In a response to give care to children in a location separate from the adult population at state psychiatric hospitals, the Gaebler Children's Center was opened on October 8, 1955. It was located adjacent to the grounds of Metropolitan State Hospital, and was named after William C. Gaebler, the second superintendent there.

The Gaebler Children's Hospital was a 160 bed psychiatric unit that treated seriously disturbed children (under the age of 14-16). An article written at M-POWER called Hell and Back describes a personal experience at Gaebler. The Massachusetts Department of Mental Health closed the hospital on January 31, 1992 in favor of placing children in community based programs, although there seems to have been an increase in admissions to juvenile detention centers since closure as reported by U.S. News. The hospital grounds are currently being considered for redevelopment.