This is otherwise known as the main building. It is huge. It is five stories tall and covers over 320,000 square feet. It has a courtyard and just about everything else that would make this building something that could possibly be reused, but unfortunately that is not the case. I think the building was stripped of anything of value and demolition was in mind when they moved. It was very moldy inside due to flooding. In fact, out of the 5 or so trips I made, I think only one time did I not get sick. Anyway's, there are many pictures and I'll do my best to keep them in the appropriate order. You can see just how large this building is by these exterior shots.
A distant shot of the front. This is facing north towards the main entrance. You can see this just from walking through the park. The administration building used to be in front.
A closer shot of the front showing the pillars. Underneath the stairs is a narrow passage that leads to the basement.
Just west from the main facade is the corner piece that runs right across from the auditorium. This is where the day rooms where which I'm told is where they would sit the patients for much of the day. These rooms had quite a veiw, btw.
From behind facing south. They were in the process of taking down the main corridor at this time. You can see this on the right.
A near shot of the back showing the old loading dock to the cafeteria.
This was taken almost from the same spot but aimed west. You can see the back of the power station, bakery, and the far off the laundry.
Getting in was not difficult. At the time I entered, the had a concourse leading from the Phantom Theatre to the dining room of the main building. The door was left open. On subsequent trips, I found that other doors were open as well.
A small courtyard that is between the Phantom Theatre and the main building. An unlocked door on the left leads in.
This corridor, next to the Phantom, follows around the corner and to another long hall.
After the turn, at the end of this is the door to the cafeteria, and on the right is the courtyard.
Before entering the building, it was nice to check out the courtyard. Though the creepy tree in the middle is a little weird, it actually bloomed this spring and no longer looks like a death sentence.
The courtyard. Walking around I noticed fire extinguishers, grills, thrown over tables, and trash cans with trash bags still intact.
A closer look at the tree reveals that this was once probably a nice place to get some fresh air.
Looking back towards the building. On the other side of that small corridor there is another smaller courtyard.
Inside this part of the building looks to be the old cafeteria. There were several large rooms and one with screens on it. Perhaps they watched movies in there. There was also all sorts of junk that was stored here and items that would show that they workers were probably taking smoke breaks inside.
Just inside the wide open door. Not much left here but empty coke bottles, exercise bikes, and some desks.
Same room looking back.
Through the other room leads to this room, which appears to be the kitchen.
Through that room leads to this room. It has a large breaker and some other stuff, but I'm not really sure what it's purpose was.
I'm not sure if this was part of the same room or next to it, but it has screens on the back. Maybe this was used to show movies.
After checking out the cafeteria, I went upstairs in that area. I found office rooms and a few other activity type rooms. I didn't get pictures of everything, but most of it was the same.
The stairs from the cafe to the office rooms.
An office with it's pretty curtains still present.
Another office room equipped with a do no use bathroom sign.
I'm guessing this was the employee dining area upstairs.
On a subsequent trip, I made it further out into the building getting pictures of the ward sections. They had stripped everything that would identify it as what it was, which was very disappointing, but it was still worth the trip. The building was trashed, and the lower two floors were flooded and difficult to walk.
This was the first room I saw. I'm not sure what it was exactly, but some of the stuff would suggest it was an activities room.
These small rooms were found all over the building. Most of them had gated windows, but all I can think of is they were timeout rooms or something.
The hallways on the first floor were extremely dark due to the boarded up windows.
On one of the pictures below there is a reflection of a face. This place has a long history. Could it be some type of paranormal activity? Who knows.
Up to the second floor you can see the difference in stair cases.
They were gated and most of the stairs were crumpled.
I ran into this on the second floor. Every day room had a mural on it, but this one was unusual. At a glance, nothing seems abnormal, but I took a picture of it and now there is a face on it.
The second floor was in the worst condition due to the flooding. If I didn't know better, I would swear this building had been abandoned much longer after exploring this floor.
This looks like it may have been a shower room. It's completely trashed and flooded so who knows.
This was a restroom on this floor and was absolutely disgusting.
It was time to move on. This hallway was lit a bit better so I wouldn't run into a steel door that was on the ground like I did on the first floor.
Somehow, I managed to find myself back on the first floor. I headed up to the front of the building to check out the main entrance. Again, it was boarded up and was pitch black. I had to stumble around a bit because of course I didn't have a flashlight.
This was the main room at one point. This picture was taken from the hall pointed at the main entrance.
Same room, but the picture was taken to face the main hallway.
Much farther down the hallway, I came across this elevator. It didn't work.
After messing around on the first floor again, I decided to head back up the the main floors. I'm not sure which floors some of these were taken on as much of it all looked the same.
Looks like a patient dorm room. Someone forgot to pack when they moved next door.
This was a restroom/shower.
Another dorm room.
This room looked promising so I went it. There was absolutely nothing in this dark room. I did not have the promised good times with smiley face.
Another dorm room, this one with it's own personal lavatory.
I'm glad I didn't have to go. This wouldn't flush.
A small shower room.
These rooms were all around too. They looked like they were small game rooms. This one had some board games and such on the floor.
This was a main game room. It had nothing left in it.
After running around various floors and rooms, I decided it was time to go up to the top. There I found a great view of the park, angry crows, and some other fun stuff.
Here's that damn elevator again. Everywhere I went, I saw it just staring at me and mocking me. It knew that I had to get lost trying to figure out what staircase to use.
Up another small staircase leads to this room. Out that door is the roof, out the door behind this picture leads to the rooms pictured below.
I mentioned angry crows. This window, which can be seen as the open one from the courtyard (it is at the top left behind the tree) was occupied by the crows that are now in the tree. They were unhappy with my presence, but left after I ran them off.
Same window, but different view to give some perspective.
This was the highest point in the building and by far my favorite place. This looks like it had air blowers and perhaps the lifting mechanism to my favorite elevator.
Same room farther down.
I had come this far, I knew it was time to check out the roof since this room had convenient access to it.
It was so dark up here I almost fell down this hole.
How convenient. The door was missing.
It was a great view up here, but I didn't stay long because of the visibility.
On the way back down, I did encounter some problems. I didn't know the quickest way to get back because basically I didn't know where I was. But when I started to head down, I noticed the staircase I was on was busted out. The floor I was on (2nd) was also flooded and nearly impossibly to cross to another staircase. I considered going back up a floor and walking all the way across the building to find another staircase, but I luckily found another one about 40 yards down another hall. I had to move a bunch of debris, but I was on my way.
The top of the busted out stairs. All of this ruble from this hole was all over the stairs making it foolish to cross.
The putrid, flooded halls. I had been through others that were flooded, but this took the cake.
Just passed my infamous barricade.
Here are some signs I found throughout the place.
A good saying.
I agree with this statement 100%.
Reading this makes me think just how much treatment has changed over the years.
Overall, a nice place to explore. It's just too bad they are razing it. They were supposed to be done with everything over a month ago, but this building remains still completely intact with the exception of the concourse from the Phantom Theatre to the cafeteria that I used so many times to get it. I hate to think of all the good memories people had in this place and how now it looks like this. It is very depressing even to me, and I never even worked there.
