Glenn Dale Sanitarium
Straight out of ‘the movies’.
A massive, abandoned tuberculosis sanitarium in Prince Georges county: Built in the 30’s and closed in 1982, with 20+ buildings that span 200+ acres including underground tunnels and biologically hazardous conditions, it’s definitely off-limits and reportedly patrolled by cops with night-vision and dogs. Talk about irresistable! Presumably, cops can’t enter buildings, but it’s a hefty fine for trespassing. If you ever wanted to know first-hand about ghosts (or at least a good scare) Glenn Dale might be of interest.
Hundreds and maybe thousands of people plan to or have already visited this doomed, decrepit facility. There are whole internet sites, chatboards, photo collections, and discussions about it. Included herein are maps, links to everything relevant we found online, and a video of KiD’s flashlight excursion with several other ‘midnight performance enthusiasts’.
However dangerous and fearsome, it’s an incredible hulk of history that is facing plans for renovation or demolition; meanwhile, it puts ‘haunted house’ on a whole new level.
Glenn Dale Hospital, located in Glenn Dale, Maryland, was established in 1937 for low-income Washington-area children suffering from tuberculosis.
Only a crow’s mile from DC’s infamous “Metro-plex” street racing hub, just beyond the capital beltway that surrounds Washington, DC sits to the northeast a dilapidated Tuberculosis sanitarium that you just must see to believe.
Here’s a map“It’s much creepier during the day because you can see more, and the contrast and disparity between the sunlight and the darkness of death is so strong.” ““Goddamnit! RUN !!”
Built in the 1930’s. Closed by 1982. A Tuberculosis sanitarium, dozens of buildings, underground tunnels. Abandoned. Condemned. Medically dangerous. Totally off-limits. Cops patrol premises. Motion sensors. Night Vision Goggles. Spooky. Dangerous. Deadly. Taboo. Haunted? Right in Prince Georges county, Maryland, near Electric Ave., off Rt. 450, NE of I-495 capitol beltway. Unforgettable. Irresistable. Perfect.“Let Conversation Cease. Let Laughter Flee. This is the Place Where Death Delights To Help the Living. “
“After the patients have been evacuated, the hospital is free to succumb to its own mortality. In the throes of its disintegration it makes a mockery of the order and hygiene formerly attempted within. The buildings themselves give in to their contamination. Behind closed curtains, the hospital changes into its own funeral parlor.”
“…it’s not even fun-scared; it’s shit-your-pants-scared…”“…I live three miles from it, and you do not want to know about that place. Trust me…”
san·a·to·ri·um // n. pl. san·a·to·ri·ums or san·a·to·ri·a
1. An institution for the treatment of chronic diseases or for medically supervised recuperation.
2. A resort for improvement or maintenance of health, especially for convalescents. Also called sanitarium.
“I don’t come in your house. Don’t come in mine.”
“…maybe the scariest place on earth, but not why you’d think…”
“…mad girls don’t say…Jesus doesn’t love us…”
“…an experience I will never forget…”
“You will want to avoid the room with the beds. Do not go in there.
“…In a smaller building I found a sealed room behind a metal door. The hinges were rusted, and I could open the door only slightly. It was quiet and smelled like holding a sweaty paperclip in your hand. The entire room was rusted, or burnt. Metal rings were welded onto the walls. I took one step in but felt an enormous apprehension or hatred, like I disturbed someone evil. My flashlight flickered, or else I blinked. The chills were on me instantly, and I plowed that door wide open on my way out! Two nights later I dreamt I was lying in bed and suddenly (in the dream) awoke. A little boy stood in my room. He was a standard-issue 10-year-old: black pants, red shirt, trousled blonde hair. I couldn’t move or speak. He just looked at me and said, “I avoid your house, avoid mine.” All I could do was nod, and he walked away into darkness. Then I woke up in a cold sweat with my bedroom door open and what felt like burnt palms…”
A Prince Georges County native contributed some footage.
Tidbits
In 2004, four daring street racers held a midnight soirée in rainy Prince Georges county, Maryland at the spooky Glenn Dale Hospital.
Now government owned and consuming 210 contaminated acres plus smokestack and water tower at the odd confluence of Old Pond Dr., Electric Ave., & Glenn Dale Rd. near the infamous Metro-plex just northeast of capital Beltway, this former welfare sanitarium for chronic tuberculosis victims (then called consumption or White Plague) closed in 1982 for asbestos, cost to meet updated firecode, age, and who knows what else.
It appeals because it’s off-limits, secluded, condemned, dangerous, possibly haunted, and probably a deadly biological hazard.
Comprised of 23 total buildings, 2 of which were for treatment, the facility is condemned to be demolished once decontaminated.
At least one partly flooded tunnel connects both medical buildings.
Upper floors are precarious and partly caved in.
A live-in police trailer is present between the large adults and smaller childrens wards.
If caught trespassing, expect arrest class 3 misdemeanor civil offense. However, police will not enter the buildings. There have now been several reports of motion sensors, K-9 unit dogs and police wearing night vision goggles.
Breathing apparatus is mandatory: asbestos, tuberculosis, virii, etc. Insulation and tiles are predominantly asbestos, a dangerous and known carcinogen. If you breathe enough of it you will die. Death by asphyxiation from tuberculosis and lung cancer are hauntingly similar. “Tuberculosis is the most common major infectious disease today, infecting two billion people or one-third of the world’s population.” —wikipedia.org
Beware nails, broken glass, thugs.
Assaults and muggings by rogue vagabonds have been reported.
All buildings appear vandalized and dangerously unstable. Broken glass and decaying wallboard, insulation, and ceiling tiles are everywhere, strewn about and building up along the stairs and hallway edges. Uncertain footings and slippery surfaces abound.
Enter at your own risk and peril. If you lose your way, follow the red and blue painted arrows on the walls to the viable exits, as most doors are bolted and chained closed.
This footage was anonymously contributed via our website and enhanced by our HypeReal film process. Source unavailable. The final, full-quality footage will appear on our upcoming street racing DVD.
Other Comments
Nonexistent Maryland Route 953 — was this Old Pond Rd.?
adapted from forums about ghost towns and Glenn Dale hospital exploration
It’s a small community split in two by a road. On one side, the hospital itself lays. It, in my opinion, is about the size of the Whitehouse if not bigger. In the front of the hospital lays one resident [cop trailer]. On the other side of the street lays other buildings the size of very large department stores. There are a few old run down houses along the road. There is a separate building at the far end. It is a very large building. It was the boiler room or the building that created the power for this community. Connected to this building is a large smoke stack about the height of a football field if not more. About 50 yards away is the old water tower for the community. The water tower to my knowledge is not used anymore. Across the road, about 30 feet away is a store room. In front of this store room is one gas pump which is not in use anymore. The whole layout of the property may be about 4 square miles. There is no tresspassing. Submitted by: Richard F. III
Glenn Dale hospital is strictly illegal to enter, as well as dangerous to enter due to the age of the buildings, and the condition they’re in. That having been said, let’s get to the lowdown on Glenn Dale Hospital. If you can find Glenn Dale, you can find the old Glenn Dale hospital. You should think of parking on Electric Avenue. While it is illegal to go onto the hospital grounds or into the buildings, some people have been known to do it. Parking well away from the building, you can sneak up to a building and find a way in. Different buildings have different states of accessibility, you’ll need to find a good way in. After you’ve gained access, you’ll really be amazed. Bring a flashlight and extra batteries, but don’t shine them out of the windows! You can go from most of the buildings to each other through underground tunnels. These tunnels go as far as stretching from one side of the hospital, across fields, and the main road to the building on the other side. Running around in just one building can be fun enough. A Lot of stuff got left here folks. Go to the chapel, you can find hymnals. Head towards a different room, you will find artificial limbs. The place is chock full of stuff, you can even meet other people there doing what you’re doing. One time, the group I was with came across a different group also gaining access to a hospital building. I think we basically cheered and wished each other luck. Submitted by: Chris A.
Glenn Dale Hospital, located in Glenn Dale, Maryland, was established in 1934 as a tuberculosis sanatorium and isolation hospital. The facility comprises 23 buildings spread over 216 acres and was a significant public health institution near Washington, D.C. It was closed in 1981 due to asbestos concerns. (en.wikipedia.org)
The hospital complex includes various structures such as the Children’s Hospital Building, Adult Hospital Building, nurses’ homes, staff residences, and support facilities like a heating and power plant. Many of these buildings are connected by underground tunnels. Over the years, the site has deteriorated, with broken glass, peeling paint, and overgrown vegetation contributing to its eerie atmosphere. (en.wikipedia.org)
In 1994, Maryland enacted a law stipulating that if the property were sold, it should be repurposed as a continuing care retirement community, with the surrounding land designated as open space parkland. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (MNCPPC) purchased the property in 1995. Despite efforts to sell and redevelop the site, challenges such as the requirement for a licensed operator and the costs associated with asbestos remediation have hindered progress. The hospital was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. (en.wikipedia.org)
The abandoned hospital has become a focal point for urban explorers and is surrounded by numerous urban legends. Due to its hazardous conditions and structural decay, the site is off-limits to the public and is regularly patrolled by authorities. (wtop.com)
