St. Albans Sanatorium in Radford, Virginia is reputed to be one of the most haunted sites on the East Coast, and for good reason: the very soil it rests on has a grim and horrific history.
Photo: St. Albans Sanatorium
Once occupied by several indigenous tribes before European settlers moved in, the ground was soaked with blood in the “Draper’s Meadow Massacre” of 1775, and bore witness to brutal Civil War battles a century later.
Photo: St. Albans Sanatorium
The horrors apparently didn't end when the St. Albans Boys School was built on the site in 1892, as suggested by stories of multiple student suicides – though none of those were officially recorded.
Photo: St. Albans Sanatorium
In 1916, St. Albans was converted to a hospital for the mentally ill, overseen by Doctor J.C. King. While the Sanatorium was known for its modern and revolutionary treatment techniques, some of the experimental procedures – including early shock and water therapies – proved fatal for some patients. There were also several more suicides in the hospital, and this time they were properly documented by Dr. King and others.
Photo: St. Albans Sanatorium
Even long after the hospital closed its doors, the horrors continued: the murder of Gina Renee Hall occurred near the hospital grounds in 1980.
Photo: St. Albans Sanatorium
With all those horrific events transpiring in and around St. Albans, it's naturally become a favorite haunt for paranormal investigators, who have captured numerous images and phenomena including moving objects, EVP voice recordings, unexplained mists which appear indoors, and vague human figures lurking in the shadows... like the ethereal outline photographed in this doorway:
Photo: Dennis Taylor
Think you're brave enough to explore these corridors for yourself? St. Albans books tours through their media-rich official site, which also offers tons of historical info, many more photos like the ones shown here (each with a chilling backstory) and alleged paranormal evidence (the EVP recordings will chill you to the bone).
Paranormal sleuths might also want to consider visiting Peoria State Mental Hospital in Illinois, where the weeping ghost of a former patient is said to haunt the cemetery...