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Halloween is not the only time haunted places are popular, but it does up the ante a bit because of the season’s reputation. There is one historic haunted Sanatorium in Kentucky that has tours available, and even overnight stays long before Hallow’s eve. The Waverly Hills Sanatorium at 4400 Paralee Drive in Louisville, is a piece of our history that started as a place of healing. It ended up having a few different names, and a questionable number of deaths.

Waverly began in 1910 as a Tuburculosis Hospital, set to house around 50 patients. Things started a bit slow and the first patients ended up in tents through the winter. Afterwards, there were high hopes for the facility, since they were using “state of the art” treatments.

Of course, we all know that didn’t turn out well. Many patients died under stress of the treatments. A few did get better, but the “true” number of losses is unknown. Waverly closed its doors in 1961 due to the success of advanced treatments with antibiotics.

In 1962, it reopened as the Woodhaven Geriatric Center. That lasted around 20 years, closing in 1982. It was said to be the center of horrific patent neglect and unaccountable deaths. After closing, it was considered for a prison but instead fell into disrepair.

Now the sanatorium is a shadow of its former self, with shadows of its former self. There are many strange things that go bump in the night, and unexplained occurrences. It has been, and continues to be, the focus of a lot of paranormal investigations. Waverly has been a place of horrific tales of human abuse and unreported deaths, making it a feature in both documentaries and movies.

It has also been the focus of quite a few paranormal investigation series. It has been on KET, NBC, SyFy, and more over the years.

Every Halloween season...
Waverly Hills Sanatorium/Facebook
Waverly Hills Sanatorium/Facebook

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Waverly Hills Sanatorium/Facebook
Waverly is open to the public as a haunted attraction, complete with disturbing actors to aid in your fright… but it doesn’t take performers to make it scary. Waverly is filled with tales of death and suicide that include patients and staff. It has its own graveyard, and the facility itself is nothing short of creepy. Tours of the facility are currently available on the website we provided.
The past few years...
Aaron Vowels/flickr
Aaron Vowels/flickr
there has been much talk of making Waverly a motel, remodeling sections of the facility. The remodel would take away from the Sanatorium’s current charm, so we’d vote no on turning it into a B&B style stop. However, staying overnight in its current status and adding new mattresses to the old vintage bed frames, recreating the previous atmosphere sounds absolutely fantastic for an authentic experience. Some overnight stays are available now, under specific conditions.

What do you think about spending the night at the most historic haunted Sanatorium in Kentucky? We’ve visited a few times over the years and it does have its own special kind of energy. My suggestion, check it out for yourself before making any assumptions. You might find your opinion reversed, or solidified. You can find information about tours and overnight stays at TherealWaverlyHills.com. If you happen to be a fan of staying at creepy places, check out some of these haunted hotels and B&Bs we covered in the past.

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