America's 10 Scariest Abandoned Asylums & Hospitals

6. Danvers State Hospital - Danvers, Massachusetts

Danvers opened in 1878. It's thought to have been the inspiration for Batman's Arkham Asylum, and where the pre-frontal lobotomy was invented. The hospital expanded into a vast network of buildings and underground tunnels. Originally, it held 500 patients, but this grew to a massive 2,000 by the 1930's and 40's. Danvers carried out questionable treatments, including lobotomies, shock therapies, drugs and straight-jacketing. The population was decreased in the 1960's, when some of the buildings were closed down. It was shut down permanently in 1992.

It was a regular haunt of thrill-seekers looking for a scare. A sizeable number found themselves arrested for trespassing. The family of former hospital administrator Gerald Richards experienced some ghostly activity. Two of his children encounters a scowling female apparition in their attic, whilst another daughter had her bedding pulled off her one night. She was the only person in the room. Danvers was bought up by a real estate company in 2007. The complex was demolished in 2014 to build housing.