Hiking in New York is always an amazing experience. Whether you’re a novice hiker or more advanced, just about everyone loves hikes that include waterfalls, mountains, or beautiful overlooks. But there’s also something to be said for hikes that are a little, well, creepier. Haunted places tend to be the most popular to visit in the fall, but the nice thing about spooky trails is that they can be enjoyed any time of year. The eerie ambiance of hiking through the woods and coming across a ghost town or cemetery can give you chills and remind you of the Empire State’s history. One hike in New York that manages to be both scenic and creepy is the trek to Letchworth Village in Thiells. This one in particular is an abandoned asylum hike in New York Are you brave enough to explore this place?

Letchworth Village once housed hundreds of mentally and physically disabled individuals of all ages. The facility was considered one of the top institutions of its day when it opened in 1911.
Darryl Moran/Flickr
Unfortunately, much of the 20th-century was a time when the disabled were thought of as inhuman. Letchworth Village was one of many asylums throughout the country that spawned terrible rumors of patient mistreatment.
podrozniczka60/Tripadvisor
It was sadly typical at this time for differently abled people to be treated horribly, abused, tortured, and more in completely unregulated facilities.
Many of the patients at the asylum were young children. For decades, patients there were forced to work physically demanding jobs.
Matthew Hester/Flickr
It's no surprise that some of the souls that resided here might not be resting comfortably. They might even want revenge.

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Photographs from the asylum show neglected, dirty patients that were a far cry from the utopia that was advertised. Letchworth Village was shut down in 1996 and the patients were moved to more modern facilities where treatment was more humane.
podrozniczka60/Tripadvisor
Unfortunately by that time a lot of damage had already been done. When you take this hike to ruins in New York you run the risk of encountering some of those previous patients who didn't see justice.
Today, the buildings at Letchworth Village remain abandoned. Every few years, rumors of redevelopment surface, but the buildings are still empty today.
Ashley Graham/Google Maps
It would take a strong willed developer to revamp a property with such a bad reputation. No one wants to buy an expensive condo when it's haunted by tortured souls.
Hiking around the property will take around an hour or so. It's unsafe (and illegal) to enter any of the buildings, but there are plenty of paved areas where it's perfectly safe to stroll.
J R/Tripadvisor
You might be better off staying outside anyway. Who knows what horrors could still be lurking within these walls.
This is such a unique place with such a horrible history. Walking through the remains of Letchworth Village, you'll see old buildings and even a patient cemetery where unmarked graves remain.
podrozniczka60/Tripadvisor
At the very least, some of the patients were put to rest in some way. Whether they return...only those who visit can say.

This is certainly one of the creepiest hikes in New York! If you’re a fan of scary places in the Empire State, make sure to check out these seven creepy asylums in New York. Have you been to the ruins of Letchworth Village in New York? Did you see any ghosts? Let us know in the comments below, we love to hear your firsthand experiences at these eerie but fascinating destinations.

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More to Explore

Haunted Places In New York

CC | September 08, 2023

What are other haunted asylums in New York?

Can’t get enough of this type of thrill? It turns out New York has other haunted asylums you can visit as well.

  • Hart Island: The Bronx
  • Willard Psychiatric Center: Ovid
  • Buffalo State Hospital: Buffalo
  • Hudson River State Hospital: Poughkeepsie
  • Letchworth Village: Thiells
  • Kings Park Psychiatric Hospital: Kings Park

 

What are other haunted places in New York?

Asylums aren’t the only places that dead souls like to stick around. Check out these other haunted places in New York too. You’re braver than us if you venture into some of these haunts.

  • Fort Ontario – Oswego
  • Landmark Theatre – Syracuse
  • Wayside Irish Pub – Elbridge
  • Belhurst Castle – Geneva
  • Spook Hill – Middlesex
  • The Historical Museums – Palmyra
  • Rolling Hills Asylum - East Bethany
  • Iron Island Museum – Buffalo
  • Buffalo Central Terminal – Buffalo

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Letchworth Village Road, Letchworth Village Rd, Thiells, NY, USA