Eight inches of new snow had fallen overnight, the blizzard continuing long after we’d pulled our chilled, exhausted buts into our temporary motel home. When the drapes were pulled aside, the unfamiliar landscape outside our window was a sight to behold – bright white and a sky so empty and blue there was no question of just how cold a day was waiting for us.
Not that cold was going to keep us in.
After sliding downstairs to enjoy our traditional continental breakfast of muffins, cereal and what may have been an entire pot of coffee, we began pulling our resilient Minnesotan toes into many layers of socks and planning for the next challenge. Spirits were high, cameras were charged and ready and the location was set: Nopeming Sanatorium.
Of course, in true Municipal Heroes fashion, we ended up playing our approach by ear, with little regard to the initial plan. The turn was missed, we spent a bit of time driving in circles, dodging snowplows and abusing Google Maps’ good name. Soon enough, though, after retracing most of our tracks, we were finally looking up at Nopeming itself. Or ‘No Pain,’ as it was now so affectionately named.
From the warm safety of the running vehicle, we surveyed the scene. This was one building that, if we hadn’t already known of its vacancy, would be easy to mistake as active. Of course, we knew better. No Pain was ours.
This kind of flippant, confident banter continued until the three of us were safely down the hill, parked and hiking bare-faces into the icy wind. Ninja explorer talk quickly gave way to grumbles and general upset as the frigid air bit at our noses and ears. Our eyes watered.
We must have looked awfully conspicuous, dressed like cheerful Eskimos and hiking steadily up the road and into the woods, sans that great amount if cheer. A non-issue, of course, as it returned in force at the sight of our quarry. Nopeming spread out before us, a welcome sight, and we decided to begin with the smaller outer buildings before setting down to enjoy the main course. We traipsed happily off into the knee deep snow, leaving a clear path we’d come to quickly regret.
Our first conquest was a small garage and shop, and after a traditional noisy window entrance and a few bad jokes at our own expense, we were free to look around what had clearly been an old locker room. Once-relevant papers spilled from ancient boxes and littered the floor at the feet of an off-kilter couch and a de-commissioned water heater.
The shop and garage beyond that seemed almost empty in comparison, though the shelves and workbench were still coated in what might technically be junk. Regardless, it did wonders for the atmosphere of the place – Millions of little hints at a different decade’s viewpoint.
Our next course was a step beyond. After a quick entrance, the elegance of this building was undeniable; three main boilers took up the majority of the main room, towering above us and basking in the frosty, January light. Clearly, this had once been the Sanatorium’s Steam Plant, though its fate now was to sit and look pretty to the likes of us, and act as an eyesore to others. This and to provide a charismatic new home to old medical equipment and lonely chairs, to boot. So, with plenty of ground to cover and delicious peeling paint and rusting equipment to admire, the group split up.
Often, in these kinds of adventures, the only thing really keeping time is the warmth remaining in your fingers and toes. I wasn’t too sure how long it had been since I’d moved upstairs and away from Rin and Gahein, but I was vaguely aware of how long my burning fingertips had been out of my gloves, fumbling with my camera. I’d found the two chutes responsible for moving coal down to the boilers, and was working on taking as many photographs as possible without losing any fingers to frostbite.
Having lost my tripod in Cranefields the night before, I was shooting off an old oil drum when I heard my name hissed from below. Gahein’s urgent face and beckoning hand were the only messages I really needed. Silently, we regrouped, Rin whispering furiously about how neither of us had heard the large truck just outside the plant. The truck having backed out the way it came, we quickly discussed our options. Realizing now just how telling our knee-deep snow tracks must be, we all decided it was time to get off the property and to come back another time. We packed up the cameras and snuck quietly away from our hidey-hole.
As anyone who has ever tried to be very, very quiet in snow can probably tell you – dream on. The staircase groaned and ice and rust crunched underfoot, even as we attempted to be as graceful and move as slowly as possible. Slipping out again with as much subtlety as three dark bodies on a blinding white day could manage, we retraced our footprints through the tundra and back down the hill.
With quick glances backwards at the silent sanatorium behind us, we promised return and demanded success. We’d be back, but for now? Burger King, and the thought of a warm, heated car.
_ _ _
[2.18.10] A No Pain Note: Shortly after this was posted, the Municipal Heroes received an email from the current landlords and tenants of the sanatorium. Not only is the place now watched, it’s someone’s home and should be respected as such. Hopefully this means it’ll be spared the crash and smash spraypaint death of all the worthwhile abandonments in the cities - we can hope. If you’re interested in the history of Nopeming, try a local historical society or, a bizarre concept, a phone call.
–Averna
I live very near Nopeming and my husband knows a woman who worked there when it was the nursing home. According to her they had a lot of unexplained things happen like elevators moving up and down the floors with nobody inside when the doors opened and voices calling her name when she was alone. I’ve been there a couple of times but it’s closely watched which sux because I’d love to investigate it.
I grew up in Duluth also and I sure don’t know where mngirl gets this garbage from. My mother was there when I was probably 6 or 7 for a year and was treated for Tuberculosis as was everyone else who stayed there. In those days TB patients were hospitalized away from the general public as there was no known cure back in those days and many of them including my mothers parents died from it. She was just a young girl at the time and contracted it from them but in those days, the lung was removed to insure it’s demise. She lived there for about a year while recovering and we were only allowed to wave at her up in the window as face to face contact wasn’t permitted due to the highly communicable nature of the illness. A horrible place? Far from it, more like a saviour for those who needed it. I never heard her say a bad thing about her time there but rather if it wasn’t for this ‘terrible” place she would not have had over 60 more years to enjoy her life, and enjoy it she did. She also made several good friends while there and kept in touch with several of them over the years. Like other facilities of its purpose all over the state, the strides made in modern medicine rendered the facility obsolete and many have taken on the status of spooky old buildings or have been demolished. To call that facility the things you did is inexcusable and filled with ignorance. Over the years it has had different owners with different ideas on what to do with it all but those old facilities would take a lot of funds to come up to modern day codes. I don’t suppose MNGIRL will see this but she is just plain wrong about the old place. Spooky maybe but also gave a lot of people new life. Trespassers, if caught, can and are arrested for trespassing.
Hello,
I am doing a cross-country move and am presently in Duluth to see some family sites in Duluth (many of my family members are from here). My Great-Great Grandmother&Grandfather and my Great Grandmother spent a significant amount of time here and I am hoping to at least see it tomorrow. The local library isn’t open on the weekend during the summer and am hoping you might be able to email some sort of way to find this place.
Thanks
Be well
M
Came across your site when I was looking up information on this hell hole. Growing up in Duluth we all knew this place to be terrible. Nobody ever wanted a loved one to have to go there. I knew it mostly as a nursing home, and not a very nice one at that. My grandma was there for a short time after a surgery. The staff was terrible to her, and she ended up passing away there. I was overjoyed when Nopeming closed for good. I know allot of people have bad feelings about nursing homes in general, but this place was particularily horrible.
I would be interested to see more pics, and wonder what would happen if someone did evp work, etc. I am sure there are many tortured souls still there.
Of course you’ll go back… we’re sort of planning a Summer Trip to Duluth.. maybe a joint one??
Thanks for taking me inside for a glimpse of this place. I had an aunt who lived and died there. As a young boy growing up in Minneapolis in the 50′s and 60′s, i was very curious about this place we visited, but no one ever explained to me why. I was never allowed inside, forced to entertain myself on the grounds, while the adults disappeared for what seemed like hours. We all understand crazy now and how some unfortunately cannot live amongst the rest of us. This was the fate of my aunt. Her name was Delia and was an Ojibwe Indian girl born in Federal Dam. Thanks again, i hope you get back there and can share some more images. I admire and appreciate your urban archeologist spirit.
I was wondering if you guys had an appoinment to go visit there or if you guys just went in…. I have a few friends including myself want to go there and we all live in that area but we aren’t too into getting arrested for trespassing…
Hi. My name is Erica and i am a senior at Harbor City International School. I have been very interested in learning about the history of Nopeming here in Duluth. I saw that you had this post, and had a few questions if thats ok. I am trying to contact the owner of the property and am having a bit of trouble. I was just wondering who you contacted about your visit. If you could be so kind as to emailing me back that would be very apreciated. This is for a project about the building and the actions or events that took place there. Thank you. Erica.
Remarkable. I have been here 3 times and have been scared out of my socks with all of the stuff laying arounds and all the voices I hear from the ceiling. What an outstanding discovery.