Mental hospitals are places of pain, fear, anger, and abandonment. Most patients who enter mental hospitals never get to see their families and relatives again. it is not unusual for mental hospitals to become haunted. Independence State Mental Hospital in Iowa is not an exception.
Independence State Mental Hospital Haunted?
Those who want to have a glimpse of the paranormal flock to Independence State Mental Hospital. The majority of the building is still currently in use but there are older parts that have been closed and are only usually opened during school tours.
These parts of the building were said to be the place for many lobotomies and electric shock therapies. People who have toured this part of the building reported hearing whispers; feeling cold drafts; and having the feeling that someone or something which cannot be seen is watching them. Those who do work in the hospital make it a point to avoid these parts because they can hear disembodied voices screaming. It seems as if the spot is still the home of patients who have not found their peace. If you want to experience a haunted hospital in Iowa then without a doubt, Independence is where you need to visit!
Brief History
Independence State Mental Hospital was built in 1873 and it was the second asylum in the state of Iowa. The hospital was built to relieve the crowding at Mount Pleasant State Hospital. It was also meant to be a place for geriatrics, alcoholics, the criminally insane, the mentally ill, and drug addicts.
The cost of constructing the hospital was more than $800,000 and it took ten years to complete it. The hospital’s architect was Stephen Vaughn Shipman. He also designed various mental institutions in Wisconsin and Illinois. Although some changes have been made to the building, it still looks the same as it did in old postcards and photographs.
The hospital is now officially known as Independence State Mental Health Institute and continues to serve as a psychiatric hospital which also has alcohol and drug rehabilitation programs. It also houses a training school for nurses. The building has been through several renovations and is still in very good shape compared to hospitals built around the same time.