Chicagoist: Michael Reese Hospital, Then and Now

morganparkist

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:01:33 -0600

"this is a really interesting sub-culture -- the urban explorer/photographer. i was just in an abandoned hospital attached to the police department (!!!) in gary, IN last weekend to take photos. it was my first time going exploring, and i went with someone who's been going for awhile. it was fun and scary and exciting and weird and aaah!" I'd love to see those pictures. The pictures from Michael Reese were like looking into a time machine.

smussy

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:15:04 -0600

this is a really interesting sub-culture -- the urban explorer/photographer. i was just in an abandoned hospital attached to the police department (!!!) in gary, IN last weekend to take photos. it was my first time going exploring, and i went with someone who's been going for awhile. it was fun and scary and exciting and weird and aaah!

dj_skilz

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:50:48 -0600

There are a ton of great photos via Flickr of its current state. It is really interesting how much equipment was not removed. Anyone want to wrangle up a junk truck, and fire up the ebay account?

Ward Up

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 17:22:14 -0600

I worked part-time at Michael Reese in the early 2000's. My nickname for it was "The Haunted House." It was already mostly empty. And huge, with endless corridors and rickety 1950's-era furniture, and pictures of bow-tied Michael Reese physicians of the 1920's on the walls. I remember tip-toing across one of the bridges between the buildings. There had been a burst water pipe--pipes were always bursting--and there was an unintentional stream on the bridge, which was on a slight incline. It was like a bit of nature inside the hospital.