Metropolitan State Hospital
The Portal - Metropolitan State Hospital. Lexington, MA. 2018
I explored my first abandoned mental hospital on a third date. His name was Luke- fearless, camera in hand, and already familiar with every hallway. I was nervous, of course. About him. About the place. About what we might find inside- ghosts, squatters, or maybe just ourselves.
It was a rare sunny day in Massachusetts. Outside, the trees were bright and the air was warm, but once we squeezed through a hole in the wall - a perfect little portal- the world shifted. Inside was shadow and silence. Cold air clung to the hospital’s bones, and yet light still found its way in, pouring through broken windows and attic vents, striping the floor like something holy.
There was one room I refused to enter. Luke didn’t push. Instead, he led me to a sun-filled space where the windows had long since shattered, letting summer rush in like a blessing. From the basement to the attic, I photographed with caution and awe. And when we finally climbed back out- back through that little hole in the wall- it felt like I was stepping out of Wonderland. That place changed me. I left with dirt on my Converse, photos on my camera, and just a little less fear in my chest.
