The Asylum Guide to: Our Ghosts

Asylum Paintball is situated at the former site of the Kingseat Psychiatric Hospital in Auckland.  The site is allegedly one of the most haunted sites in All of New Zealand, and of course our neighbour is New Zealand’s most popular haunted attraction – Spookers! The property has even been the film set for a feature film – Compound.

The Hospital opened in 1929, and with initial building started  by patients of another nearby institution, coming into operation in 1932.  Fletchers built the nurses home (where Spookers is based) and additional rooms until the hospital housed up to 800 patients at its peak, treating everything from Mental illness to Alcoholism.  In the 1990s government policy shifts moved the treatment of the mentally ill into the community, causing the site to close in 1999.  Our buildings (Villas 10 & 16) have remained closed ever since (apart from for filming of an episode of Ghost Hunt in 2005 below) for almost 14 years.

There have been various claims of maltreatment, and with a former morgue on site, people have passed away – which leads to stories of ghosts, apparitions and hauntings on site.  Apparently more nurses passed away than patients, with the stress, physical and emotional demands, as well as different attitudes to mental health leading to suicide of staff working at the site.  A common apparition on the hospital grounds is that of a “Grey Nurse” which is claimed to be one former staff member who passed away on the site.

Other people report strange changes in temperature in rooms, sounds of phones and doorbells ringing when no one is there, movement of furniture, lights.  We haven’t seen anything strange yet, but have found some very spooky paintings in some of the rooms. Who knows what we will find when we start our night games.

You can check out the 2005 TV Show “Ghost Hunting” and its investigation into Kingseat Hospital (including our building) in the three videos below:

Ghost Hunting – Part 1

Ghost Hunting – Part 2

Ghost Hunting – Part 3

Find out more: 

Luckily New Zealand now has a more enlightened attitude to mental health issues. To learn more about mental health in New Zealand please visit the Mental Health Foundation Website.  To Read more about suicide prevention please visit the SPINZ website.