If you’re looking for a spine-chilling experience, then you must visit the former asylum in Upstate New York. Recently, the asylum earned the title of being a “haunted” location, and it will undoubtedly give you goosebumps. The facility is located in East Bethany, N.Y., and is sure to send shivers down your spine.
HGTV has recently released a list of the creepiest places in every state, just in time for Halloween. According to their rankings, Rolling Hills Asylum in Genesee County, a former poorhouse where over 1,700 people have reportedly died, has been named as the creepiest place in New York. Paranormal investigators believe that the asylum is alive with supernatural activity, adding to its eerie reputation.
The Rolling Hills has been included in the list of haunted places, which also features the Sloss Furnaces of Alabama where many workers lost their lives, and the Bonaventure Cemetery in Georgia, which was featured on the cover of the book “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”.
Rolling Hills reports that the East Bethany asylum, located in New York, was established in 1827 within a previous stagecoach tavern. Initially named the Genesee County Poorhouse, the facility accommodated a wide range of individuals, including those who were destitute, disabled, widowed or orphaned, as well as “habitual drunkards” and “lunatics”, according to the asylum.
According to Rolling Hills, all the residents who resided in the poorhouse were referred to as “inmates”. Those who had the capability to work were assigned tasks on the property’s farm. These tasks included raising animals, cultivating vegetables, operating a bakery, and constructing coffins.
The potter’s field held an uncountable number of bodies, but after the asylum shut down in 1974, the cemetery slowly deteriorated as vegetation overtook the land.
Rolling Hills asylum has become a popular destination for ghost hunters since its closure, as they seek to uncover the mysterious spirits that are said to haunt the abandoned building.
Rolling Hills has gained notoriety for its haunted reputation, with some of its ghost hunts even being televised. The Travel Channel has even compiled a list of its most famous spirits, including Roy, an inmate with gigantism who lived in the asylum from the age of 12 until his death at 62, and Nurse Emmie, an infirmary worker who was rumored to have a penchant for Satanic rituals and a reputation for cruelty.
Guided tours, ghost hunts, and even weddings can now be held at Rolling Hills Asylum, which is part of the Haunted History Trail of New York State. Once designated as the second most haunted site in the United States by Haunted North America, it is now open to the public for exploration.
The asylum’s past is brought to life through the many relics that fill the space. Visitors can find everything from crates and dolls to chairs and bathtubs, which often serve as eerie backdrops for selfies.
If you’re interested in touring Rolling Hills, you can find the institution at 11001 Bethany Center Road in East Bethany. To schedule a tour, simply visit the asylum’s website.
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