i drove down the driveway last night at about quarter to eleven and it was so scary i had to leave. just after i pulled out i saw a cop car pull in. (perfect timing, huh?) i went back today with two friends to attempt to get inside, just to look, not to do any vandalism or disturb any part of the building in any way, but it was completely boarded up. i want to get inside so badly, just so i can see for myself the true beauty of this magestic building. anyone know a guaranteed way to get in?

That was indeed a seclusion room. Andrew Palmer, who wrote Hell and Back, mentioned these rooms when I interviewed him. The staff would sit on the other side and watch the kids work out their crisis inside the seclusion room. That way the staff didn't get hurt while the kid was in crisis.

there r n0 m0re d0ors 0n the m0rgue the place is c0mpletely trashed n0w its ridicul0us h0w pe0ple can destr0y this place its hist0ry n i think its amazing

Wow, I am fascinated by this album, as well as the entire site! I spent HOURS on here looking through all the wonderful photos! These were particularly incredible because of the people linked to it that commented. Bravo!!

THIS is the roof that started caving in while we were on it the other day - not very fun.

We went here on the 23rd, went on the roof and it started to cave in! Suggestion: Be VERY careful, and don't walk on it if it looks like a friggin lake

This thing is COVERED in grafitti now - I usually mind it but it does look pretty cool now

now thats some scareyy shitt!!

I wonder if the water works. *uhm

Anyone care to join me?

I live 2 minutes away from byberry. If you guys could see it. They are knocking some of the buildings down to make it into an industrial park. there is a roomer going around that they are building retirement apartments on the grounds but i'm not sure exactly.

PHENOMENAL! Love it! And the wallpaper is a great idea!

I work near here, and being able to see it portrayed is very nice. I was informed by an old employee that the passageways need not be narrow, there are underground catacombs that serve as connections between the buildings. From what she has told they are very haunting and eerie.

Hey I like this picture. The sky blue is so calming, almost makes you feel like you're underwater.

This building is still so beautiful. I love hearing stories from those who worked there.

Mary Ellen- I would love to get the chance to talk to you!

it look just like every thing else in that place old and brokin lol but its a cool ass pic

Hey I have traveled inside of Building 7 many times, and that quote has always sent chills through my spine. It puts me at ease now that I know someone placed it there, but the quote still intrigues me!

So finally gave in and asked my mum about this one. She says she has never seen one exactly like this but says it resembles the sort of traction used in patients with severe injuries requiring complete immobiliy. The dial thing at the top is where the pulley system was centred . She did note however that the gentleman in the picture is not situated on it correctly and the original padding is missing. The splayed leg position would be for hip fractures, the straight up arm position would be for forearm traction etc etc.

This is a lecture hall. The blank space at the front is where the blackboard would go. I spent many an hour in rooms just like these, of course in those halls not every square inch was occupied by a desk. They've obviously shoved every seat they could find in here, either that or they had the habit of catapulting students to their desks.

Not to be a clever clogs but I learned this translation a bit differently. We learned this to translate as Let idle talk be silenced. Let laughter be banished. Here is the place where death delights to succour life.

Also worth mentioning "Taceant colloquia.
Effugiat risus." is actually a shortening of the original line which reads Praesent aegroto taceant colloquia, effugiat risus, namque omnia dominatur morbus. Which translates into:In the presence of the sick, all conversation should cease, laughter should disappear, because disease reigns over all.

A variation of this phrase is to be found in anatomy suites and autopsy theatres. I myself have seen may different forms of this.

More importantly, what on earth did they eat to produce enough crap to paint with? My vote is for one too many lamb kebabs.

We had cabinets just like these in my primary school. We kept our brollies and such in them. Its a bit creepy to see the same sorts of cabinets in a psych facility on a different continent. Of course this same school had inkwells in the desks, black out curtains, and a separate entrance for boys and girls. Rural villages aren't known for their up to the date renovations.

Ahhhh yes Lynne, when you going to pop by to see my new manor house Ive purchased with my spoils? Though we should have steered away from the mental health field and focused on bogus weight loss schemes. Damn!

One has to remember as well that these patients were treated with what the medical community had access to. There were no psychotropic drugs like what we have now. Doctors essentially tried to treat these patients through non-biochemical means such as hydrotherapy and isolation. When I see these images I do not feel pity or shame for the lives that the patients lived in these institutions. I see the amazing improvements we have made in the realm of psychiatric medicine in such a short period of time. The very people who would have been locked in an attic or smothered in their sleep as children can now live semi-productive lives in regular society. People like my mum who worked with these people loved them and cared for them and sought to make their existence easier. Even though they were surrounded by bars and cages they were treated with respect as the humans they were. Of course there are always people who are coarse and careless of the feelings of others and abuse those in their care, however, they certainly were a minority rather than the majority.

Twug, I know Motts answered your question already but to add to it, you have to remember that these were areas that the general public did not see. My mum worked in a state hospital in NY in the 60's. There was lots of woodwork, plasterwork and tiling were placed in the general rooms that patients family had access too. Most often the patient rooms, corridors, and day rooms were stark and to the point. Not a lot of effort was placed in making these places decorative. There were mostly plaster covered walls without a great deal of wood or brick. This is why these rooms tend to decay faster than other areas.

In uni I had a lecturer who remembered these machines when he did rotations. He would tell us that the whistling of these machines in a dark ward at night was one of the creepiest things he had ever heard.