Norwich State Hospital From the Road | Annual Route 12 Walk | June 2026

Every year I walk Route 12 along the former Norwich State Hospital campus, taking in the full scope of the grounds from the main road as it passes through both Preston and Norwich, Connecticut — split right down the middle by the town line. This is not an urban exploration video. I stayed on Route 12 and only briefly stepped onto publicly accessible areas. This is a wide-scope look at what remains of one of New England's most significant — and now most deteriorated — abandoned institutional campuses, observed the way most people actually encounter it: from the road. Originally established as the Norwich State Hospital for the Insane, the facility opened in October 1904 on land along the Thames River donated by the city of Norwich. What started with a single building and 95 patients eventually grew into a self-sufficient campus of over twenty buildings by 1930, housing more than 2,200 patients at its peak — complete with its own farm, bakery, power plant, theater, and staff housing. The hospital closed October 10, 1996. Coming back year after year, the change is visible and sobering. What were once immaculate, well-kept grounds are now heavily overgrown, with dying trees and an atmosphere that genuinely feels post-apocalyptic. Watching it decay incrementally over annual visits gives you a perspective that a single visit simply can't. Filmed with a DJI Osmo Pocket 3 | Audio via Sanken COS-11D Lavalier Mic One factual flag worth knowing: The "immaculate grounds" claim is historically well-supported — particularly during the tenure of superintendent Dr. Ronald Kettle (1948–1966), when humane treatment and campus upkeep were formal institutional priorities. That's a strong on-camera talking point if you want to contrast past and present. #NorwichStateHospital #Preston #NorwichCT #Connecticut #AbandonedPlaces #Route12 #NewEngland #ConnecticutHistory #AbandonedAsylum #DJIOsmoPocket3 #Connecticut2026 #MentalHealthHistory #UrbanExploration #Urbex #ConnecticutExploration