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Status: Former Sanatorium; Museum; Partially Abandoned; Partially Repurposed
Photo Courtesy of Pandorah (Paranormal Wasteland)
Please See Pandorah's Personal Experiences at this Location Below
History
In March 1909 the search began for land for the purpose of building a tuberculosis relocation center for the white population of the State (the sanatorium was a product of its time – when segregation was a reality it only accepted white patients – everyone else went to the sanatorium in Alexander). The land south of Boonville was found suitable and construction began on the first building.
In 1924 the Mason’s built a children’s ward and followed in 1927 with an on-site school. Construction was not begun on building that most people think of as representing the sanatorium (photo above) until 1938.
The 528-foot 5 story Nyberg Building was named after State Representative Leo Nyberg who contracted tuberculosis. The building was completed in 1941 – unfortunately, Mr Nyberg had succumbed to the disease before then.
At its height the sanatorium had more patients than the population of Boonville and was completely self-sufficient with staff dormitories, a farm, telephone exchange and a fire department. The facility was known worldwide for its work on the treatment of tuberculosis and reducing its communicability.
With the invention of new drugs and treatment plans the number of patients began to drop. In 1971 the State ended the sanatorium as an independent entity and passed ownership to the Department of Health. In 1973 the Health Department transferred out the last patients and officially closed the sanatorium on June 30 of that year.
The facility was transferred to the Department of Mental Retardation (again a product of the time) and the first floor was converted over to treatment of developmentally disabled children which it remains today.
Paranormal Activity
Over 70,000 people were treated at the sanatorium before it was closed; tuberculosis had an average fatality rate of 30%; the math is easy to do – approximately 21,000 patients died on site. There’s bound to be a few ghosts trapped within the walls of the Nyberg building – considered to be the most haunted - or on rest of the massive and mostly abandoned site.
The ghost of a little girl on the third floor of the Nyberg building is the most commonly seen apparition. Reports indicate she appears as if she’s lost and rather sad. Considering children with tuberculosis were taken from their parents and brought to a sanatorium where no one could visit them, for fear of getting the disease, the girl has many reasons to look lost and sad.
Many paranormal investigators bring toys for her which can be seen on the otherwise deserted third floor.
The apparition of a gray lady dressed in an early 1900’s nursing uniform is seen. She is only seen in the evening hours though.
Ghostly faces watching out of the bare windows. Apparitions of groups of children playing together. People report having their hair pulled and being touched, pinched and pushed.
Other Activity: Shadow figures; bright flashing lights have been in many of the abandoned buildings; disembodied voices; phantom sounds; cold spots; mysterious mists; light anomalies and feelings of being watched, not being wanted and not being alone.
Pandorah from Paranormal Wasteland (Oklahoma Manager) Personal Experiences
Booneville Sanatorium is, in my opinion, undoubtedly haunted. I have recorded children’s laughter in the basement while there were no children anywhere near the building. We experienced a huge bang that shook the walls, yet the only people who heard and felt it were on the third floor. We have an actual image of a hand reaching out of the doorway with no person actually in the room. We had very intelligent responses with the spirit box, and we even got names and dates from this device. The energy on the fourth floor was very foreboding, and a crawler is said to roam the halls. Most of the evidence and experiences were of the audible variety.