Every morning, my elementary school bus would drive through the property. This was before the building restorations began. I remember feeling this strange pull towards the buildings as we passed shattered windows and stained yellow brick. The bars over all the windows frightened me and yet I found myself unable to pull my eyes away.
At such a young age I really didn’t know what I was riding past. I only knew that I felt two things: fascination and heebie-jeebies.
Photo by Allixandria G.
Later I learned that this was once the site of the Traverse City State Hospital – Or, for the less PC version: The Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane. This asylum was constructed in 1885 and held around fifty-thousand patients of all ages throughout its operation, until finally closing down in 1989. The founder of the State Hospital implemented a philosophy of “Work is Therapy” and created a place where patients participated in the operation of farms and other businesses within the grounds as part of their rehabilitation.
Photo by Allixandria G.
However, during this time period, not much was known about medicine and mental health. Patients were admitted for things like autism, dyslexia, epilepsy, addiction, homosexuality, and hysteria. Essentially anyone who did not behave “normally” was sent to the State Hospital. Children as young as 5 years old were sent here, only permitted to see their families one Sunday each month (if their families showed up at all). The hospital was also utilized during outbreaks of tuberculosis, typhoid, polio, and other diseases.
The forms of keeping patients under control were highly questionable. Lobotomies were performed in the early years, until drugs like Thorazine were made available.
People were beaten and locked alone in empty rooms. There are even stories of murder and rape, though its hard to confirm details due to the hush-hush nature of the patients and employees of the building. Needless to say, The Traverse City State Hospital is shrouded in darkness.
Eventually, the philosophies regarding mental health began to change, which led to the closing of the Traverse City State Hospital. The building sat, boarded up and frozen in time for many years. Some buildings were demolished and many fell victim to trespassers and vandals. In 2002 the property was purchased and work began on restoring and repurposing the buildings.
Today, it is the site of some great shopping and dining. There are also condos, office spaces, and a senior living center among other things.
While much work has been done to update the space, there are still a number of buildings left abandoned.
It wasn’t until many years after those bus rides that I actually got to take time to walk around the buildings. There are still many people who break in and experience the inside of the abandoned hospital. As much as I would LOVE to do this, I did’t quite feel like getting arrested on this day, so I stuck to the outside and peeked in the windows when I could.
Walking through the property, you can’t help but feel overcome with a heaviness. Imagine the children’s faces peeking out the windows, knowing that they would never be free again. Imagine the screams as people were forced to take medicines that turned them into living zombies. Imagine the young women breaking windows and using the glass shards to attempt suicide.
Photo by Allixandria G.
It’s hard to really imagine what happened in this place. People who were admitted to the Traverse City State Hospital as children report still having nightmares from their experiences. Here is Ron’s account of his time at the State Hospital. It’s just chilling.
And yet, it’s incredibly fascinating. To think that patients under these conditions were able to work and make this institution completely self-sustaining. To think of every bit of history held within the faded buildings. To think of all the medical advancements we have made since this time. To think of the development the city is making, turning these buildings into something beautiful and new.
If you wish to explore the grounds of the Traverse City State Hospital, there are many different things to see. Here are some unrestored highlights:
The Cottages
They are easily identified by the shattered windows, boarded up doors and bright red “KEEP OUT” spray paint. Respect the “No Trespassing” signs to avoid being arrested and prosecuted.
Building 65 – A Service/Storage Building
This building is tucked in the back of the property. If you follow Yellow Drive until it turns into a dirt road you will find this building. Completely covered in graffiti, this building will hold your attention for hours. You are able to go inside, but be very very careful, as the roof is caving in and the ground is covered in debris.
The Hippie Tree
Filled with urban legends galore, the hippie tree was once a gigantic tree that stood tall in the woods outside the Traverse City State Hospital. A few years ago it was struck by lightning and now lays in three pieces, covered in layer upon layer of colorful spray paint. One story says that the walking around the Hippie Tree in the correct way opens a portal to Hell. Another story claims that two young boys were murdered here. And some claim that this is not even the original Hippie Tree. Me? I just enjoyed getting to climb and play on it.
There are also many things to see and do within the restored areas of the old Traverse City State Hospital. Here are some suggestions:
Hiking Trails
With the recent development of the property came some pretty beautiful hiking trails. These will take you to some other notable parts of the State Hospital, including a freshwater spring!
Mercato Shops
There are a number of small boutique shops within the halls of Building #50 and around the hospital grounds. You can purchase goods like fur coats, artwork, flowers, and Michigan souvenirs. Or, if you’re like me you can window shop and peruse through the small book store.
Photo by Allixandria G.
Restaurants
There is no possible way to go hungry while exploring the Traverse City State Hospital. Between the bakeries and coffeehouses to the wineries and high-end Italian restaurants, there will be something to satisfy both your taste buds and your price range. I recommend getting the Burrata at Trattoria Stella.
Photo by Allixandria G.
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Have you ever visited a place that both fascinated you and gave you the heebie-jeebies? Tell me about it in the comment section below!
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22 Comments
Never heard about it… It looks so cool anyway!!
It’s especially cool in the fall, when you get all the fallen leaves.
Wow, this is both fascinating and heartbreaking. Each time I stop to think about how we used to (and sometimes, sadly, still) treat people who seem “different” without taking the time to understand them, I am disheartened yet hopeful that we won’t make the same mistakes again.
Great post, Brianna.
We’ve learned along the way, but still have some distance to cover, huh?
I like that businesses have reclaimed some of this building. Although I’m not sure how I’d feel sipping wine with all that heavy history all around.
Yeah it totally floors me that people choose to live there now! I could never sleep with all the ghost stories that surround the place!!
Every once in a while, I have the opportunity to work flights with Traverse City layovers. Though I’ve never taken advantage of one, I’ve suddenly gotten much more interested in the idea. This place sounds like it is a mixture of interesting, terrifying, creepy and sad. I’d love to visit the site and perhaps do a bit of hiking afterwards!
Traverse City is a beautiful place! I highly recommend nabbing one of those flights ;)
I used to work at a hospital that was previously called Hospital for Incurables, but it catered to patients suffering from brain injuries or road traffic accidents. Never thought of how it was back then in the olden days until I read your post. They’re like scenes from an old movie.
Wow. That must have been an impactful experience. I can’t imaging working with people in those conditions :/
That’s so creepy! I have never heard of the Traverse City State Hospital but how sad to hear about how the patients were mistreated. The hiking looks nice, though. And I would have to visit Trattoria Stella because it’s my name!
Heebie-jeebies, indeed! I love scaring myself with stuff like this. I can’t imagine living like that…but American Horror Story sure did a good job of getting close! Cool post – I love reading about things that are off the beaten path and a little bit (or it this case a LOT) different :)
Reading about the Northern Michigan Mental Asylum, sent a chill up my spine, the remains of the abandoned hospital sound so eerie and one can almost hear the shrieks of the helpless patients who were incarcerated there. Lovely piece of writing, touched my heart.
Oh i loove such creepy places. They have this very special atmosphere!
Right? A little creepy…a little cool.
Wow that sounds creepy, to be sure. Looks like a place that the Ghost Adventures crew should visit! haha I’ve never really been to an abandoned building like that especially with this type of history, so it was interesting to read your account. Funny how some of it is now shops and eateries… ;) But it looks cool!
I’m pretty sure they have had paranormal investigations done there. *shudder*
[…] I often seem to be drawn to places with a bit of a dark history. In Michigan, I love exploring the old mental hospital in Traverse City, taking in the frozen images and picturing its history. In Mansfield, Ohio, there’s the Ohio […]
Never heard about this! But it looks awesome. I should definitely come here. What would be the best season?
Autumn is always fun because the leaves are changing and beautiful!
Never heard of this place but from the pictures it looks amazing.
This hospital was actually one that treated the patients humanely, “Beauty is Therapy” was the motto. Straight jackets were forbidden. People were absolutely admitted for every reason, but as a whole this facility was on the cutting edge of mental treatment. Including the introduction of psychotropic drugs in the late 1950s that greatly reduced the population here, It’s a beautiful place, but the patients were treated with as much dignity as possible, The colorful hippie tree isn’t actually the original one. The “real” hippie tree is closer to the building and was considered a “gate to hell” by the patients there because they could hear people in the tunnels below speaking and thought it was “hell”. That tree was as far as the staff allowed patients to go unattended on the grounds. I was actually there for the extended tour today and our guides father was the director of the hospital from 1973-1985. So while this place is eerily beautiful, the nightmarish treatment patients at many other facilities received was not done here.