The ‘Bluegrass State’ with its diverse environment, abundant
resources, numerous well-maintained parks and a constant touch of country music
houses lots of haunted places with paranormal activities. Farms, asylums,
battlefields and music bars have their own shares of spookiness entwined with
ghastly tales of murder, suicides, Satan worships and slavery. Here we’ll take
a tour of the top ten haunted places in Kentucky that are bound to give you an
experience filled with trepidation and terror. Our comprehensive list includes the notorious Octagon hall, white hall, Waverly hill Sanitarium and many other creepy places.
Waverly Hill Sanatarium, Louisville, Kentucky:
In 1910 Waverly Hill Sanatarium was
built as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40-50 tuberculosis patients but
kept on expanding till 1924 and turned into the present massive structure.
Doctors at this hospital carried out devastating experiments that included
insertion of balloons in lungs and removal of ribs. Almost 64,000 patients who
were admitted in here died over the years due to inhuman treatments by fellow
sufferers, caregivers or doctors. In 1930s, a nurse suffering from tuberculosis
found out her illegitimate
pregnancy by the owner of the sanatorium and hung herself with a light bulb
wire in room no.502. A 500ft long tunnel ran from the first floor to the bottom
of the hill and was used to remove corpses surreptitiously. The building and
the tunnel still remain intact.
Bobby Mackey’s Music Bar, Wilder, Kentucky:
Bobby
Mackey’s music world is one the most haunted places in America and is believed
to be the gateway to hell. Bobby Mackey purchased this seat of paranormal
activities in 1978, which was formerly a slaughter house. Legend says in 1950
"Johanna", a pregnant dancer consumed poison and committed suicide
there after her father killed her lover Robert Randall, a performer at the
club, by asphyxiating him. Rumor has it in 1897 Satan worshippers Scott Jackson
and Alonzo Walling killed Pearl Bryan, whose headless body was discovered days
after, within 2.5 miles of the club. The Satanists cursed the area and vowed to
haunt everyone before they were hanged for their crime. A former caretaker Carl
is also believed to be taken over by spirits.
Paramount Arts Centre, Ashland, Kentucky:
Paramount Arts Centre also known as
Paramount Theatre, opened on 5th September 1931. It is said during
the early renovation work of 1940, four work men from Boyd Theatre Company,
Cincinnati, Ohio were working inside the auditorium. All of them, except for
one man named Joe, went to lunch and when the other three returned they founded
Joe dead hanging from a curtain rigging. From then on stories of apparitions,
missing objects, cold drafts and moving shadows are prevalent in that area.
Billy Ray while making his video ‘Achy Break Heart’ claims to have chatted with
Joe. After the completion of his video he gave autographs to all the female
staff and also left one for Joe with a small inscription in it. According to
the custom, the autograph posters were hung on the wall but with time few of them
were removed including that of Joe’s. The very next day the employees found all
the posters scattered on the floor, many with scattered frames, as if someone
wiped them of the wall. There are also other tales about Paramount Joe most of
which establishes him as a good, helpful ghost.
Octagon Hall, Franklin, Kentucky:
In 1859, Andrew Caldwell built the
Octagon Hall to accommodate his growing family and also as headquarter of his
plantation. In the 1860, a young girl burned to death in the basement
kitchen, and folklores tell that during a 2003 Halloween ghost tour, the
fireplace kettle, which hangs from a moveable arm but is too heavy to move
easily, swung out into the room on its own. Hearing footsteps and opening and
closing of doors are considered to be a normal phenomenon in that house. It is
also said that two actors who once spent a night there found a body-shaped
imprint on a bed, in one of the bedrooms of the house, where none had slept. A
woman, who was cleaning the house alone, claims to have seen another body-shaped
imprint on the bed twice in a day. Other incidents include unexplained scents
of flower and decayed meat especially on Andrew Caldwell’s death
anniversary.
White Hall, Richmond, Kentucky:
The mansion located in Richmond,
Kentucky was built by Green Clay around 1788 and was named Clemont. The seven
roomed mansion was remodeled by Cassius Clay and his wife Mary Jane in 1861into
a 44 roomed house. After Clay died in 1903 reports of the house being haunted
were published. Tourist guides and other maintenance staff say hushed
conversations are often heard along with appearances of mysterious lights, rose
perfumes, delicious food smells, pipe smoke and tinkle of glasses are still
heard in the house. Apparitions of three spirits have also been observed and
they are assumed to be Cassius Clay, Mary Jane and their son. This state
historic site is open for ghost hunters and paranormal activity researchers.
Liberty Hall, Frankfurt, Kentucky:
In 1796, American Senator John Brown
built the great Liberty Hall and it got its historical site status in 1971. The
most famous resident of Liberty hall was Gray Lady, the apparition of an old
lady. In 1880s, Mary Mason Scott, the great grand daughter of John and Margareta
Brown claimed to have seen the Gray lady for the first time. Grady lady is
assumed to be a kind ghost of Mrs. Brown’s aunt Mrs. Margaret Maverick, who
died in 1817 due to heart attack in that house. A dark haired running
apparition is also seen and is believed to be of a Spanish opera star, which
disappeared while taking a walk in the gardens of Liberty hall. Speculations
say she was abducted and her apparition’s mouth is always open in a silent
shriek. The ghost of 1812 war soldier in British uniform is often seen peeking
from the living rooms.
Louisville Palace Theatre, Louisville, Kentucky:
This historical landmark designed by
John Eberson opened on 1st September 1928 and was originally known
as the Lowe’s and United Artists
State theatre. As the tale goes this place is believed to be haunted by several
ghosts. In the mezzanine lobby a faceless woman made her appearance dressed in
1940s British clothes. In the floor containing the Ladies’ parlor, continuous
giggles of a child has been heard. Apparition of a man in 1930s clothes have
also been witnessed, who disappears when approached. A projectionist who had
died there while on his job due to a heart attack, still haunts on the
projection booth causing cold drafts, moving shadows and unexplained hushes. In
1965, Ferdinand Frisch, an employee died in the building and from then on he
has been seen at many places throughout the building.
Narrows Road, Erlanger, Kentucky:
A phantom police officer supposedly
likes to hang out at Narrows Road, Erlanger. While constructing a police stop
in 1950s a hit and run accident occurred, casualty being a police officer.
Reports say if a car passes by Narrows Road after midnight or exactly at
midnight a police van of 1950s appear and the car is pulled over. A police
officer emerges out of the car and speaks to the passengers and while walking
away he disappears. Few accounts say he disappears even before reaching the
passengers. The ghost officer is said to be a friendly one and silent guardian
of the fellow police officers in that area.
Perryville Battlefield, Perryville, Kentucky:
During the Civil War, on 8th
October 1862, more than 7600 soldiers lost their lives, went missing or were
severely wounded on the Perryville battlefield of Kentucky. Most of them were
unceremoniously buried disorderedly in mass graves or in unmarked plots of the
battlefield. Visitors claim have seen apparitions of soldiers’ marching and
sounds of heavy artillery and cannon fire still echoes through the place. The
Dye house which is the field hospital adjacent to the battlefield is also said
to be the playground of phantom civil war soldiers. The medical facility with
its gory histories of surgery, amputations and deaths still houses ghosts of
civil war doctors. It is said that voices like ‘I am the doctor!’, ‘Why are you
here?’, ‘Hide! They are here.’ are often heard reverberating in the empty
hospital.
Phillip’s Folly, Maysville, Kentucky:
Phillip’s folly was constructed under
the supervision of William B. Phillips, second mayor of Maysville during
1825-1831. The house comprises of segmental dormers, two-tiered portico and a
jail in the basement were slaves and drunks were imprisoned. Phillips sold his
property to John Armstrong who later died there in 1851 but still considers the
property as his own and often visits the place as an apparition along with the
apparition of his the then Newfoundland pet dog. Ghostly sounds of duel have
been also heard in the back of the house and one of the victims John Pearce,
who died in that house either during a duel match or committed suicide, still
haunts the place. The phantoms of slaves and prisoners who were tortured and
murdered in the basement jail have also appeared in various accounts.
If
you are a ghost hunter or paranormal activity monger you should definitely
visit this top ten haunted places in Kentucky. Carrie some extra donuts, in
case you get to meet Mrs. Maverick, or have a chat with Joe or get pulled over
by the police officer at the Narrows !
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