# The Haunting of Pennhurst

> Documentary reveals haunted attraction's dark history of institutional abuse at Pennhurst Asylum.
- Title: The Haunting of Pennhurst · PhillyVoice | Shortify
- Summary: Documentary reveals haunted attraction's dark history of institutional abuse at Pennhurst Asylum. Pennhurst Asylum's documentary exposes decades of…
- Keywords: the haunting of pennhurst, pennhurst asylum, disabled actors, philadelphia film festival, social justice, haunted house, disability rights, documentary film, chester county, pennhurst state school and hospital, news, local
- Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/haunting-of-pennhurst-asylum-documentary
- Published: 2026-10-21T09:01:00.21+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: the haunting of pennhurst, pennhurst asylum, disabled actors, philadelphia film festival, social justice, haunted house, disability rights, documentary film, chester county, pennhurst state school and hospital, news, local
## Pennhurst Asylum Haunt
The film follows disabled actors who spook Halloween visitors at the former state institution.
## Halloween Haunt History
Pennhurst Asylum operated for 79 years before closing in 1987 after lawsuits from former patients.
## Institutional Abuse
Patients were restrained to beds or toilets for days, with injury and intellectual regression common.
## Dental Clinic Horror
The dental clinic was the most horrifying room, where staff pulled teeth after patients bit themselves.
## 1968 Expose
WCAU-TV reporter Bill Baldini said, 'The children, as they are all called, who are rotting in their cages, cribs and beds can thank society for their dreadful plight.'

> The children, as they are all called, who are rotting in their cages, cribs and beds can thank society for their dreadful plight
## Directors' Background
Nathan Stenberg, Mike Attie, and Katarina Poljak created the documentary after academic research and festival screenings.
## Haunter Perspectives
Eddie Buck, a deaf actor, says the film balances horror with the importance of Pennhurst's history.

> A lot of people ask me, why would you do that? You're supporting the idea of a place like that. It just seems very conflicting.
## Historical Context
Pennhurst housed up to 4,100 people despite a capacity of 1,984, with severe neglect documented in the press.
## Documentary Premiere
The film premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in June and has screened in Lisbon, Phoenixville, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Wilmington.
## Director's Reflection
Stenberg recalls how he and Autumn Werner might not have met if institutionalized at Pennhurst.

> I was talking to Autumn and she asked me, 'Do you think that we would have known each other if we were institutionalized here in Pennhurst?'
## Haunters' Motivation
Actors use their roles to challenge stereotypes and educate about Pennhurst's history.
## Festival Tour
The documentary will continue to play at New Orleans Film Festival after its Philadelphia run.
## Social Impact
The film aims to start conversations about disability rights and institutional abuse.
## Final Message
Stenberg says, 'These steps here at Pennhurst remind us not of how far we've come, but rather how close we are to walking back up those steps.'

> These steps here at Pennhurst remind us not of how far we've come, but rather how close we are to walking back up those steps
## Key takeaway

Pennhurst Asylum's documentary exposes decades of disability abuse, with actors reenacting the trauma to challenge harmful stereotypes.