Blackwell Island: New York's 19th Century Madhouse

Tonight, author Stacy Horn returns to take us deep inside one of the most chilling institutions in American history—Blackwell’s Island. Once hailed as a visionary experiment in humane care, it quickly devolved into a hellscape of madness, misery, and corruption.

In her haunting book Damnation Island: Poor, Sick, Mad and Criminal in 19th Century New York, Horn exposes the nightmarish reality behind the asylum walls—where the sick were abandoned, the poor punished, and the so-called insane subjected to unspeakable horrors. With voices lifted from long-buried archives, she brings to life the forgotten souls who endured it, and the few who dared to speak out, including the fearless Nellie Bly and a tormented reverend caught between compassion and chaos.

This is not just a history—it’s a descent into the shadows of a society that chose to look away.

🕯️ Become a Mysterian — Unlock What’s Meant to Stay Hidden

You’ve heard the whispers. Now, follow them into the dark…

Join our exclusive Patreon community and become a Mysterian—a truth-seeker devoted to uncovering the world’s most astonishing and suppressed secrets. As a member, you’ll gain access to a vault of hidden knowledge and unfiltered truth that few will ever see.

🔓 As a Mysterian, you’ll receive:

• Ad-free episodes so nothing interrupts your descent into the unknown
• Bonus shows buried too deep for the public
• A rare and growing collection of declassified case files, vintage paranormal magazines, and obscure books
• Access to archived episodes covering jaw-dropping encounters with the paranormal, conspiracies, alien abductions, ancient civilizations, and true crime cases they don’t want you to hear
• Eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot sightings, mysterious disappearances, and unexplained phenomena from around the globe

This is more than a membership—it’s a calling.

Step into the shadows. Lift the veil. We are many, we are Mysterian.
Become a Mysterian today.   

Get the ultimate experience and easy access to everything from the Patreon app!

Download Patreon for IOS 

Download Patreon for Android

Follow Our Other Shows
Follow UFO Witnesses
Follow Crime Watch Weekly
Follow Paranormal Fears
Follow Seven: Disturbing Chronicle Stories