Peoria State Hospital, also known as Bartonville State Hospital or the Illinois Asylum for the Incurable Insane, operated from 1902 to 1973 in Bartonville, Illinois. At its peak in the 1950s, the sprawling psychiatric hospital housed nearly 2,800 patients. Since closing, the hospital grounds have become a source of ghost stories and haunted attractions, including Aura Haunted House, which now occupies one of the remaining historic buildings.
The hospital campus covers 215.5 acres in Bartonville and originally included 63 buildings designed in Prairie, Mission, and Classical Revival styles. The Illinois General Assembly authorized the hospital’s establishment in 1895, and the site in Bartonville was chosen for its isolation and accessibility. Operations began on February 10, 1902, under Dr. George Zeller, who implemented a cottage system with 33 buildings. The hospital was largely self-sufficient, featuring its own store, power station, and communal utility building. Many patients worked jobs on the grounds, contributing to daily operations.
By the hospital’s 25th anniversary, 2,650 patients were housed there, with a total of 13,510 individuals having been treated over the years. The population peaked in the 1950s at 2,800 but declined to about 600 by 1972, when closure was announced.
After the hospital shut down in 1973, many buildings were demolished or repurposed for commercial and industrial use.
However, the grounds remain steeped in local ghost lore. One famous legend involves Manuel A. “Old Book” Bookbinder, a patient who worked with the hospital’s burial crew.
Witnesses reported seeing his ghost weeping beneath an elm tree in the potter’s field, sparking the tale of the “Graveyard Elm.” Dr.
Zeller documented such stories in his 1920s book “Befriending the Bereft”, drawing from his experiences as superintendent.
Aura Haunted House operates out of the former Pollak Tuberculosis Hospital, one of the last hospital buildings still standing. The Pollak building, named after Dr. M. Pollak who conducted tuberculosis research there in 1937, was used to isolate TB patients—a disease that claimed more lives on the hospital grounds than any other illness by 1906.
Fawna Hammond, a trainer at a local Macomb factory by day, transforms into a paid actress at Aura Haunted House during the Halloween season. She and her partner, Alyssa Seward, both play roles —Hammond as Dr. Donor and Seward as Nurse Ruby. Hammond, who lives in Astoria, first connected with Aura’s owners, the Little family, through another haunted attraction in Peoria called Spook Hollow.
The Aura Haunted House team, led by Scott, Dale, and Steve Little, aims to create a chilling yet respectful experience. They emphasize that the attraction is not meant to disrespect the thousands of former patients; no real names are used, and actors portray fictional characters. The haunted house enforces a strict no-touch policy and allows visitors to leave at any time, holding safety certifications.
Tours last about 30 minutes and feature characters like The Angel of Death, Grave Digger, Styx, Nurse Ruby, and Dr. Donor.
Tickets are available online at aurahauntedhouse. com and HauntedPeoria.com, with discounts for advance purchases. Aura Haunted House operates select nights in October and early November at 4500 Enterprise Drive, Bartonville.
What was once a place of suffering and healing now draws thrill-seekers eager to experience the eerie aura left behind—if they dare to enter.
