Towers Asylum in Leicester is said to be haunted by the spirits of its troubled past, with ghost sightings and chilling paranormal activity continuing even after its closure
Towers Asylum in Leicester may be empty now, but few who enter say it feels that way.
With reports of disembodied voices, cold blasts of air and unseen forces throwing objects across rooms, this former psychiatric hospital has earned a reputation as one of the most haunted buildings in the Midlands.
Some investigators claim at least 30 spirits remain inside.
Others do not make it through the asylum.
The sad history of Tower Asylum
Opened in 1869 as the Leicester Borough Lunatic Asylum, the hospital was built to house people with mental illness and neurological conditions.
Like many mental health faciltiies of the time, it promised treatment and care.
In reality, it often became a place of confinement.
Patients were kept for years, sometimes decades, under harsh and outdated medical routines.
Cold water therapy, chemical sedation and forced restraint were all used as standard treatments.
Those judged “too far gone” were often locked away in isolation.
Shackles were still fixed to the basement walls when the building was finally closed.
Overcrowding became a problem early on.
Designed for a few hundred, the asylum ended up housing thousands at its peak.
During the Second World War, it was used as an overflow hospital, adding to the pressure.
For many who were sent here, it was a one-way trip.
Despite reforms in mental health care, the hospital continued to operate well into the 21st century under various names.
It closed in 2013, ending nearly 150 years of operation.
But the building’s atmosphere, and its past, have not been forgotten.
What Haunts the Towers Hospital?
Over the years, countless paranormal groups have explored the Towers site, and few have come away empty-handed.
The reports are disturbingly consistent: the feeling of being watched, sudden temperature drops, doors slamming without explanation, and loud banging from empty rooms.
Some have seen mists drifting through hallways.
Others have heard groans, screams and footsteps echoing on floors above — even when the building is locked.
There are stories of shadows moving across the walls with no one to cast them.
More than one visitor has fled after seeing a figure standing motionless at the end of a hallway.
Heavy objects have been thrown across rooms, despite no one being nearby.
One particular hotspot is the old nurses’ quarters.
Several investigators have reported a dark figure pacing the corridor, only to vanish when approached.
Another is the basement, where remnants of old restraints still mark the walls — and where the air is said to feel thick and oppressive.
Some believe the hauntings are tied to the pain and neglect suffered by patients.
Others think something darker took hold here over the decades — something that still does not want to let go.
Can you visit Towers Asylum?
The site has been open in recent years for overnight paranormal investigations.
Reputable teams have documented their visits with audio and video recordings, though much of the activity remains unexplained.
At the time of writing, the asylum is undergoing redevelopment.
Developers plan to convert the property into housing.
Whether this will disturb the building’s ghostly residents is yet to be seen.
There are concerns, though — especially from those who have spent nights inside — that whatever walks those corridors will not be easy to displace.
For now, public access is limited.
But stories of hauntings continue to circulate, with many hoping the developers will preserve parts of the original site.
Not just for its architecture, but to remember the people who lived — and died — behind those thick stone walls.
Have you experienced strange phenomena at Towers Asylum or similar haunted site in the UK? Tell us in the comments section!
