Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Over 63,000 patients died at this tuberculosis hospital. Bodies were slid down a 'death tunnel' to hide the death rate from survivors. Room 502 saw two nurse suicides. Now Waverly Hills is considered the most haunted place in America.
The Death Tunnel Hospital
Waverly Hills Sanatorium opened in 1910 to treat tuberculosis and became a place of mass death. With an estimated 63,000 patients dying within its walls, the Kentucky hospital is considered by many to be the most haunted location in America.
The Hospital
Historic facts:
- Opened 1910
- Louisville, Kentucky
- TB treatment
- Isolation hospital
- Closed 1961
The Epidemic
Why it existed:
- Tuberculosis outbreak
- “White plague”
- No cure existed
- Quarantine needed
- Death common
The Death Toll
The numbers:
- 63,000 estimated
- Some say higher
- At peak, 1/day
- Sometimes more
- Mass death
Treatment Methods
What patients endured:
- Fresh air exposure
- Even in winter
- Heliotherapy
- Lung surgery
- Experimental procedures
The Death Tunnel
Body disposal:
- 500-foot tunnel
- Downhill slope
- Bodies transported
- Hidden from patients
- To maintain morale
Room 502
Most haunted space:
- Fifth floor
- Nurse suicide 1928
- Another 1932
- Hanging/jumping
- Intense activity
The Suicides
What happened:
- Nurse hung herself 1928
- Room 502 light fixture
- 1932 another jumped
- Same room
- Cursed location
The Creeper
Famous entity:
- Crawls on walls
- Ceiling movement
- Inhuman
- Photographed
- Terrifying
The Draining Room
Where blood went:
- Surgical theater
- Experimental procedures
- Failed treatments
- Heavy energy
- Shadow figures
Timmy
The child ghost:
- Little boy
- Plays with balls
- Responds to toys
- Fourth floor
- Friendly presence
The Nurse
Female apparition:
- Seen on fifth floor
- Room 502 area
- Full figure
- Nurse uniform
- Regular appearance
Shadow People
Constant presence:
- Throughout building
- Dark figures
- Human shaped
- Moving
- Watching
EVP Evidence
Audio recordings:
- Constant capture
- Voices
- Names
- Responses
- Well documented
Ghost Adventures
TV investigation:
- Multi-part episode
- Compelling footage
- Zak Bagans
- Famous sequences
- Increased fame
Current Status
Today:
- Preserved site
- Tours offered
- Overnight hunts
- Private investigations
- Very active
The Tours
What’s available:
- Historical tours
- Paranormal tours
- Overnight events
- Private rentals
- Investigation access
Investigator Experiences
What teams find:
- Consistent activity
- Equipment malfunction
- Physical touches
- Apparitions
- Always active
Significance
The largest death toll of any haunted location creating America’s most intensely active paranormal site.
Legacy
Waverly Hills proves mass death leaves a mark—63,000 souls who suffered and died here make their presence known to everyone who enters.