KENTUCKY
THE PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE
BOBBY MACKEY’S MUSIC WORLD (WILDER)
BACKGROUND: Was at one time a slaughterhouse in the early 1800s which was torn down to accommodate a roadhouse under various
names like The Brisbane. A girl named Pearl Bryan was murdered and her body found in a field 2.5 miles from the building in Fort Thomas. It
has been speculated it was the work of Satanists who cursed the location and everyone involved in the case. Another legend is of a dance at
the club named Johanna who poisoned herself after her father hung and killed her lover Robert Randall, a singer there, in a dressing room.
There is little documentation available that provides indisputable proof of those claims. Bobby Mackey, a country music singer, purchased the
property in 1978.
PHENOMENA: Cold chills in various spots in the building; claims of possession; facial features distorting while looking into bathroom mirrors;
ghostly children have been reported; claims of a headless woman on the property; the ghost of Johanna standing on stage “performing“ with
bands; faucets and lights turning on by themselves; objects moving of their own volition; physical contact with staff and guests that has
resulted in occasional harm; clothing grabbed by unseen hands. Urban legend alert >> A well in the basement area has long been claimed to
be a “Gateway to Hell”.
TRIVIA: Mackey’s lawyers encouraged him to hang a sign in the club informing guests the place is haunted and management is not
responsible for the actions of the ghosts there. Location has been featured on many paranormal TV shows such as Paranormal Lockdown,
A Haunting, Ghost Adventures, BuzzFeed Unsolved, Is It Real?, Most Terrifying Places in America and Ghost Hunters. On
December 13, 1991, Mackey, his wife Janet, and caretaker Carl Lawson were guests on The Jerry Springer Show.
CAMP TAYLOR (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: A one-time military camp named for General Zachary Taylor with streets named for military notables like Sherman and Lee.
When the tuberculosis epidemic struck Louisville, the camp was devastated by the disease with bodies stacked “floor to ceiling” in many
buildings.
PHENOMENA: Ghostly figures of soldiers and women who worked in a former bordello have been reported throughout the neighborhood;
some of the military figures have been seen in formation; a blonde woman in a blue Victorian-era dress has also been seen; a young girl
whose identity is unknown also wanders Taylor Boulevard.
TRIVIA: The novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald trained at the camp.
CAVE HILL CEMETERY (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: Incorporated in the 1800s, it is the final resting place of many Kentucky notables such as KFC founder Colonel Harlan
Sanders and boxer Muhammad Ali. One of the first cemeteries in America to allow burials of different ethnicities and races.
PHENOMENA: Unexplained noises and footsteps; orbs and unexplained lights appearing on film; blasts of cold air; disembodied whispers; a
green light that floats among the headstones; the unmistakable sound of headstones being pushed over, yet nothing seems out of place or
disturbed upon investigation.
C.C. COHEN BUILDING (PADUCAH)
BACKGROUND: The building was constructed around 1865 and has existed as a clothing store, a dry goods store and as the headquarters of
R.L. Peacher Liquor Dealers and the Rehkopf Distilling Company in 1914. The Cohen family owned the entire corner property from 1921 to
1980 when the last member of the Cohen family, Stella Cohen Peine passed away in an upstairs apartment. It became a popular restaurant
named C.C. Cohen’s and that business stayed in place for a number of years until its closing in 2010.
PHENOMENA: Chairs are said to move about on their own; salt and pepper shakers will tip over inexplicably; lights flicker on and off; cold
spots appear at random; strange movements occur in reflective surfaces and glasses fall from various spots on the bar. A lady has been
photographed peering out of an upstairs window that is empty except for storage.
CONRAD-CALDWELL HOUSE (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: The house is the residential masterpiece of the Louisville architectural firm of C. J. Clarke & Arthur Loomis. Theophilus
Conrad, a tannery owner, built this home ibetween 1893 and 1895. After his death by heart attack on the staircase in 1905, the house was
sold to William Caldwell, maker of wooden and steel tanks. In 1947, it was acquired by the Presbyterian Church and became a home for
elderly women. The house was purchased by the St. James Court Association in 1987.
PHENOMENA: Tour guides and visitors claim the Caldwells still haunt their former home. Mr. Caldwell seems to appear when visitors wander
off on their own displaying a very displeased look. One female visitors in the 1990s went to the third floor for a look and came down
screaming saying a small, transparent man shook his finger at her. He has also been spotted in the billiards room his wife designed for him.
A pair of newlyweds saw a man in a tweed suit standing on the third floor balcony smoking a cigar during their reception. No one could say
who their mystery “guest” was, but he vanished when they looked his way. An odd mist has been encountered that many claim is the spirit
of Mrs. Caldwell attempting to manifest. A housekeeper claims when she was alone in the house preparing it for a coming storm, she heard a
female voice from the empty third floor cry, “The windows are open!” and indeed three of them were. A member of a different wedding party
who was helping decorate the house watched in amazement as a spoon floated in front of her and made its way over to where Mrs. Caldwell
kept her valued silverware before it fell to the floor.
TRIVIA: The house was featured on an episode of the SyFy network’s Ghost Hunters.
DOE RUN INN (BRANDENBERG)
BACKGROUND: Doe Run Inn is a restaurant/inn business built in 1792 that is located within the Doe Run Creek Historic District, which was
placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 19, 1978. Squire Boone, brother of Daniel, had discovered the creek with
John McKinney, in 1778, and named it Doe Run Creek. It was so named due to the many deer in the vicinity. The creek was blessed with
sulfur and salt licks, making it attractive for buffalo and elk. A mill was built between 1788 and 1790 by Jonathan Essery, and was originally
known as Stevenson's Mill. It became the Sulfur Wells Hotel in 1901 when W.D. Coleman purchased it, then in 1947 the Haycrafts leased the
Inn. It was renamed the Doe Run Inn in 1958 when it was leased by Curtis and Lucille Brown.
PHENOMENA: The building is said to be haunted by a singular entity who is said to be generally friendly but quite mischievous in playing
pranks on the living. He has been said to hide guest’s possessions, cause light outages in rooms, and spend much of his time on the
stairway. A bizarre, but common prank is to tie the shoelaces of seated guests together in order for them to lose their balance when they
stand.
FEDERAL HILL CEMETERY (BARDSTOWN)
BACKGROUND: In 1759, Senator John Rowan and his wife Ann Lytle built a mansion called “Federal Hill”. In 1801 Rowan and Dr. James
Chambers had a dispute over a card game which resulted in a challenge of a duel. While Rowan tried to defuse the situation, Chambers
insisted on it and was shot and killed. Rowan was charged for the killing but never convicted. In his will he stated he wanted no ornate statue
or headstone after his death as his parents had none and he did not consider himself better than they. Despite that request, a tall obelisk
was erected and placed on his final resting place.
CURRENT USE: Remains a cemetery.
PHENOMENA: Rowan’s obelisk toppled over soon after his death and was returned to its base by cemetery workers. This has repeated itself
time and again even to present day despite continuing efforts to ensure the monument is upright and stable. It’s thought that the spirit of
John Rowan still resents his final request being ignored.
GRANDVIEW CEMETERY (ELIZABETHTOWN)
BACKGROUND: Known to locals as “the Gates of Hell”; became local burial ground in 1700s; was known to be the site of cult rituals.
PHENOMENA: Unexplained vehicle malfunctions when parking near cemetery; items that go missing from vehicles; cell phone malfunctions
on property; shadowy figures seen near gravestones.
HENRY CLAY ESTATE (LEXINGTON)
BACKGROUND: Built in 1858 by Henry Clay (1777-1852) who moved to Lexington from Virginia in 1797 - Also known as “Ashland” for
nearby ash forest adjacent to the site. Clay was once sued by a slave named Charlotte Dupuy for her freedom in 1829. She lost the case and
was placed with Clay’s daughter, finally gaining her freedom 10 years later. Married Lucretia Hart - 11 children - all 6 daughters died young of
various causes. Henry Clay Jr. died in the Mexican-American war. Clay Sr. became Kentucky senator in 1810.
PHENOMENA: Said to be haunted by Henry Clay whose apparition appears in the Red Parlor Room (now staged as a study). Appears with
white hair and a black frock coat. Leans against fireplace mantel looking on approvingly at mementos of his life placed there.
TRIVIA: Ashland Stakes thoroughbred race is named after the home; as a lawyer. Clay once represented Aaron Burr.
JAILER’S INN BED & BREAKFAST (BARDSTOWN)
BACKGROUND: Served as a prison starting in 1791. The current building was constructed in 1819 and was expanded to accommodate more
inmates in 1874. It served as a functioning jail until 1987. It employed a female jailer named “Ms. Mckay” whose husband held the position
until his passing. She ran for the position and because of the respect she enjoyed in the community and her ability to run the jail, won the
election.
PHENOMENA: The ghost of Ms. Mckay has been seen by employees and visitors alike. She is said to be quite friendly but nonetheless is
capable of frightening those who are not expecting her appearance when they awake to find her staring at them. The courtyard, the former
location of the gallows is also said be haunted. A guest reported having a conversation there with a man and after looking away just for a
brief second, found that his new companion had vanished into thin air. People claim they feel as though they are not alone on their walks
through the courtyard and the feeling they are being observed.
JOHN HUNT MORGAN HOUSE (LEXINGTON)
BACKGROUND: Built in 1814 by millionaire John Wesley Hunt and close to the location of Transylvania (Ky) University. Hunt died of cholera in
1849.
PHENOMENA: John Wesley Hunt has been reported walking through hallways in the house appearing as though he is simply going about his
business. The spirit of a beloved nanny named Mammie Bouviette James has also been seen. She appears especially to sick children, sings to
them and strokes their hair. Seen wearing red shoes that were given to her as a gift from Hunt.
TRIVIA: Mammie Bouviette was considered part of the family and was laid out in the parlor for her wake and buried in the family plot,
something unheard of in that day for a slave/domestic servant.
KENTUCKY STATE CAPITOL (FRANKFORT)
BACKGROUND: From 1792 to 1830, two buildings were used as the capitol, both of which burned completely. In 1830, another capitol was
built and was in use until 1910. The need for a larger building for a growing state government resulted in the replacement of that capitol
building in 1905, which is now a museum operated by the Kentucky Historical Society.
PHENOMENA: Multiple apparitions from various eras have been seen throughout the building; lights turn on and off; doors open and close
themselves; extreme cold spots; disembodied footsteps; movement of objects and unexplained sounds. The most notorious haunting
concerns a soldier in full uniform who has been seen walking the hallways exhibiting a stern look.
TRIVIA: During a bitterly contested 1899 state governor election, Democratic Party claimant William Goebel was assassinated at the old
capitol on his way to be inaugurated.
KENTUCKY STATE PENITENTIARY (EDDYVILLE)
BACKGROUND: Also known as, “The Castle of Cumberland”, it is the oldest operating prison in the state. It was built by Italian stonemason in
the form of a castle in 1886 and its design is considered a work of art. The town of Eddyville was flooded to create the waterway that now
fronts the prison, but some who decided to remain drowned during that man-made event. Some former homes are still under water. The
prison was notable for its mistreatment of inmates, in part because of low staffing.
PHENOMENA: At night it’s said you can spot flickering lights in the water that are assumed to be the spirits of those that drowned in the
flooding. Guards and inmates report strange visible orbs; disembodied footsteps; voices, screams and apparitions of long-dead inmates in
customary old-time prison garb.
TRIVIA: On November 21, 2008 death row inmate Marco Allen Chapman, convicted of murdering two northern Kentucky children in 2002,
was executed by lethal injection, the most recent at Kentucky State Penitentiary. In July of 2018, DeEdra Hart was named the first female
warden in the history of the Kentucky State Penitentiary. Inmates in the minimum security unit are given additional privileges, including
fishing in Lake Barkley in their spare time.
LIBERTY HALL (FRANKFORT)
BACKGROUND: Built in 1796 by one of Kentucky’s first senators, John Brown, as a family home. Brown introduced the bill to grant Kentucky
its statehood. One of the earliest brick homes in Frankfort, the structure was made from bricks fired locally from clay dug from the cellar. The
construction continued until 1800 when the house was substantially complete. In addition to the main house, several dependent structures
were built on the property, including a kitchen and laundry, smokehouse, a privy, stables, carriage house, and slave quarters.
PHENOMENA: The ghost of Margaret Varick, known as “The Gray Lady” is said to haunt the home. She traveled over 800 miles to attend the
funeral of a family member and died of a heart attack upon arrival. She was buried in the garden and legend has it she was later moved. She
is seen in gray wandering the property and opening and closing doors. A Spanish opera singer is said to have died on the property under
mysterious circumstances in 1805. His ghost supposedly haunts the home along with that of a soldier who is reported to stare into a first-
story window with a sad expression on his face.
LOUISVILLE PALACE THEATER (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: The historic landmark opened on September 1, 1928, and was designed by architect John Eberson. It was originally known
as the Loew's and United Artists State Theater. Although the exterior had fallen behind the interior, the Palace was re-dedicated in 1994 and
is now a premiere venue. A long-time chief engineer and New Jersey native, Fred Frisch, died of a heart attack in his basement office in
1965.
PHENOMENA: It’s said the spirit of Fred Frisch remains here watching over the theater he worked in for 40 years. Workers have seen a man
resembling him in a picture with a flat top haircut, work clothes and old-style glasses appearing here and there in the building. One worker
swears he looked up at a balcony and saw Frisch staring down at him. Another had fallen asleep on a scaffold while painting and before he
rolled off the side to certain injury or even death, he heard a voice say, “Wake up!” Other workers have seen and heard writing scrawled in
dust, whistling, doors opening and closing themselves, disembodied footsteps late at night and a host of unexplained equipment
malfunctions.
TRIVIA: On June 2, 1983, A Flock Of Seagulls performed at the Palace and the show was recorded for broadcast by NBC's The Source.
MAMMOTH CAVES (MAMMOTH CAVE)
BACKGROUND: Mammoth Cave National Park is an American national park in central Kentucky, encompassing portions of Mammoth Cave,
the longest cave system known in the world. It was established as a national park in 1941, a World Heritage Site in 1981, and an
international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. The story of human beings in relation to Mammoth Cave spans six thousand years. Several sets of
Native American remains have been recovered from Mammoth Cave, or other nearby caves in the region, in both the 19th and 20th
centuries. A spelunker named Floyd Collins died in the cave in 1925 when he became trapped in a crawlway and died of starvation after a
two-week rescue effort failed to free him in time.
PHENOMENA: Rangers often spot someone who doesn’t seem to belong to any group who vanishes before anyone can approach him and
visitors often ask tour guides about males or females dressed in old-fashioned clothing who seem to appear on the tours. One tour guide
reported being shoved by an unseen force; what appeared to be an African-American family was seen on one tour with the father wearing a
white Panama hat and when the lights came on they were nowhere to be found. Blood-curdling screams have been heard inside the cave
that are thought to be those of Floyd Collins reliving the agony of being trapped inside the cave.
TRIVIA: The body of Floyd Collins was displayed inside a glass case at the entrance of the cave by the man who purchased it from Collins
father. H. P. Lovecraft's short story The Beast in the Cave is set in "the Mammoth Cave". The "Kentucky Mammoth Cave" is used as a
metaphor for a sperm whale's stomach in chapter 75 of Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick.
MAPLE HILL MANOR (SPRINGFIELD)
BACKGROUND: Built by slaves in 1851 for Thomas Irvine McElroy as wedding gift for his much younger wife, Sarah Jane Maxwell. It took
three years to cut all wood by hand and to make the bricks from scratch on-site. Some of Thomas and Sarah’s children died in infancy and a
son plunged to his death when a stairway railing collapsed.
PHENOMENA: It’s said the spirit of Thomas’ deceased son still haunts the property; a slave named “Mammy Anne” has been seen sitting in
her former room; there are apparitions of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Perryville that have been seen; in the Harriet Beecher Stowe
room, where injured soldiers were treated, activity ramps up on the anniversary of the battle in early October. Other claims are: knocks on
doors with no one outside; footsteps in empty rooms; cold spots; the smell of perfumes; odd light anomalies in photographs and strange
dreams experienced by guests who stay there.
OCTAGON HOUSE (LEXINGTON)
BACKGROUND: One of only 4 remaining 8-sided brick homes in the country. Construction began in 1847 and completed in 1859. Built for
Andrew Jackson Caldwell and his family. Caldwell, who was a slave owner, offered sanctuary to any Confederate soldier who showed up at his
door during the Civil War. There are stories of soldiers dying in the attic of the home. 7-year-old daughter Elizabeth tragically died when her
dress caught on fire while playing in the basement kitchen.
PHENOMENA: Visitors report an unknown scent of flowers on some days and a stench of decay on the anniversary of Andrew Caldwell’s
death; police respond to motion detectors activating, but find no intruders after their searches; children visiting report the presence of other
children in the home in colonial garb that adults fail to see; there have been photos taken of a spectral male in a first floor window;
apparitions in the basement; ghostly children playing in the driveway.
OLD LOUISVILLE
BACKGROUND: The premier community in Louisville during the late 1800s and early 1900s. A tuberculosis epidemic decimated its population
at one point in time. It is the third largest such district in the United States, and the largest preservation district featuring almost entirely
Victorian architecture. While an affluent location today, at one point the are saw many tragedies like fires, mysterious deaths and suicides.
PHENOMENA: An old woman who is said to transform into a black cat; a ghostly man in cloak and top hat nicknamed “Uncle Fred”who is
seen near 6th and Hill streets; a dark-haired woman in a Victorian dress. At a home called the “Pink Palace” the ghost of a man called,
“Avery” makes an appearance when he feels the residents are somehow at risk. One owner named Jenny was alerted by his presence that
there were a pair of burglars outside her house one night.
OLD TALBOTT TAVERN (BARDSTOWN)
BACKGROUND: Opening in 1770, it is the oldest former stagecoach stop in Kentucky. George Talbott purchased the tavern in 1886. Within
two years, six of his children died in the tavern. Notable guests include, Andrew Jackson, Jesse James, Abraham Lincoln, Daniel Boone and
King Louis of France. A painting on a wall is riddled with bullet holes said to be courtesy of James who for unknown reasons, shot it one night
while drunk claiming he was seeing imaginary butterflies.
PHENOMENA: It’s said Jesse James ghost still pays regular visits to the inn; a female spirit who haunts the building; items that move on their
own and others that disappear to turn up in different locations; phantom footsteps; furniture moving on its own accord.
TRIVIA: It has been featured on Food Network and Travel Channel, and was once ranked the 13th most haunted inn in the United States.
PARAMOUNT ARTS CENTER (ASHLAND)
BACKGROUND: Opened in 1931 as a prototype motion picture theater, it was in continuous operation until 1971. A few years later it
reopened as a performing arts center.
PHENOMENA: There is a resident ghost called, “Paramount Joe” about whom it’s said passed away there. Items go missing inexplicably; cold
spots. Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus heard stories about Joe and later signed autographed pictures for every female employee, plus Joe, and
they were hung on a wall. They were asked to remove them to make room for others, but they rudely removed only Joe’s. The following
morning their photos were placed neatly on the floor while Joe’s was hung back up….the only picture to be so.
TRIVIA: Billy Ray Cyrus’s Achy Breaky Heart was filmed at the theater.
PERRYVILLE BATTLEFIELD SITE (PERRYVILLE)
BACKGROUND: One the best-preserved battlefield sites in the country. Thousands lost their lives in the Battle of Perryville on October 8,
1862. At final count 7,600 either died, wounded or were declared missing with the nearby Chaplin River turning red with the blood of the
soldiers. Many Confederate soldiers were buried in mass graves or unmarked plots.
PHENOMENA: Apparitions of soldiers seen marching in formation; heavy artillery is heard; disembodied voices. At the Dye House, there are
reports of disembodied footsteps walking down the stairs; doors opening and closing and unexplained voices.
TRIVIA: Appeared twice on Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventures.
PHILLIPS FOLLY (MAYSVILLE)
BACKGROUND: Unclear when actual construction began, but generally assumed it was around 1825-1828. Built by William B. Phillips who
disappeared without a trace after workers had constructed its frame. It was assumed he ran out of money and the name “Phillips Folly” was
used to describe the seemingly-abandoned mansion. Surprisingly, Phillips returned years later with enough money (won by gambling) to
complete the project. He then went on to become Mayor of Maysville.
PHENOMENA: A subsequent owner named John Armstrong is said to haunt the house along with his Newfoundland dog. It’s said on a full
moon, Armstrong and the dog are seen on the upstairs porch playing together. John Pearce, a guest of the Finch family sometime between
1890 and 1894 is said to have committed suicide in the back parlor of the first floor near the fireplace. Another story is that he actually died
as the result of a duel, though dueling was illegal at that time.
PIKEVILLE CEMETERY (PIKEVILLE)
BACKGROUND: In 1891 a wealthy, well-respected Pikeville businessman named James Hatcher who had made his money in the mining and
timber industry built the Hotel James Hatcher, where the current East Kentucky Exposition Center is located now. The hotel featured some of
his favorite sayings and quotes printed on its walls. He also but a home for himself and a young woman he married named Octavia Smith.
Their bliss was fleeting as a son they named Jacob died soon after he was born and Octavia would soon join him in May of 1891 after a sever
bout of depression and falling into a coma. No true cause of death could be determined. When people started displaying the same symptoms
as she did, an inquest determined they had been bitten y a tsetse fly which causes a sleeping sickness that eventually people recover from.
Horrified, James had Octavia’s body immediately exhumed and what he found shook him to his core. She had indeed awakened and began to
scratch the lining of her coffin in an effort to escape. Her nails were bloodied and her face contorted in horror and fear.
PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> Local residents report hearing the sound of crying coming from the area where she was buried, but the
sound stops when they approach its source; legend has it that on the anniversary of her death, the statue placed there in her honor turns
away faces the opposite direction.
SEELBACH HILTON HOTEL (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: Considered to be the finest hotel in the state of Kentucky and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It opened in
1905 and has hosted a large number of prominent historical figures. Immigrants Otto and Louis Seelbach wanted to create a hotel in the US
in the finest European traditions and accomplished that. It was sold to Abraham Liebling in 1925 and it was purchased by the Eppley Hotel
Co. a year later. Sheraton Hotels and (currently) Hilton Hotels and Resorts also took ownership. There is a “Lady in Blue” who haunts the
hotel and is thought to be Patricia Wilson who had separated from her husband and moved to Louisville from Oklahoma in 1936. In an effort
to reconcile they agreed to meet at the hotel but the husband was killed in a car crash en route. Not long afterwards, Ms. Wilsons’ body was
found at the bottom of an elevator shaft and theories conflict as to whether it was a suicide or foul play.
PHENOMENA: Patricia Wilson’s apparition has been seen on the 8th floor and mezzanine level dressed in blue with long, dark hair. She has
been seen by a cook walking toward the elevator. There are also reports of disembodied voices; unexplained footsteps; cold spots and the
scent of perfume. One couple reported awakening to find a man standing at their window and when then turned on the light he vanished into
thin air. Others report seeing a woman dressed in ragged clothing reflecting in a mirror near the cafe.
TRIVIA: Brigadeer General Henry H. Denhart was accused of killing Ms. Wilson after an eyewitness watched him arguing with a woman fitting
her description on the 8th floor. The results of the investigation were never finished because on Sept. 20, 1937 Denhardt was murdered by
the Garr brothers before a retrial of the Verna Garr Taylor case in Shelbyville. Garr Taylor was assumed to have been murdered by her then-
fiancee…Denhart.
SHAKERS VILLAGE AT PLEASANT HILL (HARRODSBURG)
BACKGROUND: In 1805, the Shakers founded a farming community that came to be known as Pleasant Hill. It spanned 3,000 acres of
largely rolling land and is located about twenty-five miles southwest of Lexington. It consists now of thirty-three restored buildings where
Shaker-costumed interpreters demonstrate crafts, give tours, and perform authentic Shaker songs and dance in the Meeting House.
PHENOMENA: Visitors and staff have witnessed many long-deceased Shakers going about their daily routines like walking the streets,
working looms and occasionally waking overnight guests. In the Meeting House, singing, clapping and stomping have been heard and
apparitions seen. One guest reported being awakened by a knock on her door followed by a woman in Shaker clothing opening it with a key
and placing fresh towels down and replacing used ones. She was informed that the staff here does not wear vintage clothing or costumes.
SLEEPY HOLLOW ROAD (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: Sleepy Hollow Road is a two-lane near Prospect, Ky. It is a dark and foreboding stretch with no lighting and trees creating a
natural canopy over it, effectively blocking out even the moon light. At the bottom of the bridge sits Harrods Creek which legend says is a
place where mothers would toss deformed or incestuous or bastard infants - or, if you were a slave, babies sired by their masters - into the
water. It is known locally as Cry Baby Bridge. Devil’s Point in the actual hollow was said to be the site of Satanic rituals in the late 70s and
early 80s.
PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> Legend has it that a dark vehicle is spotted in driver’s rear view mirrors coming up fast behind them. As
drivers speed up to avoid a collision, it accelerates and pulls alongside, and it then becomes clear it is a hearse with black, tinted windows
and then forces the vehicle off the road and down the embankment. Drivers also claim if you stop at the bottom of the hollow or have your
windows open, you can hear babies crying for their mothers or mothers mourning the loss of their infants. Sometimes it’s said the splash of
a small body hitting the water can be heard. There are sightings claimed of a soldier on horseback up on the ridge; lights flying along besides
cars and moving through the trees and some claims that the area itself is a sort of portal or time warp where passersby lose time as they
believe minutes have passed when in fact they have lost hours. There is also a legend of the “Sleepy Hollow Witch”, a spectral old woman
who stands in the middle of the road. One driver swerved to miss her and hot a guardrail while a second vehicle could not stop in time and
passed right through her before she vanished from sight. Near a pond on the property, frightened visitors have fled the area after hear the
sounds of infants crying.
SPEED ART MUSEUM (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: Hattie Bishop Speed was a champion of the arts and established the city’s first art museum in 1927 in honor of her husband,
James Breckenridge Speed. It is the oldest, largest, and foremost museum of art in Kentucky. Ms. Speed set up the endowment to fund the
museum, encouraging the museum to never charge admission.
PHENOMENA: According to legend, Ms. Hattie was an ultra-organized perfectionist who liked to keep tabs on her museum, so even in death,
she is a well-known figure to all who work there. Employees say she is a friendly ghost, not a frightening one, and that she haunts the art
gallery because she simply doesn’t want to let go of her work — even in death. Hattie often played pranks with the light bulbs, and people
will sometimes feel a breeze and the smell of lavender. Before the renovation, Hattie was known to frequent the lower level near the special
exhibition spaces; others report that her favorite room is the Kentucky gallery, where she would be surrounded by familiar items.
WAVERLY HILLS SANATORIUM (LOUISVILLE)
BACKGROUND: It opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients, but in the early 1900s, Jefferson
County was ravaged by an outbreak of tuberculosis which prompted the construction of a new hospital. Waverly Hills closed in 1961, due to
the antibiotic drug streptomycin that lowered the need for such a hospital. At the peak of the disease the site of the dead being carried away
through the tunnel lowered the patient morale, increasing the number of deaths per day. Therefore, the sanatorium tried transporting the
dead bodies as secretively as possible to increase the morale and lower the death rates. The doctors and workers of this time also believed
that this would help to lower the disease's spreading rate. It came to be known more popularly as the “Death Tunnel”. The building was
reopened in 1962 as Woodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home primarily treating aging patients with various stages of dementia and
mobility limits, as well as the severely mentally handicapped. However, Woodhaven failed greatly because it was severely understaffed and
overcrowded. Woodhaven also had reports over patient neglect and was closed by the state of Kentucky in 1982.
PHENOMENA: A man in white doctor-style coat has been seen by many witnesses walking in the kitchen; the smell of food cooking has been
reported though the kitchen hasn’t been functional for decades. The 5th floor is said to be especially haunted, perhaps because the patients
placed there suffered from mental illness. Room 502 is a particular focus of activity as it’s been said a 29-year-old nurse who found herself
pregnant hung herself from a light fixture in 1928. Perhaps she felt that her proximity to such a contagious and almost fatal disease would
cause suffering for her and her own child eventually. In 1932, another nurse took her own life by jumping from the roof patio. It has been
speculated she may have been pushed to her death but that remains unproven. The spirits of these women are said to haunt this floor and
many have witnessed their apparitions. A little girl has been spotted running through the halls of the third floor solarium; a little boy has
been spotted playing with a ball; a hearse is said to appear at the rear of the building dropping off coffins; a woman whose wrists appear to
be bleeding has been reported crying for help. Visitors claim to hear and see things like doors slamming, lights seen through windows even
though no power exists there, strange sounds and disembodied footsteps throughout the building. Volunteers working on the restoration
heard ghostly sounds, had objects thrown at them, were touched by phantom hands and witnessed apparitions in doorways and corridors.
TRIVIA: The sanatorium was featured on ABC/FOX Family Channel's Scariest Places on Earth, VH1's Celebrity Paranormal Project,
Syfy's Ghost Hunters, Zone Reality's Creepy, the British show Most Haunted, Paranormal Challenge and Ghost Adventures on Travel
Channel. It was also featured on paranormal shows Ghost Asylum and Paranormal Lockdown; both on Destination America. It was also
mentioned on The CW's show Supernatural in season 11, episode 23, "Alpha and Omega".
WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY (BOWLING GREEN)
BACKGROUND: Western Kentucky University opened in 1907 as Western Kentucky State Normal School whose main focus was training new
teachers. Eventually it expanded into the privately owned Southern Normal School which was owned by Henry Hardin Cherry whose goal was
to establish state schools for teacher training. In 1911, Western Kentucky State Normal School moved to its current location.
PHENOMENA: Sigma Alpha Epsilon House - Used as a hospital during the Civil War and one soldier who has been named Kevin, tall and
slender in build and wearing a uniform, is said to haunt the frat. His apparition is seen in mirrors, and his shadowy form seen on walls. He
often makes his presence known in Room 7 and his disembodied footsteps are frequently heard.
Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity - It’s said a woman was murdered here long ago and her apparition has been seen sprinting across the front
lawn. She will also light fires in the fireplace and enjoys playing with the lights and moving members belongings around during the night.
Academic Complex - Another former hospital where apparitions are often seen and phantom footsteps heard.
Potter Hall - Urban legend alert >> The first residence built on campus used as dorms, a cafeteria and now an administration building. It’s
said a coed named Allison hung herself in the basement inside a storage room. When it was a women’s dorm, her footsteps would be heard
in the hallways, have their name called and feel her presence where she took her own life. She is still known to bang on pipes there on
occasion.
Van Meter Hall - Urban legend alert >> Originally an administration building and now contains the campus auditorium. The story goes that
in 1909 or 1940 (a large span there), a worker fell through a skylight and died when he hit the stage. Stories say the spot where his blood
gathered glows during programs there and reappears despite attempts to eliminate it. Students and staff have witnessed his apparition and
many present in the auditorium claim to feel his presence. He toys with lights, stage curtains, music stands, tables and electrical devices.
Kentucky Library and Museum - Staff claims the feeling they are constantly watched; a strange mist was captured on video hovering
above a staff member’s shoulder; cold spots occur in the form of breezes; books that have been put away are sometimes found out of place
and open.
Barnes-Campbell Hall - In 1968, an RA fell down an elevator shaft between the 6th and 7th floors and was killed. That elevator sometimes
activates itself and stops at the 5th floor. Water faucets on that floor are said to turn themselves on and wet foot prints are found leading
from the showers to the elevator at certain times of year.
McClean Hall - Named for a beloved administrative assistant named Mattie McClean who passed away in 1954. Women in this dorm claim
they feel her presence watching over them and hear her footsteps in the hallways. It’s said she has communicated via Ouija board and
showed herself upon request at one point.
Pearce Ford Tower - Urban legend alert >> A coed dorm since 1970 where it’s said a construction worker fell to his death down an
elevator shaft (another one) and that elevator functions on its own during school breaks.
Schneider Hall - Urban legend alert >> Once a student infirmary and housing for Army Air Corps cadets in WWII. Legend says that two
coed remained during Spring Break in the 50s to catch up on work. One girl was attacked by an axe-wielding maniac and made her way to
her friend’s room (with axe in head) and died there. She has been seen sitting and looking out windows, rearranges furniture and displays an
interest in electronic devices. It’s claimed she will scratch on resident’s doors; triggers cold spots, moves items that reappear in different
places and creates a presence that is felt by students in the building.
Rhodes Harlin Hall - Urban legend alert >> A women’s resident hall today, it’s been said a coed once jumped off the building and now
haunts it. Her former roommate claims to have heard knocking at their door right after her death and she would do the same with others on
her floor. Footsteps are often heard on the 9th floor making their way to the roof where she jumped. She also appears there on the day of
the anniversary of her death.
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