Waverly Hills Sanitarium

Images source - Stock.XCHNG

Waverly Hills Sanitarium is considered to be one of the most haunted locations in North America.

The Waverly Hills Sanatarium, which is located in Louisville, KY, once held thousands of patients. It was built as a hospital in the early 20th century, and its original purpose was to keep and quarantine tuberculosis patients. Tuberculosis was a very horrible and widespread disease in the early part of the 20th century, and doctors didn’t know how to treat it properly. During the time of Waverly Hills Sanatarium’s construction, Louisville, Ky had the highest number of people suffering with tuberculosis.

Since there was no cure for tuberculosis, most of the patients went to Waverly Hills Sanatarium and never came back out again. Not only did patients go there to die, but legends say there were horrific “experiments” done on them as well. It’s estimated that thousands upon thousands of people died within the walls of Waverly Hills Sanitarium, but there is no official count. It’s rumored, though, that the number could be as high as 63,000! If that is true, then it’s no wonder that the place is haunted.

Not only did tuberculosis patients die there, but some of the staff did as well. According to legends, in 1928, one of the nurses supposedly hanged herself in “Room 502". The nurse was Mary Hillenburg, and she allegedly killed herself for being unwed and pregnant. Another nurse was said to have thrown herself out of the window in “Room 502" a few years later. Some also speculate that she was pushed.

In 1961, shortly after advanced treatment was found for tuberculosis, Waverly Hills Sanitarium was finally shut down. It reopened two years later as the Woodhaven Geriatrics Center. It also became a rest home for the elderly, and remained open until 1981 when it was closed down for good. Local churches did plan on turning it into a chapel and a theater, but their funding fell through. It has since then deteriorated.

All that remains of Waverly Hills Sanitarium is an old, run down building. The only “patients” left inside are ones that have already died, and unfortunately haven’t moved on. Sometimes ghost hunters and other curious folks will go there looking for ghosts. Room 502, “THE Room”, is said to be a hotspot for paranormal activity. Some claim to have seen strange things in Room 502. Others claim to have heard voices, including one telling them to “get out!” It’s also reported that a strange “figure” can be seen on the fourth floor, and that lights will sometimes come on when they shouldn’t be, and so forth.

Skeptics, of course, believe that the strange activity only comes from people’s overactive imaginations, and that people only “see” and “hear” what they want to see and hear. Whether Waverly Hills Sanitarium truly is haunted or not, it still remains one of the creepiest buildings in North America. Scepticism can’t erase the history of the harsh, brutal, and sad events that took place at Waverly Hills Sanatarium.

Click to discuss this article