Stretching over hundreds of acres, Pilgrim Psychiatric State Hospital is a vast and ominous site. Today, only one small section of the institution is still operating and many of the buildings have been leveled. What remains has become abandoned.
Me and my boyfriend parked next door at a facility with construction workers and walked through the woods to the back side of the property. When we arrived through the woods we scoped the outside perimeter in hopes of finding a way to enter from the back, but it was impossible to get in this way due to the thick vegetation. In hindsight, we would have had no problem parking in front and just walking in.
After failing to get in from the back, we decided to try another way. While scoping the perimeter, we noticed on the side of the property an old aqueduct looking structure with rails on top. Next to the aqueduct structure was a huge brick building with no windows and an enormous archway. We walked over and found two or three little rooms on the side of the huge building, but no stairway into the facility. We also found various relics under the aqueduct that were from inside the buildings such as a couch, old cassette tapes and photographs damaged by the rain. Realizing that we could not feasibly enter through the back or side of the property, we decided to go to the front of the building through an opening in the gate.
We enter the building through an open door that leads to a big empty room with no windows. At the end of the room is another open door that leads to another empty room with no windows. The deeper we go the darker it becomes. We come to a third room that is pitch black. We stand by the door way and hear a strange rustling sound coming from inside, like a creature of some sort. Creeped out by the spooky noises coming from the darkness, we retreat back the way we came.
All of a sudden we hear loud music coming from nearby. We look out from the front of the building and see two modified race cars with amplifiers coming out of the trunk. People were gathered around the cars just hanging out. We walk over to the other buildings nearby the party of people, we casually say hello and go exploring inside.
Unlike the first building, these buildings have many windows, easily accessible staircases, and roof access, but the floors and ceiling are caved in at some parts and the smell of toxicity lingers. Across the way are identical buildings, stretching about 100 yards. Although there was a lot to explore, the sun was starting to set so we had to head back home before seeing everything.
Pilgrim Psychiatric State Hospital is definitely one of the most haunting abandoned places I’ve ever been. The air feels heavy as though the grounds are occupied by ghosts, tormented by the memories of their unfortunate fates. Still, it retains a special beauty and splendor like a forgotten magic castle.
URBAN EXPLORING ABANDONED BUILDINGS 