After a harrowing experience at another abandoned hospital in Massachusetts the day before, some friends and I decided to spend some leisure time at the old hospital in Worcester. Shooting the beautiful old buildings in the perfect weather without a care in the world was just what I needed... until I caught the familiar whiff of that damp, rotting wood from inside the building. Every so often a slight breeze of cold, humid air would escape from under a boarded window and made its way to my nose. Once the sun started to sink below the horizon I was ready to go back at it.

The night was not as peaceful as I had hoped; police patrols kept us in a corner for a good half hour before we even reached the top of the hill. As we patiently waited in the darkness, I saw the clock tower rising up like a decaying phoenix against a filthy storm cloud, lit up only by the lights of the town below. My mind was drifting with visions of horse drawn carriages making their way up the winding drive and dropping off new admissions in the dead of night, with the asylum glowing and pulsing above from fire and candlelight. Ancient black trees beckoned me towards the dark, imposing silhouette once again; little did I know it might be my last visit.

Eventually we made our way into the remaining ward building, and surprisingly the administration building, whose interior had captured my curiosity since I first saw it in 2005. I made my way up the ornate staircase to try and access the clock tower, but we had to make a quick dash out of there before I could get past the first few floors.

I decided to post this gallery now (June, 2008) because of the recent demolition of almost all the old structures, save for the clock tower.