THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Staff and visitors at Alton State Hospital report disembodied voices, unexplained sounds, slamming doors, cold spots, ghostly figures, and the sensation of being touched by unseen hands. Some investigators have reportedly heard spirits command them to leave.
Alton State Hospital began receiving patients before its buildings were fully completed and was formally prepared for larger numbers of patients by 1917. Superintendent Dr. George Zeller initially promoted a non-restraint policy, occupational therapy, and unlocked wards. Conditions changed as the institution became overcrowded, reaching a reported population of 1,775 patients despite a capacity of 1,084 by 1959. Treatments used during its history included hydrotherapy, electroconvulsive therapy, and lobotomies. A cemetery was established for unidentified or unclaimed patients who died at the hospital. The facility was renamed Alton Mental Health Center in 1975 and remains an active forensic psychiatric hospital. Paranormal accounts include cold spots, apparitions, disembodied voices, slamming doors, unexplained touching, and a quiet voice heard asking, 'Who is that?' Investigators have also claimed that unseen entities ordered them to get out and physically pushed them from rooms.