Ladd School – Haunted Asylum in Exeter, Rhode Island

The abandoned buildings of Ladd School stand like forgotten tombstones against the Rhode Island sky. This sprawling complex of crumbling structures once housed thousands of patients with developmental disabilities across its decades of operation.

The campus spreads across 220 acres of isolated woodland in rural Exeter. Walking through the decaying hallways today feels like stepping into a nightmare frozen in time.

Rusted beds still sit in patient rooms where people lived and died. The walls hold echoes of screams that no one can quite explain away as wind.

This institution became notorious for documented cases of abuse and neglect throughout its history. Former employees and curious trespassers report encounters that defy logical explanation within these walls.

Historical Background

Ladd School officially opened its doors in 1908 as the Rhode Island School for the Feeble-Minded. The state legislature authorized its construction to house patients deemed mentally unfit for society by early twentieth-century standards.

The facility was renamed the Exeter School in 1915 before becoming Ladd Center in 1968. At its peak population in 1968, approximately 1,100 patients lived within the institutional walls under constant supervision.

The original campus consisted of several brick dormitories designed in the cottage system style. Additional buildings were constructed throughout the decades including medical facilities, administration offices, and recreational structures.

Conditions deteriorated significantly during the mid-twentieth century as overcrowding became a serious problem. Patients often received minimal care and spent years confined to wards with inadequate staffing ratios.

A federal lawsuit filed in 1977 exposed horrific conditions including physical restraints and medication abuse. The court-ordered reforms came too late for many residents who had already suffered years of mistreatment.

The facility finally closed its doors permanently in 1994 after decades of decline. The property was transferred to the state and has remained largely abandoned since then.

Several buildings have been demolished over the years due to structural deterioration and vandalism. The remaining structures stand as decaying monuments to a dark chapter in mental health care history.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Visitors to the abandoned Ladd School campus consistently report overwhelming feelings of being watched. The sensation follows people from building to building as they explore the deteriorating grounds.

Disembodied voices echo through empty hallways at all hours of day and night. Witnesses describe hearing children crying, adults screaming, and incomprehensible whispered conversations coming from rooms known to be empty.

Shadow figures dart across doorways and disappear when directly observed by multiple witnesses. These dark shapes often appear in peripheral vision before vanishing when confronted head-on.

Electronic equipment malfunctions with alarming frequency throughout the campus despite fresh batteries. Cameras drain completely within minutes and audio recorders capture unexplained voices speaking names and phrases.

Physical sensations plague many visitors including sudden temperature drops of twenty to thirty degrees. People report feeling invisible hands grabbing their arms or pushing them away from certain areas.

Objects move on their own according to numerous independent accounts from different time periods. Wheelchairs roll down hallways with no one touching them and doors slam shut violently.

The most disturbing reports involve full-bodied apparitions of patients in hospital gowns. These ghosts appear solid and real before fading away or walking through walls.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The spirit of a young girl named Emma reportedly haunts Building 8 on the campus. Multiple witnesses describe seeing a child in a stained white nightgown wandering the second-floor corridors.

Emma allegedly died in the 1930s after contracting tuberculosis while institutionalized at age seven. Her ghost appears confused and lost, often reaching out toward visitors before vanishing into thin air.

People who encounter Emma report hearing her sing nursery rhymes in a hollow voice. The most commonly heard song is “Ring Around the Rosie” echoing from empty rooms at night.

Another frequently encountered spirit is that of a violent male patient known only as Thomas. He died in 1962 after attacking a staff member and being forcibly restrained until he suffocated.

Thomas manifests as an aggressive presence that pushes people and throws objects across rooms. His apparition appears as a tall man with wild eyes and restraint marks on his wrists.

The ghost of a nurse named Margaret Patterson haunts the medical building basement. She worked at Ladd from 1945 until her death on the property in 1972.

Margaret died of a heart attack while working a night shift alone. Her spirit continues its rounds, with witnesses seeing a woman in vintage nursing attire checking empty patient rooms.

Some visitors report hearing Margaret calling out patient names on her old roster. Her voice sounds concerned and gentle, as if still caring for those long gone.

Building 6 contains the ghost of a teenage boy who hanged himself in 1981. Staff found him in a utility closet on the third floor after he had been missing for hours.

His apparition appears in the same closet where he died, visible only from the waist up. Witnesses describe a young face frozen in eternal anguish hanging in midair.

The gymnasium building hosts the spirit of a patient who drowned in the pool during the 1950s. Guards report seeing a soaking wet figure wandering near the empty pool deck at night.

Most Haunted Spot

Building 10 earns the reputation as the most paranormally active structure on the entire campus. This particular dormitory housed the most severely disabled patients during the institution’s operational years.

The third floor of Building 10 was known as the isolation ward during active operations. Patients who displayed violent behaviors or required constant medical supervision were confined to this area.

Multiple deaths occurred on this floor including suicides, accidents, and natural causes complicated by neglect. The energy within these rooms feels oppressive and hostile to almost every visitor.

Paranormal investigators consistently record the highest levels of electromagnetic field activity on this floor. EVP sessions conducted here produce clear voices responding to direct questions in real time.

Room 318 stands out as especially active within this already haunted building section. This room served as a padded isolation cell for patients experiencing psychiatric episodes.

Visitors who enter Room 318 report immediate panic attacks and difficulty breathing despite no medical conditions. Many people refuse to remain inside for more than a few seconds before fleeing.

Can You Visit?

Ladd School is not legally open to the public for tours or exploration. The property remains under state ownership with clear no trespassing signs posted throughout the campus.

Security patrols monitor the grounds regularly and local police actively pursue trespass violations. Violators face criminal charges including breaking and entering on state property.

No official tours are available through any legitimate organization or government agency. Entry fees do not apply because legal entry is completely prohibited for all civilians.

Photography is technically not allowed due to the trespassing restrictions on the entire property. Many urban explorers have captured images despite the legal prohibition and potential consequences.

The buildings pose serious safety hazards including asbestos, lead paint, and structural instability. Floors have collapsed and ceilings contain dangerous materials that can cause respiratory illness.

Best Time to Visit

While visiting is illegal, reports of paranormal activity show no seasonal variation at Ladd School. Witnesses document encounters during all months of the year with equal frequency and intensity.

The hours between midnight and 3 AM produce the highest concentration of reported phenomena. This timing aligns with traditional beliefs about peak supernatural activity during overnight hours.

Some investigators note increased activity during anniversary dates of known patient deaths. October seems particularly active though this may reflect increased trespassing during Halloween season.

Overcast days and foggy conditions reportedly enhance the eerie atmosphere of the property. The isolation of the rural location becomes more pronounced during poor weather conditions.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A former security guard named David Morrison worked at Ladd during its final years. He reported numerous unexplained incidents during his night shifts between 1991 and 1993.

Morrison described hearing wheelchairs rolling across floors in buildings he knew were empty. He investigated these sounds dozens of times but never found any logical explanation.

In 2008, urban explorer Jennifer Caldwell documented her experience in Building 8 online. She described being physically pushed by invisible hands while photographing a patient room.

Caldwell’s camera captured an unexplained mist forming into a humanoid shape moments before the push. The image was analyzed by photography experts who found no evidence of manipulation.

A paranormal investigation team called Rhode Island Spirits visited in 2012 despite the legal restrictions. They recorded over thirty distinct voices on digital audio equipment during a six-hour investigation.

The team’s lead investigator reported feeling scratched by an unseen entity in Room 318. Three parallel marks appeared on his arm while cameras were recording but nothing visible touched him.

Local resident Thomas Brennan lived adjacent to the property from 1970 until 2015. He consistently reported seeing lights moving through abandoned buildings late at night.

Brennan called police numerous times reporting trespassers but officers found the buildings empty. The lights continued appearing even when police confirmed nobody was inside the structures.

Local Legends & Myths

Local folklore claims that tunnels beneath Ladd School connect all buildings in the complex. These underground passages allegedly housed the most disturbed patients away from public view.

Teenagers in Exeter whisper about the “Tunnel Ghost” who drags victims into the darkness below. No verified deaths have occurred in these tunnels, but the legend persists across generations.

Another persistent myth involves satanic rituals performed in Building 10 after the closure. Evidence of ritualistic symbols painted on walls gives this legend some credibility among believers.

Some locals believe the land itself was cursed before the institution was built. They point to the facility’s history of tragedy as proof of supernatural forces at work.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Atlantic Paranormal Society investigated Ladd School in 2007 for an episode of Ghost Hunters. Their team documented multiple instances of unexplained phenomena during their overnight investigation.

TAPS members recorded clear EVP responses to questions about patient names and building numbers. Thermal imaging cameras detected moving cold spots that seemed to follow investigators through corridors.

Jason Hawes reported feeling physically ill in Building 10’s isolation ward and had to leave. Grant Wilson captured footage of a door closing by itself with no air current present.

Ghost Adventures featured the location in a 2014 episode that aired to millions of viewers. Zak Bagans claimed to be physically attacked by an entity in Room 318.

During the filming, the crew’s equipment experienced multiple simultaneous malfunctions in one room. Cameras, audio recorders, and EMF meters all stopped working at exactly the same moment.

Local paranormal group New England Paranormal has investigated Ladd over twenty times since 2005. They maintain a database of over 200 recorded EVPs collected from various buildings.

Their most compelling evidence includes a voice clearly stating “help me” in Building 6. Another recording captures what sounds like multiple people talking over each other in an empty gymnasium.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Trespassing on Ladd School property is a criminal offense prosecuted by local authorities. Violators face fines up to $500 and potential jail time for breaking and entering.

The Exeter Police Department actively patrols the grounds and prosecutes all trespassers without exception. Security systems monitor certain buildings and alert authorities to unauthorized presence on campus.

Structural dangers include collapsing floors, exposed electrical wiring, and toxic mold growth throughout the buildings. Several trespassers have required medical treatment after injuries sustained while exploring illegally.

Asbestos contamination is present in most structures on campus posing serious long-term health risks. Lead paint chips and dust create additional hazards especially in areas with water damage.

Wild animals including raccoons and occasional coyotes inhabit the abandoned buildings during certain seasons. Startled animals can attack when cornered by humans entering their territory.

The isolated location means emergency response times can exceed twenty minutes if injuries occur. Cell phone reception is unreliable throughout much of the heavily wooded campus.

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