6 Spooky Asylums in Maryland That Attract Ghost Hunters

Maryland hides a dark history within the walls of its abandoned and active psychiatric institutions. These places once housed thousands of mentally ill patients, many of whom suffered terrible conditions and treatments.

Today, these asylums stand as eerie monuments to a troubled past, drawing ghost hunters and paranormal investigators from across the country who seek to document the restless spirits said to roam their decaying corridors.

1. Spring Grove Hospital Center: America’s Second-Oldest Psychiatric Institution

Established in 1797 and still partially operational today, Spring Grove Hospital in Catonsville holds the distinction of being one of America’s oldest psychiatric facilities. The sprawling campus features imposing Gothic-style buildings where countless patients lived and died over two centuries.

Staff members report inexplicable cold spots in the older buildings, particularly in former treatment rooms where controversial therapies once took place. Security guards have documented phantom footsteps echoing through empty hallways and doors that slam shut without explanation.

The most frequently reported apparition is a female patient in a white gown who appears in windows of the abandoned buildings, only to vanish when approached. Ghost hunting teams have captured numerous EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) here, with desperate whispers seemingly pleading for help or release.

2. Crownsville State Hospital: The Abandoned Asylum for African Americans

Crownsville Hospital opened in 1911 as the “Hospital for the Negro Insane,” operating during a shameful era of segregation and mistreatment. Patients initially lived in canvas tents while being forced to build the very structures that would confine them.

After closing in 2004, the deteriorating buildings became magnets for paranormal enthusiasts. Visitors report hearing disembodied moans and screams, particularly near the morgue where thousands of unclaimed bodies were processed. The basement areas, which once housed the most severely ill patients, trigger intense feelings of sadness and dread.

Urban explorers have photographed mysterious orbs and shadow figures moving through the abandoned wards. The most disturbing accounts involve visitors feeling invisible hands grabbing at their clothing or sensing a presence following them through the decaying corridors.

3. Forest Haven Asylum: The Institution Where Patients Were Forgotten

Located near Laurel, Forest Haven operated from 1925 until 1991, gaining notoriety for horrific patient neglect and over 400 unexplained deaths. Many former residents remain buried in unmarked graves on the property, their names recorded only on simple concrete markers that have since crumbled away.

The asylum’s most haunted area is reportedly the children’s ward, where visitors hear phantom giggles and tiny footsteps. Personal items left as offerings – toys, candy, flowers – mysteriously move overnight. The morgue, with its rusting autopsy tables, emanates a bone-chilling cold even on the hottest summer days.

Photographers frequently capture unexplained anomalies – misty figures standing in windows or doorways that weren’t visible to the naked eye. Ghost hunters consider Forest Haven a paranormal hotspot, with equipment malfunctions and battery drains occurring with unusual frequency.

4. Henryton State Hospital: From Tuberculosis Sanatorium to Paranormal Hotspot

Nestled in the woods of Marriottsville, Henryton opened in 1922 as a tuberculosis sanatorium before converting to a psychiatric facility. Though demolished in 2013 after years of abandonment, the land itself remains a pilgrimage site for ghost hunters who believe the spirits linger even without walls to contain them.

Former visitors documented phantom coughs echoing through empty corridors and the apparition of a nurse who would appear at the end of hallways only to vanish when approached. EVP sessions captured voices describing painful treatments and begging for release from suffering.

The most chilling encounters occurred in the former children’s wing, where small handprints would appear in the dust moments after investigators had cleared an area. Though the buildings are gone, paranormal investigators still report unusual electromagnetic fluctuations and cold spots when visiting the former hospital grounds.

5. Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center: Maryland’s House of Criminally Insane

Unlike its abandoned counterparts, Perkins Hospital in Jessup remains fully operational as Maryland’s maximum-security psychiatric facility for the criminally insane. Built in 1959, the hospital houses patients deemed too dangerous for standard mental health facilities.

Staff members report inexplicable phenomena in the older wings, particularly after patient deaths. Security cameras occasionally capture shadowy figures moving through locked wards during overnight shifts when patients are confined to rooms. Maintenance workers refuse to enter certain basement areas alone after experiencing tools moving on their own and hearing their names whispered when no one else is present.

The most persistent legend involves a former patient who murdered several staff members in the 1970s. His spirit allegedly appears before violent incidents, with multiple employees reporting seeing the same figure in the days before patient outbursts or suicide attempts.

6. Mount Hope Retreat: Baltimore’s Victorian House of Horrors

Mount Hope Retreat opened in 1840 as one of Baltimore’s first private psychiatric facilities, housed in an imposing Victorian mansion. Though partially renovated for modern use, sections of the original structure remain untouched, preserving the eerie atmosphere of 19th-century psychiatric care.

Maintenance workers report tools disappearing only to reappear in locked rooms. Visitors describe sudden temperature drops and the overwhelming scent of old-fashioned medicines in areas where no chemicals are stored. The most active area appears to be the former hydrotherapy rooms, where patients were once subjected to ice baths and water treatments.

Security guards have logged dozens of reports detailing a female figure in Victorian nursing attire who appears on the third floor. Ghost hunting teams have recorded disembodied voices speaking in outdated medical terminology and captured photographs of shadowy figures standing at the ends of hallways, watching their investigations with apparent curiosity.