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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Kathe M

08/06/2013

My mom would take me there when she donated clothes and other items. It was very peaceful, especially in the fall, but I couldn’t get used to sitting neext to people who were talking to invisible partners. My mother tried to reassure me that these people were harmless, but she really had no way of knowing that for sure.

My mother is now in a rehabilitation center for physical therapy and got moved because her roommate (stroke victim) disliked the sound of my mother’s PT.

“If I had a knife I’d stab her with it,” said this roomate with the baby voice. And so my mom got moved.

Since this witch is ambulatory, I do think she’s a danger. So, you never know about people. In the wrong kind of facility.

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WILLIAM ALLEN

08/13/2013

I WAS THER IN 1949-1951 I HATAD IT IT WAS THE WORST TIME OF MY LIFE CANT 4GET

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1. Jessica Richardson
  
  01/27/2014
  
  How can you get in? I want to see it. im very interested in this kind of stuff and would like to kno who to contact to get in and see it
  
  Reply
  1. interrogatethem
    
    06/27/2014
    
    Easy.
    
    Go to a hospital nearby and talk loud. When the shrinks try to talk to you, don’t answer them
    
    After you’re admitted into a local psych ward, don’t take the prescribed medication and tell them you have nowhere to live.
    
    The likelihood is that you’ll be transferred to RPC stat, and you can find out everything you want to (and more).
    
    Reply
2. Megan
  
  06/01/2015
  
  William, my grandmother gave birth to my mother there in 1946, then placed her in adoption. She remained a patient, and my mom’s never had any clue about her parents’ names or who they were. Do you remember a woman whose last name was Becker, by any chance? I’d really appreciate any information you can give, please feel free to email me at MeganBarron614@gmail.com. Thank you!
  
  Reply
3. Debbie
  
  08/23/2015
  
  My mom Hannah Berman was there too!!! Same years !!
  
  Reply
Madeline M

08/30/2013

I think I might have been sent here at a very young age, I was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1965, I do know it was a mental institution because they had another child ( boy) tied up in the crib-bed next to mine. I remember some doctors and nurses coming in the room, untying the boy from his bed a nurse would hold my hand they would let me go and the boy and once they saw him go chasing after me, they would tie him up to the bed again. I remember the wall on each side of the room had a glass window which you could see to the next room and the next all the rooms down at both sides. When the doctors and nurses would leave the room they would lock the door from the outside and they would look at me through the small glass window on the door. I want to know if anyone else has memories like mine. I remember lots of horrific things, they only person that can tell me why I was sent here doesn’t want to tell me, and if I mention anything I remember they tell me It might have been a dream or a movie I saw. For the longest Ive been having this vision of a red door, and I got a knot on my stomach when I saw the picture of the red door.

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John

09/04/2013

The unknown silver box in one of the above pic is a non functioning cooler. That and the pool table are in Bldg 13 and belong to the local fire department which was permitted by the state to store items while rebuilding the firehouse.

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Gina

09/05/2013

I grew up in Blauvelt from 1957-81. My older brother worked there in the late 60s. The church on its grounds was beautiful and frequented by residents of the surrounding towns. I believe the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” is being shot there currently.

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bill

09/15/2013

awesome photos. I went there last Thursday. took lots of photos. creep place, yet fasinating

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Dave Burkhardt

10/01/2013

In 1968, I was dating a girl who was a nursing student there. When I went to visit her, I was struck by how this place resembled a zoo, except that instead of animals in cages, there were people.

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John D.

10/24/2013

I had a Summer job working at Rockland State Hospital in 1972 on grounds and building maintenance when in my last year at Tappan Zee High School, I used to check the underground tunnels connecting each of the buildings to replace burned out lights, the tunnels were there to carry patients and in W.W. II prisoners of war around to other buildings, spooky under ground maze that place had.

I worked there for 4 years after High School as a ward attendant in building 23, I had a set of common skeleton keys that I would have with me that opened any room on the grounds including doctors offices and the pharmacy.

I had to dispense medications once on every shift when I was on duty as well yet I did not have medical training.

My father was a Stationary Engineer at the power plant between the 2 giant smoke stacks in charge of keeping the steam heat working, the building between the 2 smoke stacks also has 5 sub basements under it, there use to be railroad tracks from what at the time was Erie Railroad that went to the third basement under the power plant to hold the coal from the coal cars to keep the electricity and furnaces going, yes, on the second sub basement there was a pair of giant steam driven electric turbines that produced electricity for the “Happy farm”.

There was also a 100 acre parcel of land on the South side of the gates next to Orangeburg Rd. that was part of Rockland State Hospital, it has a giant metal building used as a barn as well unless it got torn down, those were the fields for crops of vegetables that the patients had for volunteer jobs to keep busy growing food to give to the State, with no pay.

Then before my time when W.W. II was humming there were 3 sets of medical hospital buildings only 1 set of what were called the towers still stands, 2 of the pairs of the towers were torn down to build what is known as the Palisades interstate Parkway.

There were lobotomies done there on a regular basis up until around 1968, my aunt was in nurses training there back in the 1960’s and told be of the horrors that went on there, not to mention the experiments with psychotic drugs.

That place was America’s little city of horrors.

There were 8 dug wells for water outside of the gates to supply free water, now all of the wells are closed down due to pollution yet I know where they are since I grew up 4 miles from that place, the well buildings are still standing.

I knew the children’s units for housing were on the Northeast corner of the grounds, anyone over 18 was put on the adults units on the Southwest side of the grounds, the canteen was nevt to the bus terminal in the center of the grounds behind the administration building.

Student nurses stayed in building 28, all female dorms.

A lot of spooky stuff went on in that place…..I could keep going on or take you on a underground tunnel maze.

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1. Tess
  
  11/12/2013
  
  Im interested in this tunnel adventures as well as hearing more sotries I am doing a project for college thank you.
  
  Reply
2. Kjerstin R
  
  01/09/2014
  
  I am also interested in hear about this! and Tess, I would love to talk to you about your project as I am working on a film project for school.
  
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3. Theresa
  
  03/26/2014
  
  It sounds likely these “Prisoners of War” from WWII weren’t prisoners at all, yet doctors we took stateside to continue experiments here.
  The tunnel system is massive and they definitely got a lot of use out of it.
  Interesting to hear about the other 5 sub basements under the power plant; the high rise has at least as many sub basements as well!
  Big Rock Cafe used to have two really sweet ladies with thick Irish accents who ran it. Patients who had permission to roam the grounds or day passes would stop by the cafe for cigarettes or sandwiches.
  
  If you lived in the highrise, it was hard to acquire a grounds pass. Ironically many who did were also forensic patients sent from Mid Hudson or Kirby Forensic Hospitals.
  They used to give rare grounds passes to highrise patients to go to work on the grounds at the frame shop and workshop.
  
  In the fall the grounds could be very beautiful with the changing of leaves, you could almost convince yourself you were somewhere else…
  
  Reply
Natalie Vitale

11/02/2013

i have a real facination with mental health and have wanted to be a shrink for as long as i can remember! i am currently studying mental health studies, so i figured background research is essential. i had breif knowlege of mental health in the 1900s as regards to asylums etc, however i had no idea how these places actually where and that this stuff only happened in the 60s and 70s! it intreuges me so much and i am truely lurred in by it all. i would love to visit one of these places and love to talk to some of you who have had expierences in these places! please feel free to email me ( nataliedvitale@googlemail.com )

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Eric

11/02/2013

Thanks for publishing these pics Scout! I came across this site beacause of the publicity surrounding Lou Reed’s death. He had been sent here in ’56 for shock treatment of his ‘undesired homosexual tendencies’. But as we can see from the many, many incoming comments there are hundreds or thousends of these painful stories out there. They should be bundled and kept as a memorial or warning.

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Lyndsay

11/08/2013

I’m headed out that way next year — are these buildings still intact? I’d love to be able to visit them. I’m a photographer from Nova Scotia, and an avid urban explorer. Send me an email sometime, I’d love to chat with you about this place.

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Jeffrey Gerstein

11/12/2013

My dad’s business had contracts to do work in the facility in the 1980’s. We made draperies, blinds and other decorated things in offices. I found that in some wards the patients were more “rational” than the doctors and staff we met while working there. Finally Dad spoke up to a few of the doctors on their deminor and after that, he said they are the “crazy ones” and after that we never did work there again. It was our decision!!!

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Tess

11/12/2013

Hi everyone, I am so sorry about the treatment you recieved from this terrible place. I am doing a project on the terrors of the treatment for mental illness. As well as going to photograph the entire place soon. Would anyone be interested in sharing their experience? Please email me if you are. Tessraine92@yahoo.com
Thank you. I hope to hear from you all.

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Mike Dooley

11/16/2013

Electric shock is still being used today in hospitals.

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1. Logan
  
  07/09/2016
  
  Yes it is, but it is much more regulated and controlled now. It is also illegal in the United States to use ECT or electro convulsive therapy, formerly shock treatment, without anesthesia. This treatment is only used in the most severe of cases, and is a last ditch effort even in those cases.
  
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Alice

12/05/2013

I was there just last week, and they have redone about 60% of the location. They are renovation the building and using them again, i started going there in 2011 and to see how much it has changed amazes me. I know the history of this place but was never there my self. There is not like two different sections but they are connected. Rockland is now basically just for kids and the other part is called “the nathan s. kline institute for psychiatric research”.

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rae

12/08/2013

Anyone from the Yonkers area have or had relatives, friends, etc. who were committed to RCPC? Working on my master’s thesis and looking for a bit of information.
If so, feel free to email me at Rmccain@gm.slc.edu.
Thanks!

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Mark Mikolas

01/01/2014

I worked there in the late 1960s. There was a patient there who walked down the hall of the main building and knocked on every doctor’s door. When you asked him why, he replied, “It says please knock”.

The movie “The Snake Pit” with Olivia de Havilland was filmed at Rockland in 1948. “A detailed chronicle of a woman during her stay in a mental institution.” It had six Oscar nominations and won one. You can watch a trailer here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040806/?ref_=nv_sr_1

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Barbara H

01/04/2014

A step back in time for me. Worked a summer in the old children’s unit before starting OT school, then began my OT career at the old hospital, eventually moving into the “new” children’s psychiatric center. Many mixed feelings about my experience at Rockland. During my time there children ages 5-16 from some of the most depressed sections of New York City were the primary patients. Some appeared appropriate for a psychiatric facility while others just seemed to lost souls with no other place to go. The typical patient came from a family where the mother was either an alcholic, drug addict, emotionally unstable or all of the above. There were often numerous siblings, all from different fathers, and more likely than not there were multiple family members also hopitalized at Rockland or other mental health facilities scattered around the state of New York. Often times many of these children had no place to go on special holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and spent the holiday with staff at the hospital. Rockland seemed to be their only home, and as they got older rather than leave the hospital a number simply left the children’s unit and were transferred onto an adult ward. I witnessed some incredibly compassionate staff as well as some with personalities you only see in horror movies. Children were put in strait jackets and isolation rooms. Use of antipsychotic drugs was just beginning. While employed at the “old hospital” I felt ineffective and depressed and seriously considered quoting after only several months. I had come out of school with idealistic notions of doing great things, all for naught once I actually started at Rockland. A new modern facility for children sat unoccupied on the grounds of the old hospital because although money was budgeted for construction, none was budgeted for operations! It wasn’t until an election year when the governor finally agreed to fund the new facility that I finally saw possibilities and decided to stay at Rockland rather than leave for a job elsewhere. With the opening of the new facility came a new administration willing to try new approaches. By no means perfect, opportunities for actual “treatment” seemed possible. At the time I left Rockland to raise a family, community-based services were just starting up and the nature of the inpatient population was changing. I found all the comments written about Rockland fascinating, and actually could write so much more about my time working there.

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1. Theresa
  
  03/26/2014
  
  The treatments have changed over time, now i believe the staff is supposed to descalate them by talking.
  The old RCPC is the site of ‘Orange is the New Black” show that is being filmed at the old RCPC building.
  Anyone remember the huge fishtank when you walk into RCPC? After you get buzzed in?
  
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Chris

01/08/2014

My GGrandmother died at RPC in 1969. She almost died 2 yrs before from gas leak in her apt. which left her mentally ill.

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Kjerstin R

01/09/2014

Hello!
I am very interested in collecting oral histories of people who have gone through the system. I think people who went through it have a wealth of information to share and this information needs to be recorded so that we don’t make the same mistakes over and over! i.e. with how our society interacts with people who are having emotional crises or difficulties. I am motivated both out of my personal experiences and my belief that these experiences need to be recorded for posterity and I would love to eventually make a film weaving stories together. I know that there are books and films made about this topic but I think that people’s individual stories are vital in all their complexity and specificity. I would love to be able to speak to people about your experiences, whether you were used the services at Rockland or worked there. If you are at all interested please email me at kjerstin.rossi@gmail.com – I would be so thrilled to buy you a coffee or a snack, etc for your time, as little as that is!

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1. JB
  
  02/18/2014
  
  I would love to see a film about this place. I operated a food truck in there from the early 80’s while alot of buildings were still open. I have many memories of that place!! All the patients used to see my truck coming, and the staff would bring them out to the truck, many of them on leashes. It was a creepy place.
  
  Reply
2. Jack Redding
  
  08/10/2014
  
  Please read my post
  
  Reply