Think you know Pilgrim Psychiatric? Think again.
Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in Brentwood was once a place that inspired fear and resembled some scenes from the Jack Nicholson film, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest." Come take a tour with health reporter David Olson to see how much it's changed.
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
When most Long Islanders think of Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, this is the visual they see in their head.
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
They see abandoned buildings covered in graffiti and are reminded of a time when patients were crowded inside these walls, some undergoing lobotomies.
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
But not all the buildings on the site are deserted and if you step inside today's Pilgrim Psychiatric Center, you'll be surprised at what you'll find.
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
There's a swimming pool ...
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
... a bowling alley ...
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
... even therapy goats. It's all part of their modern approach to treating mental health.
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Today, the state-run Pilgrim -- once the world's largest psychiatric center --has 273 patient beds, down from the 13,875 patients it had in 1954.
Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
And unlike in the past, when many people checked in and never checked out, a typical stay at Pilgrim today is six to nine months. The goal is help people get back to their lives outside of the walls of Pilgrim.
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