Utica's historic Old Main building to host rare public tours

The New York State Office of Mental Health will host public tours of the historic Old Main building in Utica from Monday, October 26, through Friday, October 30. These tours mark the first time the landmark has been open to the public since 2018.

Originally opened in 1843 as the New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica, the facility was the first state-run institution in New York dedicated to mental health care. The site played a significant role in the evolution of psychiatric care; its first superintendent, Dr. Amariah Brigham, established a print shop that published the American Journal of Insanity, which later became the American Journal of Psychiatry.

While the hospital's original operations ceased in the 1970s, the building remains a key piece of local history and currently serves as a New York State mental health records archive. Tours are free of charge and will run every 30 minutes between 10 AM and 2 PM, though advance registration is required.