198 Comments Posted by Erin

This is my favorite so far.

Too much damage to save it- the outer buildings have just been left to deteriorate for years... that's NY State for you

Yes... I knew it!!! The main building has only been empty for about 3 years... alot of vandalism has gone on though...

Peat Moss,
It was maybe 6 years ago. Even then, it wasn't in the best condition, but the vandals and vagrants really hadn't started destroying it yet. The security by way of National Guard has been there since before my dad and I drove there.

Ness...you're f-ing mean and ignorant of all the horrid things that went on there. Grow up and join the rest of the real world.

I can't figure out what the silver and blue object is on the floor.

Milly's exactly right, the patients worked in Pennhurst's farm,(which was part of the self-sufficiency of the campus), they learned how to live life outside of Pennhurst, some were allowed outside for "social time," not all of them were locked up for their entire eternity...Also, when they worked, much like "outside life," they "earned" paper money to be used as a learning tool both for purchasing and extended counting.

Why would you destroy things that don't belong to you? Historical knowledge is one thing, but playing and partying with it, that's just horrible.

Back when that bed was in use, the metal was probably painted to look less like a hospital, and it wasn't old, rusty and rotted like we're seeing it today. Not all of these buildings and their contents were pure evil. Also, keep in mind the technological advances we've made in the past 30 years. Back when Pennhurst was in operation, the medical technology was no where near even the basic hospitals we have today.

Very few of the buildings (as you can see from the pictures) are usable, but yes, the ANG does use the space to train. Also, it's not like they train exclusively at night. The whole thing is a lot scarier at night. During the day, for the most part, it just looks like an old run-down building.

Has anyone ever stopped to think that it may be the vacuum in the window has deteriorated? Everyone needs to realize that this was many many years ago, the place has fallen into extreme amounts of disrepair and neglect. Most of the "faces" you all are seeing could be any number of things. They could be dirt, they could be shadows, they could even be objects/equipment behind the windows that was left behind and happened to be in a visible spot. Most of the time, there is nothing there, just imaginations running wild.

It's not a Navy Base, it's Army National Guard. They will not shoot you on site, unless you appear to be a threat.

The National Guard base near here is VERY on top of the happenings here. Each of them know the lay out of the complex, and what should and should not be there. (A good friend of mine trains/works there). Being of the generation that we are, we also know other ways to get in and around the area. Back when we were all in high school, there was a group of people that used to do "research" on Pennhurst and we acquired (the information isn't being used for anything other than historical knowledge) maps, business cards, lists of staff, etc. The comment about buildings A, B, C...etc is correct, there was absolutely no personality behind any one of the buildings here, other than the architecture.

I live down the street from Pennhurst, the "city" could also be Parkerford. It's a tiny village now, but it was considered a lot larger back when Pennhurst was still "thriving."
Back before all the security and before the end of the road was closed, my dad and I drove through the complex and these buildings are absolutely beautiful.

It's not a shadow, it's either mortar or some other sort of plaster-like substance on the wall.