Agnews State Hospital Site

Originally known as "The Great Asylum for the Insane," Agnews State Hospital opened in 1888 to treat psychiatric patients. On April 18, 1906, the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake caused the main building to collapse, killing more than 100 patients and staff instantly. The rebuilt hospital operated until 2009. Today, the historic site is recognized as a hotbed for paranormal activity, with the remaining buildings now part of a tech campus.

Agnews State Hospital, originally known as "The Great Asylum for the Insane," was established in 1885 in what is now Santa Clara. The sprawling facility treated the mentally ill using methods that were often brutal by modern standards, including shock treatments that left lasting psychological trauma on both patients and the building itself.

Early in the morning on April 18, 1906, the Great Earthquake struck. In 47 terrifying seconds, the earth opened and closed, shifting the land on the eastern side sixteen feet to the north. The hospital's main building suffered catastrophic damage—the tower collapsed through all four floors and crashed into the basement between crumbling walls.

The death toll was staggering: 117 people, including 96 patients, were crushed when the walls caved in—the highest casualty count at any site in Santa Clara County. Bodies were buried on the grounds. Hundreds of surviving patients fled into the countryside, their escape creating panic among local residents who encountered the "insane persons" roaming freely.

The hospital was rebuilt in 1911 in Mission Revival style and continued operating as Agnews State Mental Hospital until 2009. But the spirits of those who died in the 1906 earthquake—and those who suffered within its walls—never left.

Staff reported continuous paranormal activity throughout the building's history. Showerheads turned on by themselves. Employees were choked and scratched by unseen hands. Refrigerators would violently empty their contents. Doors opened on their own. The campus was described as "the most dangerous and haunted location" in the area.

One particularly haunting photograph captured what investigators believe is the ghost of a little girl who died in the 1906 earthquake—translucent, wearing a dress, staring at a computer on a man's desk.

In 2003, Agnews was demolished to make way for the Sun Microsystems (now Oracle) Santa Clara Campus. The punk band Green Day filmed their music video for "Basket Case" at the abandoned hospital before it was torn down. Whether the spirits have transferred their presence to the tech offices built on their graves remains an open question—but those who work on the site sometimes report strange feelings, as if they are not quite alone.