I was able to explore an interesting location recently…the abandoned SCI Cresson Prison near Altoona, Pennsylvania. The State closed down the Correctional Institution in 2013 and as of 2022, Big House Produce operates an indoor hydroponic farm in some of the old buildings.

Originally, a Tuberculosis Hospital operated here from 1913 - 1956. The hospital was then used as a Mental Institution until 1982. It’s a huge, sprawling property with dormitories, cell blocks, medical, school, auto tech, and a chapel. There are even tunnels snaking through the property connecting the buildings. Many of the original buildings are elaborate and built in a Tudor style. The prison was run here from 1987 - 2013.