Movie Box Review

The Hospital on the Hill

Would you believe the unusual treatments tuberculosis patients endured in the early Twentieth century? From operations with no anesthetics to electroshock therapy, Waverly Hills Tuberculosis Sanatorium patients suffered greatly at the majestic hospital. For the patients, it was a living hell.

Tuberculosis (known as TB,) was one of the worst diseases known to man. Until the early 1960's, TB was the number one cause of death in the United States. In 1900, Louisville, Kentucky had the highest TB death rate in the country, due to its location in a low-lying, swamp-like area, which was the perfect environment for the germs that caused TB to grow.
In 1910 the Governor of Kentucky authorized the building of an isolated TB sanatorium in the hills outside Louisville. Later that year a wooden, two-story, Tutor styled building was opened to with the capacity to house 30 TB patients. It was built on one of the highest hills in the area if Louisville. There was a law passed that stated no residential or commercial buildings could be built within a half-mile of the hospital to prevent the spread of disease.

In 1912 the administration of the hospital soon realized that the hospital was severely overcrowded with over 100 patients. After applying for a grant from the US Government, the officials of the hospital received an $11 million grant for the construction of a larger 400 patient building and a complex of other buildings around it to serve as storage or dormitories for the doctors and nurses.

Officials bought another 129 acres if land directly across from the older hospital for the new hospital. Construction on the new hospital began in 1924. The new building complex was designed to be a self-contained town with its own power plant, a self-contained water treatment system, a laundry facility, a dormitory for the doctors and nurses, small cottages around the larger building for the administration and people who stayed while visiting patients, and its very own sewer system. The new hospital opened in 1926 and was considered to be the most advanced TB hospital in the nation. If a patient had any chance of surviving the disease, the new hospital, known as Waverly Hills, was the place to go.

Treatments in the early twentieth century were primitive at best, which meant Waverly Hills was a place to send people to die. The main treatment of TB was nutritious food and fresh air, which would allow more air into the lungs to heal. For many this didn’t help, so the patients were given a procedure called a Thoracoplasty, where the chest of the patient was opened and cords of muscle and up to seven ribs were removed. Doctors believed this would allow the lungs to expand further to allow more oxygen into the lungs. This procedure was very bloody, and less than five percent of people who got the procedure survived it. Sometimes, balloons would be implanted in the lungs to allow them to expand further. Other treatments including a procedure called a Pneumothorax, in which the infected area of the lung was deflated to allow it to heal, were considered barbaric at the time, which is a complete oxymoron considering the surgical removal of ribs was considered standard practice.

As the hospital rooms began to fill, a problem arose. What to do with all the dead bodies? They surely couldn’t have an endless line of hearses rolling up the hospital lane, which would bring down the spirits of the patients who were trying to ‘recover.’ So the hospital administration decided that a new wing had to be added to the building. The new wing was to have a morgue, a “drip-dry” room (see further in the article), and a tunnel to transport the dead bodies down the hill to a receiving building at the bottom of the hill. After a person died, the body would be taken to the morgue, where it would be processed, and then the body would be transported through a tunnel to a building next to the morgue. The bodies would then be hung on hooks and they’re limbs slashed and the torso would be cut in an “X” pattern, the left so the bodily juices would drip from the bodies into drains in the floor. After the bodies were dried, the would be places in re-usable steel coffins that were welded to tracks, then slowly lowered down the tunnel, which was nicknamed the “death tunnel.”

Because of the experiments performed at Waverly Hills and other hospitals throughout the country, TB was becoming less of a threat. In 1943 a graduate of Rutgers University named Albert Shatz discovered Streptomycin, the only affective drug to treat TB. By the mid 1950's TB had become a rare occurrence. In 1961 Waverly Hills Sanatorium was closed as a tuberculosis sanatorium because there was no longer a need for the facility. The building re opened in 1962 under the name of Woodhaven Geriatrics Sanatorium after the building was sanitized. Woodhaven also had a unit for the treatment of those who were considered to be lunatics.

There have been tales of patient mistreatment and unusual experiments that have filtered down the hill over the years. Some have been proven false, but many more are unfortunately true. One of the true stories of patient abuse is the use of electroshock therapy. This type of therapy was sometimes accompanied by severe losses of speech or mental ability or even death. During the 1960's and 1970's severe budget cuts in geriatrics facilities caused the well-documented cases of patient abuse and neglect in geriatrics facilities and insane asylums across the country. Apparently Woodhaven was no different, since the state of Kentucky closed the facility in 1980 due to patient abuse. The buildings, contents, and land were auctioned, and the doors were locked for good.

The building and land changed hands several times over the next eighteen years. The second owner of the property wanted to demolish all the buildings and build the world’s largest statue of Jesus Christ, which would have stood at one hundred and fifty feet. He succeeded in demolishing most of the buildings except the main hospital building, which was protected under the National Historic Register’s “endangered” list. He then decided that if he couldn’t tear it down legally, he would try to get the building condemned. He let vandals inside the building who destroyed all of the fixtures. After smashing windows, busting porcelain sinks and toilets, and removing doors and other fixtures, the building was only a shell of its former glory. Since the building still wasn’t condemned, the owner dug large ditches at the base of the building in hopes the foundation would crack. Fortunately, the buildings foundation didn’t crumble, and the owner’s efforts failed. He then realized that it would cost too much to try to deface the building further.

By 2001, this once majestic hospital had been ravaged by time and weather. Waverly Hills had become every town’s “haunted house.” Kids broke in to get the “rush” of finding a ghost. Satanic rituals were performed in the basement, and a man and a dog were murdered on the fifth floor then placed into the elevator shaft. People who live at the base of the hill have reported seeing lights on in the sanatorium windows and people have claimed to see shadows of people walking through the windows. People who have been in the building have claimed to see a little girl and a little boy playing with a leather ball, the disappearing around the corner. Others have reported seeing a man dressed in a white suit in the kitchen and even the smell of freshly baked bread. People have reportedly smelled cigar smoke in the administrative areas of the building. Other things that are reported include doors, slamming, disembodied voices, a hearse driving up the lane and picking up a coffin the disappearing, and an older woman running from the entrance with her wrists bleeding screaming “Help me! Someone save me!”

In 2001 the Louisville Ghost Hunters Society was called out to Waverly Hills to find the “hotspots” for Triage Entertainment who where producing a segment in their series entitled “World’s Scariest Places.” The episode aired in October of 2003. In the year 2004 the movie “D.E.A.T.H. Tunnel” was filmed on location at Waverly Hills. The story focused on local legends, lore, and hauntings. Also, the documentary “Spooked” was shot by the same production company. “Spooked” explored the history and hauntings of Waverly Hills.

Waverly Hills has had a very historical past that many people will never know. Unless something is done, the history of Waverly Hills will be gone forever. It is estimated that the building will be completely destroyed within ten years if nothing is done to repair the damage that has occurred.

Today, tuberculosis is nearly nonexistent thanks to the research that occurred at Waverly Hills and other TB sanatoriums around the world. But the achievement came at a price. It is estimated that 63,000 patients died at Waverly Hills when it was a tuberculosis sanitarium, and many more during its operation.

Waverly Hills is a spectacular place, rich in history, from its days as a tuberculosis sanatorium to a geriatrics center, to an abandoned building. But what will happen to it in the future? No one knows for sure.

Uploaded by veggie627 on Aug 16, 2005

Waverly Hill Tuberculosis Sanitarium

07.23.2005 | 12:53 pm | United States, Kentucky, Louisville

During the early twentieth century, Louisville had the highest tuberculosis rate in the country, so a hospital was opened. Many of the patients remained here until they died. The dead bodies were pushed down tunnels to the bottom of the hill where they were then carried off and buried. After the vaccine for tuberculosis was discovered, the hospital became a nursing home that is also now closed. Now, an elderly woman may be seen running from the building with bleeding risks and ankles; she begs for someone to get her out of that place. Many have also seen people peeking out of third floor–the residential ward–windows.

Spooked at the Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium, located in Louisville, Kentucky, was first constructed in 1908 and opened in 1910 as a two-story hospital to accommodate 40 to 50 tuberculosis patients. It has since come to be considered as one of the most haunted buildings in the Eastern United States.

In the early 20th century, Jefferson County was severely struck with an outbreak of tuberculosis. The original Waverly Hills building was soon home to over 140 patients. Needing a larger hospital for the overwhelming amount of patients coming in, construction on a new five-story building, that could hold 400+ patients, began in March 1924. The new building opened on October 17, 1926. It was eventually closed in June 1961.

One of the most famous legends of Waverly Hills is the story of Room 502. Folklore says that a nurse committed suicide in this room by hanging herself. Also of note is the "death tunnel," which was constructed to allow the staff to move dead bodies to the bottom of the hill on which the sanatorium was built. The staff believed this would help keep the morale of the patients up by not allowing them to see the hearses picking up the deceased, since at its height there was as many as seven to ten people dying each day.

Waverly Hills Sanatorium Main Entrance

In 1996, Bob Alberhasky bought Waverly Hills and the surrounding area. After considering demolition, the new owner reopened Waverly Hills for tours in late October 1999. In 2001, Charles and Tina Mattingly bought Waverly Hills from Bob Alberhasky. On July 19, 2001, Fox's Scariest Places on Earth was filmed at Waverly Hills by Triage Entertainment. Waverly Hills is now open again for Halloween tours, along with a haunted house, with proceeds going towards the renovation of the building.

In 2004, two movies, Death Tunnel and Spooked, were filmed at Waverly Hills.

• Personal Accounts of Visting Waverly Hills (including Jay Gravatte's story of hosting "Fox's Scariest Places on Earth"
• Official Waverly Hills Sanatorium/ Woodhaven Geriatric Center Memorial & Historical Resource
• Ron's Official Waverly Hills Website
• "Death Tunnel" Movie Website
• "Spooked" Movie Website

This is a documentary of The legend of Waverly Hills. Over 30 Actual Eyewitness accounts. Authentic photos and footage. EVPs and Ghost Photography. Night vision ghost hunt. Ghosts on set.

I would love to know the location, I’m amazed my haunted houses and would to see it!!

Comment by Ariel Brown | 10.2.2005 | 10:57 pm

Can I please have directions to visit?

Comment by quiana floyd | 10.3.2005 | 8:10 am

8101 Dixie Hwy.
Louisville, KY 40258

Comment by Ashley Trader | 10.4.2005 | 12:57 am

WAVERLY HILLS IS ONE PLACE I WANT TO GO TO A CONTEST FOR SOMEONE BRAVE ENOUGH TO STAY THE NIGHT THERE ALONE WOULD BE AWSOME AND I WOULD BE THE FIRST TO JUMP ON IT I THINK I COULD DO IT!!!

Comment by SHERRI | 10.4.2005 | 8:40 am

Could you e-mail me diarections and times when I would be able to visit this haunted house.

Comment by Sonya | 10.4.2005 | 8:46 pm

I’ve been to this place and it’s even had halloween parties there a few years ago. They have since posted a gaurd and have it closed off so you can’t get to it. But one night we went up there and it’s a one lane road and when we tried to make a u turn our car all of a sudden stopped nad we couldn’t get it started again. It a really scary place even in the day time.

Comment by Christy | 10.6.2005 | 8:24 pm

iv been there…its scary. Me and my friend snuck in one time and we walked in a room and heard a loud bang and we turned around and the door was shut and locked…when we finally got out we ran to our car and it would not start and i looked up and swore that i saw a woman on top of the building looking down at us. very scary place

Comment by Joe | 10.7.2005 | 3:46 pm

Waverly Hills is now open on weekends for the month of October for Halloween. Many people have been there and have been scared away from the sounds and sights thats happen there. If you love haunted places it is a must to visit!

Comment by Staci | 10.7.2005 | 8:13 pm

On halloween it’s not really scary. They only let you in one floor. They have it all set up and people are there scaring you. Not really scary.

Comment by Jennifer | 10.9.2005 | 1:27 am

The one floor is used for a haunted house thing they have each year. if you want to take the actual tour, i believe you have to make reservations first. i know they had a tour back in August and it cost $250.00. Hopefully if they have any tours this year it will be cheaper.

Comment by Casey | 10.9.2005 | 8:59 pm

I went there last night. They had a haunted trail type thing. The cost was $20. My friends and I went through it and people jump out at you and scare you. You walk into alot of different rooms. Many of the rooms represent what actually happened there before it closed down. After you get out of the haunted house part, you go through the actual autopsy and morgue place. You don’t see much there, but its realy dark. They have lights on the floor to guide you. It is a very scary place.

Comment by Nicole | 10.9.2005 | 9:29 pm

ok so is this located on dixi hwy or does anyone know for sure? trying to come up one weekend and take a tour

Comment by Erika | 10.10.2005 | 12:54 pm

There will be signs posted for you to get to Waverly Hills Sanitarium. If you pull up there original web site you will get the directions as well as a map of the directions. You will enjoy the trip.

Comment by Lori | 10.10.2005 | 3:52 pm

Very spooky place. We used to sneak up there 10-12 years ago before vandals trashed the place. Never seen any “ghosts”, but this place has a very unique atmosphere. The building itself seems to be watching you before you ever go in. Takes some nerve to explore it which takes 2-3 hours. It is located off Dixie Highway at East Pages. Up the road from Bobby Nichols golf course.

Comment by Kristie | 10.14.2005 | 3:48 pm

anyone who says that they have been to “parties at this place would be lieing to you.I know this because my dad has own this peace of land for going on 10 years now. And we only open it up on halloween! I have been in this place many times and have seen horrible stuff exsecialy in r.217 if you truley know the history of this place then you’ll know why R. 217 is so popular. And you wont want to enter it i learned that the wrong way.

Comment by Chelsea Denay | 10.18.2005 | 3:55 pm

how much does it cost? How What times is it open??????

Comment by Jordan | 10.22.2005 | 11:52 am

How much does this cost? What times is it open?

Comment by Melissa | 10.23.2005 | 3:40 pm

If you go down Dixie towards Fort Knox, you will come up to a street called west pages/east pages. West is on the left and East on the right. Turn right and go down till you come to a golf course ( in the middle of the 3rd turn). Turn there and follow it up till it splits and then go left. that will take you up to the entrance.

Comment by James | 10.25.2005 | 7:24 pm

My grandmother died in that hospital and she is probably the ghost. She had a bad case of VD i mean TB.

Comment by Deidra & Rylee | 10.26.2005 | 1:03 pm

my sister-in-law said there was a virtual i could take on the internet but i have looked everywhere, if you know where it is would you tell me!

Comment by barry drury | 10.26.2005 | 6:12 pm

hey chelsea, could you fill us in a little more on the history you alluded to? and what’s so special about R 217? i thought it was supposed to be R502 that was to be feared? I’m genuinely interested in knowing the whole story, as well as what plans there are for the property!

Comment by David Loyd | 10.26.2005 | 7:52 pm

I saw her too.

Comment by Oh hey | 10.29.2005 | 12:37 am

hey i have done some research and have found absolutly no info on r.217 can someone fill me in?

Comment by Beau | 10.29.2005 | 6:23 am

I work there for 5 years i have seen stuff out the third flor windows but what people dont know is there is a 3 basement ive been there 2 i heard stuff there iqiut and never went back why did they weld the door shut i now where 2 craw in at!!!!

Comment by rick oglesbee | 10.30.2005 | 7:17 pm

I work there for 5 years i have seen stuff out the third flor windows but what people dont know is there is a 3 basement ive been there 2 i heard stuff there i quit my job and never went back why did they weld the door shut i now where 2 craw in at!!!!

Comment by rick oglesbee | 10.30.2005 | 7:19 pm

Some of my freinds went to it this year and they said that it was pretty good…….. were all going up to see it next year like 5 car loads so ya….. did you know that theres been over like 60,000 people die there and quiet a few people have killed thereselfs there to. Alot in room #502 it supost to be the most haunted room in the hole place.

Comment by Josh T | 11.1.2005 | 8:39 pm

i have a 11 page paper i print off of the internet about it and it says that room #502 is the most haunted.

Comment by Josh T | 11.1.2005 | 8:42 pm

there are alot of place where i live that are haunted one is this. The story is in the early 1900’s there was a family that lived back in the counrty here like 30-40 min in the counrty and there was a father, mother, and twin boys. And the fother was in to black magic and one day his wife up and left him and the boys and it made him so angry that he took his two sons lifes…….. he burned them alive in there fire place and before he killed himself he put a spell on his self that he would come back as a bird so that he could watch out for his house forever. And when you went there there was always a bird siting by the door it was always there it never left and if you go there at dark trees glow that are around it and when you would go in you would hear kids lauging and the fire would be going. but some one burned it down it scared them so they burnd it. but they are all beried at there family cemitery right at the end of there driveway.

Comment by Josh T | 11.1.2005 | 8:55 pm

My wife & friends went Oct.22. WOW !!!
We live in Louisville, and this place is very creepy. I shot over 46 pics and on over 15 shots we captured orbs, faces, shadows, and wierd streaking red lights.
The shadow hall was very spooky. We saw neumerous shadows peeking around doors, people walking back-n-fourth at the far end of the hallway.
My throat got really tight and dry when we got to the 5th floor near room 502. Just as my throat was getting tighter the guide told us about a local tv station personality who had to be dragged out of the building because he was choaking, i thought to myself **** !!! We went out on the balcony where i have a perfect pic of a bright blue single orb flying around.
My wife thought she felt something bruch her hair and her friend from the office forwarded a pic she took of my wife and their was a red streak buzzing my wifes hair !!!
THIS IS A MUST SEE DEAL, NO KIDS, NO GOOFY PEOPLE, JUST BE ULTRA QUIET AND TAKE ALOT OF PICS OF BLACK DARK EMPTY ROOMS AND SEE WHAT DEVELOPES !!!

Comment by dan nolastname | 11.2.2005 | 8:11 pm

Can you get in there without paying or do you have to take a tour….i was just wanting to do up there for one night and then drive back…i want to look around and see scary stuff, but i am not interesting in paying to do it….???

Comment by Axul | 11.3.2005 | 10:25 pm

Is everyone sure ’bout this?

Comment by plumbo | 11.7.2005 | 10:22 am

I would like directions tho’

Comment by plumbo | 11.7.2005 | 10:24 am

a group of us at work took this tour last night… its $20.00 a person and they’ll do them thru november until its too cold we were told…

we didnt see much but the history is really awesome, 63,000 people died there, on average 1 per hour… to try and relieve some of the depression they started taking the dead bodies down a chute that had been built to get supplies in and out of the sanitarium, that way they could slide the bodies down and people wouldnt have to watch funeral cars going in and out of the property

lots of grafitti there where people have no respect, sneak in and do damage.. people should be shot, idiots

cool place to visit, they’ll let you spend the night there as well, we were told 50 for a half night, and 100 for a whole night.. they’ll put you on a floor and leave, let you roam around and explore on your own… we’re discussing getting a small group to do just that

Comment by dawn | 11.8.2005 | 2:18 pm

I am going to be going sometime this november, and I have heard so many things about this place. It absolutly has to be haunted. I am so scared to go but on the other hand I just can’t wait.

Comment by Bethany Heathers | 11.8.2005 | 4:59 pm

I Know that you have to make reservations before you go, and this year it only costs $20 for the actual tour.

Comment by Bethany | 11.8.2005 | 5:04 pm

I LIKE BOOBS

Comment by REBA | 11.11.2005 | 3:56 pm

WWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAW SASASASASAWEWERWEWEWDEDEDESESESWX23ASASSASSASSASSASS

Comment by ARNOLD | 11.11.2005 | 3:57 pm

IM FAT AND I DONT KNOW ****

Comment by JORDON | 11.11.2005 | 3:58 pm

MAGAMBO

Comment by PLUMBO | 11.11.2005 | 4:00 pm

I CANT READ SO PLEASE WRITE ME A LETTER MR. JUMPING BOX

Comment by AVANA HOMP ALOT | 11.11.2005 | 4:02 pm

why are there no pictures of these places

Comment by freddy | 11.12.2005 | 9:38 pm

I want to come out the closet already who should i do it

Comment by Freddy | 11.15.2005 | 12:55 am

I want to come out the closet already how should i do it.

Comment by Freddy | 11.15.2005 | 12:56 am

i saw a show about this on tv where the owners daughter and her friends went up there and attempted to stay all night but got scared off by the stuff that happend in the morgue

Comment by amber | 11.20.2005 | 3:26 pm

waverly hills has alot of great stories but this on i haven’t heard of my grandparents stayed at waverly and survived.

Comment by rebecca | 11.30.2005 | 4:49 pm

The piece of land along with the building now belong to the national historical society meaning that nobody can tear it down. They have stopped letting people enter freely because nobody had respect for the building. It is very gorgous inside and out. It could stand a little fixing up. My mother and I have been in the building and have seen no signs of paranormal activity although we believe there is somewhere in the building. We are going to stay the night there
sometime soon. If anyone has questions about the history contact me at
waverlyhillsnut@hotmail.com

Comment by Danielle | 12.3.2005 | 10:11 am

I live not 40 minutes from louisville if you go down 31W or aka dixie hwy you’ll see it up on the hill all of that story is very true but it’s wrist not risk lol it’s opened up at halloween because in kentucky we have an obsession with the haunted. anyhow look it up online it’s one of the top ten scariest places on earth.

Comment by Melanie | 12.27.2005 | 11:05 pm

my great grandmother died in that horrible place,… i wouldnt go there for nothing,…. my friends tried to get me to go i, got mad and knock his tooth down his throat..and by the way freddy change your ways,… son.

Comment by metris | 01.1.2006 | 12:10 pm

I WAS GOING TO GO THIS YEAR,BUT I WAS IN A CAR WREAK BEFORE I MAY IT THERE.

Comment by cherry gordon | 01.3.2006 | 3:29 pm

i would really like to go see the new movie about waverly its called spooked it comes out god knows when but they already have a web site thats awsome it has the trailors and SCARY stuff!!! the address is

spooked.org

you should really check it out its better than this web address!!!!!!

Later losers

Comment by shelby | 01.7.2006 | 11:54 pm

MY FRIEND DIED THERE I WOULD NEVER GO NEAR THAT ***** PLACE

Comment by loralie | 01.7.2006 | 11:57 pm

I went to the haunted house they had this year. That was uneventful, but a bunch of us did try sneaking in a few times. There is security and they will see you and make you leave. They are restoring the entire place to one day have tours. The first floor already has a bunch of brand new windows. The only other time I snuck up there with friends and my husband we were chased back down the hill by a shadow figure. It was scary. We also heard a woman screm coming from the hospital. After that we left..lol. This place is 100% absolutely haunted.

Comment by someone | 02.4.2006 | 2:46 pm

If you really want to visit this place, You will have to contact the owner of the building. They have a tour for $ 20.00 a person. I wouldn’t recommend breaking in because they are renovating the place. They are trying to raise money to keep the place open. The city of Louisville has told them if they can’t make it into a type of business that they will have to demolish the place and make it a subdivision. So get your friends and go support the great cause to keep a paranormal building existing.

E-mail me at AmidenaEvils@hotmail.com for the owners information, or how to set up a tour =-D

** They are planning to rennovate it as a Hotel…Wouldnt that be awesome, even more reason to go visit it now.

Comment by Emily Alvarez | 02.6.2006 | 4:26 pm

And the tours are held year round. I would recommend going anytime besides october because thats when they have the fake haunted house that only is held in the first floor. The real tour is all five stories plus the basement

Comment by Emily Alvarez | 02.6.2006 | 4:29 pm

This place is an all time great place and the immature people on here really need to take a history lesson and grow up about this place. I haven’t been able to visit yet but will be going this fall ad can’t wait. I can’t imagine how beautiful it must have looked when they first built this place.

Comment by Delacee | 02.8.2006 | 6:16 pm

On the weekend b4 halloween, my fiancee’ and I went up to the waverly hills sanatorium hospital with a group of friends. And we were gonna go in but there are two lines and the first line (ticket line was a 3 hour wait) and the other was probally (3 or more too) so we didn’t stay but we did see stuff in the windows and heard things. It was really spooky just on the outside. The place is nothing in pictures you see. Seeing the building in real life is SO much different than the pictures. I would never go up there alone by my self, i’d have to be with atleast 2 or 3 people. But my fiancee’s brother went up there and said he seen a little girl’s face appear in one of the windows, when he went over to the window there wasn’t no glass in the frame of the window, and when he turned around it got real cold and he freaked out. It is REAL SCARY but if anyone is not a believe after waverly hills you will be

Comment by Roger*s BabyGirl | 02.11.2006 | 11:59 pm

this stoy is awsom i would love to know were its at and how to get there!!!!!!!

Comment by brittany | 02.15.2006 | 8:48 pm

Stuff is spooky but make it spooker!!!*
I mean just Spook it up^ a bit

Comment by Meg | 02.18.2006 | 5:40 pm

Stuff is spooky but Spook it up^ a bit!!!*

Comment by Meg | 02.18.2006 | 5:41 pm

Spook it up^ a bit!!!*

Comment by Meg | 02.18.2006 | 5:41 pm

I’ve read up a bit about this place it’s very interesting. I don’t think you need to ’spook it up a bit’ its just how the place is.. it’s not meant to be some fake haunted house like you see.. it has history, not some little kid running around in a plastic mask trying to scare you. I wish I lived closer I’d definitely like to see it.

Comment by L | 02.20.2006 | 9:30 pm

I live in Louisville and I can tell you that this is one messed up place. One time my dad took me and a bunch of my friends up there to check it out. It was about 7 at night and it was starting to get dark out. My dad pulled right up to the entrance and as soon as he did the gates started shaking and we started hearing all these wierd noises. Then the car shut off and would not turn back on we had to get out of the car and push it back down the hill. I SWEAR this place is about as haunted as it gets. My mom used to have to go there as a little girl and sing to the people there. She said it was the most horrifying thing she has ever had to do. My grandmother also worked there and my father was tested for TB and it came back positive. He never had to go there but they did have to check in on it. My dad said that if he would have had to go there he probably would have killed himself.

Comment by Courtney | 02.21.2006 | 11:38 am

I want to go there at once, first I didn’t believe in ghosts until I saw this…

Comment by Ryan | 02.22.2006 | 3:40 pm

chelsea, is there anyway your dad would do a contest like have people enter and if they stay the whole night theyd get a prize?

Comment by andrea | 02.24.2006 | 5:28 am

I have been there a great many times. You guys do have one thing wrong in your description. They didn’t push dead bodies down a tunnel. They piled them on this underground “train” that wen to the bottom of the hill so that all the patients didn’t see how many people actually died. It is a very beautiful old building but definitely eery! As soon as you step out of your car you get a whole different feeling that you don’t even think that you have! The new owners are renovating the whole plave and are looking for any volunteers to help. I will actually be one of them. I have had many encounters there!

Comment by Erin | 02.25.2006 | 3:50 pm

Does anyone know when the documentary “Spooked” about Waverly Hills is coming out? I know the movie “Death Tunnel” is scheduled to be released on 2/28/06, but they have not said anything about “Spooked” being released as of yet. If anyone knows, please post it. Thanks….

Comment by Big Dog | 02.26.2006 | 1:30 pm

Chelsea doesn’t know much about Waverly for her father to be the owner. Her father may have owned the place at one time…but not presently. And if I am incorrect in saying this (I thought it had been purchased by the Historical Society), then she knows very little history on the place. I have never heard any story about this room 217…I think she has the room number incorrect, but again I may be mistaken. It was owned for many yrs. by the Mattingly family (as seen on Scariest Places on Earth a few years back). As for there not being any parties there…all one needs to see is the graffiti all over the walls to know better. I believe the first yr. it was actually open to the public as a haunted house (which covered a very small area…), there was a live band, a para-psychologist (who was a flake), and tours offered. It was actually quite fun. As my husband and I were standing in line, a teenager was dragging a keg through the hallway and was himself dragged off by security. I grew up in Valley Station very close to Waverly (Prairie Village) and made many a trip (both legally and illegially). I can’t say I have truly seen any para-normal activitiy, but the place does have an eerie feel to it. The beauty of the place itself is reason enough to want to see it. As for there being 68,000 people to die, this also is not a fact. The death toll was only in the hundreds. There is one very accurate site that reveals the history by an individual named Ron. I will find the site and post it for anyone interested. There is also a site that has some outstanding photographs of the building and old out buildings (some of which have since been torn down). I had three strange things happen while visiting. One time a couple of friends, my son, and myself decided to play hide and seek in the building. My son and I were hiding in a closet on the fourth floor when we heard that we were about to be found. We ran into a room that had a rusted table and a rusted disc shaped light with a cone hanging from the ceiling. Something about that room gave me a bad feeling…but I could never seem to find it on any other visit, nor saw it on any tours. Another time, my husband and I decided walk the path by the apts. off Dixie (not the road by the golf course)…our way is the most scenic trail! I have heard that if you veer off the road (before the gate) and follow the grassy path to the left (at the bottom of the hill), that there is actually some kind of cave or underground entrance…but not the body chute. I don’t know if this is an actual fact. Anyway, as we were walking the path (it was very dark and they had security at this time in trailers), we came to a place where a huge drainage pipe ran beneath the road. On the end of this pipe there sat an individual with their feet dangling over the edge. We got very quiet because we thought we had walked up on a security person…as we quietly approached, they disappeared from sight. Then another time, a friend and I had planned to spend Halloween night on the roof (hallucinating). While sitting at the bottom of the road where the apts. are, we saw person’s in hooded black capes coming from behind a dumpster. Not wanting to become anyone’s sacrifice, we decided to make other plans. I will find those sites and post them so you can get some more accurate info going here…thanks for taking time to read my posting! Gypsyblood

Comment by gypsyblood | 03.12.2006 | 12:55 am

i love waverly hills tuburculosis is still in there and people say the can smell breakfast cooking.

Comment by Ashley | 03.13.2006 | 9:41 am

Hello, My name is Alanna me and a guy i work with are going to Waverly Hills tommorrow night i have been looking forward to this for a while i will let you know how it goes….

Comment by Alanna | 03.24.2006 | 2:00 am

the room # is #502 you F*****G retards they did this one on goust hunters the tv show look get your facts right

Comment by yo momma | 03.31.2006 | 1:48 am

Hey, we wanna go to the hospital sometime but we dont want to take a tour becuz all the majesty of the dank will be ruined by annoying children and ppl trying to be scary. We just wanna go by ourselves….no vandals…just looking….do yall(wanna single?) think thats possible?….bye

Comment by Sara and Kristin | 04.5.2006 | 12:21 pm

I’m from the Indiana Ghost Trackers. In July we have a group of people spending the night at Waverly. I’ve heard alot about this place and have seen the movie “Death Tunnel” which is about Waverly, also filmed there. I’m real excited, but kinda scared at the same time. Has anyone stayed the night there, and how did it go? I’m sure there won’t be any sleeping going on.

Comment by stacy | 04.6.2006 | 10:06 am

This was taken directly from the courier journal(newspaper in Louisville):

But the hospital left a legacy — a quiet, woodsy backdrop for the neighborhood, land for a park and a golf course, and a colorful, if occasionally morbid, history.

When the hospital opened in 1911, it had 8 patients, but it soon reached its capacity of 40. At the time, Jefferson County had one of the country’s highest rates of tuberculosis, a highly contagious, sometimes fatal lung disease characterized by coughing, hemorrhaging, fever and shortness of breath.

And the hospital, which offered plenty of bed rest and fresh air as well as some surgical methods of treating the disease, was thought to be an excellent facility. In 1924, the hospital was expanded to house 400 patients.

Many people died at the hospital, and because hospital officials were concerned that the sight of hearses would be bad for morale the bodies were sent to the bottom of the hill through a steam tunnel.

The steam kept the tunnel warm and was also used by employees who needed to walk up the hill during the winter. Fey remembers that he and other children would go into the tunnel to warm up after sledding. The entrances to the tunnel have been blocked off, but it still exists underground, Severs said.

Comment by CSW | 04.6.2006 | 3:37 pm

Fridays: Paranormal/Historical Tour 8:30pm & 9:30pm

Saturdays: Paranormal/Historical Tour 8:30pm & 9:30pm

Sundays: Historical 2:30pm

Cost is $20.00 donation per person and tour times must be reserved in advance.
Please contact and schedule your tour with:
waverlytours@bellsouth.net
or call
502-417-4526 or 502-933-2142

Comment by CSW | 04.6.2006 | 4:07 pm

MOVIE ONLINE CANADA INTERVIEWS "SPOOKED" DIRECTOR/PRODUCER CHRISTOPHER SAINT

MOC-I just watched the trailer and I must say the documentary looks fantastic.
Did anything unusual happen while you guys were filming?

CS-Many strange things happened; fully charged camera batteries were dead
instantly; doors closed by themselves; we heard voices in the distance
that didn't belong to us, (the sound-man just loved that). Sounds that
were not present in the shoot showed up on the sound masters when we
began to edit the film and they were loud yet showed no presence or
waveform of being there. The Director saw the ghost of a little girl on
the third floor run through the hallway, the Producers saw SHADOW
PEOPLE, ORBS and a terrifying entity in the DEATH TUNNEL, which we were
able to capture with photos. We were constantly walking through strange
cold spots in the rooms. Sometimes we felt a spine tingling breeze but
when would look outside the trees were still. We even had a few people
quit because they were too spooked to continue working in the
Sanitarium.

MOC-I heard that the sanitarium might be torn down. Is it still there?

CS-Yes, though most all of America's Sanitariums have been marked for
demolition or have been demolished. This beautiful one still stands,
though new condo suburbs are being built all around it. Hope they enjoy
their view, "a tomb with a view".

MOC-I've read that during the shooting of this film that actual poltergeist
(EVP's) were recorded as well as shadowy figures and menacing faces of
the past. Can you give us some more detail about what was actually
recorded, as well as the shadowy figures? Also, what was your reaction
when you first discovered this?

CS-Three words, "OH MY GOD!" Our hearts dropped to the floor, did you hear
that, rewinding the tape, and we played them over and over again.
Sounds of screaming, breathing, voices mocking us, almost guiding us to
find some hidden truth. We were obviously there for a reason.

MOC-Will you be posting any of the actual EVP recordings or pictures on the
films official site?

CS-They have been left in the film's final edit and are also in the
opening titles. A lot of them are also posted and documented on many
different paranormal web sites. We have been asked to speak at the
International Ghost Convention in September on the haunted old cruise
ship, the "Queen Mary". That should be interesting.

MOC-SPOOKED is "Based on a true story about the haunting of the
Waverly Hills Sanitarium." For our readers, what is that story?

CS-We can't reveal the whole story because the plot line unveils it within
the movie. But the film is based on the actual tragedies and sightings
of five ghosts within the doomed walls of this diseased sanitarium
built in 1910. An upscale college initiation goes bad and strands five
girls in this haunted hospital. Within the five floors these girls
encounter the five ghosts of it's tortured past. As the girls, one by
one become infected; we soon uncover the shocking link that binds them.
A 500-foot underground body chute, built to remove the dead bodies of
its patients may be the only way out; they call this the Death Tunnel.
Creepy but TRUE!

MOC-The new "preview art" you just sent us looks really great. Can you tell
us a little bit more on what looks to be the main antagonist in this
film?

CS-We spent 18 hours straight in that tunnel, no one could breathe, mutiny was in the air, we lost some of our crew, and they were scared beyond
imagination. It was raining, three feet of mud, madness and mayhem.

MOC-Tell us about "Spooked": The Ghost of Waverly Hill Sanitarium
Documentary DVD?

CS-SPOOKED is a true documentary, a film journal of us, the filmmakers,
making a horror movie in the real haunted sanitarium with real ghosts,
real people and real terror. You can see and hear everything we have
been talking about for yourself. Spooked is in post-production with a
release date of October. You can check it out at: www.spooked.org.

MOC-For your last question, is there anything else you would like to add
about the film or say to the readers of Horror-Movies online?

CS-We would like to dedicate the film to the lost souls of the Waverly
Hills Sanitarium, May you find your way home.

INTERVIEW BY MOVIE'S ON LINE-CANADA EXPLORE THE 5 FLOORS

Spooked Paranormal Audio Report Data