I had mentioned in my last entry that in lieu of a traditional birthday cake, some of my family surprised me the other night with those tasty red velvet and salted caramel cupcakes. Unbeknownst to me, however, my mom had a surprise (belated) birthday cake custom-made for me for another small get together she’d planned at her house last night. I have a bit of an infatuation with Tiffany & Co., so my mom had the cake shaped and frosted in the design of one of their trademark light blue gift boxes with white ribbon.

I had to take a couple pictures of it before I guiltily cut into it. It was just so cute- and so were the very bright and colorful flowers I received as a belated-birthday present, too. The whole evening was such a wonderful surprise!

Today, I bundled up and headed out to explore and photograph the old abandoned Medfield State Hospital. Unlike other locations I’ve been to, the grounds of the hospital are open to the public from 6 AM ’til 6 PM daily. Entering any of the buildings is strictly prohibited, and there are security personnel who routinely patrol the area, but for the most part- you can roam freely without being hassled. The place is monstrous, and very spaced out, which left me with a lot of ground to cover.

Because of the cold, I was the only one up there today- which made the whole experience a little eerie at first, especially when I was hearing metal clanging from inside the buildings whenever the wind blew, or seeing animals run by when they heard me approaching, but it proved to be a really cool adventure. I’d like to go back when it’s a bit warmer out so I can stay and poke around a little longer.

The hospital was built in 1892, and stayed open and operational until 2003, which explains why it’s still in relatively good condition (sans a couple of broken windows here and there) compared to other abandoned hospitals &  asylums in New England.

The grounds were also apparently most recently used as a filming location for the movies “Shutter Island” and “The Box”.

Down the street, a couple of miles away from the front entrance of the grounds, is the Medfield State Hospital Cemetery, where patients who died between 1918 and 1988 have been laid to rest. I had wanted to stop and respectfully take a look, but it looked like the front entrance was closed off as I drove by a couple of times. Maybe next time.