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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

By Staff | Jun 24, 2015

Nestled at 71 Asylum Drive in Weston, W.Va., the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum sits tall and proud, a Gothic behemoth towering over the small town.

Not only is its history rich, its halls are rife with reported hauntings.

Constructed between 1858 and 1881, Irish and German immigrants built the asylum with hand-cut blue sandstone, making it the largest hand-cut stone building in not only the United States, but also the western hemisphere. It is second in the world only behind the Kremlin in Russia.

The asylum is not without its ghosts, having years of reported paranormal activity.

Whether it’s a shadowy person spotted from the corner of one’s eye, an orb in a photograph, or even electronic voice phenomena, evidence is found repeatedly.

A little girl, Lily, is speculated to have been born inside the asylum, the place where she later died. Allegedly, Lily likes to play with toys, including balls, bouncing them around the wards. Many psychics think Lily doesn’t know what to do in her afterlife and is stuck there.

Almost every section, ward and hallway has seen an experience of some kind, some confirmed by the Trans-Atlantic Paranormal Society (TAPS), who have a show, “Ghost Hunters” on SyFy. Another crew, “Ghost Adventures” from Travel Channel, has also visited the asylum.

Built to house 250 patients, at one time several thousand called the asylum home.

With suicides and murders aplenty, it’s no wonder ghosts loiter on the grounds.

The asylum closed in 1994, but tours are available during the year. Heritage tours run Tuesday through Sunday. Evening ghost hunts may be reserved, and ghost tours of the asylum are also available.

For more information, visit www.trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com or call 304-269-5070.