Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum recent visit!

Recently my wife and I were able to visit the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia and it was a real eye opener! The facility was built like a fort, as it was once thought that architecture could have “curative effects” for the patients. Inside was even more impressive!

There was much to see in the museum itself, but we took the full tour to see it all. The buildings are old now, but some still held an eeriness that you could feel as you walked the halls and saw some of the treatment rooms. They have a paranormal tour that goes on at night, but I was creeped out enough in the daytime!

It actually got kind of depressing to see how things were done when psychiatric care was in its infancy. Freud began to look like a hero when you saw his advances into the science. But the hospital, built right before the Civil War, was in operation for over 100 years and saw the full development of mental health care from seemingly barbaric practices to the effective care we see today. Much of it was preserved in its original state.

And they had a little fun, too, but it brought to mind the horrors of the past!

My favorite part of the tour was the last room where they had testimonies and artwork of the patients who were greatly helped by their time at the hospital. The love and gratitude shared in that room really warmed my heart, and made me feel that the hospital served a great purpose in its day.

So, if you’re ever traveling through West Virginia along Route 19, stop in Weston to see the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. The American Museum of Glass in WV is in Weston, too, and that is also an excellent place to spend some time. Happy travels!