Like many asylums of the era, the bartonville institution housed not just the. Peoria asylum bartonville all you need to know before you. Transallegheny lunatic asylum tour this national historic. Beautiful and creepy as it is, the original hospital looked as if it was a medieval castle, but was never used, and eventually was torn down in 1897 for reasons of structural. Mad house specifically looks into the insane asylum wards of 19th century new york and the rich assortment of doctors and patients that inhabited them. In 1995 willard psychiatric center closed its doors, but a portion of the campus is a new york state department of corrections rehabilitation facility for inmates. Surrounding by tales of unsettled spirits and ghost sightings, the asylum is well known in central illinois and a favorite stopping point for many who are interested in the paranormal. Peoria state hospital, bartonville state hospital, illinois general asylum for the insane, and illinois asylum for the incurably insane. Aaron joked behind his camera and proceeded to set an x.
Oct 18, 2015 peoria state hospital during its glory days in the 1920s. Peoria state hospital hauntings ghostly activities. Bartonville insane asylum bartonville, illinois, usa in 1885, construction on the bartonville insane asylum began, and in two years later, in 1887 it was completed. Haunted infirmary is located in the pollak hospital on the old peoria state hospital bartonville asylum grounds and is produced by insane women productions. Peoria state hospital which has also operated under the names bartonville state hospital, peoria asylum, the illinois general hospital for the insane, and the illinois asylum for the incurable insane opened as an insane asylum operated by the state of illinois from 1902 until 1973. Oct 21, 2016 the asylum is a central illinois landmark. From 19021973 this was the place of a mental hospital, which now continues to. Heres another photo from peoria state hospital in bartonville, il. It is easy to get in, but once there, it is impossible to get out.
Zeller was known for, and quite simply human kindness, which was something that you normally did not find in an insane asylum in the beginning of the 1900s. The insane asylum on blackwells island is a human rattrap. In all, doctors performed 94 lobotomies on the most insane people. I really hope you have all enjoyed it as much as i have. The building was never used, apparently due to the structural damage caused when the abandoned mine shafts it was built over collapsed.
I was following the group looking down at the cemetery from the third floor, and i saw an apparition walking pass the headstones. Haunted insane asylum photos and stories haunted asylums. But, it has declined to the point of being dangerous. Many of the most famous mental institutions have sordid histories, with famous patients, terrifying ghosts, and scads of abuse. Be prepared to be both educated and entertained as you follow along with keene and the sad, but engaging inhabitants in the hidden history of new york insane asylums.
Upon completion the hospital resembled a medieval castle with battlements and turrets. Real and horrific experiences that asylum patients had to. I am a professional psychic medium and my husband and i are doing a film at the peoria asylum called ghost realm. By 1877 willard, at 475 acres 1500 patients was the largest asylum in the united states 1. Illinois asylum bowen peoria asylum illinois asylum for. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the dates you selected. Insane women productions is a tour company located in bartonville, il, specializing in not only halloween and haunt attractions, but also in history of the peoria state hospital. Apparently bartonville state hospital was a nice place to visit and quite a few souls decided to stay. Bartonville state asylum peoria state mental hospital peoria, il, illinois asylumsave the bowen is currently looking for an investor or investors to partner with to restore this building researching paranormal phenomena and the home of americas ghosts please ghost hunt responsibly. Insane asylums now known as mental hospitals were institutions that housed the insane under the general belief that institutionalizing mentally ill people was the correct form of treatment.
Ghost asylum team visits former illinois psychiatric. The cemeteries are still open and can be walked through, but the main draw is gone. Top 10 most haunted hospitals in illinois mysterious. Tours of the building which was constructed in 1898 and opened in 1902 are being.
Tour this nationally recognized historic landmark and see how it left a lasting impression on local and national history. Written in a narrative of gathered stories, rumors. A few miles outside of peoria, illinois rests the bartonville insane asylum. Popular insane asylum books showing 150 of 84 blue asylum hardcover by. Oct 09, 2017 at the new facility, under the care of new doctors, derry was permitted to sleep in a bed with fresh linen rather than her box with straw. Haunted infirmary at the bartonville insane asylum. Read many more stories of haunted history in books from american hauntings ink independent publisher of books on ghosts, haunted history, crime and the. Dec 11, 2016 one last journey through the halls of the peoria state hospital. It was first built in 1895 in bartonville, il but was never used until 1902 when it was taken over by dr. I watched from a distance, getting my audio pack set to go. I did the guided tour and a few of the spots we went too definitely had a. The hospital is located in bartonville, illinois, near the city of peoria in peoria county. This 160 year old asylum holds fascinating stories of civil war raids, a gold robbery, the curative effects of architecture, and the efforts of determined individuals to help better the lives of the mentally ill. We were on the first floor walking down a corridor of deserted patient wards, nick and aaron filmed jessica walking inside.
Old book is the name given to a purported ghost or spirit that haunts a cemetery and tree on the grounds of the peoria state hospital in bartonville, illinois. May 16 lawrence mocha the willard grave digger will be memorialized at the willard cemetery. Discover peoria state hospital in bartonville, illinois. Posts about bartonville illinois written by ghostly world. For many, just mentioning bartonville insane asylum sends chills down the spine. Cook county insane asylum former chicago, illinois. Among those documenting the tale is the first director of the state insane asylum, george zeller. Bartonville, with a population of about 7,000, is located in peoria county. Peoria state hospital was in operation from 1902 to 1973. Construction on the bartonville state hospital began in 1885, and the main structurean enormous building most closely resembling a medieval castlewas completed in 1887. Peoria state hospital bartonville, illinois atlas obscura. I have always enjoyed going to locations with a lot of history. The building which once was called the illinois asylum for the incurable insane is open to the public on fridays and saturdays yearround. Oct 03, 2014 construction for the illinois asylum for the incurable insane began in 1895 in bartonville, but it was seven years before the facility, built in the cottagestyle with 7 buildings, would open its doors to the first 100 residents on february 10, 190.
The iconic bowen building remains at the corner of w pfeiffer road and enterprise drive in bartonville, illinois. The hospital, once called the illinois asylum for the incurable insane, is one of a few locations the team visits for the series new season, which is scheduled to premiere 9 p. Apr 18, 2015 upcoming 2015 public tour of willard asylum for the insane. Read many more stories of haunted history in books from american hauntings ink independent publisher of books on ghosts, haunted history, crime and the unexplained in america. The building itself, built on a hill with a stunning view of hamilton, was thought to calm the most troubled of minds. Upcoming public tour of willard asylum for the insane.
The tours have been scheduled for saturday, may 16th 2015 at 11 a. Bartonville state asylum peoria state mental hospital peoria, il, illinois asylumsave the bowen is currently looking for an investor or investors to partner with to restore this building. Fractured spirits, a haunting at the peoria state hospital by sylvia shults is a collection of ghost stories centered around the now defunct insane asylum in bartonville, illinois. The haunted carlinville tour from american hauntings is a historical tour of the hauntings that linger in the small town of carlinville, illinois home to coal mine history, sears homes, the million dollar courthouse, blackburn college, and a myriad of ghosts in the heart of macoupin county. He would mourn the passing of each person he helped inter in the cemetery. Visit the fb pages for info haunted infirmary at bartonville insane asylum and pollak hospital. Bartonville insane asylum we have reached the conclusion of this video. Despite the huge costs involved in building it, it was never used and was torn down in 1897. I am glad to see the city of bartonville has finally fenced it off. Haunted history tours, bus tours, and dinner and spirits experiences along the river road. Get ghost hunting tips and haunting details for peoria state hospital in bartonville, illinois. Oct 31, 2017 a favorite location of modern horror movies and television shows, insane asylums have captured our imaginations for ages. Even before it was abandoned, stories about hauntings were commonplace.
Bowen building at old peoria state hospital open for tours. She lived out her final 2 years in this more compassionate facility, the bartonville state hospital also called illinois asylum for the incurable insane. The haunted infirmary come see what spills out of the. Ipra takes you to the haunted infirmary ward on the grounds of the bartonville insane asylum in peoria, illinois. Old book is the name given to a purported ghost or spirit that haunts a cemetery and tree on the grounds of the peoria state hospital in bartonville.
Former insane asylum in bartonville draws crowds for. Is the ghost of old book bartonville insane asylum, there is a long history behind this sad and forlorn place. He was a patient who worked with the burial crew until his own death. Bartonville insane asylum the abandoned former peoria state hospital also known as bartonville state hospital, or the illinois asylum for the incurable insane. Peoria asylum bartonville 2020 all you need to know before. Haunted infirmary at bartonville insane asylum, bartonville, illinois. The psychiatric hospital was rebuilt in 1902 under the direction of dr. For more from our extra section haunted heartland, check out. Zeller who was the physician who led the hospital attested that 400 staff and patients saw old book s ghost mourning at his own funeral. While rumors of ghosts and ghost stories are highly speculative, the old book tale has been documented many times. Walkthrough part 2 doris gridley, a witness on one of the ghost tours. All thats left are the memories of sneaking in the abandoned building at night and trying to scare each other. Peoria asylum bartonville 2020 all you need to know.
Rolling hills asylum, originally called genesee county poor farm, was created as a poorhouse. A map, bibliography, glossary, index, and an internet site where a reader can learn more about abandoned insane asylums are provided at the back of this 32page book. Oct 24, 2012 after more than three years of seeking approval for abatement funds, 32 days of cleanup and plenty of personal sacrifice, developer richard weiss has opened the bowen building of the former peoria. This book hones in on the ghosts and spirits said to be haunting the peoria state hospital in bartonville illinois.
Former insane asylum in bartonville draws crowds for spooky tours. Jun 28, 2011 haunted infirmary at bartonville insane asylum, bartonville, illinois. I say this because of the progressive medicine that dr. Ontarios century manor insane asylum was a beautiful facility for the regions psychiatric patients. Join ursula bielski and me ed shanahan, for this one of a kind beyond the veil at the bartonville insane asylum in peoria, il. Haunted infirmary at bartonville insane asylum facebook. The regions most authentic ghost tour and the only tour based on the book by troy taylor. The lost and forgotten children by susan tarr, a madness so discreet by mindy. Dec 11, 2012 haunted bartonville insane asylum infirmary. We have a daylight video tour of location and i just added the internet radio interview annette and i.
Pollak hospital peoria state hospital bartonville asylum. Bartonville insane asylum, bartonville, il built in 1895, bartonville insane asylum, also known as the peoria state hospital or the illinois asylum for the incurable insane has been abandoned since 1973. Haunted infirmary at bartonville insane asylum home. Peoria state hospital bartonville asylum illinois haunted houses. Haunted bartonville insane asylum infirmary youtube. I really cant recommend this book for 9 12 yearolds. My friend steve christopher and i got a tour of the bartonville state hospital in bartonville, illinois. Zak walked down the stone path as nick and aaron filmed him. Also known as bartonville state hospital or illinois asylum for the incurable insane, the peoria asylum operated as a psychiatric hospital from 1902 to 1973 and housed 2,800 patients at its peak. Areas greatest ghost story came from peoria state hospital.
Association or ipra takes you to the haunted infirmary ward on the grounds of the bartonville insane asylum in peoria, illinois. Haunted asylums peoria state hosptial in bartonville. Illinois asylum bowen peoria asylum illinois asylum for the. I would like to thank the pollak hospital staff and volunteers who put this event together, it was really a remarkable experience. This old asylum is famous for its paranormal activity and history of hauntings.
Open every friday and saturday night in october 7 p. It has had many names over the past 115 yearspeoria state hospital, bartonville state hospital, illinois general asylum for the insane, and illinois asylum for the incurably insane. The term was used throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries to describe staterun compounds that housed orphans, the poor, petty criminals, the mentally ill, and anyone else deemed unfit for mainstream society. Former insane asylum in bartonville draws crowds for spooky tours danielle hatch peoria journal star. Final tour of the bartonville insane asylum youtube.
Strangely, old book as he began to be called was especially suited to the work. Kathy hepinstall goodreads author shelved 7 times as insaneasylum. They terrify us, but we cant seem to get enough of the mysteries surrounding them. Like many poor farms and mental hospitals in illinois, the cook county poor farm and the asylum built upon it had a tragic history. Posted in uncategorized with tags bartonville, bowen building, haunted tours, insane asylum, peoria, peoria state hospital on april 6, 2010 by hauntedgirl it has had many names over the past 115 years. Tour this nationally recognized historic landmark and see how it. It is currently used for the haunted infirmary haunted house in october as well as history and paranormal tours throughout the year. Peoria state hospital bartonville asylum real haunted place. When i tried to show it to the others, it disappeared. You may pay extra fees for more access to the site and a longer tour. Haunted insane asylum photos and stories slideshow haunted asylums, abandoned asylums, mental.
Jessica hewitt volunteered her time as a guide on the ghost tours. Peoria state hospital historic district, also known as bartonville state hospital or illinois asylum for the incurable insane, was a psychiatric hospital operated by the state of illinois from 1902 to 1973. After more than three years of seeking approval for abatement funds, 32 days of cleanup and plenty of personal sacrifice, developer richard weiss has opened the bowen building of the former peoria state hospital for tours. Haunted asylums peoria state hosptial in bartonville, illinois. Most of the cottages have converted to private use or they were demolished. Construction for the illinois asylum for the incurable insane began in 1895 in bartonville, but it was seven years before the facility, built in the cottagestyle with 7 buildings, would open its doors to the first 100 residents on february 10, 190. It is the purpose of this book to personalize the peoria state hospital through the. There has always been the chance of a very bad accident with the individuals that sneak into the place in hopes. Peoria state hospital bartonville asylum bartonville. The first buildings of the bartonville insane asylum began in 1885 and were completed in 1887. The legend of old book mightve long ago faded into the backstory of peoria state. This 60,000 square foot building has been widely known for stories of inhumane treatments on mentally ill patients, now is being known for the ghosts that are said to haunt to this place.