abandoned united states Archives - Abandoned Urban Exploring & Urbex Photography https://riddimryder.com/tag/abandoned-united-states/ RiddimRyder Explores & Photographs Abandoned & Forgotten Places Thu, 27 Feb 2025 12:33:01 +0000 en-CA hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/riddimryder.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-websitethumb.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 abandoned united states Archives - Abandoned Urban Exploring & Urbex Photography https://riddimryder.com/tag/abandoned-united-states/ 32 32 157258030 Abandoned Buffalo State Hospital https://riddimryder.com/abandoned-buffalo-state-hospital/ https://riddimryder.com/abandoned-buffalo-state-hospital/#comments Mon, 07 Oct 2024 23:00:00 +0000 https://riddimryder.com/?p=25500 In September of 2024, Zenning with Zay & I visited The Abandoned Buffalo State Hospital!  I had previously explored this…

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In September of 2024, Zenning with Zay & I visited The Abandoned Buffalo State Hospital!  I had previously explored this place during a sneaky sleepover but this time it was legal! It was awesome to wander the renovated areas, but I still preferred the abandoned areas!





In 1865, a bill was introduced by Senator Asher P. Nichols to establish additional mental health asylums in New York State, with one dedicated to serving the western region. This proposal was approved, and various towns in Western New York competed to host the facility. Buffalo was selected over locations such as Lockport, Batavia, and Warsaw, thanks to its promise of 100 years of free drinking water and its ideal rural setting near downtown, which suited the Kirkbride Plan for mental health treatment.





Designed by architect Henry Hobson Richardson in 1870, the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane featured large Medina red sandstone and brick buildings, while the grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Construction began in 1871, and by November 15, 1880, the asylum admitted its first patients, though only the eastern wards were complete. The western wards were finished in 1895.





Following Richardson's death in 1886, architects Green and Wicks, along with William W. Carlin, completed the project, maintaining Richardson's architectural style. In 1890, the facility's name was changed to the Buffalo State Hospital, reflecting New York's new legislation making mental health treatment a state responsibility. Overcrowding soon became a problem, as the original design intended for around 600 patients was exceeded.





The hospital's decline began in the early 20th century. The iconic towers were re-covered in copper in 1918, and much of the land was sold to Buffalo State University in 1927. By the 1960s, several wards were demolished to make room for modern facilities. The last patients were moved out in 1974, and the property was left to deteriorate. Efforts to preserve the historic site began in 2006, when the Richardson Center Corporation took control and stabilized the structure.

We had hoped to stay in the renovated part of the Abandoned Buffalo State Hospital but sadly, we could not.  There was however a wedding taking place there.  Pretty cool, but not as cool as getting married in an Abandoned Prison!

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]]> https://riddimryder.com/abandoned-buffalo-state-hospital/feed/ 2 25500 New York State Insane Asylum https://riddimryder.com/new-york-state-insane-asylum/ https://riddimryder.com/new-york-state-insane-asylum/#comments Wed, 01 May 2024 23:00:00 +0000 https://riddimryder.com/?p=24793 This New York State Insane Asylum was a pretty interesting place to explore! Zenning with Zay & I had no…

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This New York State Insane Asylum was a pretty interesting place to explore! Zenning with Zay & I had no intell on this place so we decided to see how we would make out being obvious & wandering the grounds. It didn't take long for a worker to approach us. Fortunately he a cool with us as long as we stayed away from the buildings as most of the were condemned! There were no ways in at all & it was clear they were keeping a VERY close eye on the place!




Constructed in the late 19th century, this imposing structure was once a beacon of hope for the mentally ill. Over the years, the hospital, also known as the New York Insane Asylum, became a symbol of progress in psychiatric care.

This State Hospital was designed by Isaac Perry, an architect renowned for his work in Gothic Revival style. The building's grandeur and meticulous detail were intended to create a therapeutic environment. Patients at the New York Insane Asylum received treatment and care in this tranquil setting.

As decades passed, the New York State Insane Asylum faced challenges. Increased patient numbers strained resources. The hospital underwent expansions to accommodate the growing demand for mental health services.

By the mid-20th century, there was a notable shift in societal attitudes towards mental health. Consequently, institutions like the Binghamton State Hospital experienced a decline. Alternative treatment methods gained popularity, leading to a dwindling number of patients.

Today, the New York State Insane Asylum stands abandoned, serving as a relic from an earlier era in mental health care. Its sprawling grounds have become a canvas for urban explorers and historians alike, echoing with the whispers of its past inhabitants.

Visitors are immediately struck by the haunting beauty of its architecture. Nature has begun to reclaim the once-imposing structure, adding a layer of eerie charm to this forgotten place.

The legacy of the New York Insane Asylum serves as a reminder of the evolution of mental health treatment. Exploring its halls offers a glimpse into a complex and often misunderstood chapter of history.

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]]> https://riddimryder.com/new-york-state-insane-asylum/feed/ 2 24793 Abandoned Bennett College https://riddimryder.com/abandoned-bennett-college/ https://riddimryder.com/abandoned-bennett-college/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2022 16:00:00 +0000 https://riddimryder.com/?p=16722 One of the most recognizable places for explorers has to be the Abandoned Bennett College.  I am so thankful Zenning…

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One of the most recognizable places for explorers has to be the Abandoned Bennett College.  I am so thankful Zenning with Zay & I got to see it shortly before the border was closed!  It was also the first stop of the day before we explore this Hudson River State Hospital!




The now Abandoned Bennett College was founded in 1890 at Irvington, New York by May F. Bennett as the Bennett School for Girls.  It offered four-year high school with two extra years of study. In 1907 the college moved to its final home on 22 acres (89,000 m2) in Millbrook, Dutchess County, New York. School had an enrollment was 120 students and a faculty of 29. During the early 20th century the school discontinued its high school grades and became a junior college only, changing its name to Bennett College. The two-year curriculum continued through the 1970s. Generations of young women from prominent American families attended Bennett over its 90-year history.

Majors of study included art, fashion design, interior design, music, modern languages, literature, history, dance, drama, child development, equine studies, and domestic science. Activities at Bennett included gymnastics, golf, tennis, horseback riding and skiing. The school was home to a full-time teaching Nursery School for 3 and 4 year olds as well as a riding stable.

At the time of its closing, enrollment was around 300 students.

RiddimRyder & Zenning with Zay




With the growing popularity of coeducation in the 1970s, Bennett found itself struggling to survive. An attempt to upgrade facilities and convert to a coed college in the mid-1970s left the already troubled college in financial distress. In 1977 the trustees attempted to reach a collaboration agreement with Briarcliff College, a junior women's college in nearby Briarcliff Manor which was also struggling with low enrollment. The plan did not work, however, and Briarcliff instead merged with New York Institute of Technology in 1977 after both Briarcliff and Bennett entered bankruptcy.  In 1978 the college closed its doors for good.

The library and records of Bennett College were transferred to The Hayes Memorial Library in Millbrook (now the Millbrook Library) along with other school artifacts.

Bennett College closed a few weeks after its freshman orientation in the fall. The students having already arrived at Bennett for their fall semester were given the opportunity to attend Marist College, a nearby co-ed university in Poughkeepsie, New York.




The main building of Bennett College, Halcyon Hall, was built in 1893 by H. J. Davison Jr., a publisher from New York. The 200-room Queen Anne structure was designed by James E. Ware. It has five stories, a basement and sub-basement. Originally built as a luxury hotel, the building became home to Bennett College in 1907 after the hotel failed to catch on. The Bennett campus also included a chapel, stables, dormitories, an outdoor theater, and the Kettering Science Center, a state of the art building completed in late 1972. The cost of constructing the science building (needed to comply with new state science education requirements), along with other campus upgrades, contributed to the school's bankruptcy.

Halcyon Hall was never reopened and quickly fell into ruin. When the heat was turned off, water pipes burst, causing major water damage throughout the building. Large portions of the roof have collapsed and trees can be seen growing through parts of the building. Halcyon Hall is a popular site for urban explorers and photographers, due to its structure and decay. Several attempts were made in the 1980s to develop the property but all failed and the title was taken over by Mechanics and Farmers Savings Bank. The bank failed in 1991 and its assets were seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Halcyon Hall was scheduled to be demolished in 2012 but that never happened.

The property was purchased in 2014, with plans to tear down the remains of Halcyon Hall, and develop a park. In September 2021, the demolition necessary to create the planned 32-acre park began. Each building on the Bennett Campus, except for the centerpiece Halcyon Hall and the old Hale House, will have asbestos removed and then be demolished.

Adjacent to Halcyon Hall are the Bennett Commons apartments. These apartments were originally student quarters but upon closure of the school they were bought by a developer.

As of March 2022, The Abandoned Bennett College has been demolished.

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