ANOKA, Minn. - The haunted reputation of the former Anoka State Hospital is known throughout the state - and even beyond it.
From apparitions appearing in the windows, to an eerie feeling in the halls, both workers and visitors have reported what they believe to be paranormal encounters.
"All of your typical hauntings and things that people are just scared to work here at times," explained Ross Beard, head of Anoka Paranormal Investigations.
Beard and his team have never had the opportunity to investigate the hospital because permission from the state and county is needed to get inside.
But he has heard plenty of stories from people in the community.
"'I shouldn't be in here' - that's one of the biggest ones that we hear is they always feel like they're trespassing and they shouldn't be there," he said of former hospital workers he's spoken with.
The Anoka State Hospital opened in 1900 as a transfer asylum, meaning it took in patients from the state's receiving hospitals.
It first housed 100 male patients, but six years later 115 female patients were also admitted. Thousands of patients were treated at the asylum until its closure in 1999.
Controversial treatment methods, such as shock therapy, were used on patients in the facility.
"A lot of workers have had experiences over the years that are driven by the individuals that have been at the hospital over the years, and it can be between apparitions or shadow people," explained Michael Frederick, another investigator with Anoka Paranormal Investigations.
The series of buildings are also connected underground by tunnels, Beard explained, which adds to its allure.
But Beard isn't convinced of the facility's hauntings yet - he wants to investigate first.
"Something about the facility - it is a great story, but that's what it is because no one has investigated it," Beard said. "Without that, it's a wonderful ghost story. You could say whatever you want to say. Where's the proof? Give us the opportunity, we'll provide the proof."
To learn more about the Anoka State Hospital, visit the Minnesota History Center's website here.
