THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The abandoned buildings of Overbrook Asylum are associated with reports of shadow figures, ghostly apparitions, screams, phantom footsteps, slamming doors, moving objects, and an overwhelming feeling of being watched.
Originally opened in 1896 as the Essex County Hospital Center, Overbrook Asylum served as one of New Jersey's largest psychiatric hospitals for more than a century. At its peak, the sprawling campus housed thousands of patients suffering from mental illness, addiction, and developmental disabilities. As psychiatric care evolved, the population declined and many of the historic buildings fell into disrepair before being abandoned and later demolished. Paranormal investigators have reported seeing shadow figures moving through dark corridors, full-bodied apparitions, hearing disembodied screams and voices, phantom footsteps echoing through empty hallways, doors slamming without explanation, objects moving on their own, sudden cold spots, and an intense sensation of being watched. Although much of the original asylum has been demolished, the site remains one of New Jersey's most infamous abandoned psychiatric hospitals.