This Abandoned Kentucky Sanatorium Is Thought To Be One Of The Most Haunted Places On Earth
By Sarah McCosham|Published April 07, 2022
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Sarah McCosham
Author
I write like it's my job - because it is! I have a Master's in English and love words: crossword puzzles, Scrabble games, Wordle, and, of course, good, old-fashioned books.
I'm a writer and editor at OnlyInYourState, and a contributing writer at Cincinnati Magazine. I love the Great Outdoors and am endlessly awestruck by this beautiful country of ours. Coffee keeps me going, yoga keeps me sane, my kids keep me grounded, and my writing keeps me inspired.
Kentucky is no stranger to haunted lore and legends, with spirits said to wander some of the state’s most legendary establishments. The Bluegrass is also home to its very own ghost town, too, an abandoned mine that’s an eerie reminder of a bygone time. However, there’s one place in Kentucky that’s truly not for the faint of heart, a site even the most thick-skinned ghost hunters dare not step foot: the abandoned Waverly Hills Sanatorium.
Tucked away in the hills of Louisville, Kentucky, there is a place that's been forsaken by the cruel passage of time.
At the time it was built, there was no known cure for tuberculosis and the disease was often fatal. In some cases, doctors tried "experimental" methods to ease the symptoms.
Whether patients perished from the disease itself or the "treatments," one thing is for certain: the sanatorium was the scene of many deaths over the years -- as many as 8,000, according to historians.
What's more, Waverly Hills served as a geriatric hospital from the 1960s until the 1980s, and many of the spooky stories about this place are based on rumors that patients were mistreated and subjected to inhumane treatments such as electroshock therapy.
As a result of its tortured history, haunted tales and ghost stories abound about this now-abandoned sanatorium in Kentucky. In the years since Waverly Hills was closed for good, ghost hunters have reported slamming doors, strange noises, disembodied footsteps, and even faint screams throughout the abandoned building.
Today, Waverly Hills Sanatorium is open for tours, allowing ghost hunters and thrill seekers the unique opportunity to walk its hallowed, haunted halls... with a knowledgable guide. The building is run by the Waverly Hills Historical Society, a place that revels in the history of this abandoned sanatorium, which is not only thought to be one of the most haunted places in Kentucky, but also the entire world!
