Urban Exploring: The Quad

Inside Kings Park Psychiatric Center Buildings 41,42,43

By Wander with Jill

October 27^th, 2015

The Kings Park Psychiatric Center was a former state-run psychiatric hospital located in Kings Park, New York. It operated from 1885 until 1996, when the State of New York closed the facility. Known by Locals as Kings Park, this hospital campus contained over 100 buildings, some of which were organized into groups that functioned together. Buildings 41, 42, and 43, were built in 1933 and were connected together to form a complex called Group 4, or more commonly, “The Quad“.

Buildings 41 and 43 are the same shape, symmetrical, and are built in such a way to allow the most light into all three buildings. Female geriatric patients were housed here. The dormitories were on the ends and the day rooms were in the middle with the octagon porches.

Building 42 is an X-shaped building that was centrally connected to the other two by it‘s four outermost points, and held four floors of kitchens and dining halls for the patients. The enclosures formed by 42 created two large courtyards in between the buildings, allowing sunlight to reach all of the wards.

My Perspective

We got in fairly easily through a broken window on the side of building 43. We walked the halls which led us to the center of building 42. At this point I could tell we were in the former kitchen and dining hall areas. Each floor was similar. This is also where I found the most beauty because the windows let in so much natural light which you can see in my photos.

The View from the roof of the quad was my favorite. Most of the doors were open or broken so we were able to get to each end of the buildings. A heavy graffiti presence was visible all over the roof and watching the sun go down was beautiful. Beautiful green vines were growing all over the exterior of the building, especially in the courtyard between the buildings. Building 93 was also visible in the distance from one of the ends of the roof.

Kings Park has too many buildings that Ive yet to explore or find my way into, so Im sure I will be back again soon. Remember to please subscribe to stay updated of my next adventure…