ALL RIGHTS RESERVED . No portion of this book may be reproduced in any fashion, print, facsimile, or electronic, or by any method yet to be developed, without the express permission of the copyright holder.
Starr, Patti Acord.
Ghosthunting Kentucky / by Patti Starr.
p. cm.
1. GhostKentucky. 2. GhostsResearchMethodology. I. Title.
The photos in . All other photos appear courtesy of the author.
Welcome to Americas Haunted Road Trip
D O YOU BELIEVE IN GHOSTS ?
If you are like 52 percent of Americans (according to a recent Harris Poll), you do believe that ghosts walk among us. Perhaps you have heard your name called in a dark and empty house. It could be that you have awoken to the sound of footsteps outside your bedroom door, only to find no one there. It is possible that you saw your grandmother sitting in her favorite rocker chair, the same grandmother who had passed away several years before. Maybe you took a photo of a crumbling, deserted farmhouse and discovered strange mists and orbs in the photo, anomalies that were not visible to your naked eye.
If you have experienced similar paranormal events, then you know that ghosts exist. Even if you have not yet experienced these things, you are curious about the paranormal world, the spirit realm. If you werent, you would not now be reading this Preface to the latest book in the Americas Haunted Road Trip series from Clerisy Press.
Over the last several years, I have investigated haunted locations across the country and with each new site, I found myself becoming more fascinated with ghosts. What are they? How do they manifest themselves? Why are they here? These are just a few of the questions I have been asking. No doubt, you have been asking the same questions.
The books in the Americas Haunted Road Trip series can help you find the answers to your questions about ghosts. Weve gathered together some of Americas top ghost writers (no pun intended) and researchers and asked them to write about their states favorite haunts. Each location that they write about is open to the public so that you can visit them for yourself and try out your ghosthunting skills. In addition to telling you about their often hair-raising adventures, the writers have included maps and travel directions so that you can take your own haunted road trip.
If youre planning on traveling through the hills and hollers of Kentucky, then Patti Starrs Ghosthunting Kentucky is just the guide you need for a paranormal tour of the Bluegrass State. While Kentucky is noted for its Thoroughbred racehorses and bourbon, spirits of another sort abound. Patti, a professional ghosthunter and founder of Ghost Chasers International, has been hot on their trail for many years. Ride shotgun with Patti as she seeks out pioneer ghosts at the old Boone Tavern in Berea and tries to communicate with spirits at the infamous Waverly Hills Sanitarium in Louisville. Stay close by her side as she searches for Civil War ghosts at the Perryville Battlefield and at nearby Maple Hill Manor, which was pressed into service as a field hospital for the Perryville wounded. Tag along with Patti to Bobby Mackeys Music World in Wilder as she tries to coax the boot-scootin ghost of Johanna to make an appearance. Patti has visited all these spine-tingling haunted sites and plenty more. So, hang on tight; Ghosthunting Kentucky is a scary ride.
But once youve finished reading this book, dont unbuckle your seatbelt. There are still forty-nine states left for your haunted road trip! See you on the road!
John Kachuba
Editor, Americas Haunted Road Trip
Central
Bardstown, Nelson County
Jailers Inn Bed-and-Breakfast
The Old Talbott Tavern
Berea, Madison County
Boone Tavern
Berry, Harrison County
Mullins Log Cabin
Bloomfield, Nelson County
Springhill Winery Bed-and-Breakfast
Cynthiana, Harrison County
Rohs Opera House
Frankfort, Franklin County
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Georgetown, Scott County
Lock and Key Cafe Tent Girl, Georgetown Cemetery
Glasgow, Barron County
Hall Place Bed-and-Breakfast
Harrodsburg, Mercer County
Mud Meeting House and Cemetery
Lexington, Fayette County
Kentucky Theatre Mansion at Griffin Gate Resort
Louisville, Jefferson County
Waverly Hills Sanatorium
Mammoth Cave, Edmonson County
Mammoth Cave National Park
Midway, Woodford County
Thoroughbred Community Theater
Nicholasville, Jessamine County
Planters Row Golf Course Clubhouse
Perryville, Boyle County
Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site
Richmond, Madison County
White Hall Historic House
Ruddells Mills, Bourbon County
Colville Covered Bridge
Scottsville, Allen County
The Haunted Hospital
Springfield, Washington County
Maple Hill Manor Bed-and-Breakfast
Wilder, Campbell County
Bobby Mackeys Music World
CHAPTER 1
Bobby Mackeys Music World
W ILDER , C AMPBELL C OUNTY
O NE OF THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED questions I get about ghosthunting in Kentucky is, Have you ever investigated Bobby Mackeys place in Wilder, Kentucky? Of all the sites that I have investigated, none can compare to the history of death, murder, and human sacrifice that is recorded at this locale. Over the years Bobby Mackeys Music World has become known as one of the most sinister and haunted spots in America. Its reputation for being inhabited by tormented entities derived from the bizarre history that surrounds the area. For about 120 years, this place has evolved from owner to owner with a history that includes murders, suicides, demonic rituals, and slaughtered animals.
I called one of my ghosthunter graduates, Susan Rushing, who lives within a few miles of Wilder, to ask her if she could help me get into Bobby Mackeys place for a ghost investigation and to interview some of the employees. Susan, a devoted ghosthunter herself, graciously offered to make arrangements but held me hostage to my promise that she would be able to join us on the ghost investigation. She has a knack for accomplishing anything once she sets her mind to it. Susan, with her wit and charm, had no problems securing an appointment for our team to investigate this haunted Mecca.