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Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Weston, WV

Photo: Tim Kiser ( w:User:Malepheasant ), CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffQuirky FunRainy-Day Pick

Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum

71 Asylum Dr · Weston, WV

Why you should go…

Built between 1858 and 1881, this former state hospital is one of the largest hand-cut stonemasonry buildings in the United States and a National Historic Landmark. Daytime heritage tours lead you through its first floor wards, and evening paranormal tours and ghost hunts explore the building after dark. Designed for 250 patients, it held about 2,600 in the 1950s before closing in 1994.

  • #haunted asylum
  • #ghost tours
  • #historic landmark
  • #kirkbride building
  • #paranormal

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sightseeing
    Outdoor Adventure

    Braxton County

    Free

    Rural county in the geographic center of West Virginia, with historic Bulltown and Sutton Lake.

    29 mi awayMore like this

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Rail Explorers Elk River

    $25–$50

    Electric-assist rail bike tours along Buffalo Creek in central West Virginia, past waterfalls and old rail relics.

    48 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Marietta-Washington County

    Free

    Tourism bureau for Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, home to Ohio River history and Campus Martius.

    58 mi awayMore like this