This unauthorized history does not seek to tell the story of the infamous 'haunted' Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky. The corridor is 500 feet to the bottom of the hill and has a set of stairs on one side, which were the stairs used for the workers. In the early 20th century, when tuberculosis was raging, there was no known cure, and although the disease had been around since antiquity, the source of the so-called "White Plague" wasn't fully understood. Waverly Hills Sanatorium is an example of early 20th century early Tudor Gothic Revival style architecture. He is a man who had invented a device that can directly contact the spirits. The only source ever cited by people telling these stories of Room 502 is a now-deceased former staff member who would have been elementary school age at the time of the nurses' alleged deaths. One of the saddest ghost stories is that of an elderly woman who supposedly roams the hospital, moaning and bleeding from her chained hands and feet. There were no schools in the area, so Hays decided to build a one-room schoolhouse for his own children. Waverly Hills' haunted house will begin tours for the Halloween season starting this Friday.Watch our previous coverage of the haunted sanatorium in the player above.This isn't the full tour of . The possibility of another dimension for our souls to live on is amazing to think about. By the early 20th century, tuberculosis was sweeping the United States, and Louisville was particularly hard hit because of its growing industrial economy and location within the Ohio Valley, both of which contributed to a lack of fresh air flow through the city. Anyone under 18 years of age, must be accompanied by a responsible adult at least 21 years of age. Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a beautiful example of early 20th century early Tudor Gothic Revival style architecture and a significant contributor to the Louisville, Ky community. There were original plans to turn the abandoned hospital into a hotel, but that is no longer the case. The original building only housed around 40 people, but by 1926 it had expanded to treat over 500. Just visited Waverly & let me tell you it is an experience to not miss. In Louisville, Kentucky, stands a lofty, bat-winged gothic building that has a reputation that fits its somewhat spooky appearance. (By a ghost? [9][10] In December 1912 a hospital for advanced cases opened for the treatment of another 40 patients. Who might have done it, and why, are unknown. Opening it's doors October 17th, 1926, Waverly Hills was one of the largest and state-of-the-art TB sanatoriums in the world. Waverly Hills Sanatorium cannot be accessed via through the golf course. In 1910, when the hospital was established, this was a place where roughly8,000people died bloody, excruciating deaths,as there would be no real cure for tuberculosis, known as the white plague, until streptomycin was invented in 1943. Open to the public in 1910, the first medical facility consisted of two open-air pavilions, each housing 20 patients. As a result, much of the treatment at Waverly Hills was based on what the medical field refers to as "good vibes" (which stands in fairly sharp contrast to the building's current reputation as a hotspot for the unquiet dead, but c'est la vie). No one under the age of 13 years of age will be permitted. [12] The children's pavilion was not only for sick children but also for the children of tuberculosis patients who could not be cared for properly otherwise. In its heyday, Waverly Hills could be called "state of the art." It was well-equipped and considered modern. The tunnel served as a passageway to transport bodies and supplies in and out of the sanatorium. So while it's true that the most common treatments were exposure to sunlight, bed rest, healthy foods, and fresh air, the Waverly Hills Sanatorium Memorial records that several other methods were applied to patients, including surgical methods that were cutting edge for the time, but that might sound barbaric now. No one else was in the building, let alone using the ruined kitchen to bake bread. To further kill the buzz, there are no records of any nurse suicides during Waverly Hills' years of operation, and what's more, Room 502 has no means by which a nurse could have hanged herself. She is fine, btw :o) There is a 2 hour, 6 hour & daytime tourwe did the 2 hour. After Joey and a few of his friends learned about the spooky history of the place, they had their own haunted experience. The new building opened on October 17, 1926, but after the introduction of streptomycin in 1943, the number of tuberculosis cases gradually lowered, until there was no longer need for such a large hospital. Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium Historic Buildings. This is certainly evident at Waverly Hills. If you intend to bring MORE than 10 participants for your private investigation, you will need to contact the Waverly Hills office before booking. One of the most popular spots to get scared is the Waverly Hills Sanatorium. Waverly Hills Sanatorium is known as one of the scariest places in the world and is said to be haunted by a chilling creature known as the Creeper. Who can say? Does that make it a demonic spirit? Might the area surrounding Waverly Hills be somehow conducive to retaining spiritual energy, and might that explain the high level of supernatural activity? Voices in the Attic reports that some pregnant visitors have felt extremely uncomfortable in Room 502, while others have felt supernaturally compelled to jump from the window, even to the point of having to be talked down. Leslie Morgan Published: July 9, 2022. All told, by some estimates, over 63,000 people have tragically lost their lives on the grounds over the years. That's because he's currently locked in a legal battle. The building will provide shelter from the elements, water, showers & electricity, air-conditioning, and heat. Waverly Hills Sanatorium: A History (Landmarks) Hardcover - June 6, 2022 by Lynn Pohl (Author) Hardcover $33.99 1 Used from $27.03 6 New from $26.29 Paperback $21.99 1 New from $21.99 High on a hill on the south side of Louisville, Kentucky, a massive Tudor Gothic Revival building still stands as a testament to past struggles with a deadly disease. The historical pays for all expenses. By Kris Arnold [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons. Waverly Hills has a dark past, one riddled with anguish and suffering. Even in the face of the noble intentions of its administrators, Waverly Hills became the site of thousands of deaths in the face of a raging epidemic of a then-incurable disease. Another nurse who worked Room 502 in 1932 is said to have thrown herself off the roof patio onto the ground below though some say she was pushed. No one under the age of 10 years old will be permitted. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium Timing: 24-hrs. So, too, are they spotted on the grounds themselves, the stains of people long dead and forgotten. It opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients. Duration: 1.5 to 2 hours Ticket price: $25 per person The legal battle has been going on since early 2021, but things may yet end outside the courtroom. Legends about the haunting of the sanatorium tend to center around the 51 years that the site was used to house tuberculosis patients. To try to contain the disease, a two-story wooden sanatorium was opened which consisted of an administrative/main building and two open air pavilions, each housing 20 patients, for the treatment of "early cases". Visitors will learn more about Waverly Hills' past. The Waverly Hills Historical Society gave the Mattinglys more than 90 days to move out of the property and back into their personal residence, where they currently reside. Sometimes GPS guides you to the wrong location. Some paranormal researchers believe they are simply another manifestation of the human spirit. Waverly Hills Sanatorium is under restoration and preservation work constantly when events are not going on, so we are closed to the public. Despite this, Room 502 seemed to invite sadness. Apart from transporting dead bodies out of the sanatorium, the tunnel also served as a temporary air raid shelter during World War II. Louisville, KY,is home to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium, whichmany people believe is one ofthe most haunted placeson Earth. In the early 1900s, Jefferson County was severely stricken with an outbreak of tuberculosis. Checkout time is Noon. In 1962, the sanatorium reopened as Woodhaven Geriatric Center, a nursing home treating aging patients with varying stages of dementia and mobility issues. The fifth floor also featured a heliotherapy department, where . While the building is now primarily a tourist attraction for those with creepy predilections, it used to be a functioning tuberculosis hospital. A clip from The Most Terrifying Places in America explores the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, KY, including an interview with the owner and the infamous "body chute", a tunnel used to transport the deceased, but was out of sight from the dying. Perched upon a hilltop in southwestern Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky, is the former Waverly Hills Sanatorium, a looming, monolithic building that looks like something out of a dark gothic fairy tale, and in many ways, it sort of is. We Thank You for your support in Helping Us Save Waverly Hills! But, there are 5 flights of stairs in total on the tour. The property is currently owned by a couple who hold events each Halloween to raise money for restoration. Just you and your group for a Private. Available some Tuesdays and Thursdays as announced. Alyssa Timboya (Fake Name) on July 27, 2020: Great Work to whoever wrote this. Waverly Hills Sanatorium is an example of early 20th century early Tudor Gothic Revival style architecture. Therefore, the sanatorium tried transporting the dead bodies as secretively as possible to increase the morale and lower the death rates, using the tunnel to that end. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium death tunnel in Kentucky has an interesting history, and you can read more about it in our previous article. It housed 400 patients and was one of the largest facilities of its kind. We suggest no one under the age of 13 years old. We're just asking questions here.) Friday and Saturday Nights (12AM 6AM) in March August. Most spirits behave at least reasonably similar to the way they would act in real life, but the Creeper seems to go beyond the norm. The project was canceled in December 1997.[17]. Chris began to cry, and the rest of the group barely held it together, but finally, they made it out of the sanatorium and into Joeys sisters car. The historical society runs all of the attractions and say theyre in charge of preserving and restoring the buildings. It is one of the most famous Kentucky ghost stories, and the haunted Waverly Hills Sanatorium is known worldwide. A seen the creeper and met timmy, the creeper was this faceless black humanoid with a white mask, it was crawling above the ceiling towards me and nick and timmy snuck our blue ball as we blinked the creeper was gone we played with timmy for a bit and he was a nice spirit I said bye to him as he kicked it to means went I got in my car at the Windows I could see timmy's face. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville opened in 1910 to accommodate tuberculosis patients. Select the Private Investigation with Accommodations ticket, and You will need to bring your own sleeping bag, pillow, and blanket. Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Kentucky opened in 1910 as a facility for treating tuberculosis patients at the height of the early-twentieth century outbreak of the disease. Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible adult at least 21 years of age. Inhuman spirits, on the other hand, are entities that never walked this Earth in human form. Doctors and other employees were unable to leave the grounds. All rights reserved. Below is the full statement. Hays agreed, and in fact he liked the name enough to call the entire property Waverley Hill. Were their minds playing tricks on them, or was it the miserable souls of dead tuberculosis patients? It's a fight for one of the most haunted places in the country. Private investigations are for private paranormal groups ONLY, not events. Best time to visit The Waverly Hills Sanatorium (preferred time): 02:30 pm - 08:00 pm. The second phase would convert the old sanatorium into a chapel, theater, and a gift shop at a cost of $8 million or more. The existing Waverly Hills Sanatorium was constructed between March 1924 and October 1926 at the cost of $1.1 million. The number of patients who lost their lives on the ground is staggering, and the torment they suffered added the angst many researchers say is needed to compel a spirit to linger beyond death. As the official Waverly Hills site explains, the original sanatorium was a two-story frame building with a half-timber design, with an administration building and the open-air pavilions for the patients to be exposed to air and sun. The Waverly Hills Historical Society runs tours by reservation only each year, March through August.There are three main types of tours; Guided Tours follow a strict path with a tour guide, Public Investigations that allow free roam for a period of time on each floor, and Private Investigations, which allow for free investigation of the building with or without a guide after initial walk-through. Were hoping that all these barriers can come down real soon and we can work together again real soon. They are taken slowly. In the early 1900s, Louisville had one of the highest mortality rates from tuberculosis in the United . You will get to visit many of the locations of the Paranormal Tour plus a few additional, and learn what life was like for patients and staff at Waverly, the construction and architecture, as well as have a great opportunity for daytime photos of the building. However, a massive wave of protests from locals quashed this plan, and the backup plan of turning the building into apartments also collapsed due to a lack of funds. Waverly Hills, in 1950, had 373 patients, but it had dropped to 293 patients by 1960. As far as the lawsuit, this continues to play out in court, and the Waverly Hills Historical Society is hopeful for a conclusion soon. The Board of Tuberculosis Hospital was formed in 1906 to find an appropriate location for, well, a tuberculosis hospital, and Waverley Hill was thought to be an ideal spot due to its distance from the city, its quiet location, and its high altitude, contributing to air quality. Another manifestation of the largest facilities of its kind 1997. 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