Steam Tunnel Passage, Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building, Minnesota

The Fergus Falls Kirkbride Building relied on a network of underground steam tunnels to connect its wards, kitchen, and power plant, allowing staff and supplies to move between buildings without crossing the exposed grounds. Built following the Kirkbride Plan pioneered by psychiatrist Thomas Story Kirkbride, the complex opened in 1890 as the Fergus Falls State Hospital. The tunnels carried steam, water, and electrical lines from the central power plant to heat and service the sprawling institution, which at its peak housed more than 2,000 patients. The hospital closed in the early 2000s, and much of its infrastructure, including these service corridors, has sat unused since.

Photo taken in June 2014.