Traverse City State Hospital & the Hippie Tree

Although it ceased operations as a mental hospital in 1989, the historic Traverse City State Hospital continues to serve the local community. Since being saved from demolition, the old hospital and grounds have been transformed into a series of shops, restaurants, and apartments. Of course, legends and stories of paranormal encounters surround the old asylum, including the fascinating and disturbing legend of the “Hippie Tree” located on the hospital’s grounds. Today you can explore the shops, grab lunch, and wander about the grounds of what was once Michigan’s premier mental hospital.

History

Traverse City, Michigan has its origins in the late 1840s when the first permanent American settlement was established along the Boardman River near the west arm of Grand Traverse Bay. One of the first structures built was a sawmill near the mouth of the river, which was purchased by Perry Hannah (known as the father of Traverse City) in 1851. Hannah expanded the local timber industry and the town grew rapidly. Unfortunately, the 1870s saw a steep decline in timber resources and Hannah realized the town needed to find a new source of employment. When he learned that the state of Michigan was looking for a location to build a third state hospital, which would create hundreds of jobs, Hannah used his political influence to lobby to have it built in Traverse City (he won the bid in 1881).

In 1882, Detroit architect Gordon W. Lloyd was picked to design an asylum for Northern Michigan and construction began in April 1883. Although most of the construction was completed with hand tools, the massive hospital was completed in less than three years. In 1885, the Northern Michigan Asylum (also known as the Traverse City State Hospital) in Traverse City, Michigan opened and received its first patients in November of that year. It was built in accordance with the Kirkbride plan, which was designed to facilitate a mental hospital’s administrative and treatment needs.

The patient population quickly increased in the early years of the hospital, especially because it served 39 counties of Northern Michigan. By the 1890s, a “Colony System” was created to facilitate the increased population, which consisted of individual cottages to house patients. The hospital distinctly segregated its patients by gender as well as by severity of illness.

Under the supervision of founding medical Superintendent Dr. James Decker Munson, the hospital pursued a very unique form of patient care centered around a philosophy known as “beauty is therapy.” Instead of using physical restraints (such as straitjackets) and more violent forms of patient “care,” the hospital relied on the surrounding pastoral environment (and hundreds of acres of gardens and farmland) to uplift the mental and emotional state of the patients. Fresh flowers, natural light, and inspirational artwork were utilized in hopes that the patients would be more relaxed and eventually, healed of their afflictions.

As drug therapies developed and patients were moved to smaller group homes in the mid-20th century, there was no longer a need for sprawling psychiatric hospitals like Traverse City State Hospital and it closed in 1989. After being abandoned for over a decade, the hospital was saved thanks to Ray Minervini and his team, who developed a new vision for the campus in the early 2000s. This vision transformed the old hospital grounds into a series of restaurants, shops, and residential spaces known as the Village at Grand Traverse Commons.

Hauntings & Legends

The old Traverse City State Hospital is considered one of the most haunted places in the state of Michigan. Many visitors have reported hearing disembodied voices and footsteps, seeing lights flickering on and off in unwired buildings, or feeling a cold presence. In extreme cases, visitors have been overcome with nausea and dizziness. There have even been construction workers that have reportedly been so spooked from seeing phantom figures that they refuse to return to work at the hospital. Like any haunted place (especially an old insane asylum), there is a fair share of legends and stories that range from the terrifying to the comically farfetched.

One story is of a doctor who was employed at the hospital who murdered multiple patients over the years as well as a nurse or two. Another is about the hospital chaplain, who was driven mad to the point of hanging himself in the chapel. Other dark legends involve the web of underground tunnels beneath the hospital, which seem to permeate an aura of mystery (they can be seen on a guided tour). Perhaps the most well-known legend about the Traverse City State Hospital is tucked away in the secluded woods behind the hospital: the Hippie Tree.

Local legend says that spiritual conjurers and visionaries (often called “hippies”) would gather and meditate at the base of a massive tree in the woods near the asylum. Through these transcendental experiences at the tree, these “hippies” would be inspired to paint the surrounding limbs with all manners of colors and patterns. Today, this legend has transpired into locals and visitors alike unleashing their own forms of artistic expression upon the twisting limbs of the downed “hippie tree.”

A much more sinister legend persists about the hippie tree: that it is in fact a portal to hell. This portal can be accessed when one walks a very particular pattern around the tree, yet nobody knows that exact pattern (one would think that if someone did figure it out, they would be transported to hell without a trace!). Regardless of the truth behind the hippie tree, one thing is clear: a visit to the mystical spot provides an enchanting experience sparked by the wondrous blend of nature and artwork.

Our Visit & Recommendations

If you are ever visiting Traverse City, then you must stop by the Village at Grand Traverse Commons (830 Cottageview Dr #101, Traverse City, MI 49684). The hospital and grounds have been renewed and urbanized, yet retain the unique architecture and late 19th-century charm. Our visit was with my sister Jessica and her husband Tyler during a trip to Traverse City. We decided to grab brunch one morning at the Red Spire Brunch House, which is located in the “Mercato” Marketplace in the original Building 50.

With well over 300,000 square feet, historic building 50 boasts numerous local shops, boutiques, and eateries. It was fascinating to wander the seemingly endless halls of the old hospital; however, it is even more interesting to think what it looked like when it was an active hospital (there are historic pictures from the early 1900s around the building that give you some sense of what it was like).

The gift shop located in the commons is a great spot to grab a souvenir, some drinks (they sell a wide variety of alcohol there), and where you can purchase tickets for a guided tour of the building and tunnels underneath (they were unfortunately sold out of the tickets for the day we were there). Next we decided to walk around the grounds, especially since there are still many abandoned buildings that have not yet been remodeled.

Located just behind building 50 are multiple original structures that lie in arrested decay, including the old power plant. These buildings cannot be explored internally (they are incredibly dangerous), but it was neat to walk around. It is clear that these abandoned buildings will be remodeled one-by-one to make the most of the old hospital.

Before leaving we set out to find the infamous hippie tree. Located on Red Drive near the back of the grounds (at lat/long: 44.7518N, 85.6465W) is the Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area, which has ample parking and the trail head that will take you back to the hippie tree. Since it is not an official site, there are no distinct signs that will guide you; however, there are blue arrows painted onto branches, bushes, and tree trunks that you can follow to the hippie tree (after approximately 1/4 mile walk, take a right up the rise and the tree will be on your left).

The Hippie Tree and surrounding area is one of the most interesting places I have ever visited- and pictures certainly do not do it justice. We climbed over, crawled under, and explored the bright colored branches and bushes that make up the fascinating public artwork. Despite the dark and brooding legend that surrounds the tree, it is a family-friendly place to explore (there was a family with a few young kids climbing around when we visited).

Legacy

State mental hospitals were once the premier institutions in the United States dedicated to psychiatric care. In the 1950s, these long-term medical facilities housed nearly 1/2 million patients; however, advancements in medical and psychiatric care led to the closure of them all by the 1990s and early 2000s. Today, numerous state hospitals still stand- many are abandoned, some are museums, and a few have been repurposed to serve the community. Even in my hometown there is an abandoned state hospital that we used to explore as kids.

The restoration of the Traverse City State Hospital is an important step in remembering and preserving the history of American psychiatry. Beyond the beautiful 19th-century architecture is a remarkable story about the development of medical care, the passionate doctors, and the patients themselves.