Northern State Hospital – Haunted Asylum in Sedro-Woolley, Washington

Northern State Hospital stands as one of Washington State’s most notorious abandoned asylums. The sprawling complex once housed thousands of mentally ill patients between 1912 and 1976. Today, the crumbling buildings whisper tales of tragedy, neglect, and spirits unwilling to leave. Visitors report shadowy figures wandering the overgrown grounds and disembodied screams echoing through empty halls.

This massive institution covered over 700 acres of rural farmland in Skagit County. At its peak, Northern State housed more than 2,700 patients in overcrowded conditions. The hospital operated as a self-sufficient community with its own dairy, bakery, and power plant. Decades of patient suffering have left an indelible paranormal imprint on this forsaken place.

The asylum’s reputation for supernatural activity has attracted ghost hunters and urban explorers for years. Local residents share stories passed down through generations about the hospital’s dark history. Many believe the tortured souls of former patients still roam the deteriorating wards. The property has become a pilgrimage site for those seeking encounters with the other side.

Historical Background

Construction began on Northern State Hospital in 1909 with doors officially opening in 1912. The facility was built to alleviate overcrowding at Washington’s other mental institutions. Architect Joseph Wohleb designed the campus in the Kirkbride Plan style popular for asylums. The main building featured distinctive red brick construction and housed administrative offices and patient wards.

The hospital was originally called Northern State Hospital for the Insane. State officials envisioned a modern treatment facility emphasizing fresh air and agricultural therapy. Patients worked the extensive farmlands as part of their treatment regimen. The institution aimed to be completely self-sustaining through patient labor and farm production.

By the 1950s, Northern State had become dangerously overcrowded with over 2,000 patients. Staff shortages and underfunding led to deplorable conditions and neglect. Patients often received little actual psychiatric treatment beyond heavy sedation and restraints. Abuse allegations surfaced regularly, though investigations rarely led to meaningful reforms.

The hospital employed controversial treatments including electroshock therapy and hydrotherapy. Lobotomies were performed in the 1940s and 1950s on dozens of patients. Many patients died from neglect, tuberculosis, and complications from experimental treatments. Records show at least 1,500 documented deaths occurred on the hospital grounds.

Northern State officially closed its doors in 1976 amid changing mental health policies. The state sold off most buildings and land to private developers. Several structures were demolished while others fell into disrepair and abandonment. A cemetery on the property contains hundreds of unmarked graves of patients who died there.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Visitors consistently report hearing disembodied screams and crying throughout the abandoned buildings. These sounds seem to emanate from empty hallways and locked rooms with no living source. Witnesses describe the cries as desperate and filled with anguish. The screams intensify after dark and during foggy weather conditions.

Shadow figures are among the most commonly reported phenomena at Northern State. These dark humanoid shapes move along corridors and peer from broken windows. Witnesses say the shadows appear solid and purposeful rather than random tricks of light. Some visitors claim the figures follow them or block their path.

Extreme cold spots manifest suddenly in specific locations throughout the complex. Temperatures can drop twenty to thirty degrees within a few feet. These cold zones often coincide with feelings of being watched or overwhelming sadness. Electronic equipment frequently malfunctions when entering these areas.

Apparitions of former patients appear in period clothing from various decades. Some ghosts seem confused or distressed, wandering aimlessly through the ruins. Others exhibit aggressive behavior, screaming at visitors or throwing objects. Full-bodied apparitions have been photographed near the old tuberculosis ward and administration building.

Physical contact from unseen entities occurs with disturbing regularity. Visitors report being pushed, grabbed, or scratched by invisible hands. Hair pulling and clothing tugging happen frequently in the patient dormitories. Some investigators have captured EVP recordings of voices demanding people leave the premises.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most famous spirit is known simply as “The Nurse in White.” Witnesses describe a female figure in an old-fashioned nurse’s uniform walking the corridors. She appears most often in Building 205, the former medical wing. The apparition carries what looks like a tray of medications or medical instruments.

According to local legend, this nurse died in the 1940s under mysterious circumstances. Some say she took her own life after a patient assault. Others claim she was murdered by a violent patient who escaped restraints. Her ghost allegedly continues her rounds, checking on patients who no longer exist.

Multiple witnesses have reported encountering the spirit of a young girl around seven years old. She wears a faded blue hospital gown and has stringy dark hair. The child appears in the women’s ward and near the old playground area. Visitors hear her giggling and running down hallways before vanishing.

This ghost child is believed to be Mary Catherine Hanson. Records show she was admitted at age six in 1923 with developmental disabilities. She died two years later from pneumonia complicated by malnutrition. Her gravestone remains in the hospital cemetery with just her patient number.

A malevolent male entity haunts the maximum security ward in Building 221. Staff members from when the hospital was operational reported feeling threatened by an unseen presence. After closure, this hostile spirit has allegedly pushed multiple trespassers down staircases. Investigators describe an overwhelming sense of rage emanating from this building.

This angry ghost may be John Baxter Williams, a patient committed in 1958. Williams was a violent schizophrenic who assaulted numerous staff members and patients. He died during a restraint incident in 1962 when orderlies allegedly used excessive force. Security personnel later reported objects flying across rooms and doors slamming violently in his former cell.

The ghost of Dr. Harold Edmonds reportedly appears in the administration building basement. He served as hospital superintendent from 1935 to 1951. Witnesses describe a tall man in a suit carrying a leather medical bag. He walks through walls where doorways once existed before renovations.

Dr. Edmonds oversaw some of the hospital’s most controversial experimental treatments. He advocated strongly for lobotomies and insulin shock therapy. Some believe his spirit remains trapped due to guilt over patients harmed under his care. His apparition always appears troubled and never acknowledges the living.

Most Haunted Spot

Building 208, the former tuberculosis ward, ranks as the most actively haunted location. This isolated structure housed contagious patients separate from the general population. Over three hundred patients died in this building between 1920 and 1960. The air inside feels noticeably heavier and colder than surrounding buildings.

Visitors to Building 208 report overwhelming feelings of suffocation and difficulty breathing. Shadow figures appear more frequently here than anywhere else on campus. Investigators consistently capture electronic voice phenomena and unexplained lights in photographs. Many people refuse to enter after experiencing intense paranormal activity.

Can You Visit?

No, the Northern State Hospital grounds are not open to the public. The property is privately owned and posted with no trespassing signs. Unauthorized entry constitutes criminal trespassing and violators will be prosecuted. Local law enforcement regularly patrols the area and arrests trespassers.

No organized tours or special access events are available. There is no entry fee because legal entry is not permitted. Photography is technically not allowed since accessing the property is illegal. Security cameras monitor the main access roads and building entrances.

Some portions of the former campus were redeveloped into residential housing. These private properties strictly prohibit urban exploration and ghost hunting. Homeowners have grown frustrated with trespassers and will call police immediately. Respecting private property boundaries is essential for legal and ethical reasons.

Best Time to Visit

Most paranormal activity reportedly occurs during late night hours between midnight and 4 AM. This timeframe corresponds with historical records of patient deaths and traumatic events. However, visiting during these hours significantly increases legal risks of arrest. Daytime activity has also been documented though less frequently reported.

Autumn months from September through November see increased supernatural phenomena according to investigators. The anniversary of the hospital’s 1976 closure in November brings heightened spiritual energy. Foggy weather conditions common in the Skagit Valley seem to intensify paranormal manifestations. Winter months with shorter daylight hours also correlate with more frequent shadow figure sightings.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Urban explorer David Chen documented his illegal 2015 visit in detailed blog posts. He reported hearing children’s laughter coming from the abandoned schoolhouse building. Chen photographed what appears to be a face in a third-story window. He felt someone grab his shoulder forcefully despite being alone at the time.

Former security guard Thomas Reed worked at Northern State in the 1990s. Reed reported seeing a woman in white walking across the grounds multiple times. He heard screaming coming from empty buildings during night patrols. Reed quit after six months due to the unsettling experiences.

Paranormal investigator Sarah Mitchell conducted an unauthorized investigation in 2018. Her team recorded multiple EVPs asking visitors to leave. Mitchell captured thermal imaging showing a human-shaped heat signature moving through solid walls. Her equipment experienced repeated battery drainage and electronic malfunctions.

Local resident Patricia Gomez grew up near the hospital in the 1960s. She recalls seeing patients wandering the grounds and hearing screams at night. Gomez claims the paranormal activity intensified significantly after the hospital closed. She refuses to drive past the property after dark.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The television show “Ghost Adventures” attempted to investigate Northern State in 2017. Production was shut down by police before filming could be completed. The crew reported aggressive paranormal encounters during their brief time on property. Lead investigator Zak Bagans called it one of the most oppressive locations he’d visited.

Pacific Northwest Paranormal Investigation Society documented extensive evidence in multiple illegal investigations. They recorded over fifty distinct EVP voices across different buildings. Their findings included numerous photographs with unexplained light anomalies and shadow figures. The group documented significant electromagnetic field fluctuations in the tuberculosis ward.

A 2019 independent documentary team captured video footage of doors opening by themselves. Their thermal cameras showed cold spots moving intelligently through hallways. Audio recordings picked up what sounds like old medical equipment operating. The team experienced physical touches and objects moving on camera.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Trespassing on Northern State Hospital property is a criminal offense prosecuted by Skagit County. Fines can reach several thousand dollars plus potential jail time. Local authorities have increased patrols specifically to deter urban explorers and ghost hunters. Multiple trespassers have been arrested and prosecuted in recent years.

The abandoned buildings pose extreme physical dangers beyond legal consequences. Floors have collapsed, creating deadly falls into basements and crawl spaces. Asbestos insulation and lead paint contaminate all older structures. Black mold growth presents serious respiratory health risks throughout the campus.

Structural integrity has severely deteriorated after decades of abandonment and vandalism. Ceilings contain holes where roofing has completely failed. Staircases have partially collapsed making navigation treacherous. Broken glass, exposed nails, and rusted metal create injury hazards everywhere.

Local Legends & Myths

Local legend claims a network of tunnels connects all the buildings underground. These steam tunnels allegedly allowed staff to move between buildings during harsh winters. Urban explorers seek these tunnels believing they harbor the most intense paranormal activity. Some tunnels reportedly contain bricked-up rooms where the most violent patients were confined.

Another persistent legend involves satanic rituals conducted in the buildings after closure. Local teenagers supposedly held séances attempting to contact tortured spirits. These amateur occult activities allegedly opened portals allowing darker entities to enter. Some believers claim demonic presences now inhabit the campus alongside human ghosts.

Stories circulate about a secret patient cemetery beyond the known burial ground. This alleged gravesite supposedly contains bodies of patients who died under suspicious circumstances. Witnesses claim to see ghostly processions of figures in hospital gowns walking toward this location. No physical evidence has confirmed this cemetery’s existence despite decades of searching.