I just recently I got back from pre-dawning a hospital that is in progress of being demolished in Chicago. I won't give much specifics, I feel the buildings are suffering enough with the demolition that I want to make the location suffer by more vandals as well. This would have to be one of if not the most depressing explore I've ever been on. The place used to be magnificent, an explorers dream, at least exterior was, the interior has always been rough, but was still spectacular. Almost everything was left behind after closure. Now, even the shell that remains no longer shines. It was still an amazing adventure, it surprisingly still contained medical machinery. Just a little disclaimer about the pictures, I am still getting used to my new camera but these are a lot better than my previous.

First an exterior shot.



I'll start off the interior with the more uplifting remnants.
























Here begin the more saddening pictures, I tried to avoid taking as much of these as possible.















I have to agree with the vandal here...



After this, I entered the building that was halfway through demolition. The only pictures I took here were of the pool, as it seems it will be gone very shortly, and it's always been one of my favorites.







Life uh... finds a way.



I'll conclude with some skyline photos.







It's very depressing to me when I see such a place as this fall to the hands of a crane. Especially when it is packed with history and memories.

EDIT: I know this probably seems melodramatic but seeing this place in its current state really hit me hard.

You had a great exploration opportunity and definitely cashed in with these pictures and I'm sure you have tons of stories to tell from the experience.

The hospital itself is definitely torn up.

I hate to see buildings demolished. But I think it's definitely good that you are making the most out of this limited opportunity. There was still a lot of cool stuff to see in your pictures and I enjoyed the set.

Great pics! I'm glad you got the iconic pool shot

Posted by S&J Explore I am still getting used to my new camera but these are a lot better than my previous.

There is something about shots like these that make me feel nostalgic, this is not a dig on your or your pics....but these kind of raw, blurry and messy shots remind me of when I first started and how eager and excited I was about exploring and then posting everything here right away.

Kind of like a smell or a song brings you back to a certain time....its pics like these that take me back to my early days of exploring!

Thanks for the tour!!!

Ah this place. When I was at school in the city, I would take the train up here and walk just to take a look at the demolition progress every week. I did this to inform my friends if this place was still standing. Sadly, we never got a chance to come up and explore this place.

It's sad to see it go because I've been craving to check out a hospital in Chicago but with the most popular one being converted into hotel and living and a lesser known one being converted to a retirement home, and then this one currently in demolition, I probably won't have a chance to do a hospital explore.

The pool is amazing! Also some other neat things to find like the chamber and helipad. I remember watching a video of some explorers go during the dead of winter and crawling on the 5 ft high frozen water in the basement. I would never do that!

They're really taking their time with this one...

Is picture #2 a decompression chamber?? Sure looks like it.

I have to agree with the OP, depressing to see a building like this get taken down.

Posted by Alpine7840 Is picture #2 a decompression chamber?? Sure looks like it. I have to agree with the OP, depressing to see a building like this get taken down.

It could be, but more likely a hyperbaric chamber where patients are receive treatment of oxygen at above atmospheric pressure. We have a couple of chambers here in Vegas. I don't know enough about them to say what ailments they treat or how effective they are. Still, really neat.

Abby Normal

Posted by jonrev They're really taking their time with this one...

They are, but now it starting to look like their getting their act together.

Posted by Freaktography There is something about shots like these that make me feel nostalgic, this is not a dig on your or your pics....but these kind of raw, blurry and messy shots remind me of when I first started and how eager and excited I was about exploring and then posting everything here right away. Kind of like a smell or a song brings you back to a certain time....its pics like these that take me back to my early days of exploring! Thanks for the tour!!!

You're completely right, these shots are unedited and multiple are blurry. And the reasoning you also got for the most part. I am fairly new to photographing my explores and I was overly excited at this place, but I also had to move quickly. We had to get out by a certain time, as the neighbors are a problem if they are awake when we are leaving.

Posted by TacoJosh Ah, this place. When I was at school in the city, I would take the train up here and walk just to take a look at the demolition progress every week. I did this to inform my friends if this place was still standing. Sadly, we never got a chance to come up and explore this place. It's sad to see it go because I've been craving to check out a hospital in Chicago but with the most popular one being converted into hotel and living and a lesser known one being converted to a retirement home, and then this one currently in demolition, I probably won't have a chance to do a hospital explore. The pool is amazing! Also, some other neat things to find like the chamber and helipad. I remember watching a video of some explorers go during the dead of winter and crawling on the 5 ft high frozen water in the basement. I would never do that!

Even in demolition, it was a sight to see! I really wanted to get to the helipad, but since I was pressed for time it was either that or the pool. Seeing as the pool will be gone first I went with that.

Everyone else, thanks for the comments! It's cool to see many similar thoughts.

Posted by S&J Explore You're completely right, these shots are unedited and multiple are blurry. And the reasoning you also got for the most part. I am fairly new to photographing my explores and I was overly excited at this place, but I also had to move quickly. We had to get out by a certain time, as the neighbors are a problem if they are awake when we are leaving.

Keep up the great work, it's never about the quality of pics but always about the experience!!!

Posted by Freaktography Keep up the great work, it's never about the quality of pics but always about the experience!!!

Thanks! I'm just getting used to a DSLR after using a point and shoot for a while. But you're absolutely right, it's all about the experience, which was, for the most part, great, despite the sad state of the buildings.

Nice shots! You made do with the lack of light.

I used to live down the street from here. It's amazing that it's lasted this long. This isn't the type of hood with abandoned buildings. It's really sad to see it go. It always gave the area a much needed sense of mystery.

Posted by triple_t Nice shots! You made do with the lack of light. I used to live down the street from here. It's amazing that it's lasted this long. This isn't the type of hood with abandoned buildings. It's really sad to see it go. It always gave the area a much-needed sense of mystery.

Yep, it's a really developed neighborhood, I guess that should have been a clue that this demolition wasn't too far away.

There was a reason that the hospital wasn't demolished sooner.

There was some sort of healthcare fraud and mismanagement there which led to the bankruptcy of the hospital, and that led to the closure of it. Many people were prosecuted for the mismanagement. The state has a law that enforces that hospitals must preserve medical records 10 years after a hospital closes. There was a lack of funding to preserve the records off-site so they left them in the hospital instead along with all the equipment.

Essentially the hospital could have been demolished years ago, but I guess the medical records was the huge problem. They weren't secured, scattered throughout the hospital, had confidential information in them and so on. I've seen a video of people looking through them and finding blood samples and urine samples. Crazy stuff.

Posted by TacoJosh There was a reason that the hospital wasn't demolished sooner. There was some sort of healthcare fraud and mismanagement there which led to the bankruptcy of the hospital, and that led to the closure of it. Many people were prosecuted for the mismanagement. The state has a law that enforces that hospitals must preserve medical records 10 years after a hospital closes. There was a lack of funding to preserve the records off-site so they left them in the hospital instead along with all the equipment. Essentially the hospital could have been demolished years ago, but I guess the medical records was the huge problem. They weren't secured, scattered throughout the hospital, had confidential information in them and so on. I've seen a video of people looking through them and finding blood samples and urine samples. Crazy stuff.

Yep, and the demo company had some problems paying the workers which caused them to go on strike and delay the demolition after it had begun.

Just went back to get some better shots, and to see the helipad. To my dismay, the pool is still intact but the stairs are not, making it almost completely inaccessible.
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Still some smaller type of patient records left behind.



If you know it you will realize why this is a cool find...



It seems this will be my last visit to this amazing location. Thank you for taking the time to view my poor pictures of this amazing place that really don't do it justice.