Haunted Asylums

Des Moines – Side trip from Farrar School, Chapter 6

I can’t even tell you how great Iowa is. You won’t believe me until you smell it and see how green it is for yourself. Until you make it out, let this short report suffice.

I began the day shopping and exploring Historic Valley Junction. Then, I took in the free Des Moines Art Center. (Yes, it’s free. But don’t be that guy). I walked in the park and took a drive downtown to see what I could see.

The Capitol:

I ate at Skip’s two times that day, I think, and you would too. The next morning, on our way to Farrar School, we saw John Wayne’s birthplace, and every single bridge of Madison County.

That was my one perfect day in Des Moines, just prior to ghost hunting at Farrar School for Chapter 6 of Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums.

http://www.valleyjunction.com/

http://www.desmoinesartcenter.org/

http://skipsdesmoines.com/

http://madisoncounty.com/index.php?page=the-bridges

http://hauntingatfarrar.com/

December 28, 2013 0

San Antonio – Side Trip from Yorktown Hospital, Chapter 5

Yorktown Hospital, featured in Chapter 5 of Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums, is about 75 miles outside of San Antonio, so we flew in a day before the ghost hunt to play tourist.

For one thing, I saw all of the missions, and of course, the Alamo.

Mission San Jose – San Antonio, TX

Mission Espada – San Antonio, TX

The Alamo – San Antonio, TX

I sauntered right up and got on a boat that took me all around the riverwalk (I walked it later, okay).

San Antonio Riverwalk — ***Riverwalk – San Antonio, TX***

It was great touristy fun. Anytime I see something like this, I want to know how many drunk people have fallen in and drowned, but everyone I asked swore up and down that this type of thing never happens.

I especially enjoyed exploring La Villita, the historic arts village, just off the riverwalk. I’m not going to name names, but there is a fantastic salesperson/proprietor/artist in one of these shops. She really got me good. It involved a rather expensive pin for an alleged festival later that evening, and I’m embarrassed to tell you that much. Oh well, such is life. I will leave you with this piece of advice – Don’t drink and shop.

http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/
http://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm

December 28, 2013 0

Louis Bennett Library – Side Trip for Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Chapter 4

We arrived in Pittsburgh for Chapter 4 (Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum) of Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums on a Saturday and had a quick return flight the next morning.

Weston has a beautiful old library downtown. This is the sort of place you want a library to be. I come from a town where all the libraries are square, concrete buildings, and if you’re lucky the main branch will resemble some sort of space ship motif. It is just not right at all.

But here, in Weston, they know what a library should be.

December 28, 2013 0

Major Graham Mansion – Side Trip for St. Albans Sanatorium, Chapter 3

While we were traveling in Virginia for official Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums business for Chapter 3 – St. Albans, I came across what I swore up and down was the Addams Family House. This is important, because the last time I thought I had found the real house I was five and at Disney World. Fast forward twenty seven years and I am still no further along in my search for those elusive Addamses. According to Sam, there is no REAL Addams Family, no hairy cousin Itt, and decidedly no Thing T. Thing. Right about now is when he likes to compare me to those people who pleaded so passionately to their congressmen when the first episode of Gilligan’s Island aired. “For God’s sake, why don’t we send someone out there to save those people?!”

Major Graham Mansion - Max Meadows, VA — ***Major Graham Mansion – Max Meadows, VA***

Whether or not he’s right about the above, what I saw was actually the Major Graham Mansion, so I will have to continue the search for the Addams Family.

As we were turning around I thought I spotted a sign on the gate. “Beware of the Thing.” That’s what that sign said.

Oh, and I also liked this ramshackle, falling in upon itself place:

J.N. Adam Memorial Hospital in Perrysburg, New York

This was a stumble-upon discovery from a Buffalo, New York run. The hospital was not accessible to us, it was completely fenced in and we are too chicken to be any good as urban explorers. Mostly, we’re scared of falling through a ceiling and dying. Also, I would like to point out that it’s very difficult to travel commercially with proper urban explorer tools. Might I point out the obvious fact that security is going to completely freak out when your carryon bag contains the following items: rope, infrared camera, duct tape, and pocket knife. It just isn’t going to work out.

So, alas, we had to photograph from behind the fence and dream of what it would be like to access the hospital and grounds. Maybe one day it will be restored and ghost hunters and photographers will be allowed to come visit. This place is definitely on my dream list of locations to see!

J.N. Adam Memorial Hospital - Perrysburg, New York — ***J.N. Adam Memorial Hospital – Perrysburg, New York***

Louisville, Kentucky – Background Journey for Waverly Hills Chapter

Chapter 2 took us to Waverly Hills Sanatorium. I was torn between staying at The Brown Hotel and 21C Museum Hotel, but opted for The Brown. Getting in around 9:00 p.m., we were booking it to the English Grill to find out for ourselves what all the fuss was about these hot brown things. This is one of those cases where the hype is right. You don’t want to miss this dish. I’ve considered planning an entire future weekend about this meal. It’s that good.

http://www.brownhotel.com/dining-hot-brown.htm

Gorgeous opulence inside the historic Brown Hotel:

Ceiling detail of the historic Brown Hotel - Louisville, KY — ***Ceiling detail of the historic Brown Hotel – Louisville, KY***

We had some time to kill before our ghost hunt Saturday night, and the first thing I wanted to see was the Speed Art Museum. It was closed and I almost shed irritation tears over it. But I’m a professional, so we adapted and found some other ways to piddle around and occupy ourselves while the sun was shining.

For one thing, we discovered the North End Café along Bardstown Road, and from there some funky shops and galleries by driving around a little. I can pretty much promise you that if you put a gorilla and a dinosaur outside your store, I’m going in. It’s happening.

DSCN1750 — ***Shopping in Louisville, KY***

Of course, I had to pay my respects to the Colonel over in Cave Hill Cemetery (this is where I refer you to my previous post about chicken money), and from there I fit in a walk over at the Waterfront Park.

Grave of Col. Sanders - Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KY — ***Grave of Col. Sanders – Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, KY***

I did not take in any Louisville Slugger or Derby attractions, and I realize this may result in hate email.

But I did see an awesome haunted mansion. I could tell by looking at it. There’s some spooks hiding out in this joint. I know it.

Abandoned "haunted" mansion - Louisville, KY — ***Abandoned “haunted” mansion – Louisville, KY***

Indianapolis Union Railroad Station

With the New Year creeping up on me at an accelerating pace, I have already been thinking about what I want to accomplish next year and am frantically trying to close out old business as well. One of the items on my to do list is to wrap up old Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums traveling business. What I mean by this is for every chapter of the book, it seems as if I have some sort of side story or point of interest along the way that I would like to draw attention to.

So. That being said, in accordance with the prophecy (I’m sorry, I just honestly could not help myself), I have to share these photos of the Indianapolis Union Railroad Station. I stumbled upon it on my way to investigate Ashmore Estates in Illinois for Chapter 1.

If you know me, you know I have a semi-obsession with trains and train stations. But not in a weird way. Candidly, I’ve never even actually packed a bag and been on a destination train, although I REALLY, REALLY want to, Amtrak. Are you listening, Amtrak? I think it is one of those things we just don’t get to do down here in Georgia. I mean, I’m all for it. I would love to ride a train somewhere. I just don’t want it to take two days and cost $1,000.00 to get from Georgia to New Orleans, you heard?

***Indianapolis Union Railroad Station***

But I digress. I just wanted you to see this building.

Ghost Hunt at Old South Pittsburg Hospital

One of the locations that Sam and I rented one weekend back in 2011 for some training prior to traveling for Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums was Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee.

Old South Pittsburg Hospital - Tennessee — ***Old South Pittsburg Hospital – Tennessee***

***The Car Inside Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee***

The place did not disappoint. This is the only place I know of that runs more like a research facility for serious ghost hunters as opposed to a Friday night free for all that some public ghost hunt events can turn into. You can camp inside the hospital for the entire weekend, and if you bring a cooler with food you won’t even have to leave the building. Don’t forget to look for the car.

The Operating Room - Inside Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee — ***The Operating Room – Inside Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee***

My favorite part of the hospital was the third floor, although it was also the place that scared me the most. While sitting in an operating room in the pitch black, I was overcome with the feeling of suffocation. Simultaneously, I felt myself getting angry with Sam for no reason. At the time, I just wanted to get out of the operating room. The next morning, as I reflected upon the previous night’s events, it occurred to me that it was very possible that I was feeling someone’s dying energy.

Third Floor, Pysch Ward - Inside Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee — ***Third Floor, Pysch Ward – Inside Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee***

Downstairs - Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee — ***Downstairs – Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee***

We had a lot of flashlight activity throughout the hallways. So much so, that even Cindy remarked upon it while she was checking up on us via live video feed from her room.

Original Equipment - Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee — ***Original Equipment – Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee***

Basement - Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee — **Basement – Old South Pittsburg Hospital in Tennessee**

The hospital is a perfect setting to try out your new equipment and run experiments.
Gratuitous boiler room shot:
Wish it would have made the book!
Further Reading:

Home

December 17, 2013 2

Jamie Davis with Sam Queen ‘Haunted Asylums, Prisons, and Sanatoriums: Inside Abandoned Institutions for the Crazy, Criminal & Quarantined’ Review

I don’t think it is wrong to celebrate good press.

Horror Novel Reviews

Written by: Drake Morgan

This is a non-fiction work focusing on a number of locations with very dark histories. Jamie Davis takes us inside insane asylums, prisons, hospitals, and schools known for their rather sinister occupants and eerie pasts. These abandoned locales have decayed, but the specter of what they were remains in the corridors, peeling paint, and shadows around every corner.

Davis and his paranormal investigator friend Sam Queen gave each location a thorough going-over. They brought in the latest equipment to test for sound, vibrations, temperature, and the other elements associated with hauntings. Each chapter is dedicated to a single location. Davis does an excellent job of giving us a history without delving too far into trivial details. Pictures bring these dark places to life as well. Real-life accounts compliment the images and we begin to feel the shadows taking shape as we explore alongside Davis and his…

View original post 83 more words

September 22, 2013 0

Category