Havenwood Apartments and the Ghosts of Oakwood Sanitarium

Mike Huberty • June 8, 2020
A black and white photo of a large building surrounded by trees

Lake Geneva Sanitarium


And when you think about a sanitarium, you think about some kind of dingy state-run facility with tiny prison cell-like rooms. Hellholes where poor souls are left to rot by uncaring staff. But the Lake Geneva sanitariums were more like country clubs. Instead of thinking of these places as some nightmarish bedlam though, try this on. Think of a rehab facility that Ben Affleck or Steven Tyler from Aerosmith would go to. Scenic lake views, and green sprawling grounds, are what these places were like. There was just as much of a high-class hotel as a hospital. On this property was the Oakwood Springs Retreat and Sanitarium, one of the most famous of the Lake Geneva sanitariums.



Opened in May of 1885, Oakwood was the dream of Oscar Augustus King, a groundbreaking physician who was a mixture of psychiatrist and neurologist. King even studied at the University of Vienna in Austria at almost the exact same time as the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud. Dr. King was a pioneer in the field and he led the Wisconsin legislature to pass the first bills regulating mental health treatment so that he could build his sanitarium here. These bills turned Wisconsin into the mental health capital of America, and no other state had as many sanitariums in the late Nineteenth Century as our Badger State. That could also be because Wisconsinites are crazier than most.

A black and white photo of a building with smoke coming out of it

His sanitarium showcased the most advanced psychological treatment in the world at the time. People paid up to $1500 a month to stay at Havenwood, and that's Nineteenth Century dollars, so they were getting the best treatment possible, which was certainly becoming more humane than in the past, but still a little medieval. In fact, one of the proudly advertised treatments was "hydrotherapy". Now, hydrotherapy doesn't sound that bad, in fact, it sounds like it might just involve hanging out in a hot tub until you feel better. But it wasn't quite as relaxing. Some patients could be wrapped up in towels like a mummy and then soaked in ice-cold water, others could be submerged for days, only let out to use the bathroom. It was cutting edge and better than the lobotomies or electroshock therapy of the 1940s and 50s, but it still wasn't very much fun.




However, they also treated some mental illnesses with marijuana here, so it couldn't have been that bad. And speaking of celebrities, it is a popular rumor that the famous actress Greta Garbo came here for treatment, but that would have been unusual. King died in 1921 and Garbo didn't leave Sweden for Hollywood until 1924. Oakwood was on the way out by that point, eventually closing during the Great Depression.

A gravestone in the shape of an open book

As an abandoned building and grounds, by the 1950s people were convinced that the site of Oakwood Springs was haunted. It became a place where local kids would sneak in, run around, and scare themselves. After all, it was literally an abandoned and creepy old "crazy house". The most popular story was that you could often hear screaming coming from the building, even when there was no one in it.




If you’ve ever played the game Dungeons & Dragons, one of the creators, Gary Gygax, used to run around Oakwood as a boy and was inspired by its spooky abandoned halls when he was later creating the dungeon crawls of his famous game.

A man wearing a hawaiian shirt has a name tag that says ' j.p. ' on it

Now, there is a particular hypothesis about hauntings called "the stone tape theory". It's the idea that  ghosts and hauntings are like tape recordings, and that electrical mental impressions released during emotional or traumatic events can somehow be stored in rocks or walls and then will replay under certain conditions. That's how old records work, you scrape a needle over a vinyl groove and you can hear the Beatles, could the same thing be happening under natural circumstances? People who are mentally ill are often under severe trauma, even if it's in their own heads, it's real pain to them. It doesn't mean the energy is dark or evil, a lot of times, but could that energy have been saved in its surroundings, to be played back every so often when the conditions are perfectly right?


Well, probably not at the Oakwood. The sanitarium was eventually razed in 1959. Havenwood Apartments was built over the property, but that hasn't stopped reports of weird sounds, footsteps, and yes, screams coming from the property. If these hauntings were just grooves in the walls, the walls aren't there anymore. The patients at Doctor King's sanitarium can sometimes still be heard in the halls of Havenwood over a hundred years later. Hopefully after death, they've been able to find some of the peace that they were denied in life. But with restless supernatural screams, it sounds like they still have a ways to go.


To learn more about the sanitariums of Lake Geneva, make sure to follow Sonja Akright's Lake Geneva Sanitariums Facebook Page.


For haunted history tours in Lake Geneva, please check out American Ghost Walks - Lake Geneva.




Uncover the Ghostly Secrets of Havenwood Apartments


Dare to discover the chilling echoes of Oakwood Springs Sanitarium, now hidden beneath the modern walls of Havenwood Apartments? Join our Lake Geneva ghost tour and journey into the famous haunted history of the sanitarium grounds. Step back in time to an era of eerie treatments, infamous patients, and whispers of spirits still lingering in the shadows. Whether you're a paranormal enthusiast, a history buff, or simply in search of a thrilling experience, our guided tour has something to intrigue everyone. Check our Lake Geneva ghost tour reviews on Google to see what others are saying about Us!

Don't miss the chance to explore the haunted past of Lake Geneva – reserve your tour today and step into the unknown!


Dive deeper into the mysterious world of hauntings with our curated collection of paranormal investigations and ghostly encounters. Read more stories like this in “Ghosts of Lake Geneva” by Rita Moore and R. Michael Huberty, a book of Lake Geneva ghost stories written by our own American Ghost Walks team. Click here for more.


Are you fascinated by the supernatural and craving more spine-tingling tales? Whether you're a skeptic seeking evidence or a believer looking for your next supernatural fix, "American Ghost Books" offers everything from historical haunted locations to firsthand accounts of paranormal experiences. Each book has been carefully selected to provide authentic, well-researched stories that will keep you turning pages well into the night. Don't let your curiosity about the supernatural remain unsatisfied – explore our collection and find your next ghostly adventure today! 


Uncover the haunting secrets of Wisconsin's most enchanting resort town with "Haunted Lake Geneva." This meticulously researched collection of supernatural tales takes you on a journey through the historic mansions, grand hotels, and shadowy shores of Geneva Lake. From the phantom footsteps echoing through the Baker House to the mysterious apparitions at the Maxwell Mansion, each page reveals a new layer of Lake Geneva's paranormal heritage. Perfect for both local history enthusiasts and ghost story lovers, this book combines carefully documented historical accounts with chilling firsthand experiences that will make you see this beloved vacation destination in an entirely new light. Whether you're a longtime resident or planning your first visit, these stories will forever change the way you experience Lake Geneva's historic downtown and lakeside paths.



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