The hospital first opened its doors in 1904 in Norwich, Connecticut. It was built in an idyllic location chosen for its therapeutic properties overlooking the River Thames.
The Norwich Insane Asylum was built isolated from civilization, which worked to its benefit as it began to grow during its early years sprouting new buildings that accompanied the original construction (see aerial view of the hospital here). These new construction projects included patient wards, staff cottages, laboratories and workshops. All of the structures were interconnected by a large network of underground utility tunnels. These tunnels transported electricity, hot water, and patients to various areas on the grounds. The hospital remained self-sufficient, almost like a small town, with its own power plant, pump house, working farm, kitchen, theater and church.
Over 3,000 patients and 1,000 employees were residents on the asylum grounds in the 1950’s.
Slowly patients began to leave Norwich State Hospital due to deinstitutionalization and it permanently closed its doors in 1996. Since then time has basically stood still on the property with a few exceptions. Currently there is talk about converting the grounds into a theme park, but nothing has been set in stone.
After a long tedious drive we leave the car in a commuter parking lot close to the buildings. Ever the vigilant group of explorers we notice a State Trooper making his rounds and dive into the forest for cover. Luckily we outsmarted the police yet again and after regrouping walk along the Thames River for a few hundred feet. We finally see the abandoned pump house looming in the distance and decide to make this our entryway into the campus.
This site has a reputation for being well guarded, well patrolled, and does not take kindly to trespassers. I am always on edge when exploring across the Atlantic and the numerous “State Property – No Trespassing” signs that litter the grounds did not bode well for my paranoia. Instead of exposing ourselves above ground to security and prying eyes, we decided to take the underground route through the utility tunnels.
Using the tunnels we explored many buildings without ever being forced to go outside. This method of travel was soon confirmed to be the safest. On our first attempt to venture outside we were only a few feet away from a security officer in a black uniform. Fortunately he didn’t look our way and we quickly receded back into the tunnel network. For a while we hid in the abandoned theater so we could look around the campus without being seen.
This encounter with security dampened our spirits and made our visit a whole lot shorter than we would have liked. We made our grande exit through the empty chapel, this allowed us to avoid walking back through the forest. As we were walking back to the commuter lot to pickup our car we noticed the State Trooper had been watching us as we suspiciously walked down the road. I wonder where we went to and were coming back from?!
Archive document introducing a new therapy (click to enlarge):
Special thanks to Dr. Bob for sharing the old postcards.
Personally I thought this article was well done..So I decided to share it Here on this wonderful site check it out..
haha ..surprised your leaving the computer at the AVCRAD this weekend.. what's your wife going to think if your not home searching up 13 year old girls for the night?
wow is he really that stupid damn hate to be him. does anybody know what this asshole looks like ps going to nsh this saturday will see you there
I am Bomb Okey? I post unda udder perples na na na namee du you see wut we meeand noow? By da weey I neverd exploreid Norwich I just stayied in myy luttle carr and cried till it wuuzz time to go hoome..
See.. and that is a factual bomb statement..stated how he (would) say it and how he (would) spell it as well.
No..he stated that he was checking IP's that people have commented under and verified that bomb's Ip address has posted under the name tunnebeast..therefore Bomb=tunnelbeast..Anyone can do it. ..and to venus..email me Creynolds429@yahoo.com ..as I said before there is a tact to exploring these site's ..if your serious Email me.
And to tunnelbeast..to make you understand that Slyv wasn't attacking you..this "26 year old male from mass" check my next post.
okay so everbody you post on this site that misspell a word or two right away you think they are this bomb person. well i can tell you iam not this bomb person because iam 26 year old male an i live in mass ok. an some people do from time to time misspell a word or two do you. now by no meanes is this an attack on you okay
If you're going to be in New England (or CT) going into these buildings, I'd like to join too. I would love some photographs from these places. My email address is: pandoraaphrodite@yahoo.com
Thanks.
I actually heard that there was a free Forbidden-places book awarded to the 1000th comment for each location..It's some sort of promo deal. By the way Slyv ..I saw your recent post somewhere about Brussels national monuments..I was blown away when I saw the shots you took of the planes..also you posted one called "imprisoned" which was by all means inspirational.
I'm 1000'th comment ..I'm 1000'th comment.. hahahhaa Had to do it.. A drink to you Norwich, you are a popular old girl.
Sounds like an interesting story for sure!! Surely you've read the below post. I am starting an Urban-decay/Historical U.E book..and documentary about New England..I have a few leads I have been following to talk with patients and some "former employee's" of not only Norwich..but Fairfield Hills and other related sites..I'm basing my story mostly towards hospitals and industrial area's ..there's a few churches in the mix..and a 9 mile tunnel with 40 ft arch ceilings..just to keep things interesting.. I'm a rookie at writing and publishing and what not..but it seems Urban Exploration has been getting quite a few hits from outsiders in the art industry and even the media. ..Any tips for getting attention to the project?
And as for Tunnelbeast..He was a dead give away when he posted with "okey" ..he is famous for not understanding the art of spell check. Thanks for the heads up any-how.
I remember an email I received via this page about somebody whose grandfather was at NSH. He was murdered by a fellow patient when he was beaten with a brick in 1945. The family never got the certificate of death from CT state. Hopefully another relative from the family knew a nurse who told them the story. If you find the story interesting enough, I'll post it here, after asking approval to this person.
Oh and to avoid misunderstanding, looking at IPs, tunnelbeast is bomb. Boo.
JPt..Jpt.. No sexual pun was intended..
I agree with what you've said in your last post. Like I said..Both of us there that day were classically skeptic..Never once did we think about the paranormal end of things while we explored other sites. My purpose for posting my story was simply to show that even a skeptic..who's last thought in the world would be "paranormal" ..can have an experience that almost for a moment makes that person completely unsure of their environment. I can't really agree with the animals end of things..as any explorer in NSH can verify that there isn't much wildlife here. I totally agree with you about recording equipment..however our experiences didn't start until 4-5 hours into our trip there..I would get impatient for sure.
The t.v shows about the paranormal..is more of a subject for good o'l sparkles.. As I don't watch most of them. I have seen the show "scariest places on earth" which has some sort of valid topic..the places are scary. However I watched an episode which was "based on Norwich" they kept saying it had a history too gruesome to reveal it's name. ..They input a story that seemed far fetched claiming that the hospital had a patient whom had chopped a nurse into tiny pieces and buried her around the grounds..and continuing with their story they claimed he had AWOL the facility and was never caught. Claiming he returned after the site closed and he wander the darkness...These shows always have to add a little bit of their own history..just to grab the audience.
Tunnelbeast..send me an email if you are interested. I am hoping to cover 12+ locations in ct..I have been to a few of them however I am actually getting better shots and video for a possible book and documentary I am planning for New England. Trying to think of a catchy name for it too.. That's Slyv's department maybe? ..haha But the goal is to get a good group of people..looking to explore a bit and get a few prime locations covered..as well as a few that need a sort of "professionalism" These locations are around CT ..and I have some that are on our borders..
Get me going? Hmm, well, I dont swing that way, but I'm flattered none the less.
As for your experiences, I am in no position to tell you what you did or did not experience, nor can I comment authoritatively on what I did NOT experience. Axeman kinda beat me to the punch about the animal sounds, having spent my teens crawling around the woods and rivers at night, I know there are haunting noises that can flip you out, untill you realize its an animal just doing what it does. Ever hear a bullhead croak? Or a frog scream? A baby bunny cry? These are all things that can freak you out if you are unfamiliar with them. I would be more likely to believe it was a feral cat than an angry spirit. But, I wasnt there, so I cannot do more than guess.
Another suggestion, and its just a shot in the dark, so to speak, is that you may have been followed by another U.E. , who was pranking you. Again, I wasnt there, so I dont know.
And as I said before, its very possible that you heard the noise and made it what you wanted it to be. God, I need everyone here to go get a copy of the Amazing Randi's "FLIM-FLAM", and just read it thru. He suggests there are 3 types of "Psychic"s out there (bear with me, I know you are not saying you are psychic): one is the scam artist, trying to make money off people one is the fun and games player, just enjoying the 'fun" of it And one is the true believer, who honestly believes what they are doing is paranormal.
I believe a lot of the people who claim to experience paranormal events fall into the third catagory, and believe they have had an encounter with the supernatural. They are not trying to dupe others, but are excited to share their unique experience.Alas, in 99% of all these cases, there is a more normal, mundane explanation.
One cannot prove a negative, and as such, I cannot say you did not indeed meet a violent, pain-filled spirit. Perhaps you did. Or perhaps, you did not. Aside from you relating your personal experience, there is nothing else for us to go on.
You will note that most of the paranormal TV shows, Ghosthunters and Monsterquest in particular, rarely turn up a "smoking gun", and even then, a minor league skeptic as myself can shoot holes thru their evidence easily.
Chris, I do believe you are giving us your honest experiences, and you truely believe what you had was paranormal. So keep going back, and next time bring some recording equipment, to try and get some of these experiences down. If I hear the scream, perhaps I cold tell you "Thats a cat howling" or even better "IDK WHAT the HELL that was??!!"!
Chris, Thank you for sharing your experiences with us.
I can understand hearing a scream while you're in NSH at night would be quite unsettling but the fact that you say "Places with history of violence and death such as my favorite..Norwich. ..Almost have to have some sort of audible footprint" tells me that you're pre-disposed to use paranormal reasons for unfamiliar sounds. I'm not saying that it absolutely was not a paranormal source, but it is more likely that maybe an animal (ever hear a fisher cat) was the culprit. The human brain always tries to associate unfamiliar stimuli to something in its database.
I am skeptical but I do understand that these experiences are very real to the people having them and I would never say I think it's rubbish, only that I believe there is an alternate, plausible explanation.
chris count me in okey
Yeah send me info about said bunker..Let's put it this way.. we do a bunker together..I got a factory for ya..we do a factory..I got a 9 mile tunnel for ya.. we do a tunnel I got a mill for ya.. catch my drift people?..we need to team up a bit..get together and start getting some good spots done..I do it myself all the time. I pull over at every circuit city I see..just to take pictures..haha like i said.. Creynolds429@yahoo.com ..drop me an email and leave a Subject ..otherwise your spam to me.
phucphace@gmail.com Ok so I found a lot of info on the bunker, just email me. Chris, I'll send you one tonight.
JPT..
It's a rather difficult topic.. I too am (somewhat) skeptic. I said the same things that you just posted. I felt that nothing would ever prove me to be "unexplainable". However, at no other site than Norwich..I was somewhat baffled by the things we were hearing. On this occasion I know the grounds were 100% empty..having been in nearly every room in this building..The building was completely silent..I couldn't hear the road or anything. We had just made our way to the stairway closed the door and turned the corner. Both me and my exploring partner heard the loudest most horrifying scream coming from the landing we had just come from. FROZEN in silence and shock we both asked that dumb question "did you just hear that" Neither of us put it into each others head that there was nothing there..we KNEW there wasn't anything in the building..I kid you not..the only place I have heard screams of that sort was the movies. We went back an investigated the landing we had just come from..nothing ..peeked into the doors..nothing.. It was amazing. After hearing that we had gone on our way to other sections of the hospital..Hearing banging in a section of the tunnels..cold breezes in area's that were warm when we had passed moments earlier..We stopped to converse about which direction we were headed next and both of us reminisced later on that night (we hadn't spoken about what we felt until we were reviewing the trip) that while we were talking heard whispers talking over us.. i know you'll think this is rubbish..however I guess you need to be put into the situation to say "was it real" ..we didn't feel these things until hours into our trip..after that it was one thing after another it seemed.. I almost felt like we "set something off" when we entered a certain area. I have been other places where people claim paranormal activity..felt nothing.. However..places with history of violence and death such as my favorite..Norwich. ..Almost have to have some sort of audible footprint. I've been in Russel before and heard children..not explorers..but kids..laughing investigate further ..Nada. I can't explain that off. Can you??
Pareidolia is, however, an interesting aspect of human psychology.
"Pareidolia is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant. Common examples include seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, and hearing hidden messages on records played in reverse. The word comes from the Greek para- ("beside", "with", or "alongside"—meaning, in this context, something faulty or wrong (as in paraphasia, disordered speech)) and eidolon ("image"; the diminutive of eidos ("image", "form", "shape")). Pareidolia is a type of apophenia."
This is the skeptics basis for discounting the majority of EVPs, Orbs, ectoplasmic mists, and other so called paranormal events. As a skeptic, I believe this CAN account for most every piece of evidence provided. Not saying it ISNT paranormal, but if it can be reproduced or explained in a mundane manner, then it must be held suspect as a paranormal event.
Many people, myself included, would love to see a ghost, or experience the thrill of something supernatural. And we will convince ourselves that what we experienced was what we WANTED to experience, and not always the truth. So, untill some spirit comes walking thru the walls and shakes hands with ol' JPT, (to which I'd be full of questions about their past life, and the hereafter!) I will remain a firm believer in the natural, boring, mundane world we drudge thru.
But, if any of you can prove me wrong, I'd gladly sing your praises!
pareidolia ..good word. you could have probably just said that it was shit on the window..ahahaa
No face in the window, just pareidolia.
look at the last picture titled bye bye norwich. theres a face in the closest window
Of course im interested. i think you have my email.
Yep, I was partially in it a while back, we had no flashlights (found on a non ue adventure) so we could only do so much. There was still equipment / items in there. I think it was a coastal defense gun battery and or possibly more- it's big and concealed very well. It's not like the other coastal bunkers that are still around so I'm not sure- just assuming from it's location. There may also be a silo there but it could be flooded- it seemed to be sealed but my perception of "sealed" has changed since then. It's been a while but it is still there and where it is has likely left it mostly untouched, it's kind of a rare spot so I can't say to many details. If you're interested we can talk deets, and there are some interesting ones...
well that seems to defeat the purpose..haha.. we'll never find out what its all about without..conversing about it.
please do share or give an email we can email you at and ask for directions, im heavily interested thanks stab
Sweet dude..you have seen this bunker yourself? ..wonder how big it is.. and what it was used for..what area is it in ..CT?
So, I have a freakin' sweet spot for this summer! Big old underground bunker anyone? You can't spot it from sat images unless you already know it's there-very out of the way and almost no one knows it exists. Bit of a bitch to get to though...
check list out OGRISH.COM this site is funny
What's out there in toronto? tell you what..make the trip to NSH and pick us up on your back if you guys have any sweet asylums.
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