Forest Haven, former hospital in Maryland, United States
Forest Haven is an abandoned hospital in Laurel, Maryland, that once housed people with intellectual disabilities across a sprawling campus of brick buildings and open grounds. The complex includes long hallways, high-ceilinged wards, and separate dormitories, all now marked by broken windows, crumbling walls, and creeping vegetation reclaiming the site.
The facility opened in 1925 to care for people with developmental disabilities and included farms and workshops designed to train residents in practical skills. Over the decades, funding cuts and overcrowding led to severe abuse and neglect, until the hospital finally closed in 1991 after years of lawsuits and public pressure.
The site is fenced off and not officially open to visitors, though some people explore the ruins at their own risk and should watch for uneven surfaces and hazardous materials. Sturdy footwear and caution are important since many structures are unstable and falling debris can pose a danger.
More than 400 former residents lie buried in unmarked mass graves on the grounds, only marked by a plaque placed by family members in 1987. Erosion has uncovered some of these graves over the years, leaving visitors to stumble upon the forgotten people who lived and died here.
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