Utica Psychiatric Center

A photo of holiday decor at Old Main during the late nineteenth century or early twentieth century from the Oneida County History Center Collection.

Some rare and seldom seen photos will accompany the presentation. Pictures of the massive building, with descriptions of its architecturally significant structure, are also included. Some of the program is part of a personal experience when Bottini was a docent for one of the public tours of the building.

Oneida County Historian Joseph Bottini will present about Old Main at the Rome Historical Society on April 17 at 7 pm.

In a more passive sense, patients were mistreated through sheer neglect and stigmatization, as the focus of asylums shifted from therapeutics to warehousing in an attempt to keep the feeble-minded and insane out of the public eye. For those who have been institutionalized, there is a very real haunting not by ghosts, but by trauma.

I, as a page administrator, receive multiple inquiries a year from ghost chasers and thrill seekers looking to hunt the paranormal at Old Main. Many of us grew up hearing stories and urban legends about Old Main, but I would like to ask that we treat Old Main and other former asylums with the care we might extend to a battlefield. Many people died, sometimes in horrible ways, but they suffered, and their families suffered. In life or death, haunted or not, I ask that you exte...nd your respects. Please also remember that there are still active mental health care facilities on the Old Main campus. There are no paranormal tours offered. To my knowledge, the state does not allow any ghost hunters, psychics or mediums on site for the purpose of paranormal studies. Repeat inquiries to this page of this nature may not be answered. -Admin *These views are that of the page administrator and may or may not reflect the views of the NYS Office of Mental Health, the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica or other affiliated entities.

Haven't been on an Old Main tour yet? The Office of Mental Health has a YouTube channel with the videos that make up part of the tour. Hear about the facility from the people who were there during its last decades of operation!

The Old Main building in Utica will once again open its doors for free tours this spring. Have you ever been on the tour there?

The moment you've all been waiting for...a 2018 tour date! (Please note that we are an unofficial page and cannot assist with reservations. You know everything we do!)

Pennhurst Asylum in Spring City, PA opened in 1908 and closed amid controversy and abuse allegations in 1987. Today, the building is used as a haunted house, and that’s not sitting well with mental health patients or the families who had relatives institutionalized there a mere 30 years ago. I, as a page administrator, receive multiple inquiries a year from ghost chasers and sensationalists looking to put Old Main on their list of horrors (including a blogger from England, w...hom I doubt has set foot in NYS, let alone the Utica Psych complex.) Many of us grew up hearing stories and urban legends about Old Main, but I would like to ask that, as Halloween approaches, we treat Old Main and other former asylums with the care we might extend to a battlefield. Many people died, sometimes in horrible ways, but they suffered, and their families suffered. In life or death, haunted or not, I ask that you extend your respects as we approach Hallow’s Eve. -Admin *These views are that of the page administrator and may or may not reflect the views of the NYS Office of Mental Health, the Landmarks Society of Greater Utica or other affiliated entities.

The registration process for the Sept. 23 tours has been announced. "Interested individuals are asked to make reservations by Sept. 18 by emailing [email protected]. Anyone requesting a tour is asked to include the names of all individuals interested in the tour; the time of interest; organization or school affiliation if any; and any special arrangements for wheelchair access, if necessary. Please note, your reservation does not guarantee a time slot. Tours will take place every fifteen minutes from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Individuals interested in touring the building are asked to register in advance, and tour group sizes are limited to 25 people."

A book dedicated to Old Main has been brought to our attention. It was written in 2015 by Dennis Webster, a graduate of Oriskany Central School District, Utica College, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute. The book is rated four stars on Goodreads and five stars on Amazon.com. The book is available for purchase online and may be available at your local library. https://www.amazon.com/Old-Main-State-Lunatic-//1886166439