“Go left there” My friend said and pointed a tattooed forearm past my face.  I knew this guy well enough to have him blowing his Marlboro light smoke past my face even though I had quit not too recently. He knew that I had quit, but said “you wouldn’t mind?” and gave me a look as though I couldn’t stop him if I did.  The knowledge he had was worth the little aggravation. 

Turning onto the street it seemed we were going through a residential neighborhood.  Nice houses and a simple street.  We kept going until, where you would think the street would have ended there was two brick columns on either side of the road.  The brick gate post of Pennhurst State School (or the abandoned Pennhurst insane Asylum as some people referred to it.)

We were able to go through the old brick gate and see the Old light post in the forest.  Driving up I could imagine being taken there and the fright that came over me was chilling.  My guide for the day had told me of the place and how it was “No big deal” to explore the place and he “Did it all the time”.  I guess he thought I would never take him up on the idea, but he we were driving up to the infamous Pennhurst State School, the one that started it all.

          I could tell he was nervous as we passed the power station and a few NO TRESSPASSING signs.  I really expected the security to swarm and for us to get kicked out, but it didn’t come.  We drove around the grounds and the abandoned school lurked in the trees.  It was straight out of a movie, like nothing I had ever seen.

          A long abandoned asylum for the insane that now had been abandoned for years and was gradually being taken over by the forest.  If that is not the makings of a great horror movie or the setting of nightmares I do not know what would be.  This place was fantastic.  As we drove around the grounds and saw the campus of abandoned and discarded buildings left to rot in the woods, I was shocked at the condition of the place.  From the outside some buildings looked as though they still could have been used.  Doors hung open almost inviting.  Others hung open almost taunting you to come inside. 

           I was very excited at this.  I could not wait to get inside this wonderful abandoned park.  I was all set; we even passed another group of ruin explorers walking on the road.  We completed a circle around the building and I wanted in. 

          “Where should we park?”  I asked my guide.   “We should just get out of here before the cops come.”  “What…. Aren’t you coming in with me?”  “No way” he said a little creeped out.  My scary tough guy friend wanted no parts of going inside.  He totally lied to me.  “You don’t want to go inside and show me around.”  I asked.  “No we’ll get busted by the cops.”  I could tell he was scared.  He had never been inside.  I couldn’t believe what a wimp he turned out to be. 

          I left the grounds shocked about what I saw.  I was determined to go back.  The way I saw it was that I wanted to go back and spend a long time there.  This tough guy showed me where it was that was really all I needed from him.  As we headed back toward his home in Pottstown he went to light a cigarette and I grabbed it out of his mouth and said “you wouldn’t mind?” and gave him a look as though he couldn’t stop me if I did.

 I dropped this tattooed hardcore tough guy off at his place and started making plans to go back there.  I just needed to find some better explorers.  Or at least people who had the guts to go into an abandoned mental institution.

Other Mental Institutions