Waverly Hills Sanatorium- Kentucky

Facts

In Louisville, Kentucky, perched high upon a massive hill sits Waverly Hill Sanatorium. This reigning fortress of doom, in its decaying state, cast an eerie feeling upon the city below. The atmosphere surrounding Waverly creates a sense of foreboding and is further darkened by a chilling history.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium was built in 1924 to replace an existing hospital, built in 1910, that became over populated due to the rapid spread of a plague like disease, tuberculosis. Although Waverly hills was considered the most advance tuberculosis sanatorium in the country, hundreds of adults and children still perished at the peak of the epidemic. Ultimately the deaths occurred because of lack of medicines. A cure for tuberculosis wouldn't come until 1940 and although treatments were performed to help alleviate the condition of the patient, most times they were just as horrific as the disease itself and most patients did not survive.

By the late 1930's a decline in tuberculosis occurred and then in 1943 a cure for the disease was made available worldwide. Patients were treated accordingly and when healthy were released. Then in 1946 after tuberculosis was under control Waverly Hills shut down. Yet, that was not the end of the story, it was later re-opened as Woodhaven Geriatrics Sanatorium in 1961. During this time there were many stories of patient mistreatment and unusual experiments . By 1982 Waverly was shut down indefinitely . Today it sits abandoned, ravaged by time.

Hauntings

With 64,000 deaths under its belt its no wonder why Waverly Hills is considered to be one of the most haunted insane asylums haunted insane asylums in the country. As if death wasn't enough to cause a haunting it has also been speculated that satanic rituals have taken place with in it's walls. Shadow people lurk with in its corridors accompanied by disembodied voices and slamming doors. Here are a few well known occurrences at Waverly:

Main Entrance

An elderly women is often seen, in spectral form, crying for help, bleeding with her wrist and ankles chained.

The Third Floor

It is said, depending on who is speaking, that either a ghostly little boy (Robert) or girl (Mary) haunts the third floor. Often times people report seeing this ghostly apparition playing with a ball; others have only heard the ball bouncing on the floor or down the stairs.

The Roof

The faint voices of Children are often heard singing "ring a round the rosie" on the roof.

The Fifth Floor & Room 502

Stories say that in 1928, the head nurse in Room 502 was found dead in her room. She had committed suicide by hanging herself from the light fixture. She was 29 years-old at the time of her death and allegedly, unmarried and pregnant. Her depression over the situation led her to take her own life. It’s unknown how long she may have been hanging in this room before her body was discovered. Then in 1932, another nurse who worked in Room 502 was said to have jumped from the roof patio and plunged several stories to her death. No one seems to know why she would have done this but many have speculated that she may have actually have been pushed over the edge. There are no records to indicate this but rumors continue to persist. It is reported that people have seen her full body apparition on this floor. Feelings of despair are often times felt in this area as well as voice growling "get out"!

The Fourth Floor

The fourth floor is regarded as one of the most creepy, scary and "active" areas in the hospital. Doors are reported to slam for no apparent reason in an area of the fourth floor that is off limits to human occupants due to the unsafe nature of the area. Ghostly shadow like silhouettes are also said to be seen lurking the halls in this area as well.