Broughton Hospital

Posted: 04.11.2025 | Updated: 04.11.2025

Broughton Hospital, located in Morganton, North Carolina, has stood as a beacon of mental health care since its establishment in 1883. But is it also a source of eerie legends?

Originally named the Western North Carolina Insane Asylum, the hospital witnessed over a century of evolving treatments, patient struggles, and untold stories. Many are rumored to linger within its walls. While the facility continues to serve as a psychiatric hospital today, its rich history is steeped in tales of ghostly encounters.

For those drawn to the mysteries of this historic facility, Broughton Hospital offers an eerie glimpse into the unique cross between medicine and the unexplained.

Join an Asheville Ghost tour with Asheville Terrors to uncover the secrets surrounding North Carolina. 

Is Broughton Hospital Haunted? 

Broughton Hospital is reportedly one of North Carolina’s most haunted locations. There is a longstanding history of reports detailing related unexplained phenomena. All in all, these range from spectral figures in period clothing to drastic drops in temperature.

History of Broughton Hospital

The Broughton Hospital was first established in 1883 as the Western North Carolina Insane Asylum. The hospital has evolved through decades of advancements in mental health care and even controversies. 

In its early years as an asylum, the facility faced overcrowded conditions, with patients contributing to road construction and farm labor on its 331-acre campus. By the 1900s, the hospital established a colony system. It housed patients in farmhouse-like buildings where they worked in vineyards, orchards, and greenhouses. 

Tragic events, like the infamous murder-suicide and the abandonment of patients by families, left emotional imprints on the site. Outdated treatments like lobotomies and insulin shock therapy contribute to the hospital’s reputation for ghostly activity. 

Hauntings at Broughton Hospital

Broughton Hospital carries a rich legacy steeped in both medical history and unsettling tales of lingering energy. Staff and visitors recount encounters with shadowy figures, disembodied whispers echoing through empty halls, and eerie phenomena tied to its past. 

Broughton hospital’s sprawling grounds, underground tunnels, and abandoned wings amplify its haunted reputation. Stories of restless spirits are common despite its active use. These accounts, documented in works like Margaret Langley’s Haunted Broughton trilogy, weave a chilling narrative.

The Elevator Ghost in Pink Slippers

One of the more peculiar and intriguing stories at the Broughton Hospital involves the elevator that operates autonomously, often stopping at floors where no one waits. Witnesses, including staff and visitors, report hearing faint shuffling footsteps within the elevator, accompanied by sightings of a spectral figure in fuzzy pink slippers. 

The apparition, described as a woman in outdated attire is believed to be to a former hospital patient or staff member. According to Margaret Langley’s Haunted Broughton trilogy, the ghostly activity surrounding the elevator aligns with reports of residual energy connected to the hospital’s past. Many speculate the apparition could be connected to a patient who died under mysterious circumstances. 

What makes this particular haunting even more eerie is its consistency. Reports of the infamous elevator ghost span multiple decades. New sightings seem to emerge from staff working late shifts or visitors exploring the hospital’s older wings. 

The Murder-Suicide of Dr. X

One of the most haunting stories at Broughton Hospital is the murder-suicide between a doctor and nurse. The two reportedly had an extramarital affair in 1971. As found in Langley’s research, the relationship ended in violence after the doctor (Dr. Paul Boyles Sr.) fatally shot the nurse (Betty Sue Yarborough) before turning the gun on himself. 

The spirits are rumored to haunt the hospital’s administrative areas, with staff claiming to hear heated whispers in empty offices. Furthermore, staff used to report hearing heated arguments leading up to the incident. Furthermore, others have claimed to glimpse shadows resembling a man in a lab coat and a woman in a nurse’s uniform. 

Various accounts describe encounters where objects in offices move inexplicably. In addition, cold spots manifest near filing cabinets where records of the tragedy could have been stored. The energy surrounding this event is cited as one of the hospital’s most unsettling hauntings. 

Disembodied Voices and Echoes of the Past

The older wings of the haunted hospital, particularly areas once used for electroconvulsive therapy and other outdated treatments, are hotspots for disembodied voices. During quiet hours, investigators and staff have captured EVPs of screams, murmurs, and cryptic phrases.  

Staff working the night shift have described screams echoing from empty buildings, even causing the police to investigate. These auditory phenomena are often attributed to residual energy from patients. Many endured trauma within the hospital’s walls, including controversial treatments like being restrained and beaten with soap-filled sock.

The Secret Tunnels 

Just below Broughton Hospital lies a confusing network of underground tunnels, originally used to discreetly transport patients between different wards. The tunnels have since been sealed off but are rumored to harbor restless spirits. 

Both visitors and investigators have described sudden cold drafts, flickering lights, and even the sensation of being watched near the tunnel entrances. These spirits are said to be escaped slaves, or possibly Confederate soldiers. Furthermore, it’s rumored that Broughton Hospital confined unruly patients in this tunnel, shackling them to the walls as punishment. 

The writings from Langley include reports of shadowy figures in 19th-century attire walking throughout the tunnels. WSOC TV also highlighted photographers who have captured unexplained mists and apparitions in the hospital’s on-site graveyard. 

The oppressive energy emanating from the tunnels is heightened further by the legends of patients who have vanished within them. 

The On-Site Graveyard – Echoes of Forgotten Souls

The on-site graveyard is one of the more eerie locations at Broughton Hospital. Many of the residents buried here were simply abandoned by their families. Their graves are only marked by simple headstones or numbers. 

One of the more notable accounts involves Betty Jo and Bobbie Jean Eller, twin sisters who died in separate wards on the same exact day in 1962. But, their deaths, officially labeled “Ill-Defined and Unknown Cause of Morbidity and Mortality,” remain unresolved.

Staff working on Ward 8, where Bobbie Jean died, have reported a small blue orb outside the dayroom windows. Both staff and patients have described patients as playful yet eerie. Another patient within the same ward claimed an unseen force pushed her from her bed and tugged at her anklet—incidents attributed to the twins’ mischievous spirits. 

Haunted Morganton

Broughton Hospital remains a place of healing, however its haunted legacy continues to captivate those intrigued by the intersection of history and mystery. From ghostly nurses to echoing tunnels, its stories invite speculation about the lingering energy of its past.

Asheville Terrors offers guided ghost tours in Asheville for those eager to explore more of North Carolina’s haunted history. The tours include tales of Biltmore’s tragedies and Asheville’s spectral bootleggers.

Book your adventure today and step into the shadows of the historic landmark. Also, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real North Carolina hauntings.

Sources:

1. https://nursinghistory.appstate.edu/institution/broughton-hospital
2. https://www.ncpedia.org/psychiatric-hospitals
3. https://greyareanews.com/feature/history/little-bit-history-broughton-hospital/
4. https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-news-betty-sue-cheek-y/12226111/
5. https://www.wsoctv.com/living/features/spookiest-spots-in-north-carolina/189790515/
6. https://www.southernspiritguide.org/ill-defined-and-unknown-cause-of-morbidity-and-mortality-north-carolina/