Goodbye, Iola

[continued from previous post]

And just like that, I met a real explorer. Three real explorers, actually. I might be able to make a comeback after all. I’d hoped this would happen somewhere I hadn’t already been so many times, and I might get to see a new, interesting location somewhere, but at least I have my foot in the door again!

We continued from the house into Building 7, the corner one at South and Westfall.

The tunnels, and even the basements, have flooded since last time I was here, making these cages an even more miserable place. This building was the county corrections headquarters, which really makes me wonder what these cells were. Drunk tank? Training area for prison guards?

There was too much water in the tunnels to bother with, unfortunately, so I never got the chance to say goodbye to the green room and the rave tunnel. So we just walked through the grounds to Building 5, the old children’s ward and by far the worst trashed part of the campus.

Oh, it’s this guy again. I’d love to know who’s behind these. Especially because he’s also responsible for this:

‘Scuse me Iola!

Which describes how I’m feeling all the time…

The two real explorers; Kurt and Jolene, who came all the way from Massachusetts to see this place!

This sign was a leftover from one of many times Costello and Sons tried to sell the place before finally developing it themselves into a multi-million dollar boondoggle.

These pavilions were the adult treatment wards. Before it was understood that tuberculosis was a bacterial infection, fresh air cures were the treatment of choice. Which meant that these windows would have been open year round to chill the patients and try to shiver the TB away with the frigid Rochester breezes!

And finally we ended up on the roof of the main building again with some bourbon, relishing one last time exploring drunk at Iola… this was the end.

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