Welcome to the Hudson River State Hospital located in the United States in Poughkeepsie, New York. This gigantic hospital has overlooked the Hudson River for 136 years since its initial construction in 1871. The various hospital buildings were constructed and belong to the famous Kirkbride architectural order (read more on this excellent website).
The hospital was divided into two wings, for male and female patients, with an administration section located in the center. The male wing was much larger than the respective female wing. This was caused by the number of patients being unequal between the sexes (see the sky view from the hospital using the link above).
The beauty of the decay was unbelievable in this hospital. Most of the original constructions had been preserved.
Future renovation construction of the hospital were planned long ago. A fire, caused by lightning, burned the male wing in June 2007. As of the date of this article, the fate of Hudson Psyche Center remains unknown.
Hopefully this awesome Kirkbride will be saved. The United States is certainly not Europe and listing historical buildings as monuments might not be enough to protect them…
Archive documents dated between 1891 and 1918 (click on a thumbnail to enlarge):
Special thanks to Dr. Bob for sharing the old postcards.
Reference for the scanned documents: Handbook of the State Hospital Commission and the Hospitals for the Insane, 1918, E.S.Graney.
Sorry explorers... the building on the top of the hill was called Ross Pavilon not Ryan Hall. I think Ryan Hall was across the street from the med/surg building (which became the Hudson River Psychiatric Center) and it use to house only patients from Dutchess County. I am curious as to how many of the original buildings are still up on that hill... and for you speculators... there were earthen mounds in the ground with metal doorways in front. I never knew what they were. If anyone feels like checking out the hill above 9G (above the area where the department of transportation is or at least used to be)... leave a comment. There was a road through the hospital grounds that led right through from route 9 to route 9G. And, if Hillcrest is still there... well, this place housed children ages 6 to 16 until one of the prisons took over the building to house the criminally insane. I will tell you that a good majority of the children that were housed in Hillcrest never made it to adulthood. I don't believe in ghosts but if they actually did exist, that whole place would be crawling with them.
To all of you explorers interested in the Hudson River Psych Hospital: There is so much more to that hospital then just Kirkbridge. On the other side of the property (on route 9G) is a whole other section of what was once that institution. Up the hill you might still find old regal looking homes where some of the doctors lived, and then, farther up, if it is still there, you will find the building that was called Hillcrest School for Children (until it was taken over for another purpose). Next to that was a building that housed live-in employees and next to that was a building that was used for those suffering from TB. At the very top of the hill was Ryan Hall. All around these hills there used to be cottages that housed small groups of patients. Dutchess Community College took over some of them I think... but most were shut down due to deteriorating conditions and asbestos. There used to be a lot of rumors in Poughkeepsie about activity going on at the HRSH that was military in nature. Since part of the property faced the Hudson River and had a docking area, rumors claimed a helicopter landing pad on top of Ryan Hall, secret under ground army installations on the property above 9G and a whole lot of other 'American Legion---discussions over beer---talk'. This hospital and it's grounds were hugh once... covering more ground then most people remember. I haven't been there for a few years and am sorry to hear that Kirkbridge burned. I have explored it frequently over the years because I lived in Poughkeepsie for most the of glory years of this institution and I worked in the med/surgical building during it's heyday. I wonder if any of you know that this hospital was originally intended to be almost self-supporting? I last entered Kirkbridge in 2004. Now I wish I had taken photos of that exploration while the building was still intact.
I worked in the Detox behind Ryan Hall, and also the Snow building with the Bowling Alley and Pool. I remember when they moved out of there, and left us (the MARC detox) all alone in that huge building. I remember going in the basement and back halls where alot of weird stuff would happen, definatly weird. We moved out of Ryan hall in 2001, the last ones out. Edgewood, Waryas House, the Church, are still open on the old grounds but access is from the Inwood Ave entrance.
Took my first visit to the amazing site, and came up very short handed. We parked behind the hrpc at the american legion, and squeezed between the fence, coming up by the infirmary. We than walked around for a lil, and came up to the south wing. We started walking towards the church, and saw a motion sensor high up on one of the buildings. 2 of the people we were with were spooked and we ended up leaving. Me and a friend of mine are very interested in going back, but would love if you could give us some tips/advice, or if we could meet you sometime for a trip. Shoot me an email at Neutralgangcolor@hotmail.com and thanks in advance!!
Thanks for all the info....ill see if all my friends wanna go back and then ill send u an email.
www.poughkeepsiejournal.com
BOTH have been arrested. Sorry for not responding sooner.
Jack
So I went to this place today and it was around 2:45pm....We didnt make it to the Kirkbride building for the following reasons, we went through by where the home depot is....we went into a side building, and had to jump down about 8ft into this outside area that was enclosed by about 8ft concrete walls, then climbed through a broken window and went in that way. We went into the hallway and made a right, and went to go up the stairs, but herd something or someone. So we went back downstairs into the basement, bilevel area. It was half above and below ground. Then we went and took a right into this lab looking room. My other friends didnt see it but i turned and looked to the right out the window and(having a heart attack) saw a car(black honda coupe) RIGHT NEXT TO THE WINDOW... I signaled for all my friends to stop and get down. Then we went back out the way we came in having no idea whether the guy so us or not.(We had thought it was security or undercover cops). SO we cautiously walked back onto the mainroad thingy to leave, but saw the car(whether he saw us or not is debatable) and ran back then took a right into the brush and went up to where it looked like the cafeteria was. Then we knew we had to go back out the way we had walked in and started walking back towards where the cops/security was. We all had given in and said if we did get caught then w/e(all our nerves were fried by then) So we walk back out to where the car had seen us and he beeps and comes toward us really fast(freaking out having heart attack at this point). We got so scared we ran back toward the building into the brush and hid there for awhile. Then we got out of the brush and started walkin back to home depot and didnt get caught(THANK GOD). *WARNING* But also when we were in the basement area we think we heard the "pipe-robber" so yea be careful. Saw a state police trooper race by home depot as we were walkin towards the car and Jack, never found the underground tunnels, where are they.
P.S. if anyone has seen that black coupe lemme know if its security/cops or pipe robber accomplice.
To be perfectly honest, I go at least 5 out of 7 days of the week. The place is not bad if you know how to get around. When the cops come, leap into one of the underground tunnels and walk to the opposite side of the property. BUT, I have yet to see any type of official on the property. The one thing i will say is watch out for the "pipe-robber". There is a guy making a living off of stealing copper pipes from the buildings. Anything you hear that sounds like big footsteps or someones tools is him. Just walk out the way you went in and he wont bother you. I go during the day and at night, so i know what im talking about. and no i am not a ghost hunter, nor do i even believe in ghosts. dont be afraid to go! just be safe and have a good time!
Sadly, the property has been sold and will be torn down to be replaced with a park joining with the existing Clearwater park along the river. This property is also patrolled by State Troopers, has asbestos, and most buildings are not safe, so it's not a bright idea to go, but if you insist, be careful and don't get hurt and or lost. Also, if you remember the MTV show FEAR i think it was called, they were going to go there but never had the chance. But, a new show on Travel Ch called Ghost Adventures might go there to investigate
The old kirkbride building wings are unpassable and completly unsafe. Their is no floors and the basement is what was left of them. thying to mole your way through the maze is really a bad idea. It is a really huge shame. The main interance is still intact and has floors to it. The newer hospital is still very sound. the really cool building was in the back it was much newer and housed a bowling lane. What a shame they never used this building for the community..........The police use these building for live fire non leathal fire training or at least they use to. There are spent non leathal rounds everywhere. There are also targets for training on some of the walls. I don't think getting caught is my biggest fear, I think the fear should really be getting shot if the still use the buildings. The morge is in a small building in front of the newer hospital. The views from outside were breath taking to see. It will be a shame when this is lost to history. I would never tell anyone to go in an abandon building, but this site was very impressive to see. Next to pennhurst in has been my favorate trip. This was as of july of last year...
RAG Rochester Adventure Group
Hello my name is Russ I'm the Co Founder of the paranormal group MSPI I was wondering if anybody had any info on this place. I heard it was haunted and I wanted to bring my team there to invesigate it but I don't want to get arrested for tresspassing. If some one could help me out that would be great. Also if anyone has some reports of paranormal activity that has been to this place feel free to email me at djmixakilla@yahoo.com also you can send me a message on myspace Thanks Russ MSPI Co Founder
i went there last night and i'm trying to find blueprints on the buildings, i found some for the central building. anyone know where to find them for the cheney building, ryon hall and the kirkbride buildings?? email them to me at mredner138@yahoo.com
Its been a while since ive been through the place but i got down into the morgue using a floor level window that droped about 6 feet. theres plenty of cool little things down there; toe tags, bodie bags, a ton of stuff. the place is really cool but i honestly wouldnt hang out there regularly.. its not safe in the least bit and me and my friends have all the maps and blueprints well studied. the trampoline in the gym is really cool though, oh also i wear a gas mask when i explore
My bad. Sorry about that. You can look it up on google earth by searching 3470 North Road, Poughkeepsie. It's just above that. I'm still at girly_122093@yahoo.com if you have any more questions. ( just about the shape: ) _____ l*****l_ l*******l l*******l l*****__l l____l
I can't seen to find the picture of the morgue, but ive been in it so i'll do my best to explain.If you go on google earth and zoom in on the area containing the small buildins,it's about the second smallest and shaped like this: _________ l l l l___ l l l l l ___l l l l_________l
It's 2 stories and all but one window are boarded up so you better hurry. The only one not boarded up is over a roof 5 feet off the ground and you will need help getting up.
I have been scouring the place for like 5 visits now, and I can't seem to find the morgue. Now, I've seen photos of it online, and I would assume it to be in the basement of the large (Cheney?) 8 story building. Either I'm blind, or I'm way off. Also, there is some sort of an alarm system working in that building and the Ryon building directly across. There have been a few times while pulling on a locked door a high pitched beeping would go off. Any help would be much appreciated.
honestly, i dont think the cops search the primeses anymore becasue i went there 4 days straight with about 8 kids and we didnt see anyone else besides us. well, we did see a white car near the resident homes when it was lightning, but then it dissapeared. But i will tell you this. The building across from the main one is mostly haunted forsure. We were trying to break into it before we heard the massive bashings against the door. But if your very skinny, you can get into the lower part of the main building where the electroshock therapy took place. Be carefull though... and if you look into the very top left cornor of the main building, you can see the curtains move along with alot of blue lights.
go through the back of the building and jump down to the basement enter through there do not close any doors and remember the way you went in because it is a maze in there multi stairways etc. locked doors etc. there are very nice paintings in there along with plenty of other things dont touch or steal shit cuzz it is haunted. i would deff go there your first time during plenty of daylight there is a dead end behind home depot that is a good spot to park at.... follow the telephone lines down the hilll to enter through the backway of the yard i would suggest going on a sunday...
you can get to the top of the building by climbing a ladder
this posting is for educational purposes only i believe it is illegal to go on this property now.
This site is amazing. I go to Marist College down the road and I always wondered about this place. It can barely be seen from the road but I could tell there was a ton of land with so many beautiful buildings.
I think Marist should buy the land and restore the buildings to be used as academic buildings and maybe even dormitories.
Awesome web-site,great job!! Saw it last week for the first time...beautiful!! I have to see this place from the inside before it's history.Can someone help?? I don't know the area too well and would like to go with a person who knows the "ins & outs".Our tax dollars are all over those grounds and we can't even go up there to take a couple of pics...it's a damn shame!! Thanks all...Thankyou for any info... : )
Me and a couple friends went there the days before school started. It's deffinetly worth the "daring attempt" to get caught by the police. I didn't get the vibe that it was haunted or something though. Thanks to people before us, most of the floor doors are unlocked but I still havent had any luck finding the seclusion rooms for the extreme patients. Does anybody know where it is? If you do, it's myspace.com or girly_122093@yahoo.com but a word of advice, if you are just walking through the hallway and see a pile of shiny pipes, you might want to get out of there fast. Theres a guy that goes there and steals the pipes. A group of people we met wearing gas masks told us that. Unless you go there a lot like them, theres no point in taking extra precautions like that.
My parents lived on the grounds. MY dad was the Chief Engineer and my mother ran the community store. They were there from 1952 to 1975, I believe. The place was beautiful and my mother had parties for the patients twice a year. The houses for the staff were old and well kept. I hope they are still standing. I would love to go back to visit that old memory.They finally retired and moved to Mitchell Ave. They missed the activity at the hospital and all the friends they had made over the years.
My Mother (paranoid schizophrenic) was a patient at this hospital. When I was 5 or so she went away and I was told she was in a hospital in Poughkeepsie. It wasnt until I was older that I found out it was a mental institution. I do have memories of this place as it looks from afar in the pictures because I was taken to visit her. It gave me the creeps when I looked at the pics just to think I was there and my Mother was there. They kept her for about 6 months and when she came home she was "normal" for about a month and then reverted back to a state of mental illness. I am very interested in the paranormal and I do believe if any place could be haunted, this place is one of them. I would like to visit it when I get a chance to go back home.
Hey, how often do the police go up there during the summer? Just curious. I went during late winter/early spring when it was a bit cold most of the time and there were no police, but if anyone has a clue...my info is down below.
ive been up there a couple of times and the place is definatly as creepy as it is beautiful .. ive only been at night .. and as you explore the buildings you hear all types of noises and such .. it is a great place to go .. although as m scott said it is very dangerous so deff dont go alone, be careful .. and enjoy yourselves .. =]
Thats amazing! so much mystery is up in there! In Russia now its so rarely u can see abandoned places like that because they got re-built or broken down or if there are some they are protected so u cant get there places like that are very beautiful and let your imagination grow so much
the place is amazing spent an entire summer in the place every night going up there. theres alot more to it then just the one building too its really a giant complex with an even bigger medical hospital on sight too. not to mention the other building they actually kept the crazies. plus a childs ward in the far back. but the police are definitly there now (i know i'm on the local blotter when i got caught) but if you got the balls its much worth the slap on the rist
Wow, one of my mom's friend's brothers worked there when it was open...he used to come home with stories of the inmates trying to rape each other and such, I even found an incident report which was about an inmate getting punched in the face while smoking a cigarette, funny thing is that the other inmate who punched him had never met him before, and went up to him to shake his hand then socked him with the free hand (erm, fist). I just went there yesterday. If you have a MySpace, you can add me and view the images in my friends only album (it's in that album because I'd rather not get busted for "trespassing"....over the internet) myspace.com or email me at queenofkamelot31@aol.com Anyone else looking for information on this place or images, feel free to contact me.
Kelly, it's honestly not as dangerous as M Scott (who is probably either a security official there or a police officer, trying to dissuade you from visiting) makes it seem. No more so than any number of outdoor activities such as hiking or driving; statistically you're as likely to die or develop serious health problems visiting there as you are while playing Lawn Bowling. Drop me a line at Sestet@gmail.com and I'll share useful info.
Is fucking nice all picture in this page, and the places...I love it!!!; I know some forbidden places in Spain and Denmark, but I don´t take a pictures, If I see this wonderful world before I do, I have somepictures but is little I think. I like this page...I will like in this places...art...occupied---occupied...art! Nowhere Spain!!!!!!!!! ???????? Qué pasa??
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