Spiderwebs and Vines Fill Shattered Windows at Kings Park Psychiatric Center

Kings Park Psychiatric Center opened in 1885 as the Kings Park State Hospital, established to relieve overcrowding at other New York asylums. At its peak in the mid-20th century, the campus held more than 9,000 patients across over 150 buildings on land along Long Island's Nissequogue River. The state began closing the facility in stages after the introduction of deinstitutionalization policies in the 1960s and 70s, and the hospital shut down completely in 1996. Many of its brick buildings have sat vacant since then, with vines and vegetation reclaiming window frames and interior spaces. Portions of the grounds are now part of Nissequogue River State Park.