Detroit Paranormal Expeditions
It's not hard to see why many believe this place is probably haunted.
Soon, Westland's long-abandoned Eloise Asylum will be redeveloped — but before then, you have a few more weeks to tour the sprawling, spooky site.
The owners are hosting tours through the end of the month. The five-hour "paranormal investigations" are offered every Friday and Saturday, with the last one set for Halloween, Saturday, Oct. 31.
This isn't a typical "haunted house" with special effects and people in costumes. Visitors will get a guided tour, led by local paranormal investigators, through five floors of the Kay Beard Building — including a basement, rooms where lobotomies were once performed, and the maximum-security wards "where Michigan's most insane were housed," according to a press release.
"The Eloise Asylum has no power and no special effects, and is a place documented for its former atrocities and current paranormal activity," it continues. "Distressed spirits are reported to lurk, making their presence seen, felt and heard by those who dare to investigate."
Tickets are $100, plus a booking fee. More information, including a schedule and a link to buy tickets, is available here.
If ghosts aren't your thing, two-hour daytime historical tours are also available Saturdays and Sundays from noon-2 p.m. and 3-5 p.m. Tickets are $65 per person, plus a booking fee. More information is available here.
This won't be the last of Eloise Asylum, however. The developers say they plan to transform the 16-acre property into multiple developments, including a "haunted attraction," hotel, and a 1930s-themed restaurant and bar. Construction is slated to begin in 2021.
The site has a grisly history that is the stuff of urban legends. Originally built as the Wayne County Poorhouse in 1839, it grew into what was once the largest psychiatric facility in the country. You can read more about its history here.
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