Once the nation’s largest psychiatric asylum and long an abandoned playground for urban explorers since it closed in 1981, Westland’s infamous Eloise Psychiatric Hospital is open to the public this Halloween season. Historic Tours of Eloise are available during the day and participants also have a chance to take night tours and learn about paranormal investigations.

The 2-hour historical tours include a walk through of all 5 floors of the D Building, including the never-before-seen basement, as well as a tour around the property to view and learn of the other historic buildings on the property.

To view available tours and to reserve your spot now, check out the Eloise Asulum website.

At its peak, Eloise Psychiatric Hospital comprised 78 buildings across 902 acres, encompassing nearly everything a city had including a power plant, bakery, fire department, post office and much more.

Today, one of the few surviving buildings is “D” Building, or Kay Beard as it was renamed in the 1990s.

Dating back to 1931, “D” Building of Eloise Psychiatric Hospital once housed the facility’s administrative offices, post office, psychiatric admissions and up to 409 psychiatric patients. Around the time of its construction, Eloise was a bustling complex with nearly 10,000 patients and 2,000 staff. Throughout the building’s lifetime, many people have reported paranormal encounters in and around “D” Building.

New developments are underway for the old Eloise hospital property.

John Hambrick, who owns the properties, pitched new plans to the Westland Planning Commission, which includes splitting the 16-acre property into five parcels to house a different use. The plans were approved last month by the Westland City Council.

Hambrick’s development plans include a hotel and event space on the property, using the historic Kay Beard building, complete with a 1930s-themed restaurant and bar in the basement, as well as a haunted attraction and a public space serving light fare like coffee and ice cream, according to the City fo Westland.

The cemetery at Eloise will not be removed and will be preserved. The plan also accomodates the Samaritas Family Center, which will remain in operation.