Formally known as Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane, this asylum was a psychiatric treatment hospital located in the heart of Indianapolis. There have been many reports of haunted and creepy activity over the years and it’s not hard to see why this is one of the scariest places in the city.

Opened in November, 1848, Central State Hospital started with just five patients housed in one brick building.
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In 1889, the hospital was renamed to Central Indiana Hospital for the Insane. By 1928, a team of physicians cared for over 3,000 patients.
Eventually, the hospital grew to two massive buildings, one for male patients and one for female patients.
Mlzoiss/Wikipedia CC
The asylum grounds also included a "sick" hospital, power plant, a farm colony for occupational therapy, an amusement hall, a fire house, and more.
By the 1970s, the majority of the buildings on the grounds were declared structurally unsound and were demolished.
Jim Grey/Flickr
Mike/Flickr
Unassuming brick buildings were erected in their place and physicians and patients remained living and rehabilitating throughout the hospital's buildings and dormitories.

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However, in the 1990s, allegations of patient abuse led to a city-wide effort to find new, mental rehabilitation alternatives and the hospital was shut down in 1994.
Jim Grey/Flickr
The majority of the grounds have remained intact and uninhabited since the asylum’s closure and have led to quite the creepy destination for adventurers and lovers of the paranormal.
Over the years, many reports of paranormal activity and hauntings have been made.
Dan O'Connor/Flickr
Mike/Flickr
Some say they’ve heard the screams of a tortured woman coming from the corner of the hospital’s basement. Others report seeing shadows on the asylum grounds. People say they have even heard loud footsteps near the administration building.
Recently, Indianapolis has breathed new life into parts of these grounds, going as far as opening an apartment complex on the southeast end of the property.
Joe Monin/Flickr
The Steeples on Washington are available for rent today.

What do you think? Is this one of the creepiest places in Indianapolis? It sure has had its share of haunted reports over the years. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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