Ivy Climbing a Ward Wall at Kings Park Psychiatric Center

Kings Park Psychiatric Center opened in 1885 on Long Island's north shore, growing over the following decades into a self-contained village of more than 150 buildings designed to house and treat thousands of patients. Its multi-story brick wards, many built in the early 20th century, relied on rows of steel-sash windows for light and ventilation in an era before mechanical air conditioning. The facility operated at its peak with a population exceeding 9,000 patients before New York State began scaling back its use following changes in mental health policy. It closed permanently in 1996, and many of its buildings have sat vacant since, with trees and vines gradually reclaiming the courtyards between them.