America's 10 Scariest Abandoned Asylums & Hospitals

9. Pennhurst State School And Hospital - Spring City, Pennsylvania

Probably one of the most horrific asylums in American history, infamous for the neglect that amounted to abuse inflicted on it's mentally ill patients. It's also said to be haunted too, even featuring in US paranormal show Ghost Adventures. Pennhurst opened in 1908. By the 1960s, there were 2,791 patients, with few resources and staff to provide adequate care. Some staff were deliberately abusive. In 1968, NBC ran a disturbing exposé on Pennhurst, showing images of adult patients tethered to their cribs, others rocking and bouncing, and lucid patients who had mentally withdrawn, disturbed by the noise and unpleasant environment.

The facility also functioned as a school for disabled children, though none of the small teaching staff were trained in special needs. For the next 18 years, Pennhurst continued to be controversial, involving high profile court cases, in which the abuses of the institution were graphically detailed. It eventually shut down in 1987. As to the supposed ghosts, the thing that haunts Pennhurst the most is probably it's legacy. It's now run as a haunted house attraction. Alleged ghostly activity includes strange shadows being seen and disembodied voices seemingly crying for help.