Located at King Park in New York, is a former state-run psychiatric hospital that is now deserted and left to rot. “The Psyche Center” as it is commonly referred to by the locals was constructed in the early 1880s and started its operations from 1885 to 1996.

What is the story behind The Psyche Center?

Built to primarily curb overcrowding at the asylums of Folklore and abuse of human rights that ran rampant at most of them. Kings county asylum as it was commonly known during its early years of operations used farms as a form of therapy as patients were kept busy by doing various activities on the farm. Over the years, King County asylum began experiencing overcrowding prompting the government to take control of the institution. The state was able to stabilize the institution making it self-reliant. It also changed its name to Kings Park Psychiatric Center which is its name to date.

The fall of Kings Park Psychiatric Center. After World War II, the population at the facility increased rapidly but this was short-lived when Thorazine was introduced. Thorazine is a drug used for the treatment of mentally ill patients. The drug made it possible for the mentally ill to live a normal life at home outside the facilities. This was bad for business as most patients opted for the drug reducing the number of patients in the mental institutions all over the nation. The Psych Center was not exempted as its population reduced and by the year 1990 only the first two floors of the vast institution were in use. The state later made a decision to close down all the mental hospitals with low populations. It issued a directive to the institutions to close down, sending the few remaining patients to the nearest asylums that were doing well. The institution closed its doors permanently in 1996 following directives from the state.

Roles played by the facility during its operational days

The facility was one of the few chosen by the medical department to test polio vaccination back in the day. It also sold its excessed farm produce at a subsidized price to the local community. Being fully self-reliant, it employed thousands of locals who were extremely affected when it closed down.

Can I visit the building?

The property still belongs to the state of New York and is not allowing visitors or anyone to tour the place. Though most have been kept away by the guards, some individuals still sneak into the building to vandalize, adding to its already deteriorated state. Today, the building is a ruin and an eyesore. Some as always are trying to get the building restored and turned into something beneficial to the surrounding community.