Traverse City State Hospital

Traverse City State Hospital is a former psychiatric facility in Traverse City, Michigan, now repurposed as a mixed-use development. The main building extends across a considerable length with light brick walls and several prominent towers that anchor the campus layout.

The facility admitted its first patients in 1885 and grew over the decades to become one of the largest psychiatric institutions in the region. After closing in the late twentieth century, the buildings were gradually converted into residential and commercial spaces.

The institution followed the Kirkbride Plan, which emphasized the therapeutic value of natural surroundings and purposeful activities for mental health treatment.

Visitors can now walk through the campus and explore the renovated buildings that house shops, cafés, and other businesses. It helps to take a look at the exterior facades to appreciate the architectural details and the scale of the complex.

Several underground tunnels run beneath the buildings, originally used to move patients and staff between pavilions during harsh weather. Some of these passages remain accessible today and offer a glimpse into the original workings of the site.