Manteno Asylum I

STARTING OUT
It was a rather ugly morning in the Windy City. It was cold, gray and a fine mist of rain was spitting down. We met up that morning at Graceland Cemetery to tailgate down to the little town of Manteno, Illinois.

We traveled upon the highway and down south into "God's Country". There was pretty much nothing for miles as we got out of the burbs. We passed fields and farms primarily as we reached the exit for Manteno.

Manteno is a small town. It's population reaching about 4000. Later we discovered that the most exciting thing that happens there (besides the "harvest", as Ottorepo put it) is the fact that the train runs straight through the heart of downtown. When I was a kid growing up in Indiana, we referred to these type of towns as "the boon docks" or "BFN" (Bum F*** Nowhere).

We cruised on through town past the grain silos and over the tracks to the east side hoping that our exploration treasure would still be somewhat intact. We had no idea what to expect or what might even be left of the place. As we neared the destination we saw large factories and facilities and started to become disenchanted by the idea that perhaps there was nothing left for us to explore.

Soon we reached another set of tracks in our travels south and headed east again. Things started to take a turn for the better. We spotted some of the old buildings and an old brick chimney. We cruised on into the heart of the area and low and behold, we found our destination.

We cruised into the place easily, without hassle. Some of the old buildings were renovated and used as offices and factories, but many remained in their abandoned state of decay. We also noticed that several buildings even had the doors open just begging to be explored. On the east side of the main campus of buildings were new ticky tacky little homes. It was kind of strange that the homes would be so close, just on the edge or within the invisible boundaries of the campus.

We pulled in behind an apparently used building and made a plan to go park in a more abandoned area. We found our spot. Three cars pulled into long forgotten parking spaces, side by side. We got out and went directly to the building across from the spaces. The doors were open and inviting us. We casually walked inside.

This building, despite outer appearances, was a flashback to hellish 70's decor. (What was left of it.) There was a lake photo-mural on one wall and a funky wall that curved. Behind the receptionist's desk there were terrible stripes painted on the wall of various shades of green. Green must of been the color of the 70's! The uglier the hue, the better.

The inside was pretty wrecked. Broken glass everywhere, wiring ripped out of the ceilings, puddles of water and signs of little fires. On the whole, it wasn't as old as I wanted to experience. It must of been one of the last restoration projects before the place was shut down. We rummaged around and tried to find a basement entrance. We soon discovered that the only way down was through the outside. Following OttoRepo's lead, we climbed down and soon discovered and mastered the connecting steam tunnel system.

THE TUNNELS
The tunnels connect almost all of the buildings from basement to basement. This is a great way to move from building to building without being seen or disturbing the neighborhood. The oldest buildings can be entered through the tunnels into the basements and up the stairs onto the main floors.

We went south in the tunnels at first and quickly learned that none of the buildings on the south side had entrances through their basements. Most of these buildings were either being used or were last used in the 70's. They really weren't much of interest. Then we headed back to where we came from and started going north to the older buildings. This tunnel was long from where we had originally entered. It was also full of mud and shallow water. In the mud you could see the tiny footprints of small animals, probably raccoons. Also we found a lot of blue, what I like to call, "kidney dishes", or more properly known as emesis basins. (I guess they are given to patients to throw up in.) Seems strange that there might be so much vomiting in a mental institution.

We progressed north until we got into the basements of the really huge buildings. Although it was a bit disappointing that the buildings were pretty well stripped of any artifacts, there were still things to find if you hunted long enough.

THE BUILDINGS
We entered one of the many identical buildings within the heart of the complex from the tunnels. Basically, they are all three stories high with a basement. The basement is the only way to get into most these buildings since the windows are boarded up and the doors are locked at ground level. We soon found out that you can pretty easily slip into most of the basements from the outside and find your way to the stairs within.

You go up the stairs which lead you to the front door and continue to the upper levels. Once on the first floor we wandered from room to room looking for anything of interest. Some had a bit of graffiti and others were almost bare. Artifacts that were the most prevalent were shoes, hospital gowns, towels, toilets, sinks, grocery carts, chairs, mattresses, and pillows. Once in a while you might find a dresser or other piece of furniture.

In one basement we found a lot of shoes and some wooden plugs. In another, several bars of soap laying on a table next to some old shower stalls. (Erica even found an old dead rat!)

From these buildings we went on to the "Shop". This building was not like the others. It had a huge amount of junk in it and the front doors stood wide open in invitation. This building had two upper floors and a basement. Almost every floor had tons of stuff just lying around. The top floor had obviously had a couple of fires break out in it and there was one room that was pretty charred. It looked like a workshop of some sort. This building was also the first we found that had an elevator.

Artifacts most prevalent in the shop/maintenance building were wheelchairs, chemicals, building, furniture and repair supplies, piping, fire hoses and chairs. We did find an Old Gomco Thermotic Drainage Pump that still had the vacuum bottle attached. (Not anymore, Erica was so nice to remove it and let me have it. It now resides on my bookshelf.)

Update 09/02/02: "Singer" Building Demolished

The final building that we explored was beautiful! This must have been the main hospital and medical facility. Sadly enough, it is currently being demolished. (This is where the "Gennie Messages" were found.)

We walked into the place through a main door from what had once been a courtyard in the middle. One part of the building had already been torn down which allowed us passage. Inside the main entrance there was a small vestibule with a domed ceiling, marble benches and arch paneled walls. It was like a waiting area. We moved some debris aside on the floor and found an inlaid design made of various colors of polished granite and brass. It was in the form of a multi-pointed star. (Much like an old compass.)

From this entry you could walk down the halls and into the other rooms. This building also had elevators. Large elevators that one could easily roll a gurney into. Walls were of nice wood panel or stone and staircases were spacious and well lit by numerous windows.

We all excitedly split up like children at an Easter egg hunt. Each person wondering off to see what they could find. This was definitely the most interesting and largest of all the buildings. It was also in the process of asbestos abatement and many of the rooms and windows were sealed off with plastic.

In the basement we found the old pharmacy and a sterilization room, containing a huge autoclave that one could almost walk through. We also found the bathtub rooms for men and women.

On the first floor we found old blue dentist chairs. (The kind of things that make you really appreciate modern medicine.)

On the top floor we found the kitchen, dining hall, a patient's bed and an old stainless steel gurney, (complete with cage-like pull-up sides).

You could tell that at one time, in it's day, this hospital had been architecturally grand and beautiful in it's remote little setting of the Manteno countryside. It was almost hard to imagine that it had once been the home of so many mentally ill people. It almost seemed like a palace.

Chicago Sun-Times newspaper used to wrap tiles. Dated December 26, 1955.

THE GENNIE MESSAGES
One of the most interesting things about the place was a series of messages or graffiti that had been brush painted on walls and objects. These messages appear to be excerpts from the reports of a patient named "Gennie". They made the exploration very intriguing and oftentimes eerie. Below, you will find the "Gennie Messages". They have been cropped down to only the essential graffiti so that you can read them for yourself. (Click on thumbnails below to open higher quality, larger images in a separate window.)

Also see the real story of the Gennie Messages...

WORD OF CAUTION: These buildings are riddled with asbestos and other hazardous conditions! We did not see any "NO TRESPASSING" signs and very few "ASBESTOS WARNING" signs, but we have seen what appears to be asbestos in the covering of the piping systems in the basements and tunnels and in the fireproofing of the walls and floors. We were very cautious not to touch, disturb or kick up any dust. Asbestos is most dangerous when the micro-fibers are released from their bindings and become air-born. Also, the floors and ceilings in many of the buildings not only contain asbestos, but are in a progressive state of decay and many appear to be collapsing and/or extremely unsafe.

Manteno State Mental Hospital - Transform Art - Dave Halbeck
http://www.transformart.com/dhalbe/Manteno/

Urbanlens: unbounded enthusiasm for abandonment-Manteno
http://www.urbanlens.com/files/msh/msh.html

Arial Photography of Manteno State Hospital Campus (Circa 1999 to about 2001)
http://jewfish.net/thumbs.php?dir=aerial/diversatech/

A Love Story
This is a true story about Sarah Wiens, who had Huntington's Disease. Sarah was in a state (Manteno) mental hospital ...
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/~rd13/hd/lovestor.html

Manteno, Illinois
http://www.manteno.com/