Athens Lunatic Asylum

Athens Lunatic Asylum Wikimedia (Public Domain)

Athens Lunatic Asylum Complex.com (Complex.com)

Athens Lunatic Asylum forgottenoh.com (forgottenoh.com)

Each floor of the asylum has a different style of window barrier. Look closely. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

Caught the sun just right over the admin building! rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

Sneaking a peek into the basement of the administration building through a broken window. The place is built like a fortress. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

The earlier gravestones had no names on them, just numbers. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

One of the three burial grounds for the Athens Lunatic Asylum. Burials were discontinued in 1972. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

The striking domed roof of the theatre building on the asylum grounds. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

The aftermath of the destruction of building #20 TravelwithAustin (Atlas Obscura User)

The Display Room (employee only section) TravelwithAustin (Atlas Obscura User)

A display of the Ridges completed in the 1970's TravelwithAustin (Atlas Obscura User)

A hidden original pillar (employees only section) TravelwithAustin (Atlas Obscura User)

Drone shot of the Ridges complex TravelwithAustin (Atlas Obscura User)

The first floor of the former administration building has an art gallery in it. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

A beautifully restored stairway of the former administration building. rbt45769 (Atlas Obscura User)

Athens Lunatic Asylum opened in 1874 on 141 acres and it was designed for 500 patients. By the 1950s it had expanded to a facility with 78 buildings on 1,000 acres. During its active years tens of thousands of patients were treated with around 1,800 buried in cemetaries on the ground.

At one time it was the largest employer in the state of Ohio. However, it was the patients who worked the grounds. That is, until catatonic drugs became common. Archives on the asylum show that hydrotherapy, electroshock therapy, lobotomies, and psychotropic drugs were all used as treatments.

The asylum closed in 1993, and the property was bought by Ohio University. Today as renovations continue the old asylum has several uses, such as a daycare, art museum,art studios, surplus store, Biotech labs, OU Police Department, and education related uses.

The Ridges is also known for its use of the kirkbride plan a unique and distinct asylum plan that used a batwing design and was built on the idea of moral treatment. Kirkbrides featured lots of natural light and airflow. Today the Ridges may be considered the largest and most complete example of a kirkbride still standing.

Know Before You Go

The Art Museum is open to anyone during operating times, but other than that most of the asylum is off limits to visitors. Feel free to walk the expansive grounds at your leisure!