Belchertown State School

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The original name when it was established in 1922 was the Belchertown State School for the Feeble-Minded, and and certain times in its history it was known for poor treatment of its charges. Trespassing is not allowed on the property. Witnesses say it is haunted by this tragic past, citing apparitions, running footsteps, breaking windows, temperature fluctuations, screams, crying, doors that slam and lock and more. One legend about the school tells of two residents who fell in love but were kept from each other. Their ghosts are said to run between the dorm buildings trying to find each other.

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Geographic Information

Address:
Berkshire Ave and Front St
Belchertown, MA
United States

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GPS:
42.275086689282126, -72.41509920371755
County:
Hampshire County, Massachusetts
Nearest Towns:
Belchertown, MA (0.7 mi.)
Granby, MA (5.3 mi.)
Bondsville, MA (5.6 mi.)
South Amherst, MA (6.4 mi.)
Three Rivers, MA (7.1 mi.)
Pelham, MA (8.2 mi.)
South Hadley, MA (8.2 mi.)
Ludlow, MA (8.5 mi.)
Amherst Center, MA (8.7 mi.)
Ware, MA (9.0 mi.)

Contact Information

Web:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belchertown_State_School

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Comments (27)

  1. My friend and I did a photo shoot at the state school. The only building we felt anything at was the infirmary. We didn’t see anything, but we both felt very unsettled, cold, and panicked inside. The darkness felt more oppressive in this building than any of the other ones. I’ve explored numerous abandoned buildings in western mass and the state school was the only one I felt a presence/fear at.

    • I had to go to the state school in belchertown mass to bring my son to summer school. When I pulled onto the parking lot near the nursery got out of my car and where the slide is I hear people crying in pain and asking for help.every time I went on the property it felt bad real bad and the screaming and help me was awful.

  2. A group of my friends and i traveled to the state schools to explore, the buildings are rusty, and very creepy although some are boarded up people broke windows and doors to get inside. The only building where we did see a ghost was the hospital, we were walking up stairs when a nurse flashed by and caused us all to leave that building scared. The tunnels are narrow and are the worst, very cold and unsettling.

    • I was here a few times about 5 years ago. To anyone reading this, I am being completely serious when I say there was something deeply wrong with this place. Particularly as many have mentioned, in the auditorium basement. It has followed me, I’m sure of it. Thankfully it’s destroyed now.. but this place was not a joke.

  3. I come here quite often, the only place i REFUSE to go into in the basement/gym of the auditorium, NO WAY IM GOING IN THERE, something about it wants to send me running home screaming. Beautiful place other wise though, shame they’re tearing it down in a few weeks..

  4. I have seen a full blown apparition at belchertown state. Another time we heard people talking in one of the rooms, but with no power it was pitch black and no one was there. Sometimes it sounds as if a woman in heels is walking down the hall. But the halls are littered with rubble and broken tiles so we had no explanation why it sounded like someone walking down a nice clean hallway.

  5. I used to go to the state school all the time with my friends and nothing out of the ordinary happened. it gives off an uneasy feeling. one night during the summer we went in the infirmary and as we walked past the elevator on the 2nd floor the light was on i walked in and out. we walked into the stairwell and started to descend. when we got to the middle in between the floors there was a loud shriek and no footsteps at all. one of my friends tried to imitate the shriek. it suddenly got extremely cold we started to leave the building climbing the stairs to leave the way we came in through the window in the basement as we walked back the elevator light was off i was the last person to pass it as soon as i passed it the door slammed shut then slowly opened. we bolted out of the building

  6. Ive visited the infirmary a few times, had a serious occurrence, a rock was thrown at us. On Video. Place is without a doubt haunted. They’ve since boarded it up, heard noises, doors closing, footsteps, theirs a morge. Place is no joke. Ill never forget those experiences for the rest of my life.

  7. so me and some friends go here rather often. the place is boarded up dor the most part except the infirmary. we entered the first hallway through the back And as we walked down the hall we heard water dripping. we didnt know this at first tho sow e were spooked. we sat there for a few minutes before realizing this then wen my friend said “its just water” we thought we heard what sounded like the emtrance being sealed or some serious ruckus coming from where we came. fearing it was the cops we atopped and listened. this went on for about 30-40 seconds before completely ceasing. then we decided to see if anything else would happen so we sat in a room adjacent to the one we were in. as we were sitting there we just heard water dripping whule one of my other friends out of nowhere got a sheer face of terror and started bolting out of the building completely confused we followed him to find out that he heard a chair shift in the room across tue hall and saw a shadow peek around the corner. none of us believed him at first until we went bak in to find an overturned chair and a cold breezy feeling in that room. that friend still to this day refuses to return. definitely one of my fave places to visit though. its a beautiful place and very very interesting. and also pretty easy to experience something paranormal as long as ur respectful and arent to loud and obnoxious. id u ever just stop and listen for a little bit itll be as if the building is talking to u. something about the actual structures themselves seem to beckon u to come closer and explore. definitely check it out. but be careful cuz the cops arrest on the spot

  8. Robin Hessmann  |  

    My boyfriend has to drive thrive the campus to make deliveries to a local business. A low bridge and some train cars blocking a road force him to drive this route. He and I are both sensitive to Spirit Activity. He took this picture for me last week.

  9. Ive investigated. The belchertown state school is by far a haunted place! Ive collected voices on evp ,apparitions on camera and have felt unnerving feelings at the state school I suffered a traumatic brain injury not long after I left Ive never been the same since.its almost sad that this happened to me because I always have respected the dead and felt sorry for the patient’s that suffered there. is a creepy place thoug too bad thier tearing it down Lost Souls…

  10. Me and my friend went to adventure. We walked into many buildings the temperature drops scared her. She often left me to go in alone. We where in the cafeteria and I heard laughter and footsteps. I ran out beyond scared.

  11. Me and my friend went to this school about exactly a year ago, and he took two pictures of me standing on a machine in a smoke stack complex on the school grounds. Each picture was taken consecutively and whatever was behind me near my head, my friend did not see at the time the pictures were taken. We were not aware until after we checked or pictures and we have been questioning what it was ever since. Any thoughts?

  12. even on the drive to Belchertown state school o felt sad and unwelcome we listened to music from 1922 when the place opened up. we all felt unwelcome and as if we shouldn’t be there but we still went I got some really great pictures we went in fall so its even creepier but I most defiantly felt a lot of coldness in some of the buildings and strange like I said when I get home ill share the pictures with you guys

  13. batmanexpert229  |  

    Hello Haunted Places! Does anyone know how to get permission to enter this building? I would like to explore it in the near future.

  14. It has been torn down unfortunately…they are turning the land into a mini mall from what I’ve read… was an amazing place to investigate though and will soon not be forgotten. Caught my best evidence with my best friend and felt a young child tugging at his pants. Hope to find a place like this one soon

  15. I forgot what building this was, but I was told all of it is torn down now… this is me inside on the top floor I believe. wasn’t sketched out too much, but thought I’d share with you guys 🙂 If you guys have any questions shoot me an email!

  16. I remember going to the Belchertown state school one early morning with a friend of mine and he was in the other room while I was In the hall of the gym and theater place and we both heard a very loud scream of what sounded like a little girl . It was the most creepiest feeling it felt like the voice came out of what a portal and we were the only two people in the building an there was nobody around . I’ll never forget that voice . If you want to explore somewhere haunted this is one of the places to be .

  17. Barbara E Hantzis  |  

    My younger sister was placed there by my parents in the 1960’s per doctor’s “Advice”. She was beaten and had her nose broken before we could get her out and she spent the rest of her life in peace and passed away with the horrible memories gone from her beautiful”feeble mind.” I know a woman got out and froze to death on the grounds 1980 era, I am sensitive and had seen several lost souls who were forgotten and wandering the grounds , I would tear down every building and create a peace garden for all the lost souls there.

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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.