September 10th, 2008
Tour Sign-Ups Exceed Expectations
Image courtesy of the Oregon State Library
The upcoming tour of Oregon State Hospital’s historic J-Building has turned out to be more popular than it’s organizers anticipated: State Hospital Public Tour a Hot Ticket. 210 people have already signed up for the tour and a number of registrants had to be placed on a waiting list. If enough people continue to sign up, the state’s Department of Human Services will consider holding another tour.
The online registration page has been updated to say that all tour times have been filled. However, you can still register for the possible additional tour(s): J-Building Tour Registration. There’s no guarantee that there’ll be another tour though unfortunately.
While 210 isn’t exactly a jaw-dropping number, it’s impressive that interest is high enough to exceed the tour organizers expectations. It’s certainly a sign of rising public interest in asylum history.
Well if these people are anything like I was years ago they are just overwhelmed with curiosity. I didn’t know what to expect when the first time I went into a state hospital, but it was along the lines of lobotomy theaters, padded rooms, bizarre medical equipment, etc. None of which I actually found! I think the “stigma” these buildings have mixed with human curiosity draws people, especially since this is the last and only chance to see inside this building.
You’re right. For better or worse, the stigma of state hospitals is probably what draws most people’s interest.
Or Bust – the traveling eco-edu-entertainment show – was wandering through Salem and shot much footage of the Oregon State Insane Asylum in late March 2009. Imagine our amazement when news hit that demolition had begun hardly a week later.
We created a video ode to OSIA and have it on our site at “this is our asylum” – enjoy. Or-Bust.com