LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Haunted mansions, ghostly sightings and a witches’ curse that still lingers — Old Louisville is called one of the most haunted neighborhoods in America.
The area’s Victorian homes are full of history — and, some say, spirits that never left. Tour guide Angelique X Stacy has spent years leading ghost tours through the neighborhood, where nearly every block has a story of tragedy, mystery or the supernatural.
“You can't go more than half a block without seeing a haunted home,” Stacy said. “Plus, being in the Victorian period, they've absorbed all the people who have lived, laughed, loved and died tragically.”
One of the most talked-about stops is the Louisville Bourbon Inn, where legend says the ghost of Annie Whipple still roams. In the 1880s, Whipple, a nanny, tried to save a sick child by summoning a doctor from beyond the grave. Soon after, she died suddenly. Some visitors say she never left the home.
Stacy recalled seeing her on the steps, “There was a full-body apparition of a lady in a black dress with a bun on her head.”
Just down the street stands another eerie landmark — The Witches’ Tree. In 1889, witches reportedly warned people not to cut down their meeting tree. When they ignored the warning, Stacy said, the witches promised revenge:
“Nobody listened, they cut down the tree,” Stacy said. “But beware the 11th month — you tore down our tree, now we're gonna cast our revenge on the citizens of Louisville.”
Soon after, a deadly tornado tore through the city. From the stump grew the knotted tree that visitors now call the Witches’ Tree. People leave gifts on the tree for good luck — and toss beads on the branches to make a wish.
Another mansion with a chilling reputation is the Conrad-Caldwell House, built in the 1890s.
“I’ve heard things moving around in the attic. I’ve had hugs where it feels like a cold spot came around and hugged me,” Stacy said.
This Halloween, if you feel a chill walking through Old Louisville, it might not just be the weather.
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