The history of the treatment of mental illness in America is full of terrible, haunting stories. Unfortunately, in the past, even medical professionals were not well-informed about mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities, and many vulnerable people suffered unspeakable horrors while in the care of state-run asylums and hospitals. Over the last few decades, most of these brutal facilities have been closed down, but it’s no wonder that these abandoned mental hospitals are surrounded by urban legends and ghost stories. One of the largest and most famous of these abandoned asylums is the Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia. You don’t have to be a particularly strong believer in the supernatural to feel like the abuses that happened here left their mark on the place, and a visit to this eerie campus will give you goosebumps even in the light of day.

Central State Hospital was opened in 1842 as the "Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum" and has been in continuous operation ever since, though the name has been officially changed.
L. D. Andrew/Library of Congress
The hospital once spanned over 2,000 acres, with 200 buildings. As standards for the care of mentally ill people have improved and the focus has moved away from institutionalization, the hospital has greatly downsized.
Strange and Unusual Paranormal/Google Maps
Nearly 12,000 patients from all over the state once lived here, and it was the largest mental hospital in the world at one time. Today, the facility treats around 200 patients.
Rome C/Google Maps

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Terrible injustices happened here. Lobotomies and electroshock therapy were commonplace, and it was not unheard of for people to be chained to their beds or even kept in cages.
Jason Mills/Google Maps
Walking through the grave markers of the approximately 25,000 dead that are buried here is a chilling experience.
John Kloepper/Wikimedia Commons
Most of the buildings on the campus are now abandoned and have been left to decay, though several advocacy groups are hoping to preserve the property.
Carl Spacklar/Google Maps
None of the buildings are open to the public, but you can walk through nearly all of the campus and even take a trolley tour.
Jacque Webb/Google Maps

This spooky asylum is one of the creepiest places in Georgia and has so much history behind it. Have you ever visited this abandoned mental hospital in Georgia? Share your experiences in the comments!

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Central State Hospital, 311 Thomas Field Rd SE, Milledgeville, GA 31062, USA