Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Costa Rica Potrero Cerrado Sanatorio Durán (Durán Sanatorium)

Sanatorio Durán (Durán Sanatorium)

This abandoned hospital is one of the most haunted places in Costa Rica.

Potrero Cerrado, Costa Rica

Added By
elisha cormier
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
  LaTortueNoire / Atlas Obscura User
  LaTortueNoire / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
  LaTortueNoire / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
Sanatorio Durán.   happyhippieellie / Atlas Obscura User
  LaTortueNoire / Atlas Obscura User
  LaTortueNoire / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

It's said Carlos Durán Cartín, a Costa Rican doctor and politician, opened this tuberculosis hospital in 1918 hoping to treat his own daughter who was suffering from the disease. He chose a remote location complete with good weather, fresh air, and natural light.

Despite Cartín's efforts to treat his daughter, she died from tuberculosis. The sanatorium continued to function after her death. It was staffed mostly by nuns, the Sisters of Charity Santa Anna. It's said their ghosts—and the ghosts of the children who died at the sanatorium—still linger on the grounds. The hospital also housed those being treated for mental health.

By the 1960s, tuberculosis was no longer an epidemic or a threat. The sanatorium's mental health patients were transferred to better facilities, and the building went on to serve as an orphanage and then a prison. The facilities closed in the 1970s after the Irazú Volcano erupted and ruined parts of the complex.

Today, you can explore the old sanatorium. Signs mark bathrooms, the morgue, doctors' quarters, the children's wing, and more. Knowing the suffering and sickness that took place here gives it a sad and eerie feel, especially when looking out the hospital windows on a sunny day.

Related Tags

Abandoned Disease Health Haunted Ghosts Abandoned Hospitals

Know Before You Go

The sanatorium is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. There is a small entrance fee. You can get here by bus, car, or hire a taxi/private tour.

Community Contributors

Added By

happyhippieellie

Edited By

LaTortueNoire

  • LaTortueNoire

Published

October 31, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://ticotimes.net/travel/sanatorio-duran
  • https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanatorio_Dur%C3%A1n
  • https://www.lovicarious.com/hunting-for-ghosts-in-costa-rica-the-fica-sanatorio-duran/
  • https://www.govisitcostarica.com/blog/post/duran-sanatorium-hauntingly-beautiful.aspx
Sanatorio Durán (Durán Sanatorium)
Potrero Cerrado
Costa Rica
9.932662, -83.883193

Nearby Places

Territorio de Zaguates (Land of Strays)

Alajuela, Costa Rica

miles away

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

Grecia, Costa Rica

miles away

Parque Francisco Alvarado

Zarcero, Costa Rica

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Central America

Places 24
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Territorio de Zaguates (Land of Strays)

Alajuela, Costa Rica

miles away

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

Grecia, Costa Rica

miles away

Parque Francisco Alvarado

Zarcero, Costa Rica

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Central America

Places 24
Stories 4

Related Places

  • A piece by French artist JR. This was a photograph of immigrants who had been marked for deportation, awaiting their appeal hearing.

    Jersey City, New Jersey

    Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital

    Now abandoned, the first public health hospital in the U.S. saw more than one million immigrants from around the world.

  • Fort San

    Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan

    Fort San

    The abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium is said to be one of the most haunted places in Canada.

  • If you believe in ghosts, this former insane asylum is a great place to go hunting.

    Monticello, Iowa

    Edinburgh Manor

    Spend the night in this former asylum for the incurably insane, which claims to be one of the most haunted places in the United States.

  • Visitors can stroll through the remnants of the grand halsl.

    Bucharest, Romania

    Chiajna Monastery

    Locals believe this abandoned ruin on the outskirts of Bucharest is haunted.

  • The buildings of Anoka State Hospital.

    Anoka, Minnesota

    Anoka State Hospital

    For over a century, it was a crucial center of mental health treatment and also the source of many local legends.

  • The Octagon House

    Marion, Virginia

    The Octagon House

    An eight-sided home built during a brief octagon craze in the 1850s.

  • Interior of Posada Del Sol

    Mexico City, Mexico

    La Posada del Sol

    Meant to be one of the most extravagant hotels in the world, now an eerie, abandoned architectural gem in Mexico City.

  • Ghost Palace Hotel as seen from the main entrance

    Baturiti, Indonesia

    Ghost Palace Hotel

    An abandoned hotel in the highlands of Bali is shrouded in stories of ghosts, curses, and corruption.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.