My co-workers thought I was nuts. Others knew there was no holding me back. I would eventually tour Waverly Hills Sanatorium.

We’ve talked about it for years, but haven’t been able to plan a big group, and we had no idea what to expect. All I can say is we will definitely go back. Here are tidbits from our two-hour tour:

Body Chute

We walked to the bottom of the body chute. There were steps on one side and a ramp on the other, and both descended at a 45-degree angle. It was daylight when we went down, and I don’t think I could go down in the dark. There’s only one way out.

Temperature

It was very cold inside. It was chilly outside, but there were times I put my nose in my son’s sleeve to warm it up. It was 15 degrees colder inside the building, which probably measured about 40-45. I also found it interesting there was no draft, especially because of missing windows.

Shadow People

I knew James would volunteer because he would never miss that opportunity. I saw one shadow on the floor, but I did see the hallway go black. And I watched him disappear into the darkness. For his full story, read A Walk with the Shadow People.

Hair Pulling

Waverly Hills’ Facebook page warned me of this. I had my hood up the entire time because I didn’t want to risk it and, as mentioned, it was cold. We were in the electroshock therapy room and something grabbed my hair clip through the hood. I was about a foot from a wall, and there was no one behind me. I was also standing still, so there was no way my clip got caught on the hood.

Lil Man’s Ghost

My son was such a trooper and escorted me the entire time. After our tour, he told me when we first arrived he saw a full figure in a window, and it slowly disappeared. He isn’t one to lie to exaggerate, so I believe him with all my heart. He also admitted he is not afraid of ghosts now, which made the trip even more worth it.

Tour Guides

It’s interesting the guides are volunteers, and the two we spoke with have been volunteering for 10-plus years. There are no gimmicks, no one jumps out, and nothing is staged (except for a few Halloween decorations left over from their biggest fundraiser). The money goes back into the facility, which needs windows replaced and some cosmetic work.

Pictures