What We Know:

Sweet Springs Sanitarium was part of the history of Sweet Springs, West Virginia, a community known for its mineral springs and resort hotels. During the 18th and 19th centuries, people traveled to Sweet Springs because they believed the mineral-rich waters could help improve their health. The popularity of these springs helped the area develop into a destination for visitors seeking relaxation and treatments for various ailments. Over time, the site became associated with the broader tradition of sanitariums and health resorts that offered rest and therapeutic care.

The resort reached its peak between 1820 and the Civil War, attracting famous visitors such as George Washington and Robert E. Lee. After the Civil War, its popularity declined partly because it was far from major railroad lines. In the early 1940s, the property was used as a tuberculosis sanitarium, where patients received care for the disease. In 1945, the state of West Virginia purchased the property and turned it into the Andrew S. Rowan Memorial Home for the elderly. The historic site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970, preserving its importance in West Virginia's history.

After the nursing home closed in 1991, the property eventually fell into disrepair, adding to its eerie reputation. Today, local legends claim that the abandoned buildings are haunted by former patients, a woman in white, and shadowy figures, while visitors have reported strange footsteps, unexplained voices, and slamming doors. These paranormal stories remain unverified, but they have helped make Sweet Springs Sanitarium a well-known haunted location among paranormal enthusiasts.

Our First Encounter

We had the incredible opportunity to investigate Sweet Springs Sanitarium before its doors officially closed to new visitors, and this is one experience that will stay with us for a long time. With such a dark, fascinating, and deeply layered history, we knew this location had the potential to be active. But nothing could have prepared us for what we would experience that night.

One entire wing of the former hospital seemed to hold onto something we can only describe as an overwhelming amount of residual energy. As we stood there listening, it sounded as though the hospital had come back to life around us. We could hear what resembled doctors, nurses, and patients talking and walking through the halls, almost as if we had stepped back in time and the hospital was operating as it once had. The sounds were so convincing that we couldn't simply brush them off and move on.

Of the nine people in our group, only THREE had the courage to walk the entire wing while the rest of us stayed behind, listening closely and trying every possible way to debunk what we were hearing. We wanted a logical explanation. We wanted to find the source. We wanted to prove to ourselves that there was a reasonable answer to what was happening around us. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we couldn't find one.

Whatever we experienced that night left us with more questions than answers. Was it residual energy from the countless lives that once passed through those halls, or was there something else at play? We may never know for certain, but one thing is clear: Sweet Springs Sanitarium gave us an experience we won't soon forget. Some places leave you with evidence, some leave you with stories, and others leave you questioning everything you thought you understood about the paranormal. This location did exactly that.

THIS LOCATION IS TEMPORARILY SHUT DOWN