Western New York Asylum Offers 3-Hour Psych Hold Ghost Hunts

Western New York has a former poorhouse that sells tickets to anyone willing to walk its dark halls. Rolling Hills Asylum sits in East Bethany, about 45 minutes from both Buffalo and Rochester, and it is tied to more than 1,700 documented deaths.

If you're planning a spooky road trip this fall, this is a stop worth building a day around. You can spend three hours inside on what the asylum calls a Psych Hold, and it is one of the few places where that phrase is a ticket and not a diagnosis.

Rolling Hills Asylum History in East Bethany, NY Starts in 1827

The property opened in 1827 as the Genesee County Poor House. The county used it to care for people who were mentally or physically disabled, poor, widowed, or orphaned, and it could house 150 to 200 residents at a time for as little as $1.08 a week. Residents who could work kept the grounds running to keep costs down.

Basically, anyone who couldn't take care of themselves for one reason or another ended up there. The county built the Genesee County Infirmary on the property in 1938 and renamed the facility the Genesee County Nursing Home in 1964. It closed in 1974.

East Bethany, NY Ghost Stories and Haunted Hot Spots

Staff list the Morgue, Shadow Hallway, the tunnel, and the Military Room among the property's most active areas. One of the best-known stories belongs to Roy, who was dropped off at the Genesee County Home at age 12 and stayed until he died at 62. According to Travel Channel, Roy had gigantism and stood over seven feet tall, and visitors still report seeing his huge shadow moving through the building.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Most Haunted Places in the Southern Tier of New York

Rolling Hills has been featured on Ghost Adventures, Ghost Hunters and Paranormal Challenge, along with an American Horror Story: Asylum webisode.

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Sharon Coyle Owns Rolling Hills Asylum in Genesee County

Sharon Coyle has owned the property since October 2009. Her bio on the asylum's site says she first came east from California in June 2008 for a Darkness Radio event and spent three nights there, including a meeting with Roy Crouse, the 7-foot-plus shadow man. When a call came in the spring of 2009 saying the asylum would close for good, she decided to buy it.

Coyle told WIVB that the asylum runs entirely on ticket sales, which help pay for maintenance and restoration. "The whole building is active," she said.

The property covers nearly 60,000 square feet, and the asylum says it is the only site in New York with two historical markers from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.

Rolling Hills Asylum Tickets, Ghost Hunts and Tours in October 2026

The Psych Hold is a three-hour self-guided ghost hunt. The September 12 session ran from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at $49 plus tax and sold out, so check the calendar for the next date.

If you would rather go in daylight, daytime self-guided tours run from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for $29 plus tax, with dates left on Oct. 24, 25, and 31.

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After dark on Friday, Oct. 23, a self-guided ghost hunt runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for $59 and from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. for $69. Dead Time runs from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, for $79. Check-in is at 12:45 a.m., so you have to leave home Friday night.

Guests must be 18 or older with a valid ID. Ages 14 to 17 can attend with a parent and pre-authorization at least five days ahead. Wear closed-toe, closed-heel shoes and dress warmly, because the building is not heated. All sales are final.

Browse the full schedule and buy tickets on the Rolling Hills Asylum event calendar.