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Old Whitby Psychiatric Hospital

 

To get the scoop of how this interesting place got started, go to Whitby Mental Health Centre History This is a classic for anyone who loves to ghost hunt in the local area. Thanks to Katie for our pictures!

OUR EXPERIENCES

Brenda went to visit the tunnels years ago with others, and has definitely had many interactions with spirits while she was there. She reports witnessing many orbs (too numerous to count), spirits who were trying to communicate with her and many other things.

Our team went out to the Old Psych to take some pictures for our website, but to our disappointment, most of the cottages are now gone and built over by new homes. Regardless, we saw many orbs that night…way too much energy floating around there for any of us to want to live there! When we developed our pictures we noticed the same shaped, blue orb in every picture we took. We even obtained a photo with a face near a pole watching our every move!

EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE

We got got in contact with a former employee of the Whitby Psych. and this is there story:

There are a lot of strange things that happened to many of the staff members which was not talked about outside to other people. I've met many ghosts, one was in the building where the Library was, most people call it the school.

This Building was never a school it was the max Security House, that is why the stairway had bars blocking the way up from the third floor up. You needed a key to use the elevator to go passed the second floor.

One Night ,one of the other Guard's called me over the radio and asked me the get up to the roof fast. So I got up there fast where I saw the Guard Talking to someone on the edge of the roof. The Guard told me the Patient was going to jump and he tried to stopped her.
When we both asked her to come of the edge she was gone. We both looked over the edge and saw nothing. We then went down stairs and outside and walked around the building but we found nothing.

The next day we found out that a girl jumped from the roof in 1968 before the stairs were locked up. Mary was 16 and jumped to her death. I was told when she hit the ground by the front steps she left blood all over the stairs, which could never be completely removed.
I personally saw the outline of blood on the stairs.

SOME HISTORY

The vast majority of the buildings that formed the old Hospital for the insane are linked via underground tunnels. These tunnels go under and right into the old Court House in Whitby, which is now a theatre for small plays. It is called the ‘Whitby Centennial Buildings’. We have been told these tunnels went out to the beach area where a boat would come to take patients to Queens Park, which most local residence know to be one of the oldest and most haunted Psychiatric Hospitals in Ontario (located in Toronto).

So many Urban Legends have stemmed from this site, such as vampires entering the tunnels to drink blood from the blood bank, and the homeless making their homes in the basements. We aren’t sure about the vampire stories, but don’t see the homeless sleeping in the basement as possible…they flood most of the time!

There is a newer type of hospital building on the site, amongst the cottages. We have heard of other people’s experiences of being chased by someone or something they could not see…and they were scared to death of the things they did see!

The sad thing about this beautiful historic site is that it will be destroyed. Many people have formed small groups over the years to try and save the buildings from destruction, but have had no luck saving a big part of Whitby’s history. The owner will only sell for an extremely high price, thus clamping down on the security of the establishment. We highly recommend you do not trespass on the property, as they now enforce the consequences if you’re caught!

If you do visit, you won't be able to see much of what so many others talk about, as they are destroying this historic site for the sake of building new homes! You can, however, see some of the cottages/buildings from in between the newer homes. We are sad for the many spirits who will lose what they have known as home for many years.

MORE INFORMATION

On the website known as The Shadowlands which says that the old psychiatric hospital has been abandoned now for almost 15 years. Reports have been made of a man wearing old uniforms and walking around the halls. At first you think it's just a man, but then you can see the gardens and flowers through him.
There's a man in the basement that waves at you, and later appears as a tall dark shadow hunched over. On one of the floors you hear a spirit walking up and down the halls dragging one of his feet as though he's limping and then plays with the elevators. When employees go to investigate the noises, nothing has been disturbed. The presence of many spirits has also been felt, along with the eeriness of being followed. Do you think this is the same place we were told about - in the newer building amongst the cottages - where my friends said they were chased?

DIRECTIONS

Take the 401 to Brock St. in Whitby.

Follow Victoria St South to Gordon St.

Take Gordon St South to the end of the road. Keep right around the bend.

See that parking lot and lit up building? That is the New Whitby Psychiatric Hospital. See the old decrepit, buildings to your right? Welcome to the Old Whitby Psych.

IMPORTANT NEWS

The Old Whitby Psych was torn down and replaced with new homes. We checked them out in August of 2005 and all but two buildings were gone. It's a shame our history has to be replaced by new homes!

MORE SITES TO CHECK OUT

Infiltration - Whitby Psychiatric Hospital by Ninjalicious

Daily Photography - Whitby Psychiatric Facility