This week's episode explores the history of the first three decades of Taunton State Hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts. Find out why people were sent to this hospital and what major world events led to a dramatic increase of patient admissions at asylums around the state. Learn what a "magic lantern show" was and why the asylum had to have a wall …

In this week's episode, I interview photographer Christie Seyglinski. Listen to find out how she got started photographing abandoned Kirkbride hospitals and why she spent a night in an old asylum in 8th grade! Add Abandoned: Echoes of the Past by Christie Seyglinski to your wishlist now! Available soon. Follow her work on Instagram @christieseyglin…

This week's episode features the story of the tragic murder of 5-year-old Edith Freeman in 1879. Learn why her parents did not mourn the loss of their daughter, whom they said they loved more than life itself, and find out why her father was sent to Danvers Lunatic Asylum in 1880. Sources are mostly drawn from newspaper articles from the time perio…

This week's episode outlines the history of Danvers State Hospital from 1912 until it closure in 1992. Find out what happens to the site after the hospital closed down and how it is being used today. Most of my information is drawn from the Images of America book on Danvers State Hospital by Katherine Anderson and Robert Duffy. All other sources wi…

This week's episode covers the first four decades of Danvers State Hospital (originally the State Lunatic Asylum at Danvers). Learn why people believed the land the asylum was built on was cursed. Find out what was later discovered in the abandoned hospital that had been preserved from the early days of the pathology lab. We'll also look at the way…

This week's episode focuses on the story of Mary Huestis Pengilly, who was sent to the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in St. John, New Brunswick, at age 61. Learn about Mary's history and what possibly led to her admission to the asylum. Hear Mary's own words from her diary about her experience in the asylum -- from endearing women she met on the wards …

In this episode, we discuss the last century of history at the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, now called the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Find out about the murder that led to the "trial of the century" and sparked public interest in learning about insanity and psychiatry. Learn what methods of treatment were used at the hospital befo…

This week's episode covers the history of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum over the course of 50 years (1857-1907). Find out what treatments were used during the superintendentship of Drs. Workman and Clark. Learn why one group was disproportionately represented in the asylum and in Toronto jails. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode t…

In this week's episode, we discuss the socio-political events that led to the construction of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Toronto, Canada. Find out why it took so long for the asylum to be constructed and why it was only half-built by the time it opened in 1850. Learn about the very turbulent first decade of the asylum's history and why the me…

Episode 46 discusses one of Napa State Hospital's most notorious patients, Richard Allen Davis. Find out why he was sent to Napa, why he only stayed eight days, and how his life of crime effected significant change in the criminal justice system around the U.S. All sources are listed at the end of the episode transcript. Check out our Beacons page:…

Episode 45 covers the history of the new hospital buildings: how they were used during WWII and how they evolved to eventually house 4,991 patients. Find out why the Navy was using tree bark from the hospital grounds, learn why visitors are not allowed into state hospitals today, and discover how then-Governor Ronald Reagan kickstarted deinstitutio…

Episode 44 discusses the history of Napa State Hospital from 1901 until the demolition of the Castle in 1950. Find out how the hospital was impacted by events, like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, WWI and WWII, and the Influenza epidemic of 1918. Learn about some of the treatments used during this time period and what finally led to the Californ…

Episode 43 covers the first three decades of "The Castle" at Napa Insane Asylum in Napa, California. Find out why tourists were drawn to the asylum and what they did while they were there. Learn what my connection is to Napa State Hospital and the rigorous process it took to get me there. My primary source for this episode is Images of America: Nap…

In this week's episode, I talk to Nate Buchanan of Eerie Tours at Aradale Mental Hospital. Find out how he got started in the ghost tour industry, what drew him to Aradale, what stories get covered on the tour, and where YOU can learn more and take the tour yourself! For more information about Eerie Tours: https://www.eerietours.com.au/tours/aradal…

In this episode, we discuss the history of Kew Lunatic Asylum (1871-1988), near Melbourne. Find out why the hospital stayed open for so long, even when administration called for its closure several years after opening. Learn about the story of one patient who gained international notoriety for all the wrong reasons. All sources are listed in the ep…

Episode 40 discusses the history and people of J Ward, a special unit of Ararat/Aradale Mental Hospital devoted to the treatment of the criminally insane. Learn about the early beginnings when it was built as a goldfields jail and how it became a part of the Lunacy Department. Learn about why two inmates from J Ward remain in the Guinness Book of W…

In this episode, we discuss what led to Ararat Mental Hospital finally closing in 1993, as well as what has become of the hospital in the years following its closure. All sources listed at the end of the episode transcript. Special thanks to David Waldron for allowing me to use his book Aradale: The Making of a Haunted Asylum. Check out my Beacons …

In this episode, we almost finish the history of Ararat/Aradale Mental Hospital. We begin by discussing deinstitutionalization around the world and in Victoria more specifically. Learn about the one man who changed legislation to keep him locked up. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Special shout out to David Waldron …

Episode 37 discusses the history of Ararat Hospital for the Insane and how it later became Ararat Mental Hospital and, unofficially, Aradale Mental Hospital. Learn about daily life at the hospital, as well as the attempts to improve morale among staff. All of my sources are cited at the end of the episode transcript. Check out my Beacons page for w…

In this episode, we look at the early history (approx. 1865-1905) of Ararat Lunatic Asylum in Ararat (Victoria) Australia, and how the Victorian gold rush played a role in the creation of asylums. Learn about how increased immigration factored in to the creation of new laws and discrimination around the colony. All sources are listed at the end of …

In this episode, we look at everything spooky from Denbigh Asylum, starting back in the 16th century with the legend of why the grounds are believed to be cursed. Hear stories from a former staff member about an "experimental" treatment turned tragic and unexplainable phenomena. All sources are listed in the episode transcript. The two primary stor…

In this episode, Sarah reads the story "The Quietude" by Simon Thirsk from the book Dangerous Asylums, edited by Rob Mimpriss, which is based on real-life events. The narrator is the brother of a patient at Denbigh Asylum and tells the buildup to his brother's insanity diagnosis and the lasting repercussions this had on his family. Check out my new…

Episode 33 tells the stories of three patients who resided at Denbigh Asylum, as told in the book Dangerous Asylums, edited by Rob Mimpriss. The stories are written by Welsh writers and are entitled "The Elves and the Shoemaker" (by Carys Bray), "Going Back" (Manon Steffan Ros), and "Imagining Angels" (by Glenda Beagan). Trigger warning for child d…

In this episode, we discuss the history of the North Wales Hospital from approximately 1945 until its closure in 1995. Then, learn what happened to the property and the buildings after the hospital closed and what the plans are for it today. Most information is drawn from Clwyd Wynne's book _The North Wales Hospital: Denbigh (1842-1995)_. All other…

Episode 31 discusses the history of Denbigh Asylum (later North Wales Hospital) from 1905 to 1945. Learn about "shell shock," psychiatric capacity, and what treatments were used in Denbigh at this time. Most information for this episode was drawn from the book _The North Wales Hospital: Denbigh (1842-1995)_ by Clwyd Wynne. All other sources are lis…

Episode 30 is the first part of the history of Denbigh Asylum (later known as the North Wales Hospital) in Denbighshire, Wales, UK, from approximately 1842-1905. Most information for this episode was drawn from the book _The North Wales Hospital: Denbigh (1842-1995)_ by Clwyd Wynne. This and all other sources are listed in the transcript of this ep…

Episode 29 discusses the ghost stories and paranormal experiences that people have reported at Willard State Hospital. Find out about the televised paranormal investigations that have happened at the hospital, and why 4,000 people flocked to Willard in a day in 2015. Also, learn about 19th century "asylum tourism" and what drew people to visit thes…

Episode 28 discusses the lives and hospitalizations of Rodrigo Lagon, an immigrant from a wealthy Filipino family, and Ethel Smalls, New York native who divorced her abusive husband in 1930. Most of the information for this week's episode comes from the book "The Lives They Left Behind" by Darby Penney and Peter Stastny. All other sources cited in …

Episode 27 discusses the life of Margaret Dunleavy, a Scottish immigrant to the United States and nurse, who later became a long-time patient at Willard State Hospital. Find out why Margaret was committed to Willard and what remained in her suitcases. Sources included in the episode transcript. Support the show…

Episode 26 discusses the treasure found in the attic after Willard Psychiatric Center closed in 1995. Find out what researchers discovered that led them to learn more about the life of former patient Lawrence Marek. All sources cited in the transcript. Main source used is "The Lives They Left Behind" by Penney Darby and Peter Stastny. Support the s…

This episode outlines the history of Willard State Hospital, from approximately 1905 until its closure in 1995. Learn about the treatments offered at Willard, as well as the rise and decline of the patient population, including what led the once-largest asylum in the U.S. to close for good. All sources are cited at the end of the transcript, availa…

Episode 24 begins the history of Willard State Hospital, originally The Willard Asylum for the Chronically Insane. Learn about the treatment of the mentally ill in New York state prior to the opening of the asylum. We'll discuss the steep rise in the patient population just in the first 20 years that the asylum was open and the various types of tre…

This final episode on Ionia State Hospital traces the history of mental health treatment for Black folx in the U.S., starting around 1850. Learn about the prejudices that Black activists faced during the Civil Rights Movement and how some ended up being hospitalized for schizophrenia as a result. Information and photos drawn from The Protest Psycho…

Episode 22 discusses the life, incarceration, and hospitalization of "Caesar Williams," a Black man originally from California who ended up in the Michigan penal system. Learn about Caesar's symptoms of mental illness and why his diagnosis changed over the years. Source material: _The Protest Psychosis_ by Jonathan M. Metzl Support the show…

Episode 21 discusses the life and mental health of "Alice Wilson," a woman who was hospitalized three times at Ionia State Hospital during her lifetime. Originally diagnosed with schizophrenia, Alice would go on to benefit from the revisions in the DSM that changed her diagnosis to depression. Learn why Alice was originally sent to the hospital and…

Episode 20 kicks off a new series on Ionia State Hospital (originally the Michigan Asylum for Insane Criminals). Learn about the early history of the hospital, Metrazol shock therapy, the drastic effects of deinstitutionalization, and the transition from hospital to prison. All sources are cited in the episode transcript. Support the show…

Episode 19 discusses the crimes of serial killer Nathan Trupp, who killed three people in New Mexico and two people in California in the span of two days. Find out why he did it and why he was not sent to prison for these murders. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Episode 18 discusses the story of the first mass murder in U.S. history - the story of Howard Unruh and his "Walk of Death" that would leave 13 people dead and 3 more injured. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Episode 17 features the life, career, and hospitalizations of mathematician John Forbes Nash. This episode will briefly discuss the representaiton of his life in the film A Beautiful Mind but will focus primarily on the true story of his life. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Episode 16 explores the life of one asylum resident, Dr. Henry T. Helmbold, who was committed to (and escaped from) the hospital many times. Learn what he was famous for and why he was so intent on escaping. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

This episode was supposed to be completed today, but...I found some perfect source material that I could not exclude! As a result, the planned episode on the People of the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum, Part 2, will come out next week and will feature the story of two doctors (one real doctor, one self-proclaimed doctor) who were patients at Tren…

Episode 14 discusses the life, career, and legacy of Dr. Phyllis Greenacre, who was the first person to investigate the controversial "treatments" promoted by Henry Cotton. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Episode 13 discusses the investigation into Dr. Cotton's controversial "treatments," his own subsequent descent into madness, and the end of a terrible legacy. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

This episode discusses the rise of Dr. Henry Cotton, the "Mad Doctor" of the NJ State Hospital at Trenton, from approximately 1916-1924. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

This episode covers the early history of the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum (1848-1920), including the early days of Dr. Henry A. Cotton. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) was a fierce advocate for the humane treatment of the mentally ill. Her dedication to visiting jails, prisons, and madhouses to document their deplorable conditions led to some of the most dramatic asylum reforms around the world. Learn about how this seemingly-fearless woman took on the patriarchical government to start th…

18-year-old Janie Landers disappeared from Fairview Training Center on March 9, 1979, and her body was found five days later in a field. Her killer's identity remained unknown for 38 years until her sister's persistence succeeded in getting her case reopened and solved. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Episode 8 tells the story of Fairview Training Center (originally the State Institution for the Feeble-Minded) in Salem, Oregon. Listen to stories of the abusive practices that residents endured and learn about the long fight for individuals with disabilities to gain equal civil rights. Support the show…

In this episode, Sarah answers listeners' questions about Oregon State Hospital and about working as a psychologist at a state hospital. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup

Episode 6 explores the sudden deaths of 47 patients during dinner in 1942, the mysterious tunnels underneath the hospital, and the reason Oregon State Hospital was at the center of a series of Pulitzer-award winning articles. Support the showBởi Dr. Sarah Gallup