Tips for Exploring Abandoned Buildings (Detroit, Wayne: home, school, live)

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

This site is amazing and documents the history of the entire area, which was known as the Wayne Country Training School: Wayne County Training School

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

We used to explore the Sheldon Center at 5 and Sheldon when we were were high school kids back in the late 90s. We would park at the strip mall at the corner and then walk across the street and duck in on the west side of Sheldon. This side was a series of abandoned buildings that used to be schools for mentally handicapped children. These were all connected to the tunnels. Across the street was the Sheldon Center (it had a sign out front) which was the more modern hospital. We used to go there at night when we REALLY wanted to terrify ourselves.

North of that were all of the abandoned buildings from the 50s. The only remnanat left is the psychiatric hospital on 7 Mile across from Rocky's that was the centerpiece of the Livonia/Northville annexation battle. I have heard that there are still lots of files, beds and other crazy stuff there. If I were younger and much dumber I might consider checking it out, though the Northville police are tired of busting people there and will really throw the book at you if they catch you trespassing there.

We got caught by the Northville police back in the day trespassing and I'll never forget it. The cop told us "You stay out of there. You don't belong here. Now go on and get your @ss out of town!" I always think about that when I drive by the million dollar homes that sit on those properties now. It used to be such a one-horse town!

When we left, everything stayed behind. There was no reason to take it, not like we moved to another facility. Some of the employees probably took a few mementos. I imagine some of the files could be very interesting. You never know who came through those doors and the stories they told.

[jonnynonos]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

We used to explore the Sheldon Center at 5 and Sheldon when we were were high school kids back in the late 90s. We would park at the strip mall at the corner and then walk across the street and duck in on the west side of Sheldon. This side was a series of abandoned buildings that used to be schools for mentally handicapped children. These were all connected to the tunnels. Across the street was the Sheldon Center (it had a sign out front) which was the more modern hospital. We used to go there at night when we REALLY wanted to terrify ourselves.

North of that were all of the abandoned buildings from the 50s. The only remnanat left is the psychiatric hospital on 7 Mile across from Rocky's that was the centerpiece of the Livonia/Northville annexation battle. I have heard that there are still lots of files, beds and other crazy stuff there. If I were younger and much dumber I might consider checking it out, though the Northville police are tired of busting people there and will really throw the book at you if they catch you trespassing there.

We got caught by the Northville police back in the day trespassing and I'll never forget it. The cop told us "You stay out of there. You don't belong here. Now go on and get your @ss out of town!" I always think about that when I drive by the million dollar homes that sit on those properties now. It used to be such a one-horse town!

Yeah, well, back in the day, the 80s and early-mid 90s, there was nothing between Plymouth and Northville down that road if you can believe it--nothing! It was all woods. None of those strip malls, not a single one of those houses... it was really country.

I never went down to the tunnels. I knew of a few kids that did but most of us would just walk around a building or two--in a pack.

Of course in the 80s, 90s everyone was scared of the occult and the rumors were that there was devil worship and stuff there. I once saw some pretty elaborate graffiti that made me think it wasn't all a rumor. Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe these people were successfully summoning the devil, but someone had gone to a lot of trouble to paint a very detailed/elaborate pentorgram--not just some kid spraypainting one in 10 seconds.

Of course it could have just been an Iron Maiden fan. Who knows. I only went back there a handful of times. Sometimes, I remember, you would run into other kids. It was very awkward.

From what I remember, though, the drug dealing going on was very real.

It's a good thing their gone.. and imagine how much the state/city/county whatever made on that property, now it's some of the most desirable property in Wayne/Oakland county.

Both Plymouth and Northville used to be far less sophisticated than they are now. They were really one horse towns. Both still bear elements of that in different ways.

A lot of longtime locals feel, though, that, if it had to go one way, yuppified or downscale, though, at least it went the right way.

Everything changes!

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

We used to explore the Sheldon Center at 5 and Sheldon when we were were high school kids back in the late 90s. We would park at the strip mall at the corner and then walk across the street and duck in on the west side of Sheldon. This side was a series of abandoned buildings that used to be schools for mentally handicapped children. These were all connected to the tunnels. Across the street was the Sheldon Center (it had a sign out front) which was the more modern hospital. We used to go there at night when we REALLY wanted to terrify ourselves.

North of that were all of the abandoned buildings from the 50s. The only remnanat left is the psychiatric hospital on 7 Mile across from Rocky's that was the centerpiece of the Livonia/Northville annexation battle. I have heard that there are still lots of files, beds and other crazy stuff there. If I were younger and much dumber I might consider checking it out, though the Northville police are tired of busting people there and will really throw the book at you if they catch you trespassing there.

We got caught by the Northville police back in the day trespassing and I'll never forget it. The cop told us "You stay out of there. You don't belong here. Now go on and get your @ss out of town!" I always think about that when I drive by the million dollar homes that sit on those properties now. It used to be such a one-horse town!

Could this be the place I (and others) explored years ago, which was accessible via a short path off of Edward Hines Drive?

[jonnynonos]

Yes it's right off Edward Hines.

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

When we left, everything stayed behind. There was no reason to take it, not like we moved to another facility. Some of the employees probably took a few mementos. I imagine some of the files could be very interesting. You never know who came through those doors and the stories they told.

Did you work there?

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

Yeah, well, back in the day, the 80s and early-mid 90s, there was nothing between Plymouth and Northville down that road if you can believe it--nothing! It was all woods. None of those strip malls, not a single one of those houses... it was really country.

I never went down to the tunnels. I knew of a few kids that did but most of us would just walk around a building or two--in a pack.

Of course in the 80s, 90s everyone was scared of the occult and the rumors were that there was devil worship and stuff there. I once saw some pretty elaborate graffiti that made me think it wasn't all a rumor. Now don't get me wrong, I don't believe these people were successfully summoning the devil, but someone had gone to a lot of trouble to paint a very detailed/elaborate pentorgram--not just some kid spraypainting one in 10 seconds.

Of course it could have just been an Iron Maiden fan. Who knows. I only went back there a handful of times. Sometimes, I remember, you would run into other kids. It was very awkward.

From what I remember, though, the drug dealing going on was very real.

It's a good thing their gone.. and imagine how much the state/city/county whatever made on that property, now it's some of the most desirable property in Wayne/Oakland county.

Both Plymouth and Northville used to be far less sophisticated than they are now. They were really one horse towns. Both still bear elements of that in different ways.

A lot of longtime locals feel, though, that, if it had to go one way, yuppified or downscale, though, at least it went the right way.

Everything changes!

It really is incredible when you think of what they turned that property into. I mean, at one point you had one city (Livonia) working with a developer who was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get the rights to a property that was essentially an abandoned hospital and acres of medical waste.

People can really lose their minds if they think a property has "gold" in it.

[jonnynonos]

Yeah well at one time at least there were a lot of factories right down there and it is right off the freeway. That gas station probably IS a gold mine for someone! I used to work down there and you'd see half the factory stopping for gas after work because there wasn't another one near it for miles and everyone had to gas up before getting on the freeway.

[cheezit34141988]

Been in the old Northville Psychiatric a few years ago...very neat.

There's a great website out there with hundreds of pictures from each of the buildings...we spent a good 6-7 hours in there one day.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Arthur Digby Sellers

Did you work there?

For awhile before transferring next door.