The Haunting of Asylum 49
The Haunting of Asylum 49: Chilling Tales of Aggressive Spirits, Phantom Doctors, and the Secret of Room 666
By Richard Estep and Cami Andersen
Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com
The Sexton’s musings (spoilers are likely):
This was written before the previous book. Each chapter takes on a section of the hospital and tells some of the stories associated with that area. You’ll notice that the style is a little different in that it’s almost written in a third person voice. Like an interviewer taking down the account of others. As this book was written by two authors I’m guessing this was their solution to the voice they wanted to use. This is not a bad thing but is not what I am used to from Estep as this is the sixth book that I have read of his. Still well written mind you and an interesting story! OH and there are pictures!!! Yay!! (My pictures are from the research of someone who has never been to the location but I did my best. You all know how the internet is…) I always love pictures! Bookmark that page with the map so that you can refer back to it. Just a recommendation.
Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com
Birth of an Asylum
This is our introduction to the Asylum itself. There is a little bit of history but mostly here we are introduced to Kimm Andersen, the owner of Asylum 49. I think it’s funny that it’s not the paranormal that he is interested in but haunted houses of another kind. Those that are used to allow people a safe scare. Apparently known as “haunts” by the professional “haunted house” community. (An aside: I LOVE the “Hell House” series and when they started talking about haunted attractions this was all I could think about.) Kimm learned early on that his soon to be haunted attraction was actually haunted. Being a bit skeptical (being interested in actually finding the truth behind the goings ons) the Andersen’s have been happy to open their property to investigators.
Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com
All Hallows’ Eve
On Esteps first visit to the hospital during the off season his brief stay lends nothing to the team. Suspecting that because of the lack of activity (energy. i.e. warm bodies giving off energy) in the place at the time may have affected the spirit activity or lack there of. So it is suggested that they come back closer to Halloween as the place is packed during that time. And that’s what they do. Their first night is actually on Halloween. Estep even becomes part of the festivities (dressing up as a zombie firefighter) before starting the investigation. That would be awesome to be part of that! I love haunted attractions, or rather would love to be part of one.
Photo courtesy of "The Review"
"Asylum 49: The best haunted house in Utah" by Nicholas Ricci
The Main Hallway
LocationsHub - Off to your left is the NICU, and nursery area. Then off to your right is the main hallway.
There are apparently two spirits who frequent the main hallway, Robert and Jeremy. Here we hear some stories about these two spirits.
From the Cradle to the Grave
This chapter looks at the NICU, Special Nursey and regular nursery section of the hospital. It also features the children that are known to haunt the hospital. Sara seems to be the most active. A pendulum session is also detailed here.
The Spirits of Rooms One and Two
This is exactly as the chapter title says. Experiences in rooms one and two. I just want to give a shout out to Eva in room two!
The Secret to Room 666
AKA room 6, was Alzheimer’s patient Westley’s room during life and has remained Westley’s room in death. As for the shadow figure…I suspect that this is something other than Westley. Oh and try not using a flash or using infrared. Last statement about this thing that crawled toward investigators…nope! As I said before I think they may have something inhuman there, a wall crawler (who consequently are creepy as fuck!). Makes you wonder if Zak Bagans didn’t provoke the crawler and not Westley. Oh and use of occult symbols may have been the attraction, if indeed these symbols were ever used. Inhuman entities are nothing to mess with considering they have the knowledge of all time at their disposal. A frightening thing to think about.
Births and Death
Here we visit labor and delivery where countless births have taken place. And while, for the most part, this is a happy place within a hospital it can also be the most tragic. For the purpose of the haunt this area has been made into a morgue and crematorium. This area also seems to have a highly emotional effect on women who are pregnant or those that were recently pregnant.
Chapel of the Damned
Photo courtesy of Richard Estep
Photographer - Daniel Pacheco
This area used to be the hospital conference room and the room where haunt owner Kimm got his first experience with a true paranormal entity, one we now know as Sara. It seems that the “chapel” is chock full of the spirits of the young. Oh and there is a shout out to our friend the “slender man” in this chapter. The chapel seems to have an interesting effect on certain individuals while letting others be. I understand Sean, as he is bereaved and would be an easy one to latch onto. Hopefully he does not have any hangers on after the investigation.
Into the Fear Cage
We move onto what was once the staff lounge and the kitchen area. Both of the rooms have been made into something very far from a relaxing lounge and a place to prepare refreshment. One the study of a madman and the other what has been coined a “fear cage”. This is apparently a term used buy the paranormal investigation community as a place that where the electromagnetic fields are very strong. Apparently long term exposure to these places can cause adverse side effects to the brain and body. Who knew? Any way this “fear cage” is now occupied by dolls. Not just a few but imagine if the show “Hoarders” had on a person that stuffed their abode with dolls, floor to ceiling with paths in between them…yup that’s it. Creepy as fuck! Picture included! There are also some interesting and crazy accounts here as well. The most concerning being one from Kimm. I’m telling you, they have something(s) inhuman staying there.
The Temporary Morgue
Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com
Rooms 20 and 21 were used as a make shift storage area for the hospital as they did not have a real morgue on premises (cue the eye roll). Kimm gives another account where, I feel, the spirit had an agenda. One that involved making sure that his family knew he was okay and that what happened was no one’s fault. The second account is from the security guard “Buck” who’s relays the story of the spirit of an elderly lady that he gives aid to. Seems bullying is still a thing after death as well. Grrrr!
Cardiac Arrest
Photo courtesy of travelchannel.com
This chapter visits the four emergency rooms at the hospital. Most of this chapter looks at the session that Estep and his team did in the two big emergency rooms. Their session was somewhat unconventional in that they did two simulations using a paramedic training “dummy” that has all the bells and whistles of a real cardiac emergency. They use these simulations as provocation for the entity that is said to haunt those particular rooms. The first act consisted of a real cock-up incompetent attempt at saving the “patient” the other act was (as they are all fully capable of being that most of the investigators there are professional medical personal) the more true sequence of competent medical professionals. Interestingly enough Estep played the part of physician, the first being a bully and hubrised individual and then redeemed himself (as he needed to because something, who doesn’t know Estep from Adam, decided the bullying doctor needed taught a lesson) as a competent straightforward physician. All the details are in the chapter. There are several pictures.
Walking the Mile
LocationsHub.com - here is the Green Mile all lit up looking normal. At the end you can see the doors to the nursing facility open. This was after the elderly patients had been moved to a more modern facility.
It is indeed named lovingly after the Stephen King book “The Green Mile” only this hall does not end with an electric chair but with a large set of doors leading to the nursing home that shares the property with Asylum 49. In this area are rooms 20 and 21, which we have been familiarized with and the X-ray lab (now a makeshift log cabin). An entity that has been named “the Guardian” is thought to have infiltrated this area although seems to have made its main territory in the maze (said to be the most malevolent and violent resident of the hospital). Along with a spirit named Maria (was a nurse at the hospital) who is the gate keeper of a spirit vortex (a place where the vail is thin). Over all this is a very busy corridor located in the south wing along with the emergency rooms, lab and respiratory clinic. The south wing is known as the wing where the more dark entities reside where the lighter more friendly ones reside in the North wing. More pictures. I love pictures.
Photo courtesy of Richard Estep - click pic to visit his site!
Photographer - Daniel Pacheco
Confronting the Guardian
After hearing just a little bit about the Guardian in previous chapters I’m wondering if confronting it is the best of ideas but I guess read the chapter and find out. What happens is not what is expected by anyone there. And enjoy some more pictures.
Closing thoughts:
This sounds like an incredible place to visit and not just for the ghosts. I always enjoy a good haunted attraction and this one sounds like a doozy. Come for the fun stay for the ghosts. There are some pretty amazing accounts told here and it seems that it’s more likely that you will experience something paranormal while visiting than not. This is really interesting. Why here? Why this particular hospital? There are functioning and abandoned hospitals all over the world so why is this one so active? Is it the land itself or is the veil thinner here? We will probably never know but it’s interesting to try and find out those answers.
Photo courtesy of Yelp
