Waverly Hills Sanatorium: Kentucky's Haunting Legacy
/First a schoolhouse to teach the young, next a sanatorium housing patients who were fighting against the deadly disease tuberculosis, Waverly Hills Sanitorium in Louisville, Kentucky, was dubbed one of the most haunted places in America. The sanatorium was first opened in 1910 as a small, one-story building, housing a little over forty patients. But with the increase in the tuberculosis epidemic, it went under renovations to expand its walls. In 1926, it officially reopened as a five-story facility with over 100 different rooms. The addition allowed over 400 patients to move in.
Photo by Sherrill Hyman/Courier Journal
Due to the diseases highly contagious nature, the sanatorium was built on top of a secluded hill for quarantine reasons, but also so the patients could be at peace and have lots of fresh air, which, at the time, was believed to relieve symptoms. While the patients were treated with the upmost care, it was rumoured that, according to the owner, Tina Mattingly, doctors used electroshock therapy on those whose tuberculosis had spread to the brain.
The number of deaths within its walls sparks controversy as some estimate the number to be 3,000 to 6,000, while others believe the number to be much higher, approximately 60,000 to 63,000. Although, no one can know for sure since there are no longer any patient records available.
The sanatorium was officially closed in 1961 after medical treatment for the lung disease became widespread around the country and there were less patients being admitted.
The Body Chute
Photo By Marty Pearl/Special to the cj
One of the more infamous parts of the sanatorium is a 500 ft. underground tunnel that leads all the way down the hill. It’s referred to as the “death tunnel” or the “body chute” as it originally was designed to transport deceased patients discreetly. This was done to maintain a sense of peace and morale to the living patients.
Although, it has also been said that the tunnel had a much more lighthearted history, only used to carry transported good into the facility. The tunnel would’ve been used this way to ensure quarantine from the outside world.
Timmy the Ghost
On the third floor, people have reported seeing a young, spectral boy who loves to play ball. He has come to be known as Timmy. Visitors of the sanatorium are encouraged to bring their own ball to play with him. It’s said if you were to throw it down the hallway, it would come back, like a ghostly game of catch.
One instance of this is showcased on the popular Youtube channel, BuzzFeed Unsolved, where Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej explore Waverly Hills. After throwing the ball down the dark hallway, Ryan and Shane go to retrieve the ball only to find it sitting directly under the graffitied name “Ryan”.
Whether it be a coincidence or something more sinister, we’ll never know for sure.
The Elevator Shaft
Also on the third floor, people have reported seeing a homeless man and his dog wandering the halls. When the sanatorium sat in disuse, the homeless man was said to have squatted here, but unfortunately passed away when he and his dog fell down the elevator shaft. Some say it was an accident, but others speculate he’d been pushed.
While I cannot find any actual reports of the death of these two other than what has been said by the owner, Mattingly, it’s still a highlighted component of the mystery surrounding the sanatorium.
Room 502
Another infamous part of the sanatorium is room 502 on the top floor. It’s deemed as one of the more “active” rooms when relating to ghost activity. The room seemingly has an off-putting vibe once you step inside, and people often report hearing voices and seeing shadowy figures out of the corner of their eye.
Photo by Sandra N. on Trip Advisor
The room gained its reputation after the story of a nurse, Mary Hillenburg, committed suicide by hanging herself on a light fixture in 1928. No one knows why, but it’s believed that she was pregnant out of wedlock from a doctor at the sanatorium. In 1932, the room had also seen yet another death, where an unnamed nurse apparently jumped from roof. Like the homeless man and his dog, it was suggested that the nurse could have been maliciously pushed instead.
There is also a rumour that a young boy who was a patient there fell off the roof, but it may just be the ghost stories entangling. It could have been a young boy who fell, or it could have been the unknown nurse who jumped. Or perhaps it was both.
While some rooms are said to be more active than others, most visitors have noted that the entire sanatorium seems to hold a dark atmosphere. Encounters range from phantom footsteps that follow wherever you go, disembodied voices, and figures appearing in windows.
As of today, Waverly Hills Sanatorium offers historical, paranormal, public, and private tours as well as special events for funding reasons. All I know is I will never willingly step inside.
Peyden Mongrain has been a lover of the eerie and paranormal ever since she was young. She was born and raised in northern Ontario, but is currently enrolled in the Professional Writing program at Algonquin College in Ottawa. Her favourite thing to do is listen to scary stories either on Youtube, or reading them on Reddit. It doesn’t matter if they’re true or not because she just likes being afraid. She’s heard more than a few good scary stories and would be happy to tell them if asked.
