This Ghost Hunt In A Former New York Asylum Isn’t For The Faint Of Heart

Formerly known as the Genesee County Poorhouse, the building originally opened its doors on January 1st, 1827. The poorhouse was made to create a place where people who couldn't take care of themselves could come and live, like orphans, widows, the mentally ill, elderly, criminals, and those who were disabled. A year after opening the poorhouse even made an addition to the property, building a place to house residents that were too dangerous to be around others - often referred to as lunatics.

There's no denying that something spooky is occurring at Rolling Hills Asylum. According to salvaged documents, at least 1,700 have been documented here at the asylum and many of these spirits continue to linger the halls of the building. Not only is it eerie that so many people have died here at Roling Hills, it's also spooky to learn that the majority of those who were buried on the property never received a gravestone. To this day, it is still unknown exactly where all the bodies are buried on the property, with no grave map having ever been discovered.

Taking a page out of Casper the Friendly Ghost, most of the spirits that you'll encounter at Rolling Hills Asylum are quite friendly and willing to lend a helping hand when needed. The current owner of the asylum, Sharon Coyle, has even claimed that after having an unexpected run-in with a large rat that frightened her in the building, one of the asylum's most well-known ghosts killed the rodent for her in an act of kindness. So, what friendly spirit was Sharon talking about? That would be Roy Crouse - a 7 and a half foot tall man that was dropped off to the poorhouse by his father when he was just 12-years old. Living in the asylum for the rest of his days, Roy is known for being friendly and the most frequent spirit that you'll run into at Rolling Hills.

While most of the ghosts that haunt the asylum are gentle spirits, you'll also hear quite a few not-so-friendly stories about some of the other people who are still lingering around here. Many people often tell stories about a nurse named Emma who supposedly may not have had the best bedside manner with the asylum's residents, while others tell tales of The Screaming Lady. While no one seems to quite know the exactly who the woman is, some believe she is the spirit of the first person to ever live at the asylum - a young girl who lived at the asylum for over 50 years. Some believe that the woman's spirit is screaming out of frustration, simply trying to communicate a message that's she's unable to get through to visitors.

Offered all throughout the year, you can take either self-guided tours, guided historical tours, or guided flashlight tours at the asylum. Rolling Hills also features a variety of events during the year, with everything from hosting mediums and movie nights to other eerie adventures that you'll either love or hate. To find out more about all the different tours that you can take, visit their official website here.

To find out about upcoming events and to stay up to date with what's going on at Rolling Hills Asylum, you'll want to be sure to visit their official Facebook page.

How to get here:
11001 Bethany Center Rd,
East Bethany, NY 14054