Oak Knoll Naval Hospital

Welcome to the Knoll  :::::  The south entrance.Welcome to the Knoll ::::: The south entrance.
Krankenhaus  :::::  The hospital highrise.Krankenhaus ::::: The hospital highrise.
Scofflaw  :::::  A fence like Swiss Cheese.Scofflaw ::::: A fence like Swiss Cheese.
Scavenged Clinic  :::::  The lower floors were 100% dark.Scavenged Clinic ::::: The lower floors were 100% dark.
The Nurses Eyes  :::::  Mold and The Nurses Eyes ::::: Mold and "Danger Asbestos" signs were everywhere.
Lecturing Ghosts  :::::  From the stage of the basement lecture hall.Lecturing Ghosts ::::: From the stage of the basement lecture hall.
Star Trek Apse  :::::  The Star Trek Apse ::::: The "Blessed Sacrament Chapel" off the nave of the hospital church.
Meat X-Ray  :::::  Inside the lab, attached to the pitch dark, basement morgue.Meat X-Ray ::::: Inside the lab, attached to the pitch dark, basement morgue.
Morgue Drawers  :::::  Morgue Drawers :::::
The Fifth Floor  :::::  The upper floors of the hi-rise had been completely cleaned out.The Fifth Floor ::::: The upper floors of the hi-rise had been completely cleaned out.
Downflow  :::::  All that was left were plumbing pipes.Downflow ::::: All that was left were plumbing pipes.
AAD  :::::  The roof-top exercize yard, where every step crackled broken glass.AAD ::::: The roof-top exercize yard, where every step crackled broken glass.
The Dark Festival  :::::  The Dark Festival :::::
No Credit  :::::  The site of the credit union had become a forest.No Credit ::::: The site of the credit union had become a forest.
Motor Pool  :::::  The site also contained a large gas station and motor pool facility, all completely abandoned.Motor Pool ::::: The site also contained a large gas station and motor pool facility, all completely abandoned.
Tokheim Heartburn  :::::  Tokheim Heartburn :::::
Unleaded Entrails  :::::  Unleaded Entrails :::::
Big Decision  :::::  Big Decision :::::
Dead Wires  :::::  One of the tinderbox WWII-era buildings.Dead Wires ::::: One of the tinderbox WWII-era buildings.
Emerald Alchemy  :::::  Emerald Alchemy :::::
Space Mission  :::::  Dating back to 1924, when Oak Knoll was an exclusive country club and golf course, this sprawling mission-style complex became the officers club.Space Mission ::::: Dating back to 1924, when Oak Knoll was an exclusive country club and golf course, this sprawling mission-style complex became the officers club.
Club Knoll  :::::  Deeply overgrown and its interior heavily vandalized, the developer hopes to save this historic building as a part of the planned redevelopment project.Club Knoll ::::: Deeply overgrown and its interior heavily vandalized, the developer hopes to save this historic building as a part of the planned redevelopment project.
Diving in the Dark  :::::  The indoor Olympic-sized pool.Diving in the Dark ::::: The indoor Olympic-sized pool.
The Poseidon Adventure of the Carribean  :::::  The base was so large that it required its own power station, partially burned down here.The Poseidon Adventure of the Carribean ::::: The base was so large that it required its own power station, partially burned down here.
Time Slide  :::::  Most of the structures on the base were residential units– vast tracts of apartment blocks and duplexes, with secluded playgrounds hiding between them.Time Slide ::::: Most of the structures on the base were residential units– vast tracts of apartment blocks and duplexes, with secluded playgrounds hiding between them.
Lost Childhood  :::::  Lost Childhood :::::
Stop Living Here  :::::  Dozens of these dilapidated '70s townhouses dotted the overgrown hills.Stop Living Here ::::: Dozens of these dilapidated '70s townhouses dotted the overgrown hills.
Flying Car Parking  :::::  The deeper into the hills you climbed, the older and more decrepit the homes became.Flying Car Parking ::::: The deeper into the hills you climbed, the older and more decrepit the homes became.
Stairs to Nowhere  :::::  This way out . . .Stairs to Nowhere ::::: This way out . . .
  • Welcome to the Knoll  :::::  The south entrance.
  • Krankenhaus  :::::  The hospital highrise.
  • Scofflaw  :::::  A fence like Swiss Cheese.
  • Scavenged Clinic  :::::  The lower floors were 100% dark.
  • The Nurses Eyes  :::::  Mold and
  • Lecturing Ghosts  :::::  From the stage of the basement lecture hall.
  • Star Trek Apse  :::::  The
  • Meat X-Ray  :::::  Inside the lab, attached to the pitch dark, basement morgue.
  • Morgue Drawers  :::::
  • The Fifth Floor  :::::  The upper floors of the hi-rise had been completely cleaned out.
  • Downflow  :::::  All that was left were plumbing pipes.
  • AAD  :::::  The roof-top exercize yard, where every step crackled broken glass.
  • The Dark Festival  :::::
  • No Credit  :::::  The site of the credit union had become a forest.
  • Motor Pool  :::::  The site also contained a large gas station and motor pool facility, all completely abandoned.
  • Tokheim Heartburn  :::::
  • Unleaded Entrails  :::::
  • Big Decision  :::::
  • Dead Wires  :::::  One of the tinderbox WWII-era buildings.
  • Emerald Alchemy  :::::
  • Space Mission  :::::  Dating back to 1924, when Oak Knoll was an exclusive country club and golf course, this sprawling mission-style complex became the officers club.
  • Club Knoll  :::::  Deeply overgrown and its interior heavily vandalized, the developer hopes to save this historic building as a part of the planned redevelopment project.
  • Diving in the Dark  :::::  The indoor Olympic-sized pool.
  • The Poseidon Adventure of the Carribean  :::::  The base was so large that it required its own power station, partially burned down here.
  • Time Slide  :::::  Most of the structures on the base were residential units– vast tracts of apartment blocks and duplexes, with secluded playgrounds hiding between them.
  • Lost Childhood  :::::
  • Stop Living Here  :::::  Dozens of these dilapidated '70s townhouses dotted the overgrown hills.
  • Flying Car Parking  :::::  The deeper into the hills you climbed, the older and more decrepit the homes became.
  • Stairs to Nowhere  :::::  This way out . . .

The Oak Knoll Naval hospital complex opened in 1942, serving veterans wounded on the Pacific battlefields. The modern hi-rise building opened in 1968 to serve Vietnam vets.  The site covered over 200 acres and contained 90 buildings.

The entire complex was decommissioned and abandoned in 1996.  It sat, mostly forgotten, in a quiet fold of the densely populated Oakland hills for 10 years and was finally scheduled for demolition and subdivision in 2006.  The economic meltdown stopped the project cold, even to the point where the developers lost their budget to hire security.  Suddenly there were dozens of holes in the fence.  The place was wide open for a few months in the summer of 2009 when most of this work was shot.

Weeds and trees had taken over the entire base, and the overgrown WWII-era wooden buildings were tinder-boxes.  In the heat of summer, The Knoll was a fire bomb, just waiting to go off.

Pressured by the outraged residents of the surrounding high-density, high-rent neighborhoods over the possiblity of another “Oakland Firestorm of 1991” starting here, funding to re-secure and raze the entire installation was finally found.  The hospital hi-rise was imploded in April 2011 and the rest of the site has now been cleared.