Hidden in Plain Sight: Pennhurst State School and Hospital

FOX 29 photojournalist Bill Rohrer and reporter Bill Anderson come together to bring us amazing stories of abandon or underused places we walk or drive by every day. Pennhurst State School, built in 1908, was the first stop on their 'Hidden in Plain Sight' tour.

SPRING CITY, Pa. - There are many abandoned or underused spaces with fantastic history that we drive or walk by every day in our region. If you’re like Bill Rohrer and me, you can’t help but be curious about the truth behind the history of these places.

We started exploring Spring City, Pennsylvania and went to the notorious Halloween attraction, the Pennhurst Asylum. Most of the year, it’s the Pennhurst State School and Hospital site, a place for children with special needs that has been closed for years and remains hidden in plain sight.

When we first arrived, the chilling reputation for this site completely bugged me out, though Rohrer was unbothered.

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Our history lesson began as our tour started in the Mayflower building. We saw old medical facilities on our journey and learned about the shocking treatment that some patients received while there.

Though the eerie reputation of the asylum is based on things that were actually seen, Jim, one of the staff members and our guide for the day, told us why getting the truth out about Pennhurst is so important to him.

Visually and historically, the tour was eye-opening and, more importantly, highlighted why dispelling rumors with fact is so important.

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Pennhurst State School and Hospital has a long history associated with it - some of which is not based in fact.

The haunted spectacle is a performance put on for audiences.

For those interested in learning about the history of this asylum, Pennhurst personnel hope that you’ll do what we did and take a historical tour one day.

Besides the ghost hunting and Halloween-themed fun, you can find out why the truth of Pennhurst, like many other sites in our area, remains hidden in plain sight.