Claim OwnershipBehind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals
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© 2025 Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals
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This podcast examines the history of now-defunct or abandoned psychiatric hospitals. Listen every week to learn about the history of mental health care and the true stories of the people who lived and worked behind the walls.
86 Episodes
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Send us a text This week's episode explores the life and hospitalizations of author and artist Zelda Fitzgerald. Discover where she was institutionalized throughout her life and how her life came to a tragic end. Learn about the Craig House in Beacon, NY, where she was hospitalized for a time and find out what amenities were available to patients who resided there. My main source for this episode is an Atlas Obscura article written by Luke Spencer. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewall...
Send us a text This week, Sarah interviews Rusty Tagliareni (photographer and co-author of the Images of America book on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital) and Lisa Marie Blohm (President of Preservation Works advocacy group) to discuss what it was like to try and save the old Kirkbride building at Greystone Park and what Preservation Works is doing now to try and save other historical sites. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewallspod Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon.co...
Send us a text This week's episode tells the story of a patient, Harrison W. Noel, who was committed to Greystone Park for the rest of his life following the commission of a gruesome double murder and kidnapping. Learn about his symptoms prior to the crime spree and find out which infamous murder Noel hoped to copy. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Follow the show on Instagram: @behindthewallspod Support the show on Beacons: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspod...
Send us a text This week's episode examines the life, music, activism, and eventual hospitalization of folk singer Woody Guthrie. Find out how he got started in music and who influenced him along the way. Learn why he was eventually committed to Greystone Park Psychiatric Center for five years on "Wardy Forty." My main sources for this episode include the book Woody Guthrie's Wardy Forty: Greystone Park State Hospital Revisited by Phillip Buehler, the Woody Guthrie website, and the Wikipedia ...
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the arc of deinstitutionalization at Greystone Park, from the early-1950s until the closure of the original Kirkbride building in 2008. Find out how many people lived at Greystone at its peak and how quickly that number dwindled. Learn about a class action lawsuit filed against the hospital due to the poor conditions for patients. Finally, discover just how many dangerous patients escaped in 1978 alone. Sources for this week's episode include the G...
Send us a text This week's episode focuses on how Greystone Park managed during the years of the Great Depression and World War II. From increased overcrowding due to war, economic difficulties, and multiple fires, find out how administration advocated for their patients and survived these challenging years. Learn how Dr. Curry spent his 30 year tenure at Greystone Park and his legacy that was left behind. Primary sources include the Greystone Park annual reports (courtesy of the New Jersey S...
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the history of the New Jersey State Insane Asylum from World War I until just before the Great Depression. Find out what circumstances led to the on-the-job death of the superintendent and find out what changes were made after a new superintendent took over. Finally, learn which ward was a favorite among the staff and public officials. My two sources for this episode include various annual reports from Greystone Park (from the NJ State Library webs...
Send us a text This week's episode examines the first couple decades of the State Asylum for the Insane in Morristown, New Jersey. Find out what an average day was like at the asylum, what treatments and entertainments were offered, and how long it took for the massive building to become overcrowded. Primary sources include the Images of America book on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital by Rusty Tagliareni and Christina Mathews, as well as a number of annual reports from the New Jersey Stat...
Send us a text This week's episode looks at the final decades of Volterra Lunatic Asylum through the lens of three different physicians who each left a lasting impact on the hospital: Dr. Claus Schilling, Dr. Franco Basaglia, and Dr. Gino Basci. Find out which doctor was later tried for war crimes and which one would go on to create the most radical psychiatric law in the world. Finally, hear the story of one patient who quite literally left a lasting mark on the hospital. My main sources for...
Send us a text This week's episode covers a particularly turbulent time in Italian history: from WWI to WWII and the birth of the Republic. Find out how Volterra Lunatic Asylum fared during wartime and why it began to help feed the surrounding city of Volterra. Learn why the hospital superintendent was forced to retire after 34 years on the job. Discover how Fascism infiltrated every aspect of daily life. My main sources for this episode are the Manicomio di Volterra website and several Brita...
Send us a text In this week's episode, we head to Tuscany, Italy, to the hilltop town of Volterra. Learn about the early history of the Volterra Lunatic Asylum, the political climate of Italy at the time, and the controversial treatments of the first asylum director, Dr. Luigi Scabia. Finally, hear the stories of two artists who were sent to Volterra later in their lives. The main source for this episode is the Manicomio di Volterra website. All other sources will be listed at the end of the ...
Send us a text This week's episode is perfectly-timed for Halloween! Learn about Rolling Hills Asylum as a haunted attraction and what draws people to the site. Find out about the staff and patients who lived at the poor farm and whose spirits are said to roam the halls still. Discover what is so creepy about the "Christmas Room" and what happens to visitors when they lie down on the autopsy slab in the morgue. Listen, if you dare, and find out how YOU can visit Rolling Hills Asylum! All sour...
Send us a text This week we discuss the history of Rolling Hills Asylum, which was known as the Genesee County Poor Farm while it was in operation. Learn about the historical context that shows why poorhouses started in New York. Find out about the doctor that exposed the horrific conditions that poor and mentally ill folks were living in. Finally, discover when and why the Genesee County Farm became known as Rolling Hills Asylum. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcrip...
Send us a text This week's episode tells the stories of six survivors of Ireland's Magdalen laundries and orphanages. Learn what their typical work day was like, what punishments they experienced, and what the long-term consequences were of incarceration at the laundries. My main sources for this episode include the 1998 documentary Sex in a Cold Climate and a 2013 BBC article entitled, "Magdalene Laundries: Survivor Stories." All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. F...
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the history of Magdalen Asylums (also called Magdalen Laundries) in England and Ireland. Focus lies primarily on the history of these laundries in Ireland. Find out how and why these asylums started, how many there were of them in England and Ireland, and what finally brought them to a close. My primary source for this episode is the book Do Penance or Perish by Frances Finnegan, an article by the Justice for Magdalenes Research, and various other ...
Send us a text This week's episode features the story of "Tammy," a survivor of Goodna/Wolston Park Mental Hospital, in her own words. The focus of her story lies in the aftermath of her time spent in institutions and how her hospitalization has affected the rest of her life. Trigger warnings for this episode include the use of explicit, outdated, and ableist language; mention of suicide and self-harm; and strong themes of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse. Listener discretion is advi...
Send us a text This week's episode tells the story of Jean, who later went by Erin, and her experience at multiple adolescent treatment facilities in Queensland, including Goodna/Wolston Park Mental Hospital. She also discusses the lasting effects her childhood had on her life. Trigger warnings for this episode include mention of sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse, drug abuse, and death by suicide. The primary source for this episode is the book Goodna Girls by Adele Chynoweth....
Send us a text This week's episode examines the history of Goodna Mental Hospital, which also went by Brisbane Mental Hospital, Brisbane Special Hospital, and Wolston Park Mental Hospital during the years between 1937 and its closure in 2001. Find out what controversial treatments were used there and why the treatments took an almost 10 year hiatus. Learn what led to the deinstitutionalization movement in Queensland. My primary source is a page on the history of Wolston Park by the Queensland...
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the early history of Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum/Goodna Hospital for the Insane. Find out why the asylum had to be moved and rebuilt several times during its early years. Learn about the superintendents that were crucial to shaping the future of the hospital. Discover what "treatments" were offered to returning veterans of WWI. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Shout out to multiple Queensland government websites and News...
Send us a text This week we head down under to Queensland to learn about Ipswich Mental Hospital, which went by many other names during its 120 year history. Find out which name is the reason this hospital was selected (I promise you'll be able to tell!). Discover how the area went from a formal penal colony to discovering coal to housing a small branch of the Woogaroo Lunatic Asylum. All sources are listed at the end of the episode transcript. Support the show on Patreon: http://www.patreon....
Send us a text This week we travel to South Korea to the defunct Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital, which was once named the third most haunted place in South Korea and one of the freakiest places in the world. Learn about the legends and myths surrounding the facility, as well as the very real history of mental health treatment in 20th century South Korea. Sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Visit us on Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Visit us on Bea...
Send us a text This week's episode concludes the series on Seacliff Mental Hospital and the story of New Zealand writer Janet Frame. Find out why Frame was sent to Seacliff, how many psychiatric hospitals she would be admitted to, and how her writing actually saved her life. The main source for this episode is Janet Frame's autobiography An Angel at My Table. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Check us out on Instagram! @behindthewallspod Visit our Patreon...
Send us a text This week's episode examines the childhood and young adulthood of New Zealand writer Janet Frame. Learn what it was like for Frame growing up during the Great Depression and World War II, all while hoping to learn to develop and perfect the craft of writing. This episode includes excerpts from very early in her writing career. The main source for this episode is from Janet Frame's autobiography, To the Is-Land. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcri...
Send us a text This episode features one of Janet Frame's short stories, "Gorse is not People," which was featured in The New Yorker on August 25, 2008. Link here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/09/01/gorse-is-not-people References to this work are from part two of Janet Frame's autobiography, An Angel at my Table. Check out our Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Check out our Beacons page: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Join us on Instagram: @behindthewa...
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the life, crime, and escapes of Lionel Terry. Find out what brought him to New Zealand and why he committed this hate crime. Learn about how he escaped from both Sunnyside Mental Hospital and Seacliff Mental Hospital multiple times and who finally convinced him to stay. Trigger warning for strong racist ideologies espoused by Terry. This episode draws heavily from the book The History of Seacliff by Frank Tod. All other sources will be listed at th...
Send us a text This week's episode examines the history of Seacliff Mental Hospital after the tenure of Sir Truby King until the closure of Seacliff and Cherry Farm. Learn about how people who had been diagnosed as "mentally defective" were treated. Brace yourself for the deadly and devastating event that finally caused administration to call for a new hospital location. And find out what brought Seacliff to a close once and for all. This episode relies heavily on the book The History of Seac...
Send us a text This week's episode looks at the history of Seacliff Lunatic Asylum during the tenure of superintendent Dr. Truby King. Find out what improvements he made to the asylum and what clinical interests sidetracked him along the way. Learn some of the reasons why he became infamous in New Zealand and some of the reasons why we should review his legacy with caution. Primary sources for this week's episode include Frank Tod's book The History of Seacliff and an anthology entitled "Unfo...
2Send us a text This week's episode examines a lot of history that led to the construction of the Seacliff Lunatic Asylum in New Zealand. Learn why New Zealand had six asylums built within a 20 year span in the mid-1800s and still required more space. Find out why the architect of Seacliff fled to Melbourne following construction of the asylum. My main sources for this episode include The History of Seacliff by Frank Tod and an anthology called Unfortunate Folk: Essays on Mental Health Treatme...
Send us a text This week's episode examines the life and crimes of "Jolly Jane" Toppan. Find out why Jane is considered the first female serial killer in the U.S. and how she escaped detection for almost 20 years. The main source for this episode is Pretty Evil New England by Sue Colette. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Visit our Patreon page: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Visit our Beacons page: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Su...
Send us a text This week's episode examines the past century of treatment at Taunton State Hospital and explores the changes that have occurred during that time. This episode borrows heavily from the book A Brief History of Taunton Lunatic Hospital 1854 to 2016 by Joseph Langlois. All other sources will be listed in the episode transcript. Support the show
Send us a text This week's episode examines 40 years of the history of Taunton State Hospital. Find out what notorious true crime story may (or may not) have a connection to the hospital. Learn how treatment at Taunton was ahead of its time in so many ways. My primary source for this week's episode is the book A Brief History of the Taunton Lunatic Hospital 1854 to 2016 by Joseph Langlois. All other sources wil be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Check out our Beacons page: h...
Send us a text This week's episode explores the history of the first three decades of Taunton State Hospital in Taunton, Massachusetts. Find out why people were sent to this hospital and what major world events led to a dramatic increase of patient admissions at asylums around the state. Learn what a "magic lantern show" was and why the asylum had to have a wall built around it to protect patients. My main source for this episode is A Brief History of Taunton Lunatic Hospital 1854...
Send us a text In this week's episode, I interview photographer Christie Seyglinski. Listen to find out how she got started photographing abandoned Kirkbride hospitals and why she spent a night in an old asylum in 8th grade! Add Abandoned: Echoes of the Past by Christie Seyglinski to your wishlist now! Available soon. Follow her work on Instagram @christieseyglinski or on Facebook at Abandoned: Echoes of the Past by Christie Seyglinski. Follow this show @behindthewallspod on Instagram or join...
Send us a text This week's episode features the story of the tragic murder of 5-year-old Edith Freeman in 1879. Learn why her parents did not mourn the loss of their daughter, whom they said they loved more than life itself, and find out why her father was sent to Danvers Lunatic Asylum in 1880. Sources are mostly drawn from newspaper articles from the time period (thanks, newspapers.com!) and a blog article by the podcast, "In My Footsteps." All sources are listed at the end of the episode t...
Send us a text This week's episode outlines the history of Danvers State Hospital from 1912 until it closure in 1992. Find out what happens to the site after the hospital closed down and how it is being used today. Most of my information is drawn from the Images of America book on Danvers State Hospital by Katherine Anderson and Robert Duffy. All other sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Visit our Patreon page: http://www.patreon.com/behindthewallspodcast Visit our Be...
Send us a text This week's episode covers the first four decades of Danvers State Hospital (originally the State Lunatic Asylum at Danvers). Learn why people believed the land the asylum was built on was cursed. Find out what was later discovered in the abandoned hospital that had been preserved from the early days of the pathology lab. We'll also look at the ways in which Danvers was progressive for its time. The main source for this episode is the Images of America book called Danvers ...
Send us a text This week's episode focuses on the story of Mary Huestis Pengilly, who was sent to the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in St. John, New Brunswick, at age 61. Learn about Mary's history and what possibly led to her admission to the asylum. Hear Mary's own words from her diary about her experience in the asylum -- from endearing women she met on the wards to rough nurses who abused their patients. The main source used in this episode is Mary Huestis Pengilly's Diary Written in the Prov...
Send us a text In this episode, we discuss the last century of history at the Provincial Lunatic Asylum, now called the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Find out about the murder that led to the "trial of the century" and sparked public interest in learning about insanity and psychiatry. Learn what methods of treatment were used at the hospital before the advent of psychotropic medications. And discover how CAMH is currently serving its community. All sources are listed at the e...
Send us a text This week's episode covers the history of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum over the course of 50 years (1857-1907). Find out what treatments were used during the superintendentship of Drs. Workman and Clark. Learn why one group was disproportionately represented in the asylum and in Toronto jails. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Please remember to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you're listening! Check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon...
Send us a text In this week's episode, we discuss the socio-political events that led to the construction of the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Toronto, Canada. Find out why it took so long for the asylum to be constructed and why it was only half-built by the time it opened in 1850. Learn about the very turbulent first decade of the asylum's history and why the medical superintendent sued a local newspaper for libel. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Check out ou...
Send us a text Episode 46 discusses one of Napa State Hospital's most notorious patients, Richard Allen Davis. Find out why he was sent to Napa, why he only stayed eight days, and how his life of crime effected significant change in the criminal justice system around the U.S. All sources are listed at the end of the episode transcript. Check out our Beacons page: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/BehindtheWallsPodcast?utm_medium=clipb...
Send us a text Episode 45 covers the history of the new hospital buildings: how they were used during WWII and how they evolved to eventually house 4,991 patients. Find out why the Navy was using tree bark from the hospital grounds, learn why visitors are not allowed into state hospitals today, and discover how then-Governor Ronald Reagan kickstarted deinstitutionalization. Much of the information in this episode is drawn from the Napa County Historical Society website and the Images of Ameri...
Send us a text Episode 44 discusses the history of Napa State Hospital from 1901 until the demolition of the Castle in 1950. Find out how the hospital was impacted by events, like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, WWI and WWII, and the Influenza epidemic of 1918. Learn about some of the treatments used during this time period and what finally led to the California Governor saying the Castle was unsafe. Most of the information from today's episode was drawn from the Images of America book cal...
Send us a text Episode 43 covers the first three decades of "The Castle" at Napa Insane Asylum in Napa, California. Find out why tourists were drawn to the asylum and what they did while they were there. Learn what my connection is to Napa State Hospital and the rigorous process it took to get me there. My primary source for this episode is Images of America: Napa State Hospital, by Patricia Prestinary. All other sources will be listed in the episode transcript. Check out my Beacons page...
Send us a text In this week's episode, I talk to Nate Buchanan of Eerie Tours at Aradale Mental Hospital. Find out how he got started in the ghost tour industry, what drew him to Aradale, what stories get covered on the tour, and where YOU can learn more and take the tour yourself! For more information about Eerie Tours: https://www.eerietours.com.au/tours/aradale-ghost-tour/ To support this show: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show
Send us a text In this episode, we discuss the history of Kew Lunatic Asylum (1871-1988), near Melbourne. Find out why the hospital stayed open for so long, even when administration called for its closure several years after opening. Learn about the story of one patient who gained international notoriety for all the wrong reasons. All sources are listed in the episode transcript. Join the Facebook group page (Behind the Walls Podcast) and Instagram page (@behindthewallspod) to stay connected ...
Send us a text Episode 40 discusses the history and people of J Ward, a special unit of Ararat/Aradale Mental Hospital devoted to the treatment of the criminally insane. Learn about the early beginnings when it was built as a goldfields jail and how it became a part of the Lunacy Department. Learn about why two inmates from J Ward remain in the Guinness Book of World Records. Finally, learn about how you can visit J Ward today. All sources will be listed in the episode transcript. Check out m...
Send us a text In this episode, we discuss what led to Ararat Mental Hospital finally closing in 1993, as well as what has become of the hospital in the years following its closure. All sources listed at the end of the episode transcript. Special thanks to David Waldron for allowing me to use his book Aradale: The Making of a Haunted Asylum. Check out my Beacons page for ways to support the show! https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show
Send us a text In this episode, we almost finish the history of Ararat/Aradale Mental Hospital. We begin by discussing deinstitutionalization around the world and in Victoria more specifically. Learn about the one man who changed legislation to keep him locked up. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. Special shout out to David Waldron for allowing me to use his book Aradale: The Making of a Haunted Asylum (authors David Waldron, Sharn Waldron, and Na...
Send us a text Episode 37 discusses the history of Ararat Hospital for the Insane and how it later became Ararat Mental Hospital and, unofficially, Aradale Mental Hospital. Learn about daily life at the hospital, as well as the attempts to improve morale among staff. All of my sources are cited at the end of the episode transcript. Check out my Beacons page for ways to support the show and stay up-to-date: https://beacons.ai/behindthewallspodcast Support the show
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So interesting! I'm a new listener, have just finished an historic novel set in Dunedin around this time, so right up my alley. Looking forward to the next. From what I recall, Truby King was a bit problematic around the subject of eugenics!