Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

The massive stone building measures just shy of a quarter mile long. Construction on the southern end of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum began in 1858, with the northern end completed in 1881, and while the facility was intended to hold just 250 residents, it packed in more than 2,400 at its overcrowded worst.

The institution had good intentions at the start, built in accordance with the design principles of Dr. Thomas Story Kirkbride, whose work highlighted the influence of fresh air, sunlight and open space on mental health. After the asylum’s closure in 1994, the state of West Virginia, who owned the sprawling building, left the property mostly empty until auctioning it off in 2007. 

Soon after, the new owners started offering tours, as well as public and private ghost hunts. Tour participants can now see six sections of the asylum restored to their original appearance and filled with period-appropriate furniture. Those interested in the paranormal can reserve tickets for lobotomy, morgue and seclusion tours, as well as try an overnight experience that runs from 11:30 p.m. to 6 a.m. — if they dare. 50 S. River Ave., Weston, West Virginia 26452, 304/269-5070, trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com