The History
In 1921 the Haunted Hospital used to be a state reformatory school for young girls. There were solitary confinement cells to keep the girls in when they were acting out, and a hospital right next door to the school for their treatments. The school remained in session until the 1980s. Flash forward 100 years to the present day and you’re at the Haunted Hospital, walking through a haunted house… that the owners live in.
How It Came To Be
It’s officially spooky season! If regular haunted attractions aren’t enough to scare you, then the Haunted Hospital in St. Anthony, Idaho is certainly the place for you. It turns out that the property was a hospital and state reformatory school for young girls in the 1900s. It housed orphans from all over the Pacific Northwest Region. According to the Rexburg Standard Journal, The Olsen family bought the property in 2013, without knowing it was haunted. The Olsen family arrived on the property on Thanksgiving day. That night one of them heard a girl crying in the next room. Thinking it was one of his daughters, he went searching. Hours later, there was no sign of anyone but his sleeping family.
Throughout the years there have been more similar interactions. The owner’s children claimed they were playing outside with the girls who used to live there, and there have been extra unknown ‘actors’ in the maze. Since then, ghost hunters have come to the property and found signs of spirits as well. Freaky, right? The Olsen Family thought they were buying a cool new property for their prosperity, but they ended up purchasing a creepy new business opportunity.
Hospital or House? Take Your Pick
The haunted hospital has scares around every corner, with broken mirrors to the left and old surgeon tools to the right, and only one person to hide behind. They only let two people in at a time! Time to play rock-paper-scissors with your partner to find out who will go first. Meanwhile, you still have the house tour.
Not only can you go through the ancient hospital now turned into a haunted maze, but you can also receive a tour of the house itself, and even go into the solitary confinement room, which has no way out from the inside. The house tour will take you up to all levels of the house. Walking up the attic stairs, you see writings on the wall left by the school girls. The owners call it a ‘time capsule’, referencing the fact that the attic was boarded up for more than 50 years after the remodel in the 1950s.
Other Features
This place is all family-run, from the grandma telling you scary stories as you wait for your turn in the hospital, to her daughter-in-law giving you tickets for the house tour. Even their children will take a turn to dress up and scare you! And if all of this isn’t enough for your Halloween fix, then the Olsen family has turned part of the house into an Airbnb room. Let’s see if you’re brave enough to spend a night with the ghosts of the school girls.
See For Yourself
This is my favorite haunted attraction in Southeast Idaho because of its rich history. Unlike other haunted houses, it wasn’t made to be haunted, it already is haunted! The history of this property makes it the most authentic haunted attraction in the area. Therefore, this will be the spookiest night of your lives. So whether you need a date night or something to do for FHE, take a short drive up to St. Anthony this next month and see it for yourself! The Haunted Hospital won’t disappoint you. For more Halloween ideas check out our other post about the rest of the haunted attractions in Rexburg.