Central State Hospital Campus Self-Guided Driving Tour

ABOUT

Since its founding in 1842, the Central State Hospital Campus (originally known as the Georgia State Lunatic, Idiot, and Epileptic Asylum) has been one of Milledgeville’s most well known and complex sites. The site gained national recognition during the 1960s as the United States’ largest mental institution with over 12,000 patients, 6,000 employees, and more than 8,000 acres of land. Today, Central State Hospital serves over 200 existing patients and has downsized to roughly 2,000 acres of land.

The Central State Hospital Campus Driving Tour is a self-guided driving tour that highlights the historic buildings of the campus and mentions important people from CSH past as well as the significance of certain periods in the Hospital's history. To take the tour, follow the maps contained in the brochure and scan the QR codes with your phone to receive narration about each stop. Brochures are available for pick up at the Visitor's Information Center, 200 West Hancock Street, and the Just Imagine Cottage, 95 Depot Circle Drive, on the campus grounds.

The campus is active throughout the year with various experiences available throughout the grounds. Just a short trip from Atlanta, here are six can’t miss opportunities to explore the former Central State Hospital Campus further.