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Heritage & Historic Tours
April 6th, 2023 – November 12th, 2023
Historic Tours leave every hour on the hour. The last 1st Floor tour (45 min) leaves at 5:00 p.m. and the last 4 Floor Tour/Paranormal Tour (90 min) leaves at 4:00 p.m.
Daytime tours operate on a 1st come 1st served basis.
Historic Tours do not include any paranormal information.
OFFICE HOURS
Monday – Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Historic tours Include
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The history of the treatment of the mentally ill prior to state-run facilities as well as the people instrumental in improving that treatment.
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The nationwide influence of the Kirkbride Theory.
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The effects the Civil War had on the construction of the oldest parts of the hospital, “The Civil War section.”
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The architectural history of the facility.
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The socioeconomic influence of the facility throughout history, including both World Wars and the Depression Era.
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Facts and features unique to the hospital.
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Medical procedures used throughout the years and much more! Lobotomies, Insulin shock therapy, Hydrotherapy
Historic tours
1st floor tour (45 min)
Learn about the pioneers of humane treatment for the mentally ill while visiting the first two wards for the patients. See the Civil War Section of the hospital. Hear about the gold robbery that helped West Virginia become a state, and how being a border state affected the area.
$10.00 + tax
All 4 floors + 1st floor of the medical center(90 min)
All of the first-floor tour experience plus, take a step back in time to the 1935 fire that destroyed 4 wards of the Asylum. Visit the doctors’ apartments and nurses’ quarters. Journey through Ward F, where the most deviant of patients were kept. Explore the first floor of the Medical Center. Learn the history of medical treatments performed in asylums as well as how this facility helped the local community through two wars and the depression.
$30.00 + tax
The Criminally Insane tour (45 min)
The Criminally Insane Tour offers a unique tour, a journey through the Forensics Building, which housed the criminally insane. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the admissions process and gain insight into the events that led to a riot, ultimately putting an end to the facility.
$10.00 + tax
Photography Tour
Reservations required.
The photography tours allow you entry to the interiors of the Kirkbride, the Medical Center, the Geriatric building, the Women’s Auxiliary building, the exteriors of all buildings, and the grounds. This is a semi-guided tour without historic information. Check-in for the photography tour is ½ hour before the start time.
Please dress appropriately for the weather.
Morning Photo Tour (8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.) $100.00 + tax
Afternoon Photo Tour (1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.) $100.00 + tax
Both $150.00 + tax
The VIP tour (90 min)
(90 min custom tour – first come first served)
The VIP Tour is an exclusive tour that includes a combination of daytime tours. On this tour, you will walk through the Kirkbride building with an experienced, knowledgeable guide. This tour does not have a standardized script or tour route. It combines history, the paranormal, Civil War, architecture, and treatments. The guide will follow the interests of the group in an interactive way allowing for conversation, questions, and a customized tour experience. It is 90 minutes long and offered on Wednesday at 12:30 pm and 3:00 pm and on Saturday at 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm.
$35.00 + tax
Discover the Asylum tour
(5 hour – Reservations required)
This is a guided tour, you must stay with your group.
Have you ever wanted to explore ALL of the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum? Here is your opportunity. A new, exclusive tour will be available on Mondays.
The Asylum will be closed to the general public on these dates to allow unrestricted access for this tour. Explore with the Asylum’s most seasoned and experienced tour guides. This tour includes all four floors of the main building and the oldest section of the hospital built during the Civil War.
You will learn the history of the Asylum, paranormal experiences, and the methods of medical treatment utilized by the hospital throughout the years. This tour includes an exploration of the Main Building, the Medical Center, the Criminally Insane Unit, and the Women’s Auxiliary building.
This in-depth tour does require a fair amount of physical exertion. Participants must be able to walk long distances and climb several flights of stairs. Guests are urged to wear comfortable shoes, and seasonable attire, and bring a water bottle.
For an additional $10.00* you can add a boxed lunch to your tour. These lunches will be delivered during the 12:30 lunch break and must be ordered in advance.
$125.00 + tax ($10.00 + tax for optional box lunch)
*Proceeds benefit our local senior assistance programs.
