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Start of ghost hunting is unnerving

By Lindsay Slater
The Times-Journal

Published June 6, 2009

Editor’s Note: The following is part two of Lindsay Slater’s account of a ghost-hunting trip to Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Ky.

What types of things do you need to gather evidence of the paranormal?

Well, I’m by no means a professional when it comes to this sort of thing, but we had camcorders, EMF readers, digital voice recorders, night vision and digital cameras, among other things.

Around 6:45 p.m., we loaded up the cars and headed to Waverly Hills.

I was so excited and nervous. I couldn’t stand myself.

Once again, we pulled up the long drive, but this time we would get to go in, and I couldn’t wait.

As we rounded the corner at the bottom of the long drive, I sat on the door of Nicole’s Jeep and videoed us going up the drive.

We stopped and waited at the bottom of the hill for security to let us in.

While we were waiting, another car pulled up and a family got out.

They told us how they had been to Waverly before there was security and they definitely thought it was haunted. They gave us some pointers about certain rooms that we should visit.

Mike, our awesome tour guide and security guard, came down the hill and opened the gate.

I took my perch on the door of the Jeep and slowly, the line of cars started up the hill.

At this point, we couldn’t see the entire hospital. We could only see a small corner.

As we climbed the hill, my heart was beating harder and harder and then, I saw it.

There sat Waverly Hills Sanatorium in all its glory and massiveness. This was the place I had researched for almost three years, and there it was. It was very different than on the Internet, I might add.

The magnitude of this place took my breath away.

It was a “jaw on the floor, eyes as big as dinner plates” type of moment. Incredible.

I have to mention one thing that was neat.

After Mike had opened the gate, Nicole started the Jeep and Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” was on the satellite radio.

We pulled up and got out. Everyone was armed with cameras and was taking pictures of the old hospital.

We met up with Mike and started walking to the side of the building.

We walked down into what used to be the laundry room to sign our waivers, and Mike took us back outside to take us to the front of the building.

We walked around, snapping pictures. Mike took a group picture of us at the front door. I told him I was sure he was used to taking group pictures, and he said he had a little practice at it.

Mike gave us history on the place, and we walked back into the laundry room where the access point to the hospital is located.

As he opened the door that led into the hospital, I saw a mere red light leading the way in this underground tunnel and remember thinking to myself, “Am I about to go in here?”

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