The Kings Park State Hospital in Kings Park, New York was first established in 1885 under the name of the Kings County Asylum. The hospital was built to relieve overcrowding of nearby New York City, and Long Island hospitals, and operated as a farm colony community where patients would work on the farm to support the hospital’s needs. Eventually, the hospital began suffering greatly from overcrowding by the 1920’s and 1930’s due to a rising population in New York City. By 1895, New York State took control of the property, renaming the hospital the Kings Park State Hospital. The surrounding town to the hospital, formally named “Indian Head” eventually adopted the town name “Kings Park” as the hospital began growing into much of the town’s land and population. The hospital, now suffering from the exact reason it was opened to begin with was needing expansion. The hospital had grown tremendously and lead to the campus possessing over 100 buildings, including infirmary buildings (such as the famous 13 story bldg 93), medical buildings, recreational buildings, staff dormitories, administrative buildings, industrial buildings, and many more. Plus, the hospital had fields around the grounds, and water access for patients and staff to utilize when necessary. At the hospital’s peak, it housed over 9,000 patients, making it one of the most populated hospitals in the area. Many of the buildings on campus were connected by underground tunnels to transmit steam throughout the hospital campus, and the tunnels were built to be walkable for maintenance to easily access buildings, and access the steam pipes. By this point, the idea of a “farm colony” had faded away, and Kings Park operated under treatments such as electroshock therapy, and the lobotomy, which was developed by neuropsychiatrist Walter Freeman. By the late 80’s/ early 90’s, the hospital, more recently known as the Kings Park Psychiatric Center, was declining, similarly to many other state mental institutions at the time. As psychotropic drugs such as thorazine came into play, many of the basic attributes of state mental institutions became less and less prevalent. As patient numbers declined, buildings were closing down, and the majority of Kings Park’s largest building (building 93) was vacant with only the first three floors being used. In 1996, The Kings Park Psychiatric Center closed permanently along with the nearby Central Islip Psychiatric Center. And the remaining patients from each hospital were either transferred to the nearby still operational Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, or discharged back onto the streets. Since 1996, the Kings Park State Hospital buildings have been left vacant with many proposals for the property coming and going, however the issue of asbestos abatement had placed a huge setback on redeveloping the property. In 2000, a portion of the property that sits waterfront was opened to the public as the Nissequogue River State Park, which led to the entirety of the former Kings Park State Hospital property to become a part of the state park. It didn’t take long for locals, urban explorers, ghost hunters, and graffiti artists to make their way into the abandoned and decaying buildings, leading the rise of vandalism to the historic structures to begin. Now, the Kings Park State Hospital buildings sit abandoned with the grounds being open to the public for anybody to visit. While the state’s goal was to keep the majority of the buildings as historic landmarks for people to view from outside, this has intensely escalated with flocks of people traveling from across country and across the world to visit this historic property, and to break through the fences to get a look of the inside. Many fires have been set by vandals in the buildings, windows have been smashed, walls have been covered in graffiti, fireworks have been set off, and many other acts of disturbance have taken place around the abandoned buildings, creating and uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous environment for locals visiting for a daily walk around the park. Park Police, and Town Police have attempted to put an end to this issue by patrolling the touristy property looking for trouble. However, due to the size of the property, and the amount of trespassers breaking into the dilapidated buildings, it is hard for police to keep people out. Plus, many adventurers have discovered the old underground tunnels that lead to all different parts of the property. The former Kings Park State Hospital remains abandoned, but it is seen as a staple of an important era of mental health history, and many locals who walk the grounds remember the community which the hospital once created in it’s day.