Brighton Asylum in New Jersey, once a facility for mentally unstable patients, is now a top haunted attraction featuring escape games and intense interactive experiences.
Wondering about Brighton Asylum history? The story goes like this ... "Brighton’s industrial complex, a series of old and decrepit warehouses, was used for housing mentally unstable and psychologically damaged individuals back in the mid-1940s. Many of these patients were violent and needed to be isolated for staff and patient protection. The most violent patients were housed in the main central building, most commonly referred to as Brighton Asylum." If this sounds like one of the scariest places in New Jersey, it definitely is. Let's explore this further.
According to the asylum's website...
"Minimal risk patients were housed in building B, located adjacent to Brighton Asylum. A beneath-ground service tunnel spans the full length of the complex which allows staff to travel from outside, to any building within the complex, without having to pass through the high risk and centrally located Brighton Asylum unless needed. This tunnel was also used for medical deliveries to other buildings, and to keep prying eyes of the public away from seeing what was going on inside."
And then, there are the "bleeding grounds," an integral part of this building's history.
"On the second floor is the staff quarters, where most of the resident staff lived while on duty. The quarters were home to many nurses, doctors, orderlies, administrators, in-house lab technicians, and more. There were rumors of bizarre gatherings, parties, even experiments taking place in these Victorian-style quarters sitting quietly above the more heavily populated Brighton Asylum. In fact, such horrific acts were reported to have taken place there, that the quarters were eventually dubbed, "The Bleeding Grounds."
I can't imagine something so horrific...
"Years of extremely harsh living conditions, grotesque medical experiments, staff disappearances, and screams spilling into the residential areas during the night resulted in the state permanently closing the facility in 1952 pending a full investigation. No such results of an investigation can be found to date." This sure is starting to sound like it's one of the scariest places in New Jersey to visit.
There is no doubt that you'll be petrified at one of the most haunted houses in NJ.
"After 59 years of sitting unexposed, decaying, and cut off from the public, the asylum reopened in 2011 as a haunted attraction. Its creaky doors were open once again, and ever since, thousands of people have been exploring its hallways and rooms where hundreds of patients lost their minds. The many unthinkable events that took place between the mid-1940s and 1952 are still waiting to be fully uncovered."
What can you expect when you visit?
Restless spirits still reside in the series of warehouses and underground tunnels used to transport the patients. It's almost as if the buildings themselves are alive, revealing the past to those who enter ... transporting visitors to a time when deranged psychopaths wandered the halls. Of course, we know that the patients are just actors, but that doesn't make the experience any less frightening, considering the true story of Brighton Asylum.
You can even customize your nightmare ... I mean, experience!
The asylum itself is the main attraction here, featuring mind-blowing special effects and massive moving sets. The Today Show called it "The Scariest Place On Earth" and it consistently ranks among the top haunted attractions in the United States.But there's more! The asylum now offers challenging escape games. Imagine being locked up in this petrifying place, with only your wits to help you escape. Will you make it out alive? Perhaps you'll go insane in the process. Use your brain, before you lose it.
Looking for something EVEN MORE intense?
This haunted house now offers contact options every night. The rules are simple: Accept a FREE red glow necklace at the entrance, secure it around your neck, and this will signal to all the creatures within that you submit to actual physical contact within the dark realms of the asylum. You are within complete control of the experience. If at any time you want the physical contact to stop, just discard the necklace. You must be wearing the necklace around your neck for physical contact to take place. During the "Contact" opt-in, you may be subjected, but not limited to, the following: forced separation from your group or path, simulated abduction, physical contact, contact with water, crawling, physically being picked up, etcetera. Sound scary? It is! Luckily, it's easy to opt out of one of the most haunted houses in New Jersey.
For a quick preview from a few years back, watch the video below. But be warned, it is definitively disturbing.
Are you ready to be paralyzed by fear? Learn more about the Brighton Asylum haunted house in New Jersey by visiting its website.
What do you think about this Brighton Asylum history? What's your favorite haunted attraction in New Jersey? Tell us in the comments!
Few events in the world top the level of terror you will experience here, and the unique escape room and interactive attractions only add to the fun. For true tales of terror (if you believe in them), check out this post on the Pine Barrens. For even more fun things to do during the creepy season, we recommend cruising through all of the many offerings on Airbnb Experiences.