Mammoth Cave is the largest system of caves in the entire world, with 330 miles of passageways on five levels. The cave has been in operation as a tourist attraction for well over 150 years and thousands of visitors come here each year.
This cave has attracted a number of ghosts. One is a slave guide named Stephen Bishop, who loved the cave so much he refused to leave it, even when offered his freedom. Another spirit of the dave is a Southern lady named Melissa, who brought her lover to the cave in 1843. She took the man deep within the cave to Purgatory Point and left him there as a prank. The man was never seen again, and Melissas ghost still searches the area known as Echo River. The ghost of Floyd Collins, who died after being trapped for sixteen days in nearby Crystal Cave, is also said to wander the grounds. The case became so popular that in 1926, Collin's body was removed from his family plot and displayed in a glass coffin at the entrance to Crystal Cave. The grisly tourist attraction proved very profitable, until someone stole the corpse. It was finally returned to the cave; however, for some reason the body was missing its left leg. In recent years, tourists have reported the unidentified ghost of a man dressed in an old-fasioned cummerbund. Others have witnessed a disembodied pair of legs running down the hill near the main visitors' center. The legs were wearing denim overalls and work shoes. With over 150 sightings of ghosts reported, Mammoth Cave is one of the nation's most haunted locations.

anyone been to this place?

I have taken the walking tour and the beginners spelunking expedition; both were very fun. It's amazing how huge the system actually is.

how much was your tour or was a free tour?

i went to the caves when i was very young..7-8 or so and still have amazingly vivid memories of a glimpse of the underworld. never saw any ghosts personally. ill never forget what they called the bottomless pit...just peering down into its vastness!!! crazy... if your ever in ky check it out..

I was there a few years ago. I remember it rained, and someone fell and got hurt on the rocks...but I was too busy looking for these "ghosts"...and I ended up not coming across anything convincing...

It's a very pretty place though

Ya I'am from KY and moved to Maine here 6 yrs. ago. When I go down to my moms to take my hubby and daughter to KY for first time this summer I'am gonna take them there. I love the caves. The caves was always a big place for the family to get together for a outing. It's cold in there, so anyone going better wear a sweater. But on real hot days you could wear shorts. Anyways, yes I been there so many times and oh I miss it so. I know my spouse is looking foward to seeing all the bats and I know my 2 yrs. old daughter will love it in there.

No I have never been to Mammoth Cave National Park, but I have always been interested in visiting the area. My main reason is for the attraction, not the ghosts.

It's a cool place. I haven't been there in years though. Guess I'll have to make another weekend trip. The last time I was there, they got us way into one of the caves then turned off the lights. That was creepy. I keep thinking someone was sneaking up behind me.

Hey have you guys heard of Wyndotte Caves or Paoli Peeks. I'm originally from Evansville, Indiana. It brings back good 'ol memories to hear of Mammoth Caves.

Hey, have you guys ever heard of a myth of a place in Guatamala where theres a cave that only holy men are allowed or trained to enter. They wear these robes with bells all over them and a rope tied around their waste. as the enter this cave, the bells make noise, and if it ever stops jingling thwe other priests pull him out because they are dead.

I actually worked at Mammoth Cave National Park as a tour guide for 2 years. Let me say that all the ghostly rumors are definitely true. There wasn't a guide I worked with that didn't have some type of encounter at least once.

Personally, I was followed at least twice during my time there. Once, while I was trailing a Historic tour I encountered a spirit at the Methodist Church. The Methodist Church is located on Broadway where the Salt Peter Mines are located and in the same passageway as Mummy's Ledge and the TB hospitals.

It was during January, which is a slow month at the cave. I really didn't have to trail that tour that day because only 15 people were going, but I had been convinced to go. I was going to leisure around and visit some of the sights off the tourist trails, such as the Picture Window near the bottomless pit and Gothic Ave.

I was wandering just a bit ahead, looking for a nice hiding place to scare the tourist as they passed by. I hadn't wandered 100 feet when I first heard the footsteps. It sounded like they were coming from Booth's Amphitheater, where the second Salt Peter mine was located. My partner had turned the lights off and lit a lantern for effect so it was very dark.

Now, being a veteran guide on the force I knew that the maintence crew liked to scare us the same way we enjoyed scaring the tourist. I called out "who's there, you're not fooling me today."

There was no answer. I walked around some of the old artifact and turned on my mini-mag flashlight to investigate. Nobody was there. By this point I was starting to get a bit nerved so I began making my way back towards the group. That is when I heard the footsteps again. It wasn't until I made it back to the light switch did they subside.

The rest of the tour every time I got out of direct view of the group I heard those footsteps.

The second encounter I had also occurred on the Historic Tour. Again I was trailing the tour, but it was the middle of July so the group was much larger. We were going down into River Hall, and I was going to do a black out. There are two light switches to choose from at this location. One is at the top of the hill and the other is at the bottom. Both are out of direct view of the group. I was at the bottom light switch. As I turned the lights off and my partner began his spill on the darkness of the cave I noticed a light back towards the restrooms. At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but the more I focused the clearer I could see it. It was a bluish green color. It almost reminded me of the sight you see when you approach the cave entrance. I wasn't able to investigate because I had to turn the lights back on for my partner. I dismissed the incident as my mind playing tricks on me, until the next day. Another ranger described the exact same thing occurring on his historic tour. Only he saw the light at Giant's Coffin... a completely different passageway in the cave.

The stories go on and on. One of my closest friends and guides at the cave told me about a time he had a lady who claimed to be physic go on his Violet City Lantern tour claimed to see the spirit of Stephen Bishop and his wife Charlotte in Chief City (the largest room in the cave.) She knew things about Stephen and Charlotte that she could have not have known unless she was a Mammoth Cave historical scholar. She even knew exactly where his grave was and was able to identify his marker before even being told which one to look for.

I've also personally hear the story of Dr. White and the odd phone call in Crystal Cave. All good guides know you don't go to Crystal Cave unless you invite Floyd along.

Perhaps the most disturbing story I've ever heard was witnessed from the most skeptic guide I knew. He was also on a historic tour. (Noticing a trend?) The groups had just descended behind Giant’s Coffin and were going down the stairs that lead to the smaller passageways of the cave. As his last guest filtered down, he heard whispering in the passageway just off to the right. Being a wild caver he decided to see what it was. He saw two shadows conversing in a language he didn't recognize. But there were no solid figures anywhere in sight.

Do you believe yet?

ghosts? when did ghosts move into mamoth cave
all i remember was something about a bear

Ah yes... the old bear legend. In truth that isn't a confirmed story.

** According to local lore the cave was discovered by John Houchins who was out hunting one day and raised his rifle and shot a big black bear. Apparenlty Mr. Houchins wasn't a Kentucky native, because everybody knows a Kentucky boy would have killed that bear on the first shot. The injuried bear fled into the entrance of Mammoth Cave (historical entrance) and John followed him.**

Mammoth Cave is one of the most haunted placed in the U.S. However, the park service doesn't promote it as such. There are many other reasons to visit Mammoth Cave, and chances are unless you work with the cave on a frequent basis, you'll never experience a thing. One good reason to visit is because it's the longest cave in the world with over 365 known miles of passageways. Basically, think of it this way. If you took the 2nd, 3rd and even 4th longest cave in the world and linked them together, Mammoth Cave would still be longer.

The cave rock itself is over 350 million years old, though the first passageways are not nearly that old. Prehistoric man has been using the cave since the dawn of time. There are burial plots all thoughout the cave. In fact, when you go through the main entrance you walk right atop of three bodies of prehistoric man. There is a big X drawn on the wall to denote the area as such. In modern the times the cave was used as a church, mine and most notable a TB hospital.

All of the patients of the TB experiment died, either in the cave or shortly after being removed. Historic descriptions talk about the ghastly appearance of the patients who were trapped deep in the cave during this time. Their skin had a transparent glow because of the lack of any sunlight and they were bony and frail because the damp cave enviorment caused their conditiion to get worse. Some of the patients were even found dead in the passageways by tour groups. These patients were trying desperately to get out of th cave to glimps the outside world just one last time before they passed.

If that isn't enough to get your imagination pumping, have you ever heard of Floyd Collins? Ole Floyd was trapped in Sand Cave (on the park property but not officially connected to Mammoth Cave) for 17 days before he was found dead. It was the largest news event between the two World Wars. Basically, the poor guy was buried alive. Bad things happen to cavers who enter Floyd's Crystal Cave without inviting him along.

There are literally hundreds of ghost stories about Mammoth Cave. Alright, I'm taking my Park Ranger Hat off now. Sorry about the soap box, the cave gets in your blood, and I was so excited to see this topic about one of the most amazing places I've ever worked.

I went there when I was a little kid, I was in kentucky for a family reunion. I don't remeber anything about ghosts, just that it'd be hella scary getting lost in there.