Waverly Hills Sanitarium

Silently peeking over the treetops on a large hill in Louisville Kentucky stands one of the most haunted places in the country. In fact, it could quite possibly be one of the most haunted places in the world.

What started out as a girl's school back in 1910 is now not only famous because of its lurid past, but also because of the thousands of lives that ended on this ominous spot.

Looking much like an ancient decaying castle, past memories of Waverly Hills Sanitarium remains forever stamped into my mind. Growing up roughly three miles from the sanitarium, trips were often made to this unusual spot. Not only to walk around its massive exterior, but also to venture inside its walls and look for its ghostly hidden secrets from the past.

The last trip which was made "inside" Waverly remains with me to this day as we ventured to the end of the 500 foot tunnel which was the body chute, or what some people call the "death tunnel."

This tunnel is where dead bodies were transported into waiting hearses and trains at the time. In my day there were rumors of bodies being dumped into a rather large pond which used to lie at the bottom of the hill. In 1900 Louisville Kentucky had the highest mortality tuberculosis rate in the country, partly due to the area which it was located.

It's been estimated that over 64,000 people died at Waverly Hills Sanitarium. In the first three years of Waverly's existence over 10,000 people died and where transported down this death tunnel.

The facility which still stands today first opened its doors in October 17, 1926 as a tuberculosis hospital. In its day Waverly Sanitarium was considered by many as being one of the most modern facilities. Although some of its concepts were good, the treatments were sometimes considered bizarre.

This tuberculosis hospital was built on top of a large hill to seclude its patients from the rest of society. Sanitariums were usually built on high hills surrounded by woods, not only for the seclusion of its patients, but also for the peaceful healing environment of the facility.

Waverly Hills Sanitarium operated as a tuberculosis hospital until 1961 when it was closed down. The facility then reopened again in 1962 and operated as Woodhaven Medical Center. This geriatric mental facility operated until 1980 when it was shut down for good by the state.

Here are just a few facts that I've uncovered about Waverly on its website: www.therealwaverlyhills.com and some of the stories I've heard repeated throughout the years growing up in the area.

The fifth floor seems to be a specific area which has gained popularity with paranormal researchers. In 1928 a head nurse was found hung by a light fixture in room 502. The nurse was: unmarried, 29 years old, depressed, and also pregnant. No one knows how long her body was there before it was discovered.

Another nurse at Waverly jumped from the balcony of room 502 and was killed from the fall. The fifth floor is also were the mentally insane were held when the hospital was used as a mental hospital. Charges of neglect and abuse by the state of Kentucky soon shut this facility down.

Stories have been passed around the community about: disembodied figures, cold spots, and ghosts which roamed the surrounding hallways. Several people who've taken the Halloween tour of "Haunted Waverly" have reported seeing strange figures and voices along with lights going on and off without electricity.

Stories of patent abuse and "weird" experiments going on at Waverly have long been stories for discussion in the area. Waverly has since been featured on Fox television's "Worlds scariest places" and also MTV's Fear. A feature film "Death Tunnel" is also scheduled for release.

Other sources have spoken of satanic rituals that were rumored to have been performed at Waverly Sanitarium. For many years it was left alone by its previous owner to be vandalized by individuals and was scheduled to be torn down, but was later saved by the historical society.

The third and fourth floors have also shown a lot of metaphysical activity at Waverly. A little girl is rumored to play hide and seek with the visitors along with a young boy named Bobby who chases his leather ball. Voices have also been recorded on several paranormal tours at Waverly.

One of my childhood friends had spoke of seeing the old bleeding lady who hung around the front entrance of the building. After seeing this vision of the old lady, this friend never returned to Waverly. Others have spoken of smelling food coming from the kitchen area, although no meals have been served since the mental hospital was closed in 1982.

Each year Waverly Sanitarium is opened to the public for Halloween and many people flock to the facility for tours of its "hot spots." Waverly was named after author Scott Waverly by Lizzie Harris who was a teacher at the girl's school. Lizzie stated the serene peaceful area reminded her of the author and his work; although I believe the area has changed somewhat through the years.

Tours for this facility can be obtained through "Waverly Historical Society" on the internet, or you can contact them by phone at: (502) 933-2124.

So, if you decide to take a trip to Waverly Sanitarium, just remember what the Cowardly Lion kept repeating to himself when they entered the haunted forest in the Wizard of Oz: "I do believe in spooks, I do believe in spooks."

Sources, and contact information for this article:

www.therealwaverlyhills.com

www.wikipedia/waverlyhills.com