There’s something about abandoned buildings that just draws you in. The peeling paint, the cobwebs, they somehow beg for you to explore further while simultaneously warning you to keep out. Charity Hospital has a rich, sometimes dark, history. In its heyday, it was a place for anyone to go to receive treatment. Today, it’s an abandoned, dilapidated shell of what it used to be and a constant reminder of its lost potential.

Charity Hospital was founded in 1736 by Jean Louis, a French sailor and shipbuilder.

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He died before the hospital opened, but his dying wish was to finance a hospital for the needy in New Orleans.

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The hospital was originally named the Hospital of Saint John. Prior to its closing, was the second oldest continuously operating public hospital in the United States.

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The hospital has held several locations in its lifetime. It quickly outgrew its original location in the French Quarter, and multiple locations we built to keep up with the demand.

Abandoned Southeast The Charity Hospital on Tulane Avenue was the sixth hospital, built in 1939.

It was a well known teaching hospital, a place where both LSU and Tulane students received their hands-on medical training.

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Charity Hospital sustained major damage during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

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When the levees broke, the hospital’s basement flooded. All of the electrical and mechanical equipment flooded, including the morgue.

Abandonded Southeast You can still see the waterline in this photo of the basement autopsy gallery.

Today, the hospital sits abandoned, deteriorating with each passing day.

Abandoned Southeast This photo shows one of the staff dorm rooms.

The hospital is locked and under police patrol, so do not go wandering inside unless you’re looking to be arrested for trespassing.

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For more pictures check out Abandoned Southeast.

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The Charity Hospital on Tulane Avenue was the sixth hospital, built in 1939.

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You can still see the waterline in this photo of the basement autopsy gallery.

This photo shows one of the staff dorm rooms.

 

Do you have any memories of Charity Hospital? Share them in the comments below.

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