Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

This place was amazing, the staff was awesome, our tour guide was great! She really did a great job explaining the history and some of the stories of the place, we had to leave early due to a 6 hour drive in bad weather but we are already planning to come back spring/summer to get the full experience, really spooky place, had a run in with some of the locals there on the 3rd floor (raccoons). They scared us at first but ended up being super friendly and let us watch them eat some chips we had and get a good video. We can’t wait to see you guys again in a few months!

We did the overnight ghost tour of the main building from 9pm - 4:30am! I would highly recommend doing this tour and I can't wait to come back! We are from NC and decided it was worth the drive to come here and go through this tour! The tour did not disappoint! The tour guide was very knowledgeable and helped guide us through each floor! We only had 2 hours per floor but loved every second of this tour and the experience! I would highly recommend visiting at least once!

Absolutely stunning!!!! Took my daughter here for the paranormal tour, after getting there she talked in into both the paranormal and the history tour because of wanting to see the morgue. Prices are fair and the tour guides are amazing. We had Alyssa (paranormal)and Jessica (4th floor and history),I have to say best tour guides I’ve ever had. The asylum is so interesting from the first time entering the doors feeling the heaviness of the past, to leaving with the knowledge of what happened there. We toured the complete hospital between the two tours and was still ready for more. We really enjoyed it. 10 stars if I could.

We did the daytime VIP tour and it was so much fun! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about not only the history of the building and grounds, but the surrounding town as well. The VIP tour was perfect because it had a bit of everything as far as history and spooky stories. We got to see a good bit of the asylum and the old civil war wing.
The museum rooms downstairs were perfectly curated and gave a real sense of what life may have been like for the patients of the asylum. The tour guide did not shy away from the sometimes brutal treatment of the patients by staff and did a great job of respecting the memory of the patients who once lived in the Asylum. The renovated area on the second floor is absolutely beautiful. They've taken great care to preserve the building in a safe way.
There is a good amount of walking, my step counter showed we walked about a 3/4 of a mile, do wear comfortable shoes!
We will definitely be back!

The asylum is a very nice lesson in the history of mental health and the system that was created to handle people put into the system. The tour guide was great and she did a really good job at showing us how people were treated and the problems of overcrowding in the hospital affected the patients as well as the Healthcare workers in this institution. She was very good at showing respect to the patients and the workers that were trying their best to make a difference.

I did the 4 floor tour, and next time I return I will probably try the paranormal tour so I can learn other things about the asylum.

I would highly recommend visiting and checking out a tour.

This mental hospital admitted patients from the 1860s to the 1990s. Today the hospital is a tourist destination that offers several types of tours of the buildings and grounds. Customers may purchase tickets in person near the main entrance. My husband and I bought tickets for a 90-minute tour of four floors for $30 each. Our tour guide had many years of work experience here, and she was very informative about the history of the building, the living conditions for the patients, and the working conditions for the physicians and nurses. Unfortunately, the patients had to live in extremely overcrowded conditions, and they were given surgeries and poisons that harmed them. This tour was very interesting, and I highly recommend it. This tour is probably the best activity to do in this area of the state.

We arrived about 45 minutes before our tour. This was a good decision. You will need to fill out a waiver before buying tickets, so give yourself time for this. You may also give extra time if you enjoy history. The small museum in the area of the ticket booth is very informative and seems to be under appreciated by other guests. The temperature the day we went was very mild outside, low to mid 60’s, but inside was very cold. Dress appropriately.

We purchased 2 VIP tour tickets. We met under a tent with other people in our group and other groups and then they called us out to gather. They did a roll call prior to us going in and then again to make sure no one who paid was missed. This is one of the small details that most do not notice. They honestly don’t want anyone who paid to be left out. Our guide was Greg. At first I thought Greg was going to be very hard to hear. He has some throat problems and his speaker did not carry well outside. Once we got inside though he adjusted it to where it was perfect. I included this for anyone reading to lead others away from being discouraged also. Trust me, he is an AMAZING tour guide.

I am not going to spoil the tour for everyone. I will say the VIP tour is not a paranormal tour. It is a detailed historical tour. Greg was extremely knowledgeable about the asylum. He had information on tap anytime a question was asked and if he didn’t know he didn’t make stuff up. He was quick to explain that he didn’t know and why he didn’t know. Greg had knowledge from the medical procedures, to the history, and to the architecture.

Our tour was scheduled for 90 minutes but it actually lasted around 3 hours. It was well worth the cost. This location is a very historic place and is a staple for anyone who wants to learn about mental health history.

My first such visit, took the historical 1.5 hour tour. Our guide was very informative and had an interesting character besides, I believe his name was Carman. We visited all levels of the main building plus a quick tour of the medical and grounds. Patient cells and higher-up staff, beautiful decor vs sparseness. Visited 10-22-22, I recommend wearing warm clothes, the building is shockingly cold inside, not a bit creepy.