If you haven’t spent much time in Norfolk, the chances are good that you haven’t heard much about the cave sitting behind the Elkhorn Valley Museum. But for locals, Verges Cave has been a topic of speculation almost since it was created nearly a century ago.

Verges Park is an absolutely beautiful outdoor space in Norfolk.
flickr/Joanne C. Sullivan
It was created on the site of the former Norfolk Brick and Tile Company, which operated in Norfolk from 1888 to 1907. Dr. Carl J. Verges, the son of one of the brick company's owners, purchased the land in 1907. He demolished the buildings that were there and turned the area into a lovely park for the entire town to enjoy.
While today most of the original features are gone, one intriguing spot remains: Verges Cave.
Facebook/Elkhorn Valley Museum
The cave was dug into the land around 1933 and reinforced on the inside with concrete. The cave's purpose has been the subject of some pretty wild speculation over the years. Some people say that Dr. Verges conducted evil medical experiments in the cave's rooms. A more likely scenario is the the doctor built the cave as a unique, kind of adventurous place to hold parties and social meetings.

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When you're inside, it's easy to imagine why people might assume the cave was used for dark purposes.
Facebook/Elkhorn Valley Museum
The walls are lined with cryptic cartoons, and there's a fireplace, the remains of a kitchen, and a coal room, among other features. It seems an odd place to find in a city park. Still, there are no indications that anything more sinister than club meetings ever took place here.
That doesn't stop the ghost stories from living on, however.
Facebook/Elkhorn Valley Museum
Many people who have ventured into the cave have felt the presence of something not quite human in those subterranean rooms. People who live nearby have reported hearing all sorts of unexplained voices and other sounds coming from the cave, even though it's always locked up tight behind a metal door and an interior gate.

The cave is usually off limits to anyone other than the supposed ghosts who have taken up residence there.

However, the Elkhorn Valley Museum gives regular school tours of the cave to local kids. Twice a year and for certain special events, the general public is invited into the cave to look around. It’s a fascinating space to explore because it lets the mind wander to all sorts of possibilities – including, yes, the enduring legends that it’s haunted. The Elkhorn Valley Museum actually encourages the legends – at least around Halloween. One of the annual events for which the cave is open to the public is Trick or Treat in Haunted Verges Park.

Ask anyone in Norfolk and they’re likely to have a strong opinion on the subject of whether or not Verges Cave is haunted. What do you think? Is the cave really haunted by some unknown entities or is it a perfectly innocent part of the park?

Regardless of the ghost stories, the cave and the park are always in need of maintenance funds. To donate or to become a member of the Elkhorn Valley Museum, and to get more information on the dates you can go into Verges Cave, visit the museum’s website.

Nebraska doesn’t have many caves, but the ones we do have are full of history. Check out our 2015 article on four Nebraska caves right here.

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