San Haven is located just a few miles northeast of Dunseith. It was founded in 1909 as a Tuberculosis Sanatorium and later became a hospital for the developmentally disabled. Over the years, San Haven grew into a huge complex of structures complete with underground tunnels to connect the complex. It was so large, it was given it’s own zip code. At one time, San Haven held over 900 patients.

The San Haven facility closed in 1989.  More reading on the facility can be found here and here.

San Haven is now closed to visitors. A trespasser died a few years ago when he fell down an elevator shaft.  As noted by site visitor Mariah Masilko, the WPA Guide to 1930’s North Dakota indicates it was officially dubbed a “Sanatorium” as versus “Sanitarium”.

These photos contributed by Emma Katka in 2011.

See San Haven Sanatorium as it appeared in 2012.

See San Haven as it appeared in the 1930’s, during the tuberculosis era.

Photos by Emma Katka