Harrisburg's Once "Lunatic Hospital"

January 12, 2024 -- Darlene and I were visiting the Pennsylvania Farm Show. The place was jammed pack and we were looking for parking, when we stumbled upon the Pennsylvania State Mental Hospital.

Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital, c. 1851

Just visiting

It opened in 1851 as the Pennsylvania State Lunatic Hospital. It was the state's first public facility for the mentally ill (and disabled). It was the first to embody a moral treatment approach to mental health care, championed by Dorothea Dix. The hospital operated from 1851 to 1960. At its peak, it treated over 3000 patients. The 1000-acre campus was designed as a self-sufficient village. 

National Historic Registry

The sprawling "City on the Hill" campus contains a number of historically and architecturally important buildings. It is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Some of the buildings are being demolished. Some are being detained. When we visited, we noticed that some of the buildings were being used. It was an interesting place to drive around and explore. I'm glad we found it.

"City on the Hill"

The admin building, c. 1895

One of the reading rooms

Since being abandoned in 2006, the facility has gained a reputation for being haunted. That seems to be the case with all old mental health facilities. The state hospital in Weston, West Virginia (still open when I lived there) is now a big tourist attraction: the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. I should go sometime.

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Post created 26 May 2026

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