Abandoned ASYLUM in the Heart of Oklahoma

April 5th, 2023: Spooky! I explore the grounds of an old insane asylum in Norman, Oklahoma and then explain some of the history. Needless to say, the aura of this space is quite haunting. Lobotomies, electric shock, and more (which are now out of favor) were routine practices at this institution. This property feels like an island of ghostliness in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. It was a little jarring to learn of the history of this location after having walked the grounds... the cages especially!
"Griffin Memorial Hospital was originally started as High Gate College, a girls' school established by the United Methodist Church, South in 1890, one year after the settlement of Norman. With competition from the University of Oklahoma, High Gate College closed its doors in early 1895 and was soon bought by the Oklahoma Sanitarium Company. In 1915, the State of Oklahoma bought the Oklahoma Sanitarium Company and renamed the institution Central State Hospital. In 1953, the hospital was renamed Griffin Memorial Hospital. Under the supervision of Dr. David Griffin, the hospital grew to over 30 buildings and three farms in its first 40 years. With a change in institutional care in the 1960s, the state built a Community Health Care Center on the hospital grounds."
oklahoma.gov/odmhsas/about/od...
#roamingbenji #abandoned #asylum #oklahoma #history #haunted #ruins

[@mosaicowlstudios]

That "grand" hall with the autitorium seating was an old movie theatre where they used to screen movies for the patients. The bigger, longer building with the different wings and the cages on the balcony was once referred to as Hope Hall. There is a fully functioning newer hospital standing not too far away on the same grounds. I work there, in Admin. If you came here on a weekday, I was sitting in an office a few hundred feet away during these moments. Oh, by the way, the buildings are still standing because it costs a lot of $$$ to reclassify them for demolition.

[@roamingbenji]

Thank you for the information!

[@user-qz1se4ke9h]

Hello! My Grandmother lived and died here. I remember visiting from California, as a child. I went on to work at Patton State Hospital for 34 years-my life’s work. My sister and I are going to be in OK City (half my family is from there, the rest from TX). We were hoping to see the old places like the canteen. Do you know if that’s possible?

[@bonniehall578]

This was a mistake. Mental health institutions sre definitely needed in Oklahoma.

[@joc9549]

Yes, I work in a hospital that has a psych floor. We get calls everyday to see if we have beds.

[@jonathanm4518]

I've been here. It's the campus of the old Central State Hospital. The whole place feels off and creepy. Just feels like the kind of place that no one has ever really wanted to be, not back then and not now.

[@RonnaHarlow]

Very interesting! I'll bet lots of odd things happened here!

[@mikemiller2633]

I know before lockdown times they had ghost tours there. I am not sure to what extent they let you explore the building, I had wanted to do the tour but usually found out about it after the fact. The facility has a very tragic history, with electroshock therapy, understaffing, fires, mass graves, and just treating people like garbage. I assume the modern history is a lot better

[@noaboa.]

Went here once and got lost inside and had to break a different window to get out

[@gothsport8814]

Where'd u park (to not get caught)

[@nightvisiongoggle4100]

That door at the beginning look like one to a dungeon in transylvania

[@charlayned]

My uncle in law was a patient there from the 1930s until they closed it and moved patients to Venita Oklahoma. I've been working on trying to get medical records and death certificate for him and can't seem to find people who know where those records are stored. He passed away in 1970. My husband is now the oldest of the living relatives, his siblings and his dad (who was the uncle's brother) and mom are all passed away now. The Oklahoma Historical Society has the Griffin Memorial Hospital Collection, which has photographs from the hospital.

[@marjorieanderson8626]

Worked in Hope Hall for about 14 years. The east wing of it was condemned even as we used the rest of the building. Our offices were right next to the condemned part. One time we heard a distinct scream coming from the abandoned part. There were three of us and we all heard it. The part you saw in the later part of the video was the old hospital infirmary in it's last incarnation. They took care of the mentally ill as well as the state prison system inmates who were sick or needed minor surgery.

[@mosaicowlstudios]

That Psychiatrist you're talking about that they hired and worked there for decades, Dr. Donahue...the first thing he did when he arrived was he personally hand-chiseled OFF the words "criminally insane" from the hospital's front sign.

[@littlepaebigworld2856]

No that is Dr .Griffin the namesake of the hospital who did that

[@dakota2fallen1angle41]

I went there when I was younger it’s a mental hospital the people that worked there did not take care of the patients like they were supposed to. I got overdosed at this hospital and damn near died.

[@jdwilmoth]

This place is not abandoned some of it is still in use and if they catch people messing around these buildings you will be arrested

[@DavidRoot-jp9gb]

I lived in Norman Oklahoma during the 1980s and Central State Hospital kept the city on edge 😢😢

[@jdwilmoth]

@@DavidRoot-jp9gb they need to open it back up to full capacity and get some of those weirdos off of the streets

[@desolategrey]

As a child it was always threatened that if we didn't behave we would be sent to the Norman looney bin AKA Griffin memorial

[@jesseserna8424]

My dad took my mom there at the mental hospital twice when was growing up,she lived out a long healthy normal life passing in 2008.I made delivery out there to the main complex recently.. They should open it back up and put the homeless in there that lives under the bridges around south okc 🫢..They keep the grass nice and trimmed..thanks for your videos

[@user-nz6bk7lf8u]

Hey, you might need to bring this back! I'd love to own that beauty 😮

[@Skulingz]

I’ve driven passed it as long as I can remember and I never knew what it was

[@dylanlawson9097]

you’re walking over tunnels, all of the buildings are connected by them

[@josephhansard7469]

I remember when I went to OU in 1978-82 and part of this was still being used for patients I believe, as would see people on Main Street who definitely were non violent and would return to the facility in time for supper. It was bizarre having that in college town Norman. Interesting buildings and I remember hearing they moved the function of the facility to Vinita.

[@aboyandhisdog]

Pretty cool! What takes you to Okla? An epic road trip? Too far for a day trip from Az.

[@roamingbenji]

I was in Oklahoma for work

[@bhg123ful]

What kind of work do you when you're not making videos? @@roamingbenji

[@tomfuller5585]

1:35 "I bet the inside of this looks...insane." Well, of course. I mean, it's not a sane asylum!

[@natalieford3238]

"Looks insane..." pun intended? 😂

[@kristipalmer6803]

My great great great uncle, half brother to my great great grandpa, was an 'inmate' at this hospital from 1916, thru the 1920 census (there were 1,100 inmates), and possibly until his death. I have a news article from when he was taken there that says he battled depression. He was marked as insane on his WWI Draft Card. There's a grave in a cemetery 2 miles away that I believe is his, but there's a possible transcription error and I haven't been able to find records to confirm if he died in 1929. Makes me sad to think of him living there for 13 years and dying there. Sorry Uncle George. 😞

[@bumslayer76]

My dad was a patient here briefly in the 1960's. He said it was definitely a place he didn't want to stay very long.

[@thehapagirl92]

It doesn’t look spooky during the day but I bet it is at night

[@roamingbenji]

Right

[@petergorshe7307]

I'm having trouble following this. I always thought the first building was an abandoned church because of the stained glass windows. Then you show the cornerstone and the thing over the door that designates it as an American Legion building. Then you ignore all of that and declare it a mental asylum. I can't see how it could be used for that. Your narrative doesn't make much sense. BTW, I think the cages above the entry on the second building were for inmates to be able to enjoy fresh air without hurting themselves.

[@longzhang5737]

Benji can you find any crazy stories associated with this ASYLUM place?

[@roamingbenji]

I'm still digging for the juicy stories!

[@annjarboe9269]

I can tell you stories. I can tell you about things that happened as late as 2003/2004. It will make your blood curdle.

[@annjarboe9269]

@@roamingbenjihe chapel at 11:40, they used to threaten kids (patients ages 5-17) in early 2000s that they would be buried behind it if they did not cow toe to their abuses. Across the street is the only state mental hospital for children remaining in Oklahoma.

[@Mindlesstransferal]

Louis West. Research that guy. It will blow your mind what went on at this place.

[@jeannesullivan6154]

I grew up here and it’s probably central state mental asylum.

[@DavidRoot-jp9gb]

Dr Delbert G Willard was a great figure at this hospital.

[@undertheyarrowbear]

It's a old world building/ruins from prior reset that was mudflooded. The majority of the structure is buried underground...we just repurpose the top part which is why you see old world structures in the downtown areas that have windows half in the ground and brick buildings that look like they are slanted instead of level. Half the building in underneath so they added ramps or steps that were not original to the building so that we could use them. Look closely at the old town buildings casting aside the narrative of all these buildings being built in a short period of time in the 1800's using only a horse and buggy to haul all the materials and without power tools....recalibrate and use your eyes and critical thinking skills...ask God to reveal the truth.