Some of the world's most haunted places are hospitals filled with dark stories of human suffering and, in some cases, sadistic torture. These restless spirits seem trapped in perpetual misery, forever doomed to haunt these torturous places.
St. Bartholomew's Hospital, London
St. Bartholomew's Hospital (Bart's), the oldest hospital in London (circa 1123), is still in operation. As you might imagine, there are many ghost stories about the hospital. The best known ghost in the hospital is the spirit of a nurse murdered in the elevator.
The nurse rode the elevator to the basement, not knowing that a mentally unstable patient was waiting for her in the shadows. She was murdered the moment the elevator doors opened and she stepped out. The snurse's is blamed for the elevator malfunctioning on occasion and carrying unwilling passengers to the basement. The elevator doesn't respond once it stops at the basement level. The lights turn off, and passengers eventually give up and leave the elevator, using the stairs to return to the desired floor. When the person arrives on the main floor once more, the elevator is mysteriously waiting for them.
Other spirits of nurses appear throughout the hospital, such as the Grey Lady dressed in an old-fashioned nurse uniform. She's a nurse who accidentally overdosed and killed a patient. Distraught, the nurse killed herself. Nurses claim they feel a tap on their shoulders whenever they make a mistake. Upon turning, they come face to face with the Grey Lady, who shakes her head.
Many of the ghostly sightings include a nurse dressed in old-fashioned garb who gives dying patients a cup of tea. The patients ask one of the nurses to please thank the strange nurse for the cup of tea she gave them. A more modern walks through walls. The spirit of a crying boy seeking his parents is a dreaded sight, since his appearance is said to foretell a death on the wards.
Many of the London walking ghost tours include Bart's. The tours don't venture inside since Bart's is a functioning hospital.
Aradale Asylum, Australia
During those 133 years that the Australian psychiatric hospital, Aradale Asylum, operated, 13,000 people died. Destination America states the hospital is one of Australia's most haunted placed.
The J Ward housed the criminally insane and was once a jail. Three prisoners were hanged in the jail, and their bodies were buried on the grounds in an upright position. Some believe this position prevents their spirits from finding eternal rest. At one time, the hospital conducted highly controversial psychiatric treatments that are now considered torture.
Some of the ghostly sightings include more than one apparition of a nurse in a white uniform that roams the hospital. The ghost, known as Nurse Kerry, haunts the women's wing, and some say they see her watching the tour groups when they enter a specific room. The spirit of Old Margaret, a lifetime patient left homeless when the hospital closed, moved back into the hospital where witnesses see her wandering the facility.
Many visitors report hearing disembodied crying and moaning. People also claim to hear phantom footsteps and banging on the walls. Some visitors have complained of having sudden pains or the sensation of being touched when they enter the old men's surgery wing.
Formerly named Ararat Lunatic Asylum, the hospital is located in the rural town of Ararat. It was opened in 1865 and remained in use until it was closed in 1998. The huge complex has 70 buildings. Once, it served up to 900 patients each year. Various ghost tours are available either in-person or virtually.
Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Kentucky
The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, is a former tuberculosis hospital. It is one of the most haunted places in America. The Waverly Hills Historical Society rescued the building and now conducts historic and paranormal tours and investigations.
From the death tunnel (the underground network that was used to transport the dead) to the haunted room 502, paranormal seekers experience ghosts throughout the facility. In 1928, a 29-year-old nurse hanged herself in Room 502. Her ghost appears in the halls alongside patients that died. The spirit of a little boy plays ball with paranormal investigators.
Many visitors report seeing shadow people throughout the facility. They also hear phantom sounds of chains in the tunnels. One particular shadow darts about the body chute, and various ghost orbs commonly appear in videos and photos.
Old South Pittsburg Hospital, Tennessee
Known as one of Tennessee's most haunted places, the Old South Pittsburg Hospital (OSPHPRC) doesn't disappoint ghost hunters. Built in 1959, the 68,000 square foot hospital sits in the South Pittsburg Mountain foothills on the site of a plantation destroyed by fire. Seven children perished in the plantation fire. The former hospital is teeming with paranormal activity.
Paranormal investigators and past employees offer tales of ghostly encounters. Carts, wheelchairs, and even hospital beds move on their own. People have spotted dark shadow figures moving through the halls and rooms, including the ominous seven-foot tall shadow thought to be a former hospital surgeon.
Investigators have heard disembodied voices and captured electronic voice phenomena (EVP). A "Naughty Nurse" hangs out in the basement. She intimately touches visitors while whispering sweet nothings in their ears. The former janitor is also in the basement. Witnesses often hear him pacing and whistling. There's also the disembodied child's voice sometimes accompanied by a childlike apparition. Another child plays hide and seek on the second floor.
The hospital has a history that includes lawsuits for wrongful death and child abuse. It closed in 1998 and became a hot spot for ghost hunters. Several ghost hunting TV series, such as Ghost Asylum, have conducted paranormal investigations there.
The property currently serves as a paranormal research center for Old South Pittsburg Paranormal Research Center or OSPPRC, Inc. They offer several types of ghost hunts and tours.
Khaylami Hospital, South Africa
Khayalami Hospital is located in Kempton Park in the Gauteng province, South Africa. It is often called Kempton Park Hospital. The hospital opened in 1976 and was touted as the best hospital in the region.
Oddly, without warning, the 350-bed hospital closed its doors on December 26, 1996. No explanation has ever been given, although rumors claim the hospital was severely understaffed. Everything was left behind, including patient records, making the facility even creepier.
As for the paranormal activity, there is a legend that one employee was possessed by a demon and killed the hospital director. Did this lead to the hospital's mysterious sudden closure? Other reports of paranormal activity include the sound of slamming doors, shadow figures moving about the deserted halls, and disembodied voices.
Since its closing, the hospital has become a hotbed for paranormal enthusiasts. Ghost tours are conducted by various paranormal investigative groups.
Eloise Asylum, Michigan
It's no wonder that the Eloise Asylum in Westland, Michigan is haunted. When the psychiatric hospital was closed, vials of brains were discovered in the surgery rooms off the tunnels. The atrocities that went on inside the walls are well documented, with other inhumane experiments having been conducted in the secrecy of the underground tunnels.
Visitors see and hear the spirits of the victimized patients. Reports include hearing disembodied voices and phantom footsteps, seeing shadow people, and objects move on their own. Witnesses have seen doors open and close on their own. If you wish to visit, the public can participate in paranormal tours or book a private investigation.
Tooele Hospital, Utah
In 1837, Samuel F. Lee built a family home in Tooele, Utah, and remained there until 1913. The county took over the residence and turned it into a nursing home, Tooele Hospital. The locals called the new facility the County Poor House. In 1953, it was officially renamed The New Tooele Hospital. The newer hospital suffered from a lack of facilities, such as simple toilets and a most important one--a morgue. The bodies of the dead ended up being stacked for extended periods while waiting for the local mortuary for a pick up.
The old Tooele Hospital now serves as a haunted attraction. When it operated as a hospital, nurses reported hearing disembodied moans and cries in unoccupied delivery rooms. The spirit of Samuel F. Lee moves about the halls. His young son interacts with visitors and patients. Various ghost hunters conducting investigations have recorded EVPs. Photos and EVPs have captured a little girl named Jessica.
The hauntings often take a sinister twist when unseen entities scratch visitors. A few have claimed to be possessed by an ungodly force. A shadow man attacks workers and guests.
Said to be sitting on a ley line, the hospital is highly charged with paranormal activity. In fact, the spirit of a nurse named Maria stands over the spiritual portal located within the hospital walls.
Part of the hospital history includes a 2000 reopening of a more modern hospital, the Tooele Hospital. The next incarnation for the building was a center for the elderly, and then it was sold once more in 2006. This time, the facility was turned into a Halloween haunted attraction under the banner of Asylum 49.
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, West Virginia
The National Historic Landmark, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (Weston State Hospital) was established in the 1800s. It's one of the most haunted places in Weston, West Virginia, and many paranormal television shows have featured it.
Witnesses have heard disembodied voices and phantom sounds. They've also seen shadow people and full-bodied apparitions. There's the spirit of a little girl, Lilly, who was born in the asylum. Witnesses also see apparitions of uniformed Civil War soldiers. There are other stories of ghostly residents, including a patient murdered by his roommate and a man who died in a bathtub when he suffered a fatal heart attack.
You can join in one of the paranormal tours or participate in a ghost hunt.
Exploring Haunted Hospitals
Many haunted hospitals have been demolished, while others are simply abandoned. Some hospitals have been sold to individuals who've opened these macabre facilities to accommodate public paranormal investigations.
