Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals

Mar 23 2025 86 ep. 39 mins 40
Behind the Walls of the World’s Psychiatric Hospitals Podcast artwork

This podcast examines the history of now-defunct or abandoned psychiatric hospitals. Listen every week to learn about the history of mental health care and the true stories of the people who lived and worked behind the walls.

  True Crime  History  Health & Fitness
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Ep. 86: Zelda Fitzgerald and the Craig House

Mar 23 2025 21 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode explores the life and hospitalizations of author and artist Zelda Fitzgerald. Discover where she was institutionalized throughout her life and how her life came to a tragic end. Learn about the Craig House in Beacon, NY, where she was hospitalized for a time and find out what amenities were available to patients who resided there. My main source f

Ep. 85: Interview with Rusty Tagliareni and Lisa Marie Blohm

Mar 02 2025 50 mins  
Send us a text This week, Sarah interviews Rusty Tagliareni (photographer and co-author of the Images of America book on Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital) and Lisa Marie Blohm (President of Preservation Works advocacy group) to discuss what it was like to try and save the old Kirkbride building at Greystone Park and what Preservation Works is doing now to try and save other hist

Ep. 84: People of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center (Harrison W. Noel)

Feb 23 2025 30 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode tells the story of a patient, Harrison W. Noel, who was committed to Greystone Park for the rest of his life following the commission of a gruesome double murder and kidnapping. Learn about his symptoms prior to the crime spree and find out which infamous murder Noel hoped to copy. All sources will be listed at the end of the episode transcript. F

Ep. 83: People of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center (Woody Guthrie)

Feb 17 2025 43 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode examines the life, music, activism, and eventual hospitalization of folk singer Woody Guthrie. Find out how he got started in music and who influenced him along the way. Learn why he was eventually committed to Greystone Park Psychiatric Center for five years on "Wardy Forty." My main sources for this episode include the book Woody Guthrie's Wardy

Ep. 82: History of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center, Part 4 (1950-2015)

Feb 02 2025 43 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the arc of deinstitutionalization at Greystone Park, from the early-1950s until the closure of the original Kirkbride building in 2008. Find out how many people lived at Greystone at its peak and how quickly that number dwindled. Learn about a class action lawsuit filed against the hospital due to the poor conditions for patients. Finall

Ep. 81: History of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center, Part 3 (1925-1950)

Jan 20 2025 38 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode focuses on how Greystone Park managed during the years of the Great Depression and World War II. From increased overcrowding due to war, economic difficulties, and multiple fires, find out how administration advocated for their patients and survived these challenging years. Learn how Dr. Curry spent his 30 year tenure at Greystone Park and his leg

Ep. 80: History of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center, Part 2 (1909-1924)

Jan 12 2025 40 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode discusses the history of the New Jersey State Insane Asylum from World War I until just before the Great Depression. Find out what circumstances led to the on-the-job death of the superintendent and find out what changes were made after a new superintendent took over. Finally, learn which ward was a favorite among the staff and public officials. M

Ep. 79: History of Greystone Park Psychiatric Center, Part 1 (1876-1907)

Jan 05 2025 42 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode examines the first couple decades of the State Asylum for the Insane in Morristown, New Jersey. Find out what an average day was like at the asylum, what treatments and entertainments were offered, and how long it took for the massive building to become overcrowded. Primary sources include the Images of America book on Greystone Park Psychiatric H

Ep. 78: History of Volterra Lunatic Asylum, Part 3 (1948-1978)

Dec 15 2024 39 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode looks at the final decades of Volterra Lunatic Asylum through the lens of three different physicians who each left a lasting impact on the hospital: Dr. Claus Schilling, Dr. Franco Basaglia, and Dr. Gino Basci. Find out which doctor was later tried for war crimes and which one would go on to create the most radical psychiatric law in the world. Fi

Ep. 77: History of Volterra Lunatic Asylum, Part 2 (1912-1948)

Dec 01 2024 41 mins  
Send us a text This week's episode covers a particularly turbulent time in Italian history: from WWI to WWII and the birth of the Republic. Find out how Volterra Lunatic Asylum fared during wartime and why it began to help feed the surrounding city of Volterra. Learn why the hospital superintendent was forced to retire after 34 years on the job. Discover how Fascism infiltrated eve