Entry No. 22 — the Columbus file — filed under: haunted
State of Ohio Asylum for the Insane Cemetery
Tucked away behind the City of Columbus Police Aviation complex, this deeply somber, forgotten cemetery is the burial ground for unclaimed patients of the former Columbus State Hospital. While a few headstones bear names, the vast majority of the graves are marked only with small, brick-sized stones displaying a patient number and an 'M' or 'F' (for male or female), alongside two chilling markers engraved simply with the word 'SPECIMENS.'
The story
Tucked away behind the City of Columbus Police Aviation complex on West Broad Street sits a quiet, fenced field that looks unremarkable until you step onto the grass. This is the burial site for unclaimed patients of the former Columbus State Hospital—a massive 19th-century psychiatric facility built in 1877 on 300 acres in Hilltop. Designed in the Kirkbride architectural style to hold 850 patients, the hospital suffered severe overcrowding, holding nearly 3,000 residents by 1935, before the main structure was eventually demolished in the late 1990s.
When patients died without living family or financial resources for a private funeral, the state buried them here in anonymous rows. While a small cluster of headstones near the front gate bear actual names and dates, the overwhelming majority of the graves are marked only by small concrete blocks no larger than a house brick. Engraved into each block is a simple patient identification number alongside an 'M' or 'F'—stripping away identity and reducing lives to hospital ledger entries.
The most unsettling details in the entire plot are two unassuming markers engraved simply with the word 'SPECIMENS.' These mark the resting place for anatomical parts and tissue samples preserved for medical study and pathology at the hospital before eventually being buried. It is a chilling physical artifact of early psychiatric care sitting in the shadow of modern municipal buildings.
What it's like
Finding the cemetery requires driving behind the municipal buildings at 2130 West Broad Street toward the police helicopter pad, where a black metal perimeter fence surrounds the plot. From a distance, the property appears to be an empty lawn because the brick-sized markers are sunk level with or slightly below the sod—you will only spot the numbers when looking straight down at your feet. Visit during daylight hours, wear sturdy closed-toe shoes to handle high grass and ticks, and bring a keen eye to locate the two 'SPECIMENS' stones near the quiet walking paths. Because the site sits directly adjacent to active police operations, keep your visit respectful, low-profile, and strictly restricted to daylight.
The move: Walk the quiet, overgrown paths during daylight to find the two infamous, deeply unsettling 'SPECIMENS' headstones, reflecting on the tragic, anonymous history of early psychiatric care.
- 📍 Hilltop
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Behind 2130 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43223
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery — Pair this with a visit to another heavily forgotten 19th-century burial ground located just down the road in Hilltop.
- WitchLab — Balance the heavy, stark quiet of the patient graves with a short drive to Franklinton's massive oddities and occult shop.
- Green Lawn Cemetery (Hayden Mausoleum) — Compare the stark, numbered markers of unclaimed state wards with the extravagant, decaying mausoleums of Columbus's 19th-century elite.
- Sotto Terra at The Sanctuary — Shift from a somber daylight cemetery walk to drinks inside a gothic speakeasy set in the basement of a historic former church.
Good to know
Where is the cemetery located and how do you reach it?
It is located in Hilltop directly behind the City of Columbus Police Aviation facility at 2130 W Broad Street. You can walk up to the fenced cemetery perimeter via the access road behind the police complex.
Why do most headstones only have numbers and 'M' or 'F'?
The cemetery served as the burial plot for patients who died at Columbus State Hospital without family or funds to claim their bodies. The state marked their graves using low-cost brick stones bearing only their internal patient serial number and gender.
What do the 'SPECIMENS' headstones mean?
The two markers engraved with 'SPECIMENS' mark burials containing preserved human tissue, organs, and anatomical remnants retained by hospital staff for medical research and pathology before being buried.
When is the cemetery open to visitors?
The grounds are accessible during daylight hours. Because the site shares property lines with an active city police aviation facility, visits should be conducted during daytime and kept quiet.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: news.wosu.org · visualohio.com · thedaintysquid.com · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21