Its decline began in the 1960s as funding was cut and the population grew to include persons with non-ID conditions such as epilepsy.

[4] In 1981, staff member Lemuel L. Taylor was charged with misappropriation and theft after stealing over $40,000 ($82,227 today) from Forest Haven residents' bank accounts.

Many of the residents who died were buried in a mass grave, unmarked until a headstone – noting 389 individuals – was erected by some of the patients' families in 1987.

[8] Today, the site is abandoned and is heavily guarded and patrolled by United States Park Police, but remains a popular attraction for urban explorers.

Many hazardous items such as asbestos have been removed, but much of the equipment, including desks, beds, toys, and medical records remain.