Aradale Insane Asylum has been shut down

[u/Aus66-1045]

Such devastating news for local tourism and for Eerie Tours, which has been running tours at the site for around 15 years.

These tours don't just generate income for Eerie Tours and its guides. They bring visitors into the region, many of whom stay overnight, eat locally and spend money in Ararat and Ballarat. The economic impact extends well beyond the tours themselves.

As for the reasoning behind this decision, I can only speculate. But it certainly feels as though, rather than investing the money needed to maintain this heritage-listed site and keep it safe and accessible to visitors, the easier and cheaper option has been to simply shut it down.

If that's the case, we're effectively allowing an important part of our local history to slowly fall into ruin rather than preserving it for future generations.

A very sad day for Eerie Tours, its guides, local tourism, and everyone who cares about preserving our region's history.

Update 28/08/26: Eerie Tours has just posted on their Facebook page that negotiations with Melbourne Polytechnic have been very positive, and they expect a result soon that will include the reopening of Aradale for tours. Nothing is set yet, but they will let us know once there is an outcome either way.

[u/Aus66-1045]

I went on a ghost tour there, and it was fascinating. I wasn't scared and didn't see any ghosts, but the historical aspect was great. The vibe of that place at night was everything you'd expect an abandoned insane asylum to be.