Exploring the ABANDONED Hudson River State Hospital (Poughkeepsie, NY) [with crossthewords1221]

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Across from the scenic Hudson River in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, lies the hulking remnants of the Hudson River State Hospital. Notable for its gorgeous High Victorian Gothic architecture, following a Kirkbride Plan design, this massive hospital campus stretches out across several wings, buildings, and structures. Designed in 1867 and constructed beginning in 1868, the hospital first began accepting patients as early as 1871, then known as the Hudson River State Hospital for the Insane. Construction would continue onward until 1895, with a series of financial and budgetary issues resulting in its long building process and sudden stop. After several decades of operation, the hospital reached its peak in 1952–with roughly 6,000 patients committed—resulting in significant overcrowding. However, by the 1970s, the hospital began to decline as patient size decreased, staff were downsized, and buildings were closed. The Hudson River State Hospital would continue on this downward trend, with a majority of services and patients relocating to the nearby Hudson River Psychiatric Center in 1994. By 2003, the hospital was officially closed and abandoned, and it has become the fascination of many urban explorers and history enthusiasts. Despite suffering from three devastating fires in 2007, 2010, and 2018, and partial demolition beginning in 2016, the Hudson River State Hospital still stands to this day, with much to see and explore. It truly is a relic of a different time, when the Kirkbride was seen as the embodiment of medical advancement and humane treatment.

Although this was my very first time exploring the Hudson River State Hospital, this was crossthewords1221’s fourth time, so I am very thankful to have had him along for the ride, showing me every interesting room there was to see within this sprawling hospital campus! That being said, I’m sure we missed quite a lot—this place really is huge! This is probably my favorite abandoned location in New York, and one of the most riveting urbex experiences I’ve had thus far. We witnessed quite a bit during our exploration, from a sewing room, to the administration building, to a library, and even a morgue! However, I couldn’t get enough of the beautiful brick architecture, towering above me at every point. I also found the community that has grown around this abandoned asylum quite captivating; it appears that local urbexers have taken to keeping this hospital safe and clean, and preserving its history! I witnessed quite a few historical photographs taped down in key rooms, as though it were a museum, shining light on this hospital’s rich history! I absolutely loved it! That being said, I would not recommend anyone come here—it is very dangerous and risky. If you guys liked this video, make sure to stay tuned for more exploration videos all across New England and beyond!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudso...

00:00 J-MASS Intro
00:41 Introduction to Hudson River State Hospital
02:38 The South Wing
14:38 The North Wing
37:12 Administration Building
54:27 Special Access Area
01:01:24 Outro
01:04:26 Drone Footage