I had the good fortune of visiting The Asylum early in its current manifestation as a key…read moredestination spot for those seeking paranormal investigations and opportunities to visit a location said to be Randolph County's most haunted spot. As I arrived at my 666th review here on Yelp, I began contemplating what I could possibly review that would be worthy of such an occasion. Having a dark sense of humor, I began contemplating both my past and present journeys through Indy's more haunted spots and locations with a history of evil and, in most cases, either found them not appropriate for Yelp or inappropriate review. While I briefly contemplated either a review of an Indiana Satanic church (Yes, we have them!) or a visit up to Hell, Michigan, I settled on a revisit to this location that turned the old Randolph County Infirmary/Asylum into one of Winchester, Indiana's few touristy spots. If you know me, then you know that while I do review most businesses for accessibility I'm also a pretty adaptable wheelchair user who regularly does long-distance events and who joined Yelp down in the incredibly not wheelchair friendly Catacombs. In other words, I tend to go where I want whenever possible even if it's not wheelchair friendly. The Asylum is not actually wheelchair friendly, though it's better than you might expect. If you have mobility issues, you might want to contact them in advance or ensure you have a companion with you for assistance. As a building built in 1899, it is exempt from ADA laws. In its early days, the nearly 50,000 square foot building housed six wards, several private rooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities, and separate dining rooms for men and women. It also had several other features on the adjacent property including a cemetery 230 yards northwest of the "home." Over the years, the facility served different populations including the poor, orphans, physically and cognitively disabled, single mothers, and the elderly. In 1994, the facility was bought from the county and turned into the Country Care Center. Around 2008-2009, Country Care Center closed and the facility was used for county storage until current owners came along in 2016 with the stated intention of using the facility as a paranormal attraction. I mean, seriously, do you know a single old asylum that isn't haunted? The treatment in these facilities was typically quite lacking - even in this type of setting, which certainly wasn't a Central State type place but still had its share of tragedy. The current owners have done a nice job of creating a functional setting for paranormal investigations, several videos from which are located on The Asylum website. The website features a wealth of information about the history of the facility along with current information about visits for investigations - this allows for overnight visits. While it's certainly not inexpensive, this is frequently done in groups and that certainly helps defray the costs. The Asylum, to my understanding, is still currently under a contract which means that actual production companies cannot be accommodated. The facility also does not have heat at this time, though they are working on this issue and that may change in the future. I should note that they do occasionally have special events that may include productions - look under the events tab of their website for more info. They even had a Christmas event this past holiday season. I really respect what they're doing here and the fact they've been respectful to the cemetery within the area. There's also said to be unmarked graves. While The Asylum is being utilized for paranormal, the team behind all of this truly is respectful of historical buildings and that makes it all a little more special to me. I've been through Winchester, Indiana a couple times on fundraising events and, indeed, all of Randolph County is pretty sparse in terms of tourist options. However, you have the Randolph Inn where you can stay and enjoy yourself in a small, friendly county and this pretty remarkable setting where you never quite know what you'll encounter!

Had the pleasure of meeting both Dann and Ted during our visit. They were both some of the nicest…read morepeople I've ever met and had a fantastic time talking with them both. Both are very genuine and knowledgeable with a good sense of humor (especially Ted). The building is very active and becomes very alive at night, lots of moments that make you stop in your tracks. Thank you Ted and Dann for letting us spend the night and everyone please go support saving the old properties (Stop).