on one of the renovations, Was even able to get one of the original double hung windows with triangular top that was in one of the dormers in the attic. I took photos out of that window on what would have been seen looking out and will someday blow that up and make like a shadow box kind of thing. In 2009 I bought a storage unit contents in Williamsburg Michigan near Traverse City for 25 dollars and found out most of it was salvage from the building 50 renovation. It contained one of the drab institutional green notice board/boxes and it was the same exact green from the window I got years later. Also in that unit was 23 of the tall doors that would have gone in the openings of where you saw in the videos. The doors were wild, most had a 2" hole with a metal screen to look in on patients and only nobs on the outside an no way to open door from the inside. I sold every door on Craigslist to a Brownstone downtown Louisville Kentucky that the builder had stolen the doors in a fire renovation. The owners needed the exact dimension and number of doors and paid me 1900 for the doors and 900 dollars to deliver. They loved knowing the history behind the doors. I have cool photos of the attics like shown in the video and also photos of one of the finished renovations.
Maybe they should convert the attics into additional condos!
@@futeramonfuturamet4830 In the renovation I was part of around ten years ago they did do the attic which was the fourth floor, some of them had a loft.
That's so cool! Thanks for sharing.
i grew up knowing a man who was placed in this place for a crime he didnt commit. he had a speech impediment. he was castrated and treated very badly. he was not allowed to attend school. he taught him self to read. he would bring my family books to read. reading was so important to him. about a year later they figured out who burnt the barn down and never filed charges. orie rossell was a good man. he had a very hard life.
That’s aweful, he was wondering what those rooms in the basement were for…bad thing must have gone on down there…
That's terrible
oh the poor man ,why castrate him ? , that really bad but thank you for info
@@dianelopes8199 he couldnt speak well so they thought he was retarded. his father was a drunk and beat him a lot. he would beg his dad to take him home. he finally did but orie went through hell first.
That is horrible, that poor man! If mental health was treated much differently from the beginning things might be different today.
It's the traverse city state hospital. I lived in the area for awhile, i worked on the construction crew that restored building 50, and as a kid we used to break into all of the buildings
To my eye, those beautiful wood floors are quarter-sawn oak. This type of floor can last for centuries if well maintained. Beautiful old buildings. Love the framing in the attic spaces. Thanks for posting!
The barns have a garden called Lucille’s Garden, that’s my great grandmother. I spent summers around these buildings in the late 80’s, early 90’s. I was just there. ❤
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I live in mid-Michigan, and my sister lives just west of the asylum a few miles. I've passed it many times on Silver Lake Rd. It used to be awesome to see years ago, even from the road. It was very spooky looking. Thank you for the inside tour. What a fascinating place!
THIS is how historical buildings should be. Even if they have a sad past! A shame that the main part is gone now, but the fact that they’ve preserved much of the building and that you can take a tour through the not restored parts is amazing. History is always best learned when you are able to see it and experience it in person. How cool to see a Kirkbride that isn’t rotting away or torn down for once! They are few and far between today. I mean it’s a bit sinister to think that they were designed to purposefully confuse the patients so they could not leave, however as I stated before, whether tragic or not, history needs to be preserved and shown to people to have a more experiential way of learning rather than just in textbooks
Yeah, instead of demolishing old buildings to build malls, apartments, offices, etc, they should be restoring the existing buildings to those uses!
@@futeramonfuturamet4830 the do a great job with that in some cities. Like in Philadelphia. A lot of old warehouses and factory buildings are mice apartments now. It’s super cool
The main part isn't gone. It's restaurants, offices and condos.
Most Kirkbride buildings that have been restored kept the center building, but nooo, just this one was deemed a fire hazard. Sigh. The Minervini Group has plans to rebuild the center of Building 50, but not till other renovations are done. It will likely be a while.
They weren't designed to confuse the patients. Only the outermost wings had patients that couldn't leave (the unrecoverables). In the early years of the asylum, most residents worked. And as their mental health improved, they moved closer to the center building (closer to the exit). For a long time, the Kirkbride plan actually worked and patients recovered and went home. But then outsiders decided the hospital was exploiting the patients and shut down patient work. That's when the mental hospitals started to decline.
My mom did a nurses rotation when in nurses school 70 years ago. She mentioned some of the rooms for severe psychiatric patients had scratched and teeth marked window frames. The worst thing she had to do is bring medical waste down in the basement refuse area. Spooky to say the least
Imagine the spirits there...
I find the attic areas the most interesting. The insight into the construction processes of the past are enlightening.
I worked at a New York State maximum security psychiatric center for 14 years. I've watched a LOT of TH-cam channels who tour such places after they've shut down. Just wanted to say you've done the best I've seen in researching, explaining and presenting what these places were like. Good job! If you or anyone else reads this though, all I have to say is,,, I'd never recommend to anyone thinking of working in a facility like this, not even a civil facility. It's not worth the pay, benefits or ptsd. Regardless of the position.
This is fucking amazing. In my town in Norway, everything older than the 1960s have been removed. Been watching all of your videos and the US have so much interesting to offer. Been to NY, NJ and FL. One day i want to visit all states
Pennsylvania is beautiful ❤. I've lived all over the country. Do your research to find what you are looking for. I was born in Michigan and grew up in the Chicago suburbs. But I feel living in PA was one of my favorites. You would enjoy the Biltmore in Asheville NC. Largest privately owned home in the US ❤
Ur from the U.P.? I lived in Kingsford
So cool that you are in my neck of the woods. My mom remembers school field trips to the asylum when she was high school in the 60s and yes, they were allowed in the wards with patients. She says it was pretty awful. Equally awful, when it did close, many patients were just let go to fend for themselves. Many ended up homeless.
That's just awful
You’re amazing Chris finding these architectural jewels!
Sadly, this country needs psychiatric living facilities for all the mental health issues we face🥺
Money! Resources! 🙏🏻
It begs the question, are we as a society any better today than they were back then? Now many of the mentally ill are homeless, living out on the streets.
@@darlenegriffith6186 or on tiktok and twitter, as that seems to be where most lunatics are
@@darlenegriffith6186 No where worse in that regard . now they wonder attacking people and commiting crimes and doing drugs at least they got them off the street back in the day
My great grandmother was a patient there (1930s and 1940s). She was an immigrant from Lithuania and struggled with her new life in the United States. Losing 2 children as infants, language barrier and isolation caused her mental pain. Our family has often wondered if the new medications we have available would have helped her.
given the amount of lunatics wandering around causing all hell with the wokery and whatnot, I doubt that modern medicines would have helped.
Modern medicines would not have helped.@@cplcabs
They actually just make things worse.@@cplcabs
For some people.@@cplcabs
I misspoke. Yes. Modern medicines can help you feel better. But there are specific side-effects to the medication that sometimes make it harder to take. I think finding the right kind of medication probably would've helped in the long run with any mental health problems. It all depends on what type of medication you are taking, though, but that's for a doctor to decide for you. @@cplcabs
Hi from Australia!! I love old buildings, and the original décor and structure. This place looks amazing. THANKYOU so much for sharing this. What a incredible man to consider the welfare of the occupants and how ahead of his time was he??? The sunlight and exits to the outside are beautiful and so relaxing and healing. if only the walls could talk, it would be so interesting and probably would offer some insight to how far (or not) we have come in supporting people with mental illness and disabilities. Wow the tunnels...and the condition they are in is outstanding! Again thanks so much for sharing, incredibly interesting. Really enjoy your style of just walking and talking and having a conversation about what your filming.
I worked in an old assylum during the 1990's in England during my training to become a Psychiatric nurse. Next door was a cemertary where Agatha Christie was
buried !!!
My grandmother and aunt both retired from the State Hospital. They both worked night shifts their entire careers. I am sure there is many many lost souls in these buildings. Many of us enjoyed going thru the tunnels and buildings before they were restored.
That’s exactly what I have thought: lost souls. Is it haunted? I can’t help but feel it could be. I toured this in 2019 and it was fascinating, beautiful but spooky.
People say its haunted because its Victorian and looks old and creepy.
The largest building is called Building 50. This is located in the town that I live in. My great-grandmother was a nurse but she was also bipolar. When she needed treatment, she would go in that hospital.
I had never heard of this Kirkbride(?) style and approach to patient care. Kalamazoo, MI had a large farm property on a lake that our local asylum used to send more stable patients to live. There were several "cottages"; really, 3-4 story mansions. The grounds were well-kept. The patients worked on the farm. They kept a lot of the food but also sold some as well. The theory for the staff was that patients, just like anyone else, like to have some purpose, some work, and also benefit from being outside. They saw great success in it. On occasion a patient would have a breakdown and have to be sent back to the hospital. Once they were stabilized, they always requested to go back to the farm. I appreciate hearing this story you have done as well, because so often we only hear about the dark side of psychiatric care with all the "ghost hunting" and horror story telling. As someone who has a chronic mental illness, I am gladdened to hear of places that (while not perfect) really made the efforts to give their patients comfort, fun, and meaning in their lives.
Another awesome video! That building is amazing! Wow! So glad they are restoring instead of destroying it. It seems so peaceful there. Thank you for sharing this special place!
So cool that you're allowed to tour on your own. Most places you'd have to be sneaky. Wondeful attic too!
Another good one Chris!
I was able to see this place in the late 1990's before it was restored. What a cool place! Glad you got a chance to see it.
Outstanding architecture and design!!! So much potential for that building and grounds.... would love to do a ghost hunt there. 😁
These places are so badly needed today, not only for the homeless, but those less fortunate than others, just sad the man's inhumanity to man is so rampant.... 😓
They are restoring some of these buildings.
You’re so right about the need. Those of us who worked in these places told the administrators that some of these people needed long term care and considered the facility their home. Living in the community may not be in their best interest. But we were accused of trying to hold onto our state “cushy” jobs. Some people have done wonderfully out of the facility and that’s a good thing. But all you have to do is watch the nightly news to see that we were not all wrong. You have a right to be crazy in the community now and self medicate on illicit drugs. There are agencies who are trying their best but……🤷
Shops, restaurants, and apartments nowadays.
@Janet Carbone, ironically these days, county jails have become the new mental hospitals!
@@futeramonfuturamet4830 👍 not to mention a lot of the state hospitals are now forensic. 🤦🏼♀️
Its smart all together what they have done here. Not only the restored businesses and residences but the tour and then letting ppl wander about. People will get into these places you may as well do it in a controlled way where you get a tour and then can poke about. Reduces the bad actors being able to mark up and destroy things
Even when I'm not in the exploring mood I just can't scroll past a new Mobil Instinct video. This is such a beautiful building (in the rough, ofcourse)! And, I love the old photos to compliment the explore! Thanks for another great video!
Good to see you in Michigan! That place is awesome. I’ll be up there this weekend
Hi, during my visit to Traverse City, my sister and I went there in 2010, I took some pictures of the buildings, they turned out different than what we took a picture of, example I took a picture of the electric shock treatment room, all looked like stretched out taffy. There was no tours back then we walked were we wanted, nobody cared, as we left we drove past a home that belonged to the main doctor, there was a pale yellow spirit. This is all true, my sister and I have seen all of it.
I was thinking about visiting the hospital because I will be living in the exact same area next year and I wanted to make TH-cam videos about it. I wanted to visit the electric shock treatment room and other parts of the building, as well.
What an excellent mixed use repurposing. They could do this with malls. I’m glad it’s being restored and being reused. Excellent video thanks Chris
With the older shopping malls, yes, unfortunately most malls are not built to last and be robust!
It was the largest restoration project in the country
My high school has one of those elevators from the 20's in. I graduated in 1997 and my son graduated a few years ago. It's still there and functioning. Chattanooga, TN
Very cool! Especially the tunnel at the end. I want to ride my bike through it.
I was there at the very beginning of the restoration. Creepy and fascinating at the same time. It was its own village. With post office, Bakery, Milk House and more on the property.
I love any historic topic videos...Nice walk through. I enjoyed it!
Trans Allegany Lunatic Asylum is also a Kirkbride building, it's beautiful!! If you are ever in Weston West Virginia you should definitely check it out.
At least someone tried to make these poor souls living arrangements a little nice.
What a sad story and history so glad that the building was able to be saved and used!
I went on this tour and made a short about it. It’s a great location and if you’re ever in the area, definitely check it out!!
I'm from Grand Rapids Michigan so this is really cool love these videos keep up the great work
I went through a three year RN program in Grand Rapids, MI and graduated in 1970. My class was the first class that did not go through our psychiatric rotate at I believe this Traverse City State Hospital
Love love love this genre of abandoned,Chris your style is unique
Excellent video Chris. Fascinating place and brilliant coverage. Many thanks for the hard work you put in 👊👍🇬🇧🇺🇸
love your videos! cool to see you in michigan ❤️
Thanks! It's a beautiful state for sure
My home grounds! Wish I knew you'd be in the area! Very cool.
Went to art school in a former psychiatric hospital in Auckland, New Zealand and went on to teach art to people with AOD and mental health issues living in the community.
Just driving through the properly gives me chills.
Awesome Grand Rapids Michigan here but was born in Ludington MI awesome you came to this state it's an honor to have you here
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Reminds me of North Park Village on the northwest side of Chicago. Formerly a sanitarium complex. Buildings are reused as apartments. Tunnels still there with outbuildings. I can send you more info if you are interested.
Nice, I've been obsessed with the history of the Danvers state hospital in Massachusetts. This fits my obsession very well. Those tunnels towards the end are so cool! Thanks for the video! love your stuff friend. Thanks and take care!
Didn’t they demolish that hospital?
Thanks for the tour of this old hospital and thanks for sharing this video be safe
There's a grave for an award winning milk-cow, that lived on the property back in the early 20th century. Munson hospital in Traverse city handles the mentally ill now, I think. My grandparents used to take us here, just to see the old buildings. Very beautiful grounds, and strangely enough, I never got that depressing, heavy sadness, that asylums usually give off. I didn't go through the tunnels though.
Hello from San Antonio, Texas🌹😎 it’s my day off it’s 2:58 PM.
I discovered your channel last week!❤
I gotta say, keep them coming this is badass❤
If you ever get to Asheville, NC there's a former asylum called the historic Kenilworth Inn. It has a similar history and is now apartments (I lived there for four years and it's got some very quirky aspect, including part of an old bowling alley in the basement!).
Thank you so much for taking us; What a place! Excellent construction so refreshing to see. Much appreciated; God bless…..🌝
That is such a beautiful stunning building I'm so glad they didn't tear it down... People need to start restoring old historical buildings not tearing them down
I can't believe they tore down those other buildings and other stuff just to build apartment buildings or whatever else that have no meaning
It's multiple buildings
Must have been an insane place in it's prime! (pun intended)
But seriously, its great that they found a way to preserve it by repurposing it.
I especially like the roof framework, looks pristine!
So glad they are trying to save these buildings. The state facilities Where I worked were left to rot and used by cheap and disrespectful you tubers who didn’t really seem to understand that PEOPLE lived there. Not referring to you. Very nice work on your part. That sink was in a housekeeper closet and the “steeples” provided ventilation. Tunnels also helped staff to get to places in the hospitals in bad weather
I used to work in an _Old Wing of a Memphis Hospital. They had an Elderly Gentleman (who was probably 85ish) as the elevator operator with the same crisscross gates over the doors.. He sat on this little round drop down shelf as he operated :) was a trip into the past ! ps. I loved the glass block stairwell walls.
An amazing place!! Would love an apartment in there! Definite paranormal vibes!!
I'll be doing an extended photography tour here in a few weeks. I cannot wait, kirkbrides are my favorite.
Thanks for the tour!
YES... Michigan, whoohoo~ 🤩💞‼️
Awesome place. I've toured it and have lots of books and ephemera. 3 of my relatives were there and another relative and his wife worked there. I have records and pictures. The clerk has early annual report books that are very informative. And sad.
Loved this explore. Interesting, informative, and historic, what could be better? Thank you!
I used to live close to The Commons. On my days off I would love to ride my bike through their to the barns. It's changed a lot. It's nice to see it being preserved but it's not the same.
Here in NYC, we used to these old decrepit buildings on Roosevelt Island...now an upscale area. Years ago, many indigent, and Psychiatric patients were sent there.
Oh that’s awesome. I worked at the Cherokee MHI for yrs and I love that old kirkbride building
The Cherokee MHI is still open. It’s pretty amazing. Has a museum down in the tunnels
Im from oakland county Michigan. Traverse city is beautiful and has the best cherries in the country
Hope your trip to Michigan treated you well! I was born and raised here in Michigan! I know of a lot of places around Michigan that’ll be interesting to visit. Such as Seven Gables Road. It’s southwest of Dansville and it’s definitely a interesting place. If you’d like to visit it, I would absolutely love to show you around
these videos are so relaxing to watch
Very cool video. Thanks for taking me back home. I've been gone for 30 years now. I guess it's time to make a trip back up there.
oregon state psychiatric hospital has an original Kirkbride building. The hospital has been completely rebuilt but they kept the main kirkbride building as the Administrative Building and built around it. It’s a beautiful building. I worked for the state hospital for a period of time.
Beautiful thank you for sharing
That's really nice to see how they saved the old building
Chris, you do great vlogs!
Nice and beautiful, a good makeover Thanks Chris for that history tour
Imagine the heating bill for that place in the cold Michigan winter.
They used to use steam tunnels to heat there facility! It’s very interesting
Yeah but the heating bills per unit probably aren't that high. This is the main benefit of giant buildings being divided into multiple units rather than having only one entity occupying the building.
What extravagant architecture! It's a shame to let such a beautiful, special place rot and decay in some parts.
It's not it's all being redone
I remember riding on elevators like that i had a sister who was a patient in a few places like that and my family would visit her back in the 1960's i was very young back then
We need to open some of these back up. Mental health has come a long way. So many treatment options now but it’s really hard to treat someone when they’re living in a tent next to the RR tracks.
Hey Chris...have you ever seen the movie "Session 9"? I hear you mention Kirkbride...the movie takes place and is filmed on location at another abandoned psychiatric hospital built by him, and a character in the movie mentions him by name. You've done horror movie locations before, so I thought it would be up your alley. It's a little independent horror film from 1999 and has the distinction (I believe) of being one, if not the first movie shot on digital video, which gives it this hyper-realistic unsettling quality. Its unconventional for a horror film, well acted, well shot, very atmospheric and pretty damn scary. Some of the shots remind me of "The Shining". If you like abandoned places, architecture and horror movies, this one is for you. Keep in mind, it is subtle and tense and takes its time, not a load of blood and guts. I had no idea WTF was going on until the very end, and it stayed with me since I was a kid. It's a good one, try it out and hit back if you liked it.
I took the tour. We got to explore a building but it wasn't like the one you explored. We only go to explore the 1st floor. That tunnel was a part of the original experimental heating system which ultimately didn't work as well as they thought it would.
What a very nice building thanks for showing up be safe
With some restore, this beautiful building can be a very nice hotel, shops, special event spaces, and partial historical museum, for visitors and locals.
I can see and say that most of these architecture were based off European design and construction .
I just discovered your blogs. I like the one that you did with Lamont. Keep up the good work and have a great day.
My friend use to work there when it was open, in fact she was one of the last people out of there. A few years ago she tried to go through some of the restored areas, she can't do it, she said she call still hear the screaming.
She was attacked (knocked out for a few minuets, when she woke up she was being strangled, thankfully a doctor who was also in the tunnels heard the commotion and came and saved her) once by a lady in the tunnels once, patients were not suppose to be in the tunnels without an escort. She was also hit in the head and knocked out once by a guy. He would often beat his wife, and I guess she looked similar to his wife. She tells me stories all the time about working there.
The need to bring these county/regional mental health institutions back and _fund them fully_ to take care of our most challenged fellow citizens. Closing them all and letting everyone fend for themselves was a crime.
Do you know who cares for the mentally ill of Cook County, Ill. today? The Sheriff's department. They are treated only after they land in jail.
They closed the hospitals and put most of them in prison after they committed crimes.
@@marks.c4753 correct. Mentally ill people left to live on the streets will commit crimes to survive. Mentally healthy people left to live on the streets will also commit crimes to survive.
they had one in Pontiac mi called Clinton valley hospital. it creeped me out as a kid. it's been long gone but I guess one building was left as the club house for the neighbor that was built in the grounds. read up about it. it was an interesting place. alot of local stories about that place.
Wish it was restored like this one. It was beautiful also. Always wished I could go through the buildings but also like that one once all the funding was gone they just let the people out be homeless on the streets. Some of the people were out during the day and would have to go back at night and they would hang out at the mall across the street or come into the businesses surrounding the hospital. I worked in a building that one particular lady would come in everyday and pick the cigarette butts out of the ashtrays she would sometimes get upset because there weren't enough for her and she would throw a little fit right in the waiting room. One day she got so upset she slapped the receptionist and was no longer allowed to come back in the building. Don't think I would want to live in the houses that are there now.
2022: Left that area in 2011. Walked the same grounds and took my own pics. I know they've made a lot a progress in the past 12 years, but a lot still looks the same.
My Mother was a patient there when I was a young boy, I don't what exactly happened,my older siblings know more about it because I was quite young, I just know she had a break down as was there quite awhile,They gave her shock treatments an I think it made her worse,She was a very loving person but when she came home I remember she was afraid of water an seemed a little scitafrenic an had fear of things an always worried about everything,But never did any harm to anyone she was very loving from what I remember they had her on about 10 different medications the rest of her life an it made her tired a lot,I don't like to talk about it much an it was hard for me to make this post those people went through hell every day of their lives,She is resting in piece now since 1997
Right at the very beginning of this video I knew that this style of Fairview Milyer I live in Trenton New Jersey and our psychiatric facility is massive. It looks exactly like this are very similar in the entranceway is dead on almost the same. Though we are missing all of the decoration in the roof pieces but the building is their overall
Hey, my friend. Glad I caught this video. I'm subscribed to your channel but don't get notifications. Thanks for sharing this. Glad you're in Michigan.
A mental hospital not far from me, Pilgrim State Hospital, was the largest hospital of any type in the world in the 1950's, with more than 10,000 patients. It's still open though at a much reduced level.
Don't forget Kings Park and Central Islip hospitals too.
the "Farm Colonies" as they were called. They even had a railroad between CI & Pilgrim.
There's a great book at the libraries if you're interested.
we have one of those kirkbride style buildings around here in MN too. it also was an old psychiatric hopital thats been empty since the early 90's, they've been trying to save it for years but everything seems to fall through. still hoping they can, it's a beautiful huge old building
I did get to see it when it was open, unfortunatly my uncle was admitted there, i remember playing outside on the lawn. i was only like 10 years old then so i don't remember much about the inside and what it looked like
Thank you for sharing this.
Cool video. I have yet to see a TH-cam video of the City on the Hill. Harrisburg Lunatic Hospital as it was called in the early days. Security is tight though. It started in 1852. Only 2 small brick buildings remain from 1852. Most remaining were built in 1893. Some more modern in the back section..It was self maintained had it's own barn for milking cows they worked the fields for their vegetables. Had an ice pond for ice. Has it's own power plant etc.
Now we don't put them in an asylum, we send them to Washington DC.
You got that right!
Actually, Whitmer is still there, you made her governor.
@@farmerbill6855 I live in Fl. and love our Gov.
Yep, Joey is living proof.
Living 🤔
My hometown! Much love bro
My hometown!
Traverse City is a cool place now. They've done a lot of work to it. There's a museum', shops etc in it now.
Those buildings were really nice. It was really cool what they changed some of the buildings into. Paying for a high end condo so I can live in a old mental hospital. I agree with that other post about it being haunted.
I don’t think it’s very expensive compared to the rest of the available housing in the TC area. It’s hella expensive to live “in town” as the somewhat locals say. Most people live in towns around TC like Interlochen (home to the Interlochen Arts Academy where I think Bruce Willis’ kid went one time), Kingsley, Buckley, Acme, etc. Going “in town” just means going to TC. People usually only go there for bigger grocery stores with slightly better prices. Gas is usually cheaper in town, with the exception of a few oddball gas stations in some slightly further out towns. Go too far out, and the price is high again. No one goes into town unless they have to during tourist season, especially during Cherry Festival!!