City/Town: • Sand Springs |
Location Class: • Hospital • School |
Built: • 1964 | Abandoned: • 1993 |
Status: • Demolished |
Photojournalist: • Billy Dixon • David Linde • Johnny Fletcher |
In the 1950s Oklahoma’s mental health facilities Enid and Pauls Valley State Schools were suffering from severe overcrowding. In addition, they both were decades old, built around statehood. A children’s facility was needed to provide modern care and comfort and building such a facility became a priority for Governors Raymond Gary and J. Howard Edmondson. Only a million dollars was approved for a new state school in 1958 but Person Woodall, chairman of the Mental Health Board estimated the new school would cost more around seven million dollars. State Bond Issue 393 approved the funding in 1960 with the new hospitals’ location being Sand Springs. Wiley G. Hissom, a local hobby cattle farmer donated all of the land to the Oklahoma State University for the state’s new hospital.
Construction on the facility began in the fall of 1961, and the name Hissom Memorial Center was chosen. Murray Jones Murray were hired as the principal architect and McCune, McCune & Associates as the associated architect firm. After almost five years in the making, the center finally opened on March 5, 1964, as a diagnostic treatment, rehabilitation, training, and research community center providing in and outpatient services. The twenty-four buildings spanned across 85 of the 226 acres donated forming a campus. The capacity of the hospital was 1200 and the first patients were brought in from Eastern State Hospital with those from Pauls Valley and Enid State Schools following.
Children would first go through the diagnostics and evaluation step of the process when an application to admit is made. The child’s needs are assessed to see if entering the program or receiving outpatient services would be better instead. If deemed necessary the child would enter the residential program and begin treatment. The center also provided training and teaching for those wanting to be involved in health care allowing those that graduate the program to work and live on the grounds. Children attended classes for two and a half hours a day during the school term and special classes during the summer months. In addition a number of physical and recreational programs as well making use of a swimming pool, gymnasium, and other outdoor activities. Students would occasionally go on field trips for educational exposure.
Hissom employed around five hundred people and housed around six hundred pupils in the 1970s. The maximum fee for a child was $75 per month with some paying less or none at all. Age requirements for admittance were six to eighteen and the child will stay in the program until the staff believes they have reached maximum potential. An annual Parent Guardian Association open house was held to celebrate the children’s accomplishments over the year. But the once marveled ‘City of Hope’ didn’t last for long.
The year 1985 was one that uprooted a handful of misconduct at the Hissom Memorial Center. Starting with a lawsuit against the facility by a nurse and the parents of six children that attended. Claims that the center was a dangerous place to live and should be shut down. One of those suits named Herbito Martinez as a defendant. He was fired and sentenced to two and a half years in prison for using fake credentials to practice as a doctor. Investigators were appointed by a federal judge to investigate the conditions. They found and reported a “prison-like atmosphere” and considered Hissom Memorial a “human-development emergency” and an “educational disaster.” Two more men were charged with abusing the children in the facility. U.S. District Judge James Ellison ordered the facility to close in 1987 and that its residents must be moved to community homes. But in 1988 the state of Oklahoma appealed Ellison’s ruling to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. This eventually led to Homeward Bound Inc., organized by the parents, and the Department of Human Services to agree to a consent decree. This gave a deadline of October 1994 for moving the remaining four hundred Hissom Memorial Center patients into the community and putting an end to the appeals. They chose the nine-year anniversary of the lawsuit, May 2, 1994, as the date to officially close the center after spending $133 million to move all of its patients.
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Where did they move the people that was there when it closed
I had a brother there in they sent him there in the late in the late 60s
in 1965 I was employed at at the Hissom memorial center with it being titled the 1st intergrated rehabilitated center in the South and south west also becoming part of the first African Americans to be employed there.l was selected by Lloyd Rader secretary of health and human services of Oklahoma State
[…] Big changes came just three years later when all schools and hospitals run by the State Department of Mental Health and Retardation were transferred to the State Department of Public Welfare, today that is the Department of Human Services. At the time there were more than a few hundred employees at Pauls Valley, for decades it continued to be Garvin County’s largest employer. With more than 2,000 patients in the Enid and Pauls Valley State Schools overcrowding was a major issue. This lead to a third facility being built in Sand Springs in 1964, Hissom Memorial Center. […]
I would also like to see footage !!:) please and thank you !
I dont know if this is still there or not i would love to go in there , i probably did when i was a child , my older sister was here and died there
Hi Kathy, it has been demolished. Sorry to hear about your sister..
thanks for sharing. nice!
Guys it was not the place that was bad but the people working there a building can hurt someone
Can't*
I worked at Hissom in the summer of 1968 as a recreation assistant.. It was a wonderful job and I met many great people.. The residents were sweet children and I never saw any abuse or heard of anything negative happening at the center.. Later that year, I came back to Hissom as a practice teacher and lived with 3 other girls In site who were also students getting their degree at OSU.. Those two experiences I treasure and am so sorry that the center came to such a negative end.. I can only think that a lack of good leadership and slim staffing by people who shouldn't have been given the jobs they had or they did not have the help they needed..
It makes me sick to think about the abuse that these poor people went through because they were different then us
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Hissom has been completely destroyed. We went to explore there and found nothing but bulldozed lots.
so has hissom been demolished?
My sister in Hissom…when I went to visit her she was like a zombie, and laid like an over dosed human. It was sad…Yesterday..with all the red tape….she now lives with me. She is FREE! Its so difficult when you deal with DHS and other agency that were assigned to care of the clients. BUT yesterday..we freed our sister from the clutches of Hissom's nightmare!
I am a care provider for 2 individuals who transitioned out if Hissiom I have been with them now for over 20 years is there anyway to access pics that were taken there or acces their medical files? Both would b extremely helpul, one of my 'boys' came from a poor family and we have no pics of him at all from birth to18, please any info would b helpful on finding their records and photographs!
Do you know where they moved the people after they closed I had a brother there
I had a older brother that lived in Hissom for 6yrs and the things that went on there some were good but of what i was told by my brother he was treated very badly. while there he ran his hand into a glass plate window and broke to finger's on one hand, i have been in this feild for yrs caring for disabled adults, i have had people stare at them talk bad about them, lets just put it this way u just better hope and pray that the one's that makes fun of these adults that u dont end up with a child that disabled, my mom always called my brother her speical angle from God, he is now 52yrs old lives by hisslef and that to due caring family not Hissiom, so happy to see it go
Im looking for info about to girls who live there their name was harbor can your brother help just drop a note here.thanks
Is the building still there or did it get demolished.
I was wondering about that as well. Anyone have any info?
You know that there are open sewer lagoons there, don't you know. That's probably what you smelled. I worked there as an OT Aide. I know I worked with the kids and i have to say I was able to get a young severely retarded girl to chew her food after spending numerous days teaching her how to eat.
Did you know 2girls named harbor
[…] Hissom Memorial Center REVISITED | Abandoned OklahomaOct 20, 2010… and legislation funding a new facility near Tulsa was approved in 1959. … Hissom operated an Angus cattle farm as a hobby on the 85 acres … […]
went by there today and the building are all gone
For anyone interested in learning more about Hissom, the Oklahoma Developmental Disabilities Council produced a 50 minute documentary on it called "Living in the Freedom World". There is a lot of footage of site and interviews with former residents, parents, and workers. You can stream it for free on Vimeo:
I would like to say that I have grown up in the neighborhood next to Hissom. It was definitely an eerie place. It has since been torn down and an office complex is being built there.
Scary
the site is completely destroyed there are no buildings left
I am 27 and have heard story's about this place but nothing to verify. My mom worked here when she was pregnant with me and now that im older she has told me story's about it and non bad. but she worked i the hospital part with the ppl who where actually vegetables and she said she had always heard story's of abuse but never seen it. She was a resident mother and probably a great one because she is the kindest person i have ever met. but she said she worked with ppl who had to go to nursing homes when it closed so it was about the same and her dad worked there a even longer time ago on like cabins 14 or something like that and he said he new of abuse that went on there but it never went on when he was around.
I was a resident at this facility from 1964 until 1971. My experience being a patient at this facility was nothing like the accounts mentioned above. After I read the above accounts I was upset by the information that they were saying so I wanted to share my experience. My experience may not have always been wonderful but it was not all horrible either. I remember some very fun activities that we had during my stay. We had rodeos, movie night, bingo, church, and Friday night dances. We all had chores to help keep the place clean but it was nothing torturous. I made some very good friends their and have some good memories. It wasn't all that bad when I was there.
Roy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. It is good to know not all was devastating to the patients there. In one of my social work classes we learned about hissom in a positive way. the deinstitutionalization was hailed as a model to other facilities who were releasing patients. I am glad to hear that not all was horrible.
thank you very much seth…
My mom worked with a harbor. She now lives in poteau OK.
Site is in the process of demolition. A steel fabrication manufacture will build on the site.
`wow
There is a story in the Daily Oklahoman today 6-8-11, business section, stating that Webco Industries is breaking ground at this site for expanding their business.
Just to shed a little light on the current situation of the building. It is currently owned by the State and maintained by the Department of Central Services, which I just happen to work for! 🙂
There are no plans to demo the property or any of the buildings on it. We are currently in the process of getting the property abated for asbestos and then the property will be going up for sale as we have no need for the property.
I will be going to the property sometime next month with a couple of other photographers to see what we can capture. We should be able to get some great stuff seeing as how we will in no way be rushed with the threat of trespassing! 🙂
My name is Blake. Contact me if you have not visited the site already, or can give me papers to visit the site without worry of trespassing issues. I am a photographer, and have been wanting to visit the site for some time. 918-557-8442. I'm not interested in any way in the "paranormal activity" of the place
Does anyone know who I would talk to to get permission to explore the grounds? I assume the Sand Springs Historical Society? I am a photography student, my current working portfolio is documenting abandoned things and places. I don't wish to harm anything, touch anything, etc. I just want to document.
I have horrible luck with cops, i would prefer to avoid them all together :-).
I worked there, my mother worked there, my paternal grandmother worked there, and my maternal grandmother spent a brief time there doing diagnostics for a seizure disorder. I know that there were a lot of things that happened that were not right… BUT I know that the most of the people who worked there were caring people, who did the best they could with the extremely limited resources. And I do mean EXTREMELY limited. The state set it up to be state of the art, diagnostic and rehabilitative care facility. Then proceeded to limit the money spent on it. I know that I never abused a client, nor did my mother. I didn't work with my grandmother, but I never heard of her mistreating them. As far as smelling blood…um you do realize that the rust of the metal does smell a bit like blood…right???
Thank you Gypsy: I also work at hissom from 1979 to 1989 I don't know where these people get all these stories from about the "Clients" being abused. I myself and many other staff workers were the one's abused I was Hit, scratched, bit, slapped, pushed, had urin and feces throwed on me, and still I continued to work with these clients, all the staff I knew cared deeply for these clients, I even brought a few of them home with me for holidays as their "Parents" or family NEVER came to see them. I worked double shifts many times and made sure these clients had the best of care that I could give.
I worked there from 1990 to 1992 never seen clients getting abused. I was bitten several time and scratched but I continue to take care of my clients I treated them like they were part of my family.
Ism looking for 2 girls that were there named harbor can you check and see jif you family might remember them drop a line here. Thanks
my parents met at Hissom, and i was practically raised there for the first year of my life. Hissom was NOT an institution, it was a home. where people like my grandmother dealt with horrible working conditions and violent patients, and loved them anyway. there are people that were raised there that would go back in an instant, and i am one of them. those people are my family. dead or not.
I frequently say I grew up at Hissom… .My mom worked there, my grandmother worked there, my maternal grandmother spent time there for medical care and my big brother worked there. I also met my daughters father there, spent my pregnancy working there, and went back after my maternity leave. I worked there until 6weeks before they closed it down. If it had never closed down, I would still be working there.
Hissom in the Asbestos Abatement process, the first step in demolition.
My brother was at hissom for a very short time. My mother went to see him and he had belt marks across his back. Mom was told he had fallen in the shower. He came home with her that day and never went back.
I think "Mandy" is a liar lol
I worked there for 5 years and if I remember right, the morgue is in the adminstration building.
i have talked to the attorney it was actualy shit down in 1993
i mean shut lol
so me and my girl are talking to the Mayor and have contacted the attorney that got it shut down my girls aunt used to work at the hissom she has told us alot about it and my great grand-mother also worked there but she is deceased so what were trying to do it start a fundraiser to open it up and do tours for about a week before it is demolished but all the money is going to be donated to the handicaped children…
anyone interested in helping?
I think this is an amazing idea, and I would definitely pay money to be able to get in, especially if it is going to a good cause.
I would absolutely be interested in helping out. I have worked for DHS for years in the developmental disability division and think this is a great idea. Raising awareness on this is so important! My family also cares for a young lady who has been in state services for over 40 years. Although she never experienced Hissom, she did experience abuse in other places. Great idea! Email me if you can get this thing going!
i would love to help contact me at lindsborggirl29@gmail.com with info i would love to like lead tours or anything else
I would love to help because my cousin has a mental handicap , she is almost thirty but has the mind of a six year old so I would love to help
Try living next to the place
i do live there. i live in the first house on gomez – josh white
Josh white would you be willing to help me
The letters in the picture gallery written by Eric Kapple are real! I was best friends with Erica when we were little girls, and Jude (pronounced “Judy”) is her grandmother, that adopted her. Her actual mother either passed away or left her, I’m not quite sure which one. It’s just really odd because I have an iPhone, and I was scrolling down and must of accidentally clicked it with my finger because I didn’t actually mean to look at the picture of the letter. Before, I thought that maybe this was just some goof thing, but I’m starting to see how creepy it is. I really want to visit Hissom. I lived in sand springs for 17 years, and I don’t think I’ve ever been there.
Any trap doors you encounter are merely access panels for the service tunnels that contain old heating and chilled water pipes. They originate in the central mechanical building on the east side of the site and connect to most of the buildings:
Found this on another site:
Comment: Attention Spook hunters. My name is Capt. Scott Averill with the Sand Springs Police Department (918)246-2536. I live on the property with the sole purpose of looking after the property and enforcing the Tresspass ordinances of the City of Sand Springs. We arrested 15 there last weekend and 12 the weekend before. The fines for Tresspass and Curfew Violations amount to approx. $300.00, with parents called to pick up minors at the location if arrested. I can assure you that the only ghost you may encounter might be myself and other officers that stake the property out routinely for training exercises. Just FYI.
Comment: Attention Spook hunters. My name is Capt. Scott Averill with the Sand Springs Police Department (918)246-2536. I live on the property with the sole purpose of looking after the property and enforcing the Tresspass ordinances of the City of Sand Springs. We arrested 15 there last weekend and 12 the weekend before. The fines for Tresspass and Curfew Violations amount to approx. $300.00, with parents called to pick up minors at the location if arrested. I can assure you that the only ghost you may encounter might be myself and other officers that stake the property out routinely for training exercises. Just FYI.
This place is HUGE you really just need to see it for yourself these pictures don't show the size of the WHOLE complex. Hissom is next to a juvenile detention center so there are officers patrolling the area.
I am the daughter of the first Superintendent of Hissom Memorial, opened in 1964. He, as well as my mother, were dedicated to the welfare of disabled children and adults. As a result of my parents influence, I spent 37 years in the field of Special Education.
I also volunteered at Hissom Memorial…it was among the best times in my life!
my grandmother also worked there and my bestfriends aunt did to!!! you can stop lieing there are more people that say horriblt things went on there.. i have even went as far as contacting people that adopted a girl from there BECAUSE SHE HAS ROACHES CRAWLING OUT OF HER EAR the attorney that represented this case and got the hell hole shut down did it for a reason my cousin was handicapped before he passed in 2005 and you people try to pretend that you like them an when its just you an them behind closed doors their your door mat just reading what you wrote is sickning that you can tell a bold face lie the "DEDICATION" that you put forth well there isnt any dedication
My parents were dedicated, beyond belief, to the needs of disabled children and adults! They opened Hissom in 1964, but moved on only a year later, after my dad had a major heart attack on the Hissom grounds.
How dare you to disgrace and belittle my parents! What happened years later was none of their doing!
My parents are long since dead, but we children continue their passion to care for mentally challenged children/adults. After 37 years in Special Education, I am now retired, but continue to volunteer on behalf of the mentally challenged. Just wondering how you are helping the helpless!
dorothy, my brother was a long time resident of hissom from 1972 until it closed in 1994. I appreciate the effort that you have made in the care of these patients. My mother was quite against the homeward bound lawsuit but i will have to say that since he was placed into group care he has progressed farther than i would have ever imagined.He could not feed himself when he left hissom and now he can perform many of his activities on his own. Of course this is not the fault of Hissom itself but the inability of these types of institutions to care for people with limited funding. Our family could not have endured the difficulties of caring for my brother at home and there were not resources available at this time to assist people to do so. I am glad that hissoms services were available but i am also glad that it closed. I hope society has evolved pastthe need for these types of institutions.
As an added note Melissa, over my 37 years in Special Education, I cared for for the severely disabled, as did my father and mother. I've changed the diapers of hundreds of chilldren and young adults, fed them, because they can't feed themselves, been a supportive teacher,loved them, and consider myself blessed for knowing these special people!
Want to talk about roaches? A young 9 year old student of mine arrived in my classroom and roaches were crawling everywhere out of the wheelchair and on the child.I immediately called social services. I ended up as a witness in court, and the child was removed from her horrible home conditions.
What are you doing to help the disabled?
Melissa, I spent 34 years of my life devoted to physically and mentally challenged children/adults. I have precious memories and am a better person for being part of their lives.
I thank my parents for my choice to enter into the field of Special Education. You have chosen to crucify my parents, for their one year at Hissom Memorial. What you don't know, is that my parents were all about group homes and making the handicapped part of society!
My father, before he became interested in children with special needs, was just a country doctor, and literally rode horseback to reach patients. He was often paid with a bushel of apples. My father was DEDICATED to all in need! I'm very sad that you have tried to slander his life's mission.
Looking for info about 2 girls named harbor who lived there know of them pleas writ here if you do,
Hi, just saw your post. I am trying to track down a former patient there and wondered if you had any ideas on how i might go about doing that? any help would be appreciated greatly-davemahaffey@yahoo.com
Dorothy I just read your statement written about hissom over a year ago.. I knew of hissom. But didnt really know about all the horrible things that went on there.. You make your statement but mentioned nothing about the bad things.. the reality of it is.. hissom started out as an ideal place for people with disabilities. its not that the parents did not want the children. they thought they were doing what was best for them by placing them somewhere where there were more "people like them". I must admit some parents were embarrased by their children and put them there. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY HISSOM LOST ITS WAY.. PEOPLE BECAME MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEMSELVES AND PAYCHECKS ETC.. THE REALITY IS NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED. YES THEY ARE INTEGRATED IN THE COMMUNITY BUT THIS IS SUCH A CUT THROAT BUSINESS.. IF THE GUARDIAN OF A PARTICULAR PERSON DOES NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE PRETTIER THAN THEM OR YOU DONT GET NERVOUS WHEN THEY COME AROUND THEY WILL HAVE YO REMOVED FROM THE HOME FOR NO REASON OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THEY DONT LIKE YOU. THESE AGENCIES FIGHT FOR ALL THE CLIENTS BECAUSE THE STATE PAYS UPWARD OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS A HEAD FOR "CLASS MEMBERS" A CLASS MEMBER IS SOMEONE WHO WAS EVER AT HISSOM. IF YOU WERE NEVER AT HISSOM GOOD LUCK GETTING SERVICES FROM THE STATE.. REALLY SAD.. BUT THE REALLY SAD PART IS…. THE YOUNGEST CLASS MEMBER IS PROBABLY 35 YEARS OLD WHICH MEANS IN SIXTY YEARS AT MOST. THEY WILL ALL BE DEAD. DISABLED PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS BE BORN.. WHERE WILL THEY GO WHAT WILL THEY DO.. OPEN AN INSTITUTION TO HOUSE THEM.. HISTORY WILL REPEAT ITSELF…
Thanks to you and your parents for what you did for those children Dorothy
Dorothy .. thank you for your service to the mentally handicapped , i understand that it wasn't the place that was bad but when it changed superintendents the new people made it bad and abused the patients . I'm friends with an 18 year old girl who is mentally handicapped and she's very kind and smart , she may not be able to walk or do anything for herself but she's getting the best care she possibly can and has many normal friends who like her for her personality. And my second cousin is mentally handicapped and has the mind of a six year old , but she can do everything for herself except drive . Please pray for my cousin because her mom has cancer and I don't know what she'll do without her if she dies
You just have to get a permit from the Sand Springs PD.
what is that bloody tray looking thing?
It's a morgue tray for the body fridge
i will be soooo GLAD to see this place getting bulldozed someday. its a place of evil, hate and torture. i live with a man that lived there for 11 years. his life now is PERFECT. i can't even stand to drive past the place without feeling sick knowing what all kinds of hell he lived through being there. may the place and those staff members who were mean, burn in hell
this matt that knows jack?
i dissagree with the comment about how the residents grive for this place i work ith people that were living in there and the stroies that i have herad for them was that is was a living hell i couldnt imagin what they went through
So today I went with a friend not truely knowing what hissom used to be. (I thought that it was an insane asylum) So we got in during plan day and started to search the grounds. We went to the hospital, play ground, school, nurses office ect… About thirty minuets of looking around through a broken window i saw a truck pull up. We started to leave through the back of the facility. As soon as we reached the edge of the grounds a black truck pulled up and a dog got out and began to chase us. We ran like hell and spilt up, it chased after me for awhile but we successfully got out alright. I didn't see the trespassing sing or anything… would've been really good to know that there is security and people that watch the place. This is just to warn anyone who thinks that it would be "fun" to go and explore a abandoned mental institution. If you do (I'm not just saying this to embelish the outcome of what could happen to you) there is a pretty good chance that somebody will catch you and you could get hurt, it's private property….
*facepalm* There is clearly a fence around the property dude. For future reference, if its someones property and they havent allowed you to be there, its trespassing. The place is watched and they will send half of the Sand Springs police force after you, I should know, I was also chased by them. I highly suggest you read the numerous other comments by clicking "older comments" at the bottom of the comments.
all of you people who published these pictures should post that they were taken after closing. not every one knows why the place closed butt every one wants a piece of it now but not then. a lot of the old residents of hissom would reather go back home to hissom then be were they are now.
My Uncle was born with Downs Syndrome and the Doctors at the time he was born told my grandmother to put him in an institution because he would be a "vegetable" My grandma kept him at home with the family for several years but, after hearing about how "great" Hissom was for people like my Uncle she thought they would give it a shot… he was not there very long. The first time my grandmother went to go visit him and he had lost so much weight, he was filthy, wouldn't talk and a bunch of other unmentionable things. SO, she pulled him out of there immediately!
I also at one time worked with individuals that were long term residents of Hissom and the stories that we were told directly from the families and the agency I worked for about the individuals literally made me sick to my stomach. One male client in particular could walk, talk, dress himself and had about the mind of a 10 year old. When he got out of Hissom he couldn't walk, couldn't talk, and was pretty much a vegetable. There were also rapes and lots of deaths. The ONLY people that were fighting to keep Hissom open were the selfish idiot parents who locked their "unperfect" children away because they "couldn't" deal with them. One of the supporters of Hissom used to be my Mom's hairdresser and when she found out where my Mom & I were working (both for an agency assisiting mentally disabled) she said to my Mom "They shouldn't let those people out in the public, they should lock them away!" It took all my Mom had not to slap her.. and my Mom told her "My brother is one of THEM people" and walked out!
Sorry for the long story but, I have ALOT of anger towards anybody that would even think about mistreating an innocent defenseless person..its SICK! Only the weak prey on the weaker.
Same here my second cousin has a handicap that gives her being 34 ish the mind of six year old and when people use the term retarded around me and my mom it makes us mad because she is not retarded just a little different than us but we still love her ,love you chrissy Michelle.
Dont judge if you werent there. Thousands of people have worked there and many worked in community programs after the closing. Many of the former residents grieve for the place. It was not what it was painted to be by the media and the money hungry Bullocks and there crooked judge Ellison. There were 6 parents, bitter angry people involved out of 100 or more against the closing. It was politics at its corrupt worse.
Hey if you have not been to Hissom yet you better hurry the State of Oklahoma Legislature just passed a bill that has Hissom scheduled for distruction…the bill was past in the last session for 2009….the state said that sence there is not anything they can do with this place they will tear it down because of its condition…but there is rumor they are going to try to make the land into a rehab place so only time will tell
Thanks for the info! Although it doesnt surprize me at all… Just dont park anywhere near that blasted neighborhood to the west. Those nosey people in those houses cant mind there own business, and they WILL call the cops on you. Also, there is apparently a cop living on the eastern part of the property in a house, he claims to be constantly looking for trespassers to arrest. As long as no one sees you approach the property or gain access, you will be safe once inside the compound. Just keep a watchful eye out for security! And dont linger outside the buildings for too long unless you want to be spotted. And I would definately NOT GO THERE ON HALLOWEEN NIGHT!!! Unless your invisible and can evade cops like me, you will be caught, because the Sand Springs police know how popular this place is and that people go here for spook hunts. The prudent option would be to ask permission to gain access to the place, if possible.
ok.. so me and my friend went here today and just to let everyoe know its really not as good as everyone thinks there is a sign posted that it is privet property and stay out.. we had a man yell at us that he was gonna call the cops on us.. so we got a few pics and left.. i dont think it was really worth the long drive..
I was wondering if there was any footage taken while Hissom was operational. This website http://clearinghouse.wustl.edu/detail.php?id=487 has all of the court documents pertaining to the lawsuit which closed Hissom. If anyone is a legal nerd like me they should read some of it. It is actually extremely interesting. But as I said if anyone knows where some footage is of Hissom in operation please let me know.
hello me and my friends went there last night around midnight we got there checking out the place and we saw trash cans with full trash so we got freaked out, then we walked back down the road and ran into these two strange people, that told us alot about the place it was freakin creep!
Is this place still around?
I am coming back to Tulsa to visit at the end of the month and might like to explore it.
Its still there, last time I checked anyways… Just be aware that there is an active detention facility right next to it with security 24/7
A few weeks ago I found this website, and this page in particular sparked my interest. Several days later a large group of my friends and I went to the Hissom Memorial Center. The scariest experience i had there was on a merry-go-round (not the one pictured above.) I had got on it with my boyfriend, while a friend pushed us. After the friend had jumped on, we sat on it for about a minute when we realized that the merry-go-round was beginning to speed up instead of slowing down. One thing that intrigued me was that there was still so many of the patient's belonings left there; there were drawers that still had clothes in them, chairs, and a friend of mine even found some of the old doctor's coats. I have found out some random, but interesting things since I went to the old place, so here you go: First of all, there is a room called the "Pentagram Room". It is under a trap door in the floor, however I do not know what room it is in. It is said to have bloodstains on the floor, but I am a bit skeptical. Also, pictured above is the pool. Back in the 80's a small child wandered away from supervision and ended up drowning, so it is said that this room is especially haunted. Also pictured above is a paper reading "Thank you, return to sender." I found this to be a movie (also by the name 'Convicted') that was shot at the nearby detention center, Raider. One last thing I wanted to share is that when entering, you will find that the more interesting builings are farther from the water tower, as the builings closest to the water towe are still in use as storage facilities.
The person who drowned was a teenage resident at THMC not a small child. I worked at Hissom as a therapist during the close down. Before that I had done a practicum there when I was at TU. I really don't know why things went so bad there but they did. Hissom got more money than the other two state schools, was more modern and got far more attention . Maybe it was cursed from the very beginning. I had nightmares about it last night — more than 20 years since the last time I was there . The mere thought of driving by it again makes me panic. I worked for years at one of the other state schools and I don't feel nervous at all when I think of my time there but Hissom was different .