Do You Dare? Haunted Illinois Mental Hospital Reopens This Weekend
If you love spooky stuff then you, my friend, are in luck.
A mental hospital that opened in 1902 and is thought to be haunted is reopening this weekend to the public for paranormal investigations.
It's Peoria State Hospital, which was originally the "Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane" (where do I check in?). NBC Chicago reports that tours are opening up to the public on Saturday from 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. Paranormal investigations will be available August 6th & August 20th.
The guided tours of the grounds include three Peoria State Hospital buildings, the monument area, the Old State Mine Haunted Trail, and four cemeteries. Tickets are $50 per person and you can get them here.
Why It's Haunted
Back in the 20th century, Dr. George Zeller was the "father" of the institution. He believed those with mental illnesses could be treated humanely so he took bars off of the windows and removed the forms of restraints against the patients.
While it was in operation, the hospital developed a good reputation, being number 1 for curing its patients for 69 out of its 71 operating years.
Illinois Haunted Houses says the property might be haunted by Manuel A. Bookbinder, who was a patient who worked on the burial grounds and mourned the passing of hospital patients. When Bookbinder died himself, it's said that funeral attendants (400 of them to be exact) could see him mourning at his own funeral. But when they opened up his casket to make sure his body was still there, it was.