Oregon State Hospital
Phantom footsteps and disembodied cries echo through the halls of Oregon’s oldest mental hospital
Ghost Stories at
Oregon State Hospital
- Strange shadows appear in the corners of certain rooms
- The sounds of doors opening and closing are often heard
- Cold spots are frequently encountered
- Phantom footsteps are frequently heard
- Disembodied cries and voices are heard at times
- A nurse’s spirit purportedly wanders through the basement
Oregon State Hospital:
Holding Onto History
Today, the era of insane asylums might feel like a distant memory, if even a memory at all. Many people only know old world mental hospitals from films and fiction.
But, a few historic asylums still exist in America. Many are relics of times gone by, but some remain in use. Oregon State Hospital, just outside of Salem, is one such asylum.
The oldest operational mental hospital in the state, Oregon State Hospital has been open since the early 1880s. While the hospital has changed a lot over the years, it has kept a close track of its history. The hospital now includes a museum dedicated to its storied, and sometimes tragic, past.
And where tragic tales linger, ghost stories often follow. Oregon State Hospital is no exception. Though it is still active today, the Salem asylum may be haunted by patients from its past.
Timeline of Oregon State Hospital's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Oregon State Hospital through the years
1883
In the early 1880s, Oregon had a great need for a mental hospital. The state was growing fast, and towns across the region begged the government for greater healthcare resources. In response, the state opened the Oregon State Insane Asylum in 1883. At that time, mental health was poorly understood, and the asylum quickly filled up with patients with a wide array of issues. Treatments ranged from group therapy and primitive medication, to straightjacketing and imprisonment.
1913
While imperfect and often overcrowded, the Oregon State Insane Asylum proved to be a step in better directions for mental health. But, as the state’s population grew, overcrowding at the asylum became a more pressing problem. In 1913, the state responded by opening the Eastern Oregon State Asylum. Additionally, that same year, they changed the name of Oregon State Insane Asylum to Oregon State Hospital. This followed protests over the stigmas of “insane asylums.”
1942
With overcrowding issues managed, Oregon State Hospital continued expanding its campus. It worked in relative peace until 1942, when tragic horror hit the hospital. That year, a patient-cook mistook a sack of rat poison for powdered milk, and used it in a batch of eggs. The mix-up killed 47 people. Investigations went on for years, but no charges ever came down. And after the public brush with tragedy, life soon returned to normal at Oregon State Hospital.
1975
As the 20th century went on, many old asylums began to close. But Oregon State Hospital kept running with a few empty wards. In 1975, it was one of those empty wards that interested film producers from Hollywood. That year, one of the hospital’s empty wards became a central filming location for the film, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. The film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and immortalized Oregon State Hospital in the process.
2004
After its brief run-in with Hollywood, Oregon State Hospital went right back to quiet life. Updates and renovations continued into the 2000s. These helped keep the historic hospital at the forefront of healthcare. But in 2004, the hospital hit the news again. That year, over 3,000 tins of human ashes were discovered in a forgotten room, many of them decades old. Since then, the hospital has taken on the dual role of treating patients, and remembering the lives from its past.
2012
As part of OSH’s connection to its history, the original asylum was redeveloped in the early 2010s. In 2012, it opened as a museum, detailing the hospital’s history, past treatments, and mistreatments. Through this, the hospital became open to the public for the first time. Today, the museum still offers many people their first glimpses at an old asylum. But some see more than history in the old facility. Some claim to spot ghosts around the grounds. This has led some to wonder just how haunted the asylum might be.
Is Oregon State Hospital Haunted?
Ghost stories have swirled around Oregon State Hospital for years. But many reports have been kept quiet, as the hospital’s operation leaves it closed to the public. Staff are also quiet about things they may have experienced as well.
Yet, several ghost stories have still come out of Oregon’s oldest psychiatric hospital. Many reports stem from the ‘J-building’ that now houses the museum. But some claims come from the tunnel-like basement as well.
Spirits Work Shifts at the Asylum
Ghosts at Oregon State Hospital may always be on the job. In both the J-building and the basement, witnesses say the sounds of everyday hustle and bustle will often appear in empty areas.
Ghostly footsteps are heard echoing through halls and fading into empty rooms around the asylum. Additionally, sounds of doors opening and closing sometimes accompany the footsteps. Could these be the sounds of phantom doctors and nurses tending to their patients?
Shadows Will Give You Chills
Even when they’re not heard, the spirits of Oregon State Hospital might leave people with some hair-raising encounters. Tourists report odd cold spots around the museum at times. Some claim the cold spots will move through rooms or halls, like they’re following the spirits around.
And chills might not be all that shifts through the museum air. Some visitors also report spotting strange shadows too.
While many ghost stories involve shadow figures or apparitions, Oregon State Hospital’s shadows are quite unique.
Instead of human figures, it is said that shadows will linger in the corners of well-lit rooms. But, these shadows will always disappear whenever they’re looked at directly.
The Phantom Nurse Who Haunts The Basement
Many of the reports around Oregon State Hospital aren’t associated with any specifically identified ghosts. However, there is at least one well-defined ghost story lingering within.
The story tells of a nurse at the asylum who died after falling down an elevator shaft. Now, it is said her phantom wanders the basement tunnels in search of something. This story is unproven and likely just a myth. But there have been several purported encounters with a strange figure in an old nurse’s uniform in the basement.
Hear The Sounds of Ghostly Patients
Along with the tale of the phantom nurse, some people figure the spirits of patients may remain in the asylum. Unlike the nurse’s specter, few people ever report seeing figures of patients around the building. Instead, visitors and staff hear distant voices, screams, and pained cries in hospital halls.
These voices and cries are said to be so distant that they’re impossible to trace, especially in the basement, where even small noises might echo.
Health & Hauntings at
Oregon State Hospital
As with many other active mental hospitals, public access to Oregon State Hospital is limited. But, the on-site Oregon Museum of Mental Health remains open.
While the museum takes up only a small part of the complex, it seems to be more than enough for some visitors to have ghostly encounters.
To tour the museum, all anyone needs to do is visit their website and check for open hours. Larger groups may need to book in advance. The hospital’s on-site museum has helped a pivotal state resource evolve into a respected educational center as well.
Today, Oregon State Hospital continues to care for the state’s mentally ill while the Museum of Mental Health takes care of the asylum’s history, and all the hauntings that come with it.
