Welcome to the haunting realm of Forest Haven, a mental asylum that conceals a dark past shrouded in misery and despair. Once known as a sanctuary for the troubled minds of society, it devolved into a nightmarish prison, where the so-called “undesirable citizens” found themselves subjected to cruel and inhumane treatments.

At first glance, Forest Haven presents an imposing facade, with towering brick walls and an elegant belltower that hints at a bygone era. Yet, as one delves deeper into its history, the remnants of a brutal past become disturbingly evident, mirroring the grim reality within its walls.

The asylum’s descent into madness is vividly depicted by the severe overcrowding that plagued its corridors. Patients, once afforded private rooms, were now crammed into shared bedrooms with five to six others, a testament to the institution’s callous disregard for individual dignity. A lack of beds and heating left occupants to endure the bitter cold, and those deemed unruly found themselves confined to open hall cages, a heartless measure to maintain order and free up space for less troublesome individuals.

Overwhelmed and outnumbered, the staff at Forest Haven struggled to maintain control, leading to chaotic scenes within the asylum’s halls. Squalor pervaded the facilities, with torn wallpaper and grimy, dusty furniture bearing witness to the neglect that enveloped both the physical space and its inhabitants. Patients roamed freely, left to their own devices in an environment bereft of supervision and care.

The decline in sanitation and patient well-being reached a new nadir with the emergence of an experimental lobotomy laboratory, a grim creation led by the infamous Edward Van Sloan. Within the asylum’s walls, Sloan implemented his barbaric “ice pick” method, thrusting a thin rod into the patient’s eye socket and using a hammer to sever connective tissue in the brain’s prefrontal cortex. This horrific practice further underscored the depths of Forest Haven’s descent into darkness.