Top 5 Most Disturbingly Haunted Asylums and Hospitals Hospitals and asylums are places where people go to get cared for and seek refuge. Some of them are kept to the best standards and flourish, while others dwindle, eventually abandoned and forgotten by time.5. Beechworth Lunatic Asylum A few hours away from Melbourne, Australia sits the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum in Victoria. Founded in 1867 the asylum was once the second largest in Australia, occupying 206 acres of land. At its peak, it housed 1200 patients spread out into 57 buildings. Anyone could be admitted at the recommendation of a family member along with two signatures from a medical practitioner – no examination required. The police could also bring in anyone loitering in public or prisoners with behavioral problems.4. Byberry State Mental AsylumIn Philllidelphia, the Byberry Mental Asylum facility was constructed between 1907 and 1928 . From its inception, it had been plagued by allegations of mistreatment and neglect. Like most mental institutions at that time, it became a dumping ground for people with problems that were misunderstood. Alcoholics, victims of abuse, homeless people, menopausal women, epileptics and even those with cerebral palsy made up parts of the population. 3. Old Changi Hospital With death and cruelty permanently embedded in its walls, the Old Changi Hospital is regarded as one of the most haunted places in the world. Old Changi Hospital was first built in 1935 and known as the Royal Air Force Hospital. When the war broke out, the British withdrew and the Japanese occupied Singapore in 1942. The Japanese then used the hospital as a prison camp where British soldiers along with their allies were imprisoned. It was also believed to be the main base for the Kempeitai Japanese secret police who were known for their brutality and ruthlessness.2. Waverly Place HospitalThroughout the 1800’s America had been fighting the "white plague" –- a once deadly, incurable disease we now know as tuberculosis. The contagious disease eradicated families and in 1900 Louisville, Kentucky suffered one of the highest tuberculosis death rates withinin the US. By 1910, a two-story hospital, known as Waverly Place was built to house 40-50 people suffering from the deadly disease. However, with the growing number of patients, it was deemed too small and was torn down and replaced with a bigger facility equipped with better accommodations to house and treat patients. 1. Athens Lunatic Asylum (The Ridges)The Ridges, formerly known as the Athens Lunatic Asylum in Ohio, has gone on in infamy because of one thing – a mysterious ghostly stain permanently embedded in the attic. Designed using the famous "Kirkbride Plan," The Ridges was considered revolutionary when it opened back in 1874. They catered mostly to Civil War soldiers who suffered from what we now call PTSD, but also treated children and violent criminals within the facility. Those were Top 5 Most Disturbingly Haunted Asylums and HospitalsThey may have started out as places intended to help people but over time these hospitals and asylums turned into something else. The nightmarish conditions they forced upon their patients left a lasting impression on these facilities, one that can still be felt even today.Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices