In northern New York state sits East Bethany. East Bethany is home to the infamous Rolling Hills, an asylum which originally opened in 1827 as The Genesee County Poor Farm. At almost 200 years old, there’s some serious history there, a lot of which is sad and even horrific. Housed within the walls of Rolling Hills Asylum were orphans, widows, families who had fallen on hard times as well as the mentally ill. During the time of the tuberculosis outbreak, it became an infirmary. In 1964, the Asylum became a nursing home, but closed its doors for good just 10 years later. During its 147 years of housing residents there were at least 1700 deaths, though that number could be much higher due to recording history or lack thereof.
The stories of hauntings at Rolling Hills Asylum are plentiful. Throughout the building, guests can enter former residents’ rooms and give evp a try. According to many who have investigated this site, the likelihood of getting a response from the ghostly residents are pretty good.
On the second floor of the asylum, shadows can be seen. I don’t mean shadows caused by the light and dark, but shadow people. They can be seen at all times of the day and night, wandering around through the doors and around the hallway like they were still alive and well.
As with most asylums, there is a psych ward. Psych wards of the past were a terrifying place to be. They had no idea how to treat those with mental illness, nor does it seem they cared all that much, resulting in solitary confinement and even torture. There was a lot of animosity (rightfully so) from the residents who were on the receiving end of these “treatments.” Today, the psych ward is another hotspot for ghostly activity in the asylum. Anything from pokes, to evp, to more shadow people have been reported in this location.
Other locations you can visit in the asylum include the morgue (still complete with an embalming table), a cemetery with many unmarked graves, and hospital rooms still sitting as they did on the day of last operation. Even if you don’t encounter the ghostly residents themselves, you are sure to get a chill from the scenery alone.
Rolling Hills Asylum has tours of all kinds. There are tours, up to 8 hours in length so you are sure to get your fill of this haunted location. I plan to visit here this summer and record my own findings so stay tuned for more!