The Randolph Country Asylum, located in Winchester, Indiana, is said to be one of the most haunted places in the United States. I visited Winchester for an investigation at the Stone Mansion (you can read more on that one here) where I had an eventful night of ghostly activity. It seems as if the whole town is haunted after speaking to a couple of locals, all telling me I needed to come back to check out the asylum. I'm going to and you can come too, more on that later.
The History:
Originally the site of a poor house in Randolph County, several different structures stood on the property that were built in the early 1850s. All housed inmates, patients, orphans, and the homeless in a mesh of personalities that just spelled disaster. Fast forward to 1899, and the new and improved building was built to provide more room for the expanding population.
During a TB outbreak, the asylum was used as an infirmary where many met their untimely fate. The true number of those who perished within the walls of the asylum is unknown due to spotty record-keeping at the time, but at the very least, the number is in the hundreds, if not thousands. There has also been speculation that several suicides and even a murder has occurred in the building. To make the location even more haunting, there is a cemetery on the property with many unmarked graves.
The Hauntings:
As you can imagine, the paranormal activity at the Randolph County Asylum is pretty prevalent. There have been instances of slamming doors, disembodied footsteps, and even screams heard throughout the building. Shadow figures and apparitions alike are seen fairly often by staff and visitors. Of course, there are the standard cold spots and orbs, but what is most interesting about this asylum, is the resident creeper.
If you have been into ghost hunting for a while, odds are that you know what a creeper is. If you aren't sure, allow me to terrify you for a moment. A creeper is a shadow-like figure that takes on many shapes. It is speculated that the creeper was never human. Some have described it as a spider-like figure (though human-sized), but it can appear in many forms, so you really never know how it will present itself. What everyone who has come into contact with it can agree on is the sense of doom it gives off. It has a dark, dangerous vibe to it. To me, the most terrifying thing about the creeper is how it approaches you. You may see it down a long dark hallway when your flashlight beam bounces off of it. You quickly dart the light back and it's already closer. In what seems like an instant, the creeper rushes forward toward the person at an inhumane speed. They have no problem attacking and love to scare the hell out of you. Waverly Hills has one, but luckily, I did not have the pleasure of meeting it. So there, now you know about creepers. You're welcome.
The creeper at the Randolph Asylum is a bit more active and has even been caught on camera. The man who does the tours there caught a picture of it one night and graciously showed it to me. It was one of the best pictures I have ever seen of paranormal evidence. He said there are major networks and shows trying to buy it off of him, it's that good.
Who Wants to Investigate?
So, now that you know all there is to know (or at least all that I know) about the Randolph County Asylum and its resident creeper, who wants to go investigate? They have asked me to come back and check it out and you can come along for the investigation! Send me an email @ hauntingsaroundamerica@gmail.com if you are interested, and we will set up a date.
If you want to check out more about the asylum head on over to their website or check out one of the many shows that have been there including Paranormal Lockdown Season 1 Ep 4, Destination Fear Season 2 Episode 9, and Kindred Spirits episode "If These Walls Could Talk."
Photo from Randolph County Asylum Facebook.
