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All the United States West Virginia Weston Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
AO Edited

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

A particularly creepy abandoned hospital that sparks interest for lovers of the supernatural.

Weston, West Virginia

Added By
Cynthia Pelayo
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The main entrance into the Asylum.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
Front view   Travel Goblin / Atlas Obscura User
From the front door  
The saddest bit of cheer…   sharonrose979 / Atlas Obscura User
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
  paigeelizabeth3660 / Atlas Obscura User
One of the dreary restroom areas   allyflame / Atlas Obscura User
What the patient sees behind locked quarters   allyflame / Atlas Obscura User
The end part of one wing of the Asylum.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
An example of patient artwork that has been preserved for exhibit in the Asylum art gallery.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
A view looking toward the main entrance showing the staggered arrangement of the Asylum wings.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
This is a fully restored wing of the original building built in 1858. The Commonwealth of Virginia started construction of the Asylum only to have the newly established state of West Virginia take control in 1864.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
The original part featured dogwood flowers above the windows!   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
The imposing steeple has clocks on just three sides. No one knows why.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
The tuberculosis wing of the hospital grounds.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
A rare view of the back of the Asylum complex.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
A sad statistic. Many lobotomies were performed here during the 1940’s and ‘50’s.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
The 1858 wing of the Asylum.   rbt45769 / Atlas Obscura User
A view out   jolennox / Atlas Obscura User
Just down the hall   James Wood
Dark Echo   James Wood
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (aka The Weston State Hospital)   James Wood
Ground Photography   Urban Investigator / Atlas Obscura User
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum   jolennox / Atlas Obscura User
  renott / Atlas Obscura User
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About

The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, which changed names over the years and was known as the Weston State Hospital later in life—operated from 1864 to 1994. 

Today it stands as a testimony to the inhumane practices once used in mental health. Sitting on 26.5 acres, this spooky area is home to numerous buildings, including a museum, a gift shop where a few of the remaining employees still work, and an abandoned cemetery.

Famous for its looming structure, it was built using the Kirkbride design, a design common to asylums of the early 19th century. Much of the asylum remains closed off to the general public as the main building and out-buildings are in bad repair and are structurally unsound. A wide choice of tours are available, and specialty supernatural/ghost hunts, even overnighters are available for those searching for tortured spirits who have yet to escape.

Related Tags

Abandoned Insane Asylums Architectural Oddities Ruins Architecture

Know Before You Go

There are occasional ghost hunt events that open up three of the back buildings. These are separate from their normal tours/hunts. The overnight ghost hunt tour costs around $100 per person and has limited slots available, but for those wanting a bit more freedom to explore, this is a really great experience. They label this as Ghost Hunt, but it's also an awesome LEGAL urban exploration of an abandoned set of asylum buildings. It's a superb opportunity for photographers. Make sure to visit the official website and check schedule/availability. The First Floor self guided tour ($10) and the Four Floor 90-minute tour ($30) focus on the history and evolution of mental health treatment and the history of the asylum, from its construction and architecture to its patients, staff, treatments, and inner workings. A historian’s delight! There is a military discount, but only for the historical tour. Yes, there is a modest gift shoppe.

Community Contributors

Added By

cinapelayo

Edited By

vew5674, Afjsdoiuqnnn, Molly McBride Jacobson, rugby007...

  • vew5674
  • Afjsdoiuqnnn
  • Molly McBride Jacobson
  • rugby007
  • DigitalSorceress
  • dawhirly
  • Destination aficionado
  • rbt45769
  • catbri42
  • tekkbabe859
  • renott
  • allyflame
  • paigeelizabeth3660
  • jolennox
  • sharonrose979
  • Urban Investigator
  • Travel Goblin

Published

May 8, 2013

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  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Allegheny_Lunatic_Asylum
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
50 S River Ave
Weston, West Virginia, 26452
United States
39.038842, -80.471221
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