You may know Anoka as the Halloween Capital of the World. It’s a nickname earned by hosting one of the first ever Halloweens in the United States, way back in 1920. But what if I told you Anoka’s spooky past started two decades before that? In 1900, Anoka State Hospital - then called Anoka Asylum - opened its doors to mentally ill people from across the region. Over time, the story of the hospital - and the tunnel that ran beneath its buildings - became a creepy Minnesota legend.
The hospital first housed 100 mentally ill men from around the region. Of the first patients, 86 were buried in numbered graves on the hospital grounds.
The hospital grew over the years. It began admitting female patients in 1915.
Patients deemed a threat to themselves were often restrained by hospital staff.
By midcentury, some now controversial treatments were used at the hospital. Patients were sometimes given electroshock therapy or lobotomies.
Patients considered less dangerous were allowed to wander the hospital grounds, including its underground tunnels.
Some patients are said to have gotten so lost in the maze of tunnels that they felt their only option for escape was suicide.
Over time, rumors spread of footsteps and low whispering - and sometimes bursts of laughter - in the dark tunnels. Many employees refused to travel through them.
Today, the hospital has a new campus and operates under a different name. The old buildings have been repurposed. But still, only maintenance staff are allowed into the tunnels.
What do you think: local legend, or a true-blue haunting? Let us know in the comments! And, if you're looking for more reasons Anoka is just a little creepy, check out this article about the town's insane paranormal activity.
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