Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Saturday, July 5th, 2008
Weston, WV - My trip to the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum (TALA) was a bit of a lengthy one. Not just the tour, but the drive was longer than expected, and since I had to be home at a reasonable hour this week, I felt crunched for time. I could have opted for the much more cost effective and shorter tour of the 1st floor, but since I got a bit lost on my way to my first intended site (I don’t want to talk about it) I felt I needed to make the most of my visit to TALA so I bought the overpriced tour and spent a good three hours hearing the history of one of the last standing asylums in the united states.
The TALA is a privately owned abandoned mental hospital, originally called the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Museum. By the time it closed it’s doors in the 90’s it had changed it’s name to Weston State Hospital, my assumption is when it was bought from the state the new owners knew what a marketing gem the original title was and so they’re now using it to it’s fullest extent. In fact if you visit they’re super-slick website you’ll notice that they’re playing up the whole insane asylum image, complete with hauntings. Don’t use the site as a barometer to experience their overall marketing, though. I’m pretty sure they blew the budget on it and have nothing left over for souvenirs or brochures, although you can purchase a t-shirt if you’d like.
