Editor’s note: an earlier version of this article stated the cave is open for exploration. This is incorrect. The cave is closed to the public due to safety concerns.

If anyone brings up a haunted tunnel in Louisville, they’re most likely referring to the infamous “body chute” found at Waverly Hills Sanatorium. It’s been covered by many paranormal experts and television shows, and is available for exploration via paid guided tours. Famous as it may be, Waverly Hills isn’t the only haunted tunnel around here; there are plenty of other locations in Louisville that are rumored to be haunted, one of which is an extremely creepy tunnel. It’s nicknamed Sauerkraut Cave and is hidden in the middle of E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park, completely unknown to most of the visitors who jog right past it. Of course, as with most hidden tunnels, Sauerkraut Cave comes with a dark, hidden past…

E.P. Tom Sawyer Park was once known as Central State Hospital, or the "Lakeland Asylum."
Flickr / Kentucky Photo File
Built in 1873, this property was constructed to accommodate a maximum of 1600 people, but by 1940 the hospital housed over 2400. These cramped, understaffed quarters had horrible living conditions for the patients, many of which were mentally ill, elderly, and even just the impoverished left with nowhere else to go. Sadly, crude and often fatal treatments such as lobotomies occurred and the death count was high. Today, a wooden fence has been rebuilt around the old cemetery to remember those who suffered and passed here, which is estimated to be around 5,000.
By the 1960s, the attitude toward the treatment of mental illness began to shift and the Courier Journal published several articles criticizing the conditions of the hospital.
Flickr / Kentucky Photo File
As people began to focus on more effective short term care, the hospital lost funding and eventually went bankrupt. Central State Hospital was demolished in 1997, as the interior had become badly deteriorated and dangerous.

These two photos above were taken in 1997 and show all that remained of the abandoned and soon-to-be demolished hospital.

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Today, Sauerkraut Cave is the only remaining portion of the old hospital.
Flickr / The Pug Father
This "cave" was built by the hospital and used for food storage. The unit is said to have gained its name due to the great amount of sauerkraut that was once stored here. Some believe that patients used this tunnel to hide and escape from the hospital, while others have more sinister theories about what may have happened here.
Unfortunately, the cave is not open to the public due to safety concerns.
Flickr / The Pug Father
This tunnel is incredibly creepy, even without the backstory of the asylum. Since the cave is inaccessible to the public, you'll want to check out this spooky video by YouTube user Artificial Mayo that shows just how creepy, dark, and damp this tunnel really is!

Have you ever been to Sauerkraut Cave? Did you experience any paranormal activity here? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook! If you enjoyed this article, click here to read on about what happens at our most popular haunted attraction in Kentucky!

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