Gothic Day Trips: Seaside, Waterford, Connecticut

On the National Register of Historic Places, Seaside is, with the help of plenty of vandals, a decaying yet lovely piece of  early 20th Century architecture facing a beautiful white sandy beach on Long Island Sound. It was first used as a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, then a home for the elderly and finally a home for the mentally retarded. I'm sure many patients from all three incarnations have died there and there may be some rambling spirits residing in the abandoned buildings.

Paranormal investigators have examined the property and did find evidence of spirits in the buildings. Check out the video clips from investigations by Paranormal Encounters which prove that there is spiritual activity in the main building! 

I was there today and the place was crowded with beach goers even though it was late in the afternoon and, judging by the random positioning of the remaining cars in the parking lot and on the grass, many more people were sunning themselves there earlier in the day. The state of Connecticut owns the property and plans to convert it into a state park eventually. There's an extremely vigilant security guard driving around the grounds greeting visitors and stalking them mercilessly making sure they don't get withing 50 feet of the buildings. I imagine the state is trying to prevent any lawsuits from curious visitors cutting themselves on one of the many broken windows or impaling themselves on the rusty gates. I suppose getting too close to the buildings might put one in danger of being bopped in the head by a loose falling brick or roof shingle. 

Obviously, the state wants to prevent anyone from entering the building and being hurt or killed. There are signs posted that the park closes at sunset unless you're fishing. Apparently, people armed with a fishing pole are free to enter at any time. The place must be super creepy in the dark in the moonlight with the soft waves lapping and the spirits wandering.