WESTLAND, Mich. – With Halloween less than a week away, Eloise Asylum in Westland is drawing huge crowds.
Eloise Asylum holds a lot of history — a history that a new group of people hopes to keep alive.
“It’s a good mix between entertainment and education,” said Sean Casey, the director of special events at Eloise Asylum.
The large brick structure, dating back to the 1800s, is hard to miss when driving down Michigan Avenue through Westland.
Casey added, “It grew over the years to the point where they actually had 10,000 patients, 2,000 staff members at its peak. They also had the tuberculosis ward. It was one of the largest psychiatric facilities in the country.”
The former hospital, known to house ghosts of former patients, has been scaring people for generations.
To lean into that fear, the asylum was turned into a haunted house five years ago.
“It’s a blessing to be able to use this building,” said Ray “Fid” Fiddler, haunt manager at Eloise Asylum. “It is such a big, beautiful building and all the history that surrounds it just adds to what we do inside of it.”
More than 120 staff members and trained scare actors bring nightmares to life.
Casey said, “It was creepy at first, but you get used to it. I’ve been in here day in and day out. It kind of feels like home in a way.”
Eloise Asylum is not just open during the spooky season.
Attractions like escape rooms, historic tours, and paranormal tours are open year-round.
The last day to experience the haunt at Eloise Asylum is Nov. 1.
To purchase tickets and see prices, you can visit their website here.