Home » Books » Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave
Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave
How many ghost stories do you know that take place during the day? None; ghosts only come out night. So, what's a respectable ghost who doesn't want to work the night shift supposed to do? Haunt a cave, of course, where it's like night all the time.
With over 367 miles of dark passages, hiding places galore, ancient Indian artifacts, mummies, and over 200 years of cave guides and explorers telling tales, Mammoth Cave is ripe for stories about ghosts, terrified lost travelers, monsters, devils, and other scary things. While working at the cave, my fellow park interpreters (aka cave guides), cave explorers, and researchers shared their personal tales of unexplainable weird happenings. My friend and fellow guide Charlie Hanion and I decided these stories needed to be written down. So began our quest to hunt down all of Mammoth Cave's scary tales, old and new, and write the book Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave.
Charlie wrote about stories associated with the cave's ancient mummies and the 1840s tuberculosis hospital. I took on the other scary stuff.
Once people found out about my search for scary stories, I began hearing from former cave guides, explorers, and even scientists, who shared their own spooky tales.
I also dug through books and articles from the 1800s to find scary stories from the old days. Legendary cave explorer, author, and artist Roger Brucker was kind enough to illustrate Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave. After hearing, reading and writing about so much spookiness, do I believe Mammoth Cave is really haunted? I tend to think that shadows, echoes, and our natural fear about what may be lurking in the dark play a big role in what scares us in the cave; (spoiler alert!) some scary stories have logical endings. But we can't always explain weird things we see and hear. Those unexplainable mysteries are part of what makes life fun.
Buy Now - click here
Reviews for Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave
"Mammoth Cave must contain more noteworthy history than all other caves put together. Its well-documented history is strange enough, but hiding in the shadows are many tales that border on the supernatural. This book offers a sampling of both. The writing is spare and witty, and the stories are allowed to speak for themselves
Connoisseurs of the arcane may be most interested in the experiences of modern explorers. Verbatim reports are given from a variety of well-known cavers, tour guides, and scientists who are presumably immune to creepy feelings about the dark. Why is it only in Mammoth Cave that they witness the loud bangs, the telephone calls from nowhere, the spectral voices and shapes, the ghastly beating of wings, and the groping of hands from out of thin air?
The book is aimed at about the high-school level, but it should be equally enjoyable for readers of all ages. It delivers what it promises: a cozy evening by the fireside. It's one that you are not likely to forget."
Art Palmer, NSS News, July, 2002
"Scary Stories of Mammoth Cave is an entertaining little book. Most people enjoy a tale or two drawn from the world of legends and none more so than when these draw on the underground world. That this volume of what might be loosely defined as a collection of ghost stories is devoted to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky should come as no surprise: after all, here is a cave steeped in history with published reports stretching way back into the 1800s, with many visitors writing of their experiences.
Scary Stories offers more than simple tales: a feeling of history permeates the pages. It's a nicely produced, well-priced paperback that any caver will enjoy."
Decent, October/November, 2002