Metropolitan State Hospital – Haunted Abandoned Asylum in Waltham, Massachusetts

Once a sprawling psychiatric hospital, Metropolitan State Hospital in Waltham, Massachusetts, is now a decaying relic with a chilling reputation. Built to house and treat the mentally ill, it gained notoriety for its dark history of neglect, tragedy, and mysterious disappearances. Long after its closure, the hospital remains one of Massachusetts’ most infamous haunted locations, drawing ghost hunters and urban explorers intrigued by tales of ghostly apparitions, disembodied screams, and the lingering presence of those who never left.

Historical Background

• Year Built: 1927
• Original Purpose: Psychiatric Hospital
• Significant Events:
  • At its peak, the hospital housed over 2,000 patients, many suffering from severe mental illnesses.
  • Reports of abuse, patient mistreatment, and overcrowding plagued the hospital’s reputation for decades.
  • In the 1970s, the murder of a young female patient, Anna Maria Davee, shocked the public. Her remains were not found until years later, buried in a shallow grave on the hospital grounds.
  • The hospital officially closed in 1992, leaving behind crumbling buildings and countless ghost stories.

Paranormal Activity Summary

• Visitors report cold spots, sudden temperature drops, and the sensation of being watched.
• Doors slam shut on their own, even with no wind present.
• Eerie whispers echo through the halls, and phantom footsteps follow guests along deserted corridors.
• Shadow figures, often glimpsed from the corners of the eye, dart through doorways.
• The spirit of Anna Maria Davee, along with several unnamed patients, is said to haunt the grounds, eternally tied to the location of their suffering.

Ghost Stories & Reports

• Who are the ghosts?
  Many believe the restless spirits of former patients still wander the ruins. Anna Maria Davee is the most frequently mentioned ghost, with reports of a young woman crying softly in the woods near where her remains were found.
  Other entities include faceless patients, their features obscured, possibly symbolizing the loss of their identities during their confinement.
• What do visitors report?
  Paranormal enthusiasts and curious visitors alike describe being touched by unseen hands, hearing distant screams, and even encountering full-body apparitions in hospital gowns.
• Any local folklore associated with these spirits?
  Locals whisper about the “Caretaker Shadow,” a dark figure believed to be the spirit of a former orderly who abused patients and now roams the grounds, keeping watch over the dead.
• Urban legends:
  One chilling legend warns that anyone who takes a piece of the building as a souvenir will be cursed, plagued by nightmares and terrifying visions until they return it.

Most Haunted Spot Inside

• The underground tunnels connecting the buildings are notorious for intense paranormal activity. Many investigators refuse to enter them after hearing guttural growls, seeing shadowy figures slithering along the walls, and feeling a crushing sense of dread.
• The area where Anna Maria Davee’s body was discovered is also said to be a paranormal hotspot, with reports of phantom sobbing and the apparition of a woman in a tattered hospital gown.

Can You Visit?

• Open to the Public? No (The site is largely demolished, with limited accessible areas remaining on public land.)
• Entry Fee: None
• Tour Availability: No official tours
• Photography Allowed? No (Officially off-limits, though urban explorers have taken photos of remaining ruins.)
• Visiting Hours: N/A – Entry is restricted, though parts of the grounds are now part of a public park.

Best Time to Visit

• Fall months (October in particular) are said to bring the highest level of paranormal activity, coinciding with the anniversary of several tragic deaths.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

• Paranormal investigators have captured EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) with chilling messages like “Help me” and “Don’t leave me here.”
• One former nurse who visited the site after its closure reported hearing her name whispered and feeling cold hands grasp her wrist, though no one was there.
• Local teenagers sneaking into the abandoned buildings during the 1990s claimed to see a spectral woman standing at the edge of the woods, beckoning them closer before vanishing.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

• Ghost Adventures and several independent paranormal teams have explored the grounds, capturing disturbing audio evidence, unexplained thermal imaging anomalies, and reports of physical contact with unseen entities.
• Investigators often describe a crushing sadness overtaking them in specific rooms, leading some to believe the emotional imprint of the hospital’s former residents lingers.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

• Trespassing risks: High – The remaining buildings are dangerous due to structural instability and asbestos contamination.
• Police regularly patrol the area to prevent illegal entry, and hefty fines have been issued to those caught inside restricted zones.
• The remaining underground tunnels are particularly dangerous due to collapsed sections and poor air quality.