SCOUTING
FIELD NOTES

Scouting An Abandoned Mental Asylum: A Visit To The Rockland Psychiatric Center, Part 1

01/25/2011

I gotta admit, when I see a pair of worn iron gates…

…what looks like an abandoned property in the distance…

…and the side entrance slightly ajar…

…ancient, rusted-over NO TRESPASSING signs might as well say ENTER HERE.

What I didn’t realize is that these gates surround a massive, 600 acre insane asylum from the 1920’s – and nearly all of it abandoned.

(huge pan – click for larger sizes!)

This is the Rockland County Psychiatric Center, built in 1927, and “sprawling” does not do it justice. Here’s the facility in its heyday, and yes, that’s its own power plant in the distance:

At its peak year in 1959, Rockland Psychiatric had 9,000 residents and a staff of 2,000. Today, most of the facility is empty, left to decay as roots and vines slowly overtake it.

Rockland Psych is one of the most amazing places I’ve ever visited in New York, if for no better reason than it set my imagination firing like crazy.

Though the buildings may be boarded up, the place is heavy with history, and you can feel it in the air.

Visiting Rockland Psych is also like taking a trip back in time, as so wonderfully little has changed. Even little details, like these awesome street lights…

…made me feel I should be driving an old jalopy to pick up my buddy Norman Bates from his weekly session.

Very few places I’ve been to have offered such an all-encompassing out-of-time experience as simply driving down this long, snow-covered road past boarded up buildings:

(huge pan – click for larger sizes!)

I couldn’t stop thinking of questions: how many thousands of patients had passed through Rockland Psych during its operation?

How many had been subjected to primitive, often barbaric treatments like electroshock and lobotomization, both of which were employed at Rockland as “state-of-the-art”?

And man did it set the mood when I climbed up on this heavily gated porch and peered through a window into a shadowy room…

…and saw this on a chalk board:

Please don’t think I’m giving this property a hard time – the architecture is absolutely gorgeous, and it’s only the disrepair and neglect that gives it that haunting feeling. And enjoy it while you can…

It seems that Orangeburg has basically agreed to tear a massive amount of it down in favor of senior citizen condos…

(huge pan – click for larger sizes!)

…as seen in this lovely picture below, which I’m sure absolutely mimics the reality of the project (does anyone else get the feeling The Smurfs are about to walk into the frame?):

I’m not going to get into what a loss this would be in terms of both history and craftsmanship. I get way too passionate about these things when it seems like so few care – hell, I couldn’t even find a mention of the demolition on the Rockland County Historical Society website (though if I missed it, please point me in the right direction).

Instead, I’ll just take you on a tour of what I had the pleasure of seeing.

(huge pan – click for larger sizes!)

The Rockland complex literally has secrets at every corner waiting to be discovered…

Not only is this window-lined hallway fascinating in itself…

…Later, while processing the pictures in Photoshop, I noticed something amazing: hidden in the shadows along the upper walls are these hand-painted scenes from NY history:

Another, showing Henry Hudson’s Half Moon ship:

More windows, and a forgotten pirate hat:

Many of the ends of buildings have little pavilions. Seems pleasant, until you notice the heavy bars preventing escape (note the little trap door for deliveries on the right):

More barred windows. You weren’t going anywhere…

A forgotten table:

Judging by the wall art, I’m guessing this was a school at one point:

Not many remain, but I love the gold and brown carved signs around the complex, which remind me of the National Parks motif:

As you can see in these satellite pictures, the buildings are all constructed in very interesting patterns…

Another:

Many of the buildings in the north-east corner meet in a cross, which seems to me like a ton of space for hallways:

But space was clearly a luxury here, and the windows must have really opened the place up, especially for patients who weren’t allowed out much:

A door that hasn’t been opened in some time, judging by the trees that have grown in front of it:

As you make your way to complex’s center, the buildings feel more austere, as if this is where the real treatment took place:

Many of the buildings have beautiful terra cotta entrances…

…which I’m sure the town is going to recycle when they tear this all down:

Inside, lots of chipped paint. I love the enormous wooden glassed door:

Another room, with chipped paint in the way that Hollywood loves to fake in all of its run down asylums. Note the plaid curtains on the rear window:

Another building:

Love this fire escape…

…Especially when you get up close:

I suppose it was a better sign if you were put in this ward…

…as opposed to this one:

I thought this was incredibly cool too: this building (which feels like a dorm to me) is U-shaped, and if you look into the middle…

…you’ll see what has to be one of the coolest parking spots in New York, lined on both sides with 30 foot trees:

Another beautiful building:

The stairway:

Nearby is the classroom with the “I’m Scared” chalkboard…

I love the whimsical eyeglasses-wearing mouse…

…and these other animals…

…which include probably the most psychotic looking bear I’ve ever seen (those rabbits are a little creepy too).

Haha, that bear makes me laugh every time I see it. Look at it again! Hee hee…

Another arched building nearby…

…has an awesome pair of doors (“yes, we’d like the triangle wedge design, please”):

Inside, more ruins (though the wood-paneling looks like it was purchased yesterday!):

Does someone out there knows what this device does (I’m guessing sterilization)?

A pool table:

Think you’re done? No one gets out of Rockland Psychiatric that fast! CLICK HERE FOR PART 2 OF THE TOUR!

Also, if you grew up in the area, I’d love to know any legends you used to hear about the place as a kid!

-SCOUT

PS: More Rockland Psychiatric Center history here!

Many more posts in the archives!

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Dag T. Hoelseth

01/26/2011

Scout, your blog is getting better and better. Thanks for the photos, which are just brilliant. However, if the place is just abandoned, and ahs been so for quite a while, I think it is wise to use it for other purposes. But instead of tearing all the buildings down, I hope at least some of them could be rebuilt (as they did with the old National Hospital (Rikshospitalet) buildings in downtown Oslo, Norway, to give one example).

Dag T. Hoelseth
Oslo, Norway

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Nanker

01/26/2011

Have you seen Session 9? Watch that movie and then go back to that place. I would not step foot in there after that!

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Kara

01/27/2011

Creepy. You should check out Pilgrim state hospital in Suffolk county. It may be more eerie than this place.

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cindy ash

01/27/2011

“It was a very sad day when the State of New York in its infinite wisdom decided to open the doors and put the patients out on the street!”

You can thank Pres Reagan for that. He ordered them all to be opened up, and didn’t bother to set up places for them to go. The group homes that were so greatly toated at the time are few and far between, with huge waiting lists. The care of the mentally ill has been historically abysmal in this country, esp for those without money. You’d think with the recent shootings, more attention would be given to making sure people with mental illness received humane care and appropriate treatment. I don’t want to go back to the days of those horrid institutions, but Im not sure what we have now is all that much better.

I don’t see a big deal about kids performing for patients of such a hospital. Most people with mental illness are not violent!! And I suspect the violent ones were safely in their locked wards. The site of kids performing probably did some good for those who had little if any change from the day to day drudge of institution life, and I suspect for some of the kids, came an awareness of a world they never knew existed, and perhaps opened their eyes and hearts.

Great photos as always, Scott!

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1. kathie
  
  01/30/2011
  
  “I don’t see a big deal about kids performing for patients of such a hospital.” I have a young daughter, and the thought of her in a short pleated skirt, standing in front of men who were pleasuring themselves and making comments is horrifying and probably scarring. What do you think is okay with that scenario?
  
  Reply
2. Kevin
  
  02/14/2011
  
  Thanks for clearing that up Cindy. To think for the last 43 years I was under the impression it was Bobby Kennedy & Giraldo Rivera that put all the crazies on the street.
  
  Reply
robert

01/27/2011

I love those chairs! We have something similar in N E philly at rt 1 and byberry rd. Very creepy.

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Chris

01/27/2011

Those pics are hauntingly beautiful. If you want to see a scarier place go to Kings Park Psyhc in Long Island and swing by Pilgrim State just south of KPPC. Most of Pilgrim has been demolished but what remains is beautiful.

http://www.opacity.us/site3_kings_park_psychiatric_center.htm

http://www.opacity.us/site23_pilgrim_state_hospital.htm

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Margaret

01/27/2011

I lived just on the other side of the Palisades Parkway, in Bergen County, NJ when I was little, and while I’d never been to the facility, I remember seeing directional signs leading to the hospital. A common phrase in the area when referring to “nutty behavior”: “you’ll either end up in Bergen Pines or Rockland County…”
Actually, the interiors remind me so much of visiting orphanages in Ukraine (especially the mouse and bear murals on the walls).

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Rose

01/27/2011

Beautiful photos. Haunting site. I love everyone’s comments, too.

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Jim Gray

01/27/2011

Great work, Scout.

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rockcreek

01/28/2011

The mural has a distinctly WPA look to it – there are apparently folks concerned about the possible destruction of other Works Progress Admin.-funded artworks at the hospital:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7OU8CLotFc

Great post – thanks for sharing this!

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bigx6453

01/29/2011

The abandoned sections of Seaview Hospital on Staten Island and almost-abandoned Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood (LI), evoke similar feelings of curious dread for me.

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Anthony F

02/02/2011

Hey Scout,

I’m from Binghamton, NY even further upstate and this article on Rockland reminded me of the Binghamton State Hospital. Originally built in 1858 as the New York State Inebriate Asylum, it was in use up until 1993. It is currently registered as one of NY State’s most endangered buildings although hopefully it will soon be restored (see last link). Take a look at the pictures I was able to find online and if possible, take the 3 hour bus trip and see for yourself. It truly is a beautiful building with an amazing view of the valley below and I’m sure you could capture it’s character far better than what is currently available.

Thanks!!

http://nysasylum.com/bia.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Inebriate_Asylum

And a final link showing that good things can happen!

http://nyslandmarks.com/treasures/08apr2.htm

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Mary Leas

02/03/2011

Hi,

Love reading your site every day! So glad I found it.

Any updates on Penelope? Hope she is thriving in her DC home!

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Julie

02/03/2011

Someone else may have already answered this in the comments (I didn’t read them all), but the piece of equipment that you thought might be used for sterilization is likely just a refrigerator in a laboratory. In my lab (I’m a microbiologist), my refrigerator looks pretty much the same today! It’s just missing the inside shelves. But the vents at the top are used to lessen the humidity/moisture that accumulates inside, or to circulate the air, possibly. As an example, mine is used to store media (petri dishes with agar in them, enrichment broth) and positive controls for testing, etc.

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Lynn D.

02/16/2011

I loved these photos. I live in Salem, Oregon where most of the (much smaller) state mental hospital is now being torn down and new, incredibly depressing buildings built in its place. The old hospital was the setting of Ken Kesey’s novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The actual hospital was used in the movie and the director had a part in the movie. I sure hope someone has documented the Oregon hospital the way you have Rockland.

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Dave E

02/27/2011

Hi Scout – great series of pictures. I enjoyed looking through them all. I grew up about 5 minutes from this place, and have many memories of it from over the years. I plan on doing a photo essay of it and was wondering how you were able to get some of your pictures. You appear to be inside some of the buildings for some of these shots. Did you have to get permission from someone prior, and if so could you give me the name(s)? There are many locations for great outdoor shots, but I’d love to get inside some of those old abandoned buildings.

Thanks for any insight you can offer. Keep up the great work!

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Sue

03/10/2011

Scout
I grew up down the road from this hospital. We were told alot of awful stories about it including someone escaping and killing someone in the neighborhood. If you want a firsthand account of someone who was at Rockland as a child, see
http://icspp-icspporg.blogspot.com/2011/01/allen-ginsberg-at-rockland-state.html
What they did to patients was appauling and was really torture.
Also, fyi, Allen Ginsberg spent 8 months there.
Sue

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time

03/12/2011

Scout these pictures are amazing. I was recently awarded an interview at Rockland and was wondering if any one can tell me any HELPFUL information other then all I have read. I read about the Hep infections, and other random info. Thank you I really appreciate any information.

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BmanJones

03/21/2011

damn man nice photos, i was just here the other day and half those building arent even there anymore. such a shame.

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LPM

03/24/2011

Those are beautiful pictures and it is a very sad if the facility will be torn down. There has been talk of it for years but nothing has happened so far. For me there are many happy memories of patients that I have met from all walks of life and many staff members that I love and miss. Many of those employees that I knew have long retired and quite a few have passed away. I live minutes away from what used to be known as Rockland State Hospital, and in my mind that is the name that sticks to this day. My uncle was a building director along with being the union leader for many years, my aunt was the head nurse in the operating room, that yes, had performed lobotomies very long ago. One of my other aunts also worked there and another uncle volunteered there for at least thirty years. They had all gone to nursing school there, way, way back when. Needless to say both uncles had passed away and my two aunts are close to their nineties. I had volunteered there for several years in the alcohol rehab before it was called “Blaisdell ATC”, (actually I remember and was there at the small dedication of the new name), and long before it was moved to Building 57, which is where it is now.

Here is a true piece for your imagination, in the basements of the buildings are metal signs posted for ‘atomic’ fallout, where those would go if we were attack by atomic bombs.

You would have loved the keys to the gates going in and out of the grounds, they were big skeleton keys- antiques nowadays.

And although it was an insane asylum, or rather a psychiatric hospital, it was always brimming with activity, with many people (patients and employees) walking around, from one place to another. The large cafeteria was often crowded and the church on the grounds too (where my uncles’ funeral masses were held). And I can tell you I was never afraid walking around the campus, was it because I was young and didn’t think? No I don’t think so. Bad things can happen anywhere and all the times that I was there and all the years living near there, there were no more frequencies of incidents than in the world beyond those gates.

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