The abandoned remains of one of the oldest asylums in the states.

New Jersey’s Greystone Asylum

4/17/13

For those looking to do a little urban exploration in one of the creepiest places on Earth, have a look at the New JerseyStateHospital for the Insane. Also known as the New Jersey State Lunatic Asylum at Morristown (due to it being located at MorrisPlains), this site is probably best known as GreystonePark. This nickname it received soon after its construction due to the grey stone used to build it. It is the second oldest and second largest (ex) mental facility in the state and a building that has graced television and film on several occasions.

Founded in 1875, the doors of Greystone opened the next year. It was a project of the legendary mental health advocate, Dorothea Dix. It is also a notable building because it was the first such facility to use the Kirkbride Plan. For those not in the know, the Kirkbride design was a way of building mental hospitals that emphasized the latest trend at the time - thinking of patients as human beings. Contrasting with many older designs, Greystone implements such amazing innovations as regular windows for sunshine and proper air circulation.

Greystone was not just a hospital, but a completely self-sustaining community. There were farms, a post office, a power station, buildings for utilities and the facility even had its own fire and police stations. Many of these additions were staffed by patients as part of their treatment.

Though Greystone was set up to be a model mental health facility, the reality quickly fell short of the ideal. The hospital became overcrowded and what was supposed to house 1600 patients ended up with more than 7600 residents. This lead to a massive decline in treatment and, eventually, rampant bouts of sickness among both patients and staff. Still, the hospital managed to survive until 2008, though most of the staff and patients had left long before then and many of the old buildings were torn down.

Today, a little over 40 of the original buildings remain, spread across an area of approximately one square mile. These structures have fallen into complete disrepair and, despite their historical value, nothing looks to be in the works to change this. Inside these rotting shells is the original furniture and decorations, though much of the concrete is splitting and cracking and nature is beginning to make its way back to reclaim the site. Underneath the old buildings is one of the more interesting features - a series of tunnels connecting the various structures. Though this is a popular way for explorers to bypass the grounds security, if you aren’t careful you can quickly become lost in the maze-like corridors.

If you want to have a look inside Greystone without risking some jail time, check out the video below. You can also check out Preserve Greystone, an organization dedicated to raising money so that these old buildings can be saved from imminent demise.

Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital [Part 1]