If you’re one of those people that have an affinity for the supernatural and you like to experience extraordinary phenomena first hand, you might try visiting Europe’s haunted castles, or, you could go down in to the largest cave on Earth, a place with a really spooky reputation.

Situated between the hills and forests of central Kentucky, Mammoth Cave is known as the world’s largest cave system and one of America’s most popular tourist attractions. With more than 360 surveyed miles of cave tunnels and probably just as much to be discovered, it would probably take more than a week for a normal person to see it in all its beauty.

Mammoth Cave National Park offers all kinds of fun activities for the entire family (cave tours, fishing, swimming, canoeing, rollercoaster rides and many more) and that’s probably why the eerie history of this place hasn’t been exploited much, the administration of the park probably thought that if they would turn it into a haunted attraction they would get thrill seeking visitors but they would loose all those tourists that choose Mammoth Cave Park as a perfect place for a family outing.

But, although many people have no idea, Mammoth Cave is one of the most disturbing places on Earth with stories about unusual sounds, strange lights and of course sightings of ghosts and specters. And while many specialists say dark places like caves have a way of stimulating human imagination, there are strange stories told by cave explorers, rangers and even geologists, people that have no reason to lie or brag about their encounters.

One of the first ghost stories concerning Mammoth Cave was born way back in 1885 when an article appeared in Kickerbocker Magazine about a girl named Melissa, who on her deathbed confessed she had fallen in love with her tutor, a young man from Boston who didn’t share her love and courted a neighboring girl. As revenge Melissa took her tutor on a tour of the cave and left him in one of the intricate labyrinth’s passageways. Days passed and the man didn’t return, so she started searching for him and calling out to him for days but she never found him. Soon after, the girl got tuberculosis and died. Many believe her ghost still haunts the cave still searching her missing love.

Sure Melissa’s tale sounds just as phony as all the other tacky ghost stories you’ve heard before, but according to many of the tour guides, it’s got some substance. One of them says he heard a woman screaming as if she was calling out to somebody, and this was before he ever heard the ghost story. Others say they sometimes hear a woman coughing (Melissa had tuberculosis) way past visiting hours and some even say they hear voices whispering her name in their ears.

Another spooky tale revolves around Floyd Collins, the first owner of Mammoth Cave and the man who accidentally discovered one of its most beautiful sections, Crystal Cave. Unfortunately for him, his obsession with this place proved to be his undoing, as he became trapped one day beneath a huge rock and although many have tried to free him, he eventually died there. Two cave employees wrote a report a few years back about an unusual phenomenon. As they were inspecting Crystal Cave one of them stumbled across an old whisky bottle and placed it on a ledge. As they went deeper into the cave, one of them suddenly heard a strange sound as if someone just hit their finger on a bottle, right near his ear. The other person jumped back as he says he saw a bottle just come through the wall and fall on the ground next to them. Floyd Collins is the first name on everyone’s lips when something weird happens in Crystal Cave or Sand Cave, where he found his end.

These scary stories combined with the guides’ confessions and the reports of scientists and explorers that can’t explain what they have seen in the dark corridors of this underground labyrinth, make Mammoth Cave a must-visit destination for all those fascinated by the paranormal.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

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