Five of the strangest abandoned hospitals and sanatoriums around the world

When it comes to scary structures, it's no more terrifying than abandoned hospitals and sanatoriums.

Most psychiatric hospitals built in the eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries – formerly known as "psychiatric institutions" – no longer exist, having closed their doors in the second half of the twentieth century, following the evolution of drugs used to treat mental illness and the shift away from permanent institutionalization towards a community care model.

But regardless of why its corridors are dark, one thing worrying about these empty medical facilities is that if you want to visit most of them are closed to the public. So we did the next best thing and compiled photos of some of the most feared abandoned hospitals and sanatoriums in the world.

Old Mental Hospital - Location: Hong Kong

This strange and now abandoned hospital in Hong Kong's western region, known today as the Old Mental Hospital, had many time stages.  Completed in 1892, the L-shaped building was originally constructed as the headquarters of the medical staff at the Civil Government Hospital. The building's rustic granite blocks, wide porch, ornate tops and parapets contrast with its subsequent period as a psychiatric ward for hospital patients, which it was until 1961, when the Castle Peak Hospital opened. The old mental hospital was used as an outpatient psychiatric treatment center for the next ten years, and in 1998 work began to transform it into the Sai Yingbon Community Complex. Although most of the complex is new, the original granite façade still stands, as it was declared a monument in 2015.

Trans Allegheny Insane Clinic - Location: Weston, West Virginia

It represents one of the most popular abandoned sanatoriums to visit in the United States — also known as Weston State Hospital and, ominously, West Virginia Insane Hospital. Established between 1858 and 1881, the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum is often described as the largest hand-cut stone building in North America and the second largest in the world after the Kremlin. But regardless of its classification, the hospital is huge, with nine acres of ground space under a three-and-a-half-acre roof.

Like most psychiatric hospitals of the era, the goal of the Trans Allegheny Insane Clinic was to provide high-quality mental health care in a state-of-the-art facility. But by the fifties, the building had become overcrowded – housing nearly 2,400 patients in a building designed to accommodate 250 patients – and conditions deteriorated until it closed its doors in 1994. Given that his cave halls are now open for tours and supernatural investigations, it is not surprising that there are so many rumors regarding asylum. If you're interested in long and scary tales, check out these urban legends from every state.

Built between 1844 and 1848, the North Wales Hospital opened as a facility for Welsh-speaking people with mental illness. Despite the three expansions, the hospital was constantly overcrowded, peaking at more than 1,500 patients in 1948. Changes in the treatment of mental illness – especially the use of medications – led to dwindling patient numbers, and the hospital announced its closure in 1987.

Unfortunately, North Wales Hospital has been abandoned since it closed in 1995, and years of neglect, vandalism and theft have left it in ruins. The local government hopes to restore the structures, as the hospital is "an exceptionally remarkable and pioneering example of early Victorian asylum architecture". Abandoned buildings and grounds are closed to the public for now, but despite not being able to visit, you can check out these images of creepy abandoned houses and abandoned car agencies.

Poviglia Island - Location: Venice, Italy

Poveglia Island is located in Lake Venetian Lagoon, a short boat ride from St. Mark's Square. But unlike that busy tourist area, it's eerily empty. Thanks to its dark history, Poviglia has a reputation for being one of the most ghostly haunted places in Europe, making it a frequent stop for paranormal investigators. Its links to the disease date back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when the island was used as a quarantine station for ships sailing to the port of Venice.

In 1922, the abandoned Poviglia hospitals and other buildings were converted into a shelter. The nursing home was the last medical facility to open on the island, and in 1968, it was the last facility to be closed. Poveglia has since become uninhabited and is not open to the public. While many rumours and ghost stories associated with the island have been proven wrong, there are still some real urban legends.

Khovrino Hospital Complex - Location: Moscow, Russia

Lovers of brutalist architecture may be familiar with the huge Khovrino hospital complex in the north of Moscow. Construction of the medical facility, known as the "umbrella," began in 1980 but faced a variety of problems, causing progress to stall for five years. The fact that the compound looks like a warning sign from above did not help to improve it, nor did the reports that many people died falling from the 11-story building. The rather dismal complex was demolished in 2018, giving way to a new apartment building. For more urban monuments, take a look at these majestically magnificent abandoned churches.