24 Comments Posted by Cliff

The false plywood wall seen on the one side of Wonder Falls Court here (I believe this was headed toward the newer, but more cheaply constructed, with inferior building materials, Block D-where Turn Style was located) was used for asbestos abatement.

I believe this was the Wonder Falls Court. The two concrete monoliths, I believe, were supposed to represent some type of sundial. The brackets at the top actually supported a big tarp/canvas that was hung over a kiosk (that, I believe sold some type of artwork). This is where the 2 Illinois State Police cars were doing a bunch of donuts, before heading back down the B-C corridor, back toward "Jewel" (Jewel in the movie was actually housed in the old JC Penney store) & "Toys R Us" (old Walgreens), before Trooper La Fong (played by John Landis) rolled his cruiser, which then slid most of the way down the corridor on its roof & the other cruiser crashed into "Jewel". The real Jewel store was actually still open for business when the movie was filmed, so they had to house a fake "Jewel" in the former JCP store. The real Jewel closed for good a few months after the filming wrapped.

Looks like the old Woolworth store & Harvest House Restaurant, judging by the side walls. These were both located in Block A, near the Wonder Falls Court (the entrance to Woolworth was dressed up as DePasto Oldmobile ("the new Oldsmobiles are in early this year"-Elwood Blues) in the Blues Brothers. Both Woolworth & Harvest House were involved in a massive arson around 2005, which caused the roof to collapse. Woolworth & Harvest House were bulldozed in the late 2000's, leaving the gaping opening shown here.

Worked at Pennhurst from 1/77-84 and i can assure that the patients showers didn't look like that.. as a matter of fact it looks like a shower that was reserved for workers possibly in Maint. or the many abandoned bldgs. and wards that existed even when I worked there.

cant help wonder where that blood drain pipe leads.

My father worked in the Central terminal in the 40's as a boy. He was a "runner" that would run documents from the offices in the upper floors down to the concourse.

I still tour this wonderous old facility and contribute to its preservation.

Interesting lighting fixture hanging there. Amazed at how much hardware and fixtures remain in the sites you tour, Motts. Its wonderful.

yep, I saw the girl instantly, its just our imagination working beautifully...but it sure looks real, and definitely spooky.

A midnight tour of this place and we'd end up in an asylum.

Motts, this is just an amazing find...the whole asylum I mean, its downright goulish. What an experience...