Hayswood Hospital
This old hospital has been empty for four decades, but the ghosts within refuse to be forgotten
Ghost Stories of
Hayswood Hospital
- A woman's apparition is seen in the maternity ward
- Disembodied baby cries are heard around the hospital at night
- Passersby report eerie feelings of being watched
- Strange lights are seen in windows and around the property
- A dark figure watches people from a high up window
Haunting History of Hayswood Hospital
Hospitals can be some truly scary places. Whole buildings full of blood, needles, and death. Sounds like a recipe for a chilling horror movie…or an eerie real-life encounter.
In Maysville, Kentucky, the empty husk of Hayswood Hospital has allegedly been a source of real-life spooky stories for decades.
The historic medical center has been abandoned for over forty years, and in that time, countless ghost stories and tall tales spilled out of its darkened windows.
Now on the receiving end of some much-needed restorations, some wonder if the hauntings of Hayswood Hospital will survive the facelift.
Timeline of Hayswood Hospital's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Hayswood Hospital through the years
1923
Maysville’s first hospital was a small, simple infirmary. Called Wilson’s Infirmary, the health center operated until shortly after the owner’s death in 1908. That left Maysville without a hospital, and desperately in need of a replacement. It took over a decade, but a larger, more advanced health care center opened in town in 1923: Hayswood Hospital.
1983
After expanding in 1925, Hayswood Hospital cured the sick and healed the injured for decades. Medical advancements came and went, and in 1971, another addition was built, expanding patient capacity even further. Unfortunately, rural, small-town hospitals began closing in the 1970s and 80s. In early 1983, Hayswood joined them. A more modern health care center opened soon after, and Hayswood Hospital quickly became a distant memory.
2025
For over forty years, Hayswood Hospital sat in limbo. The building’s eerie atmosphere soon attracted urban explorers. Over time, explorers shared their experiences inside, and reported spooky encounters. It seemed that the old hospital’s halls weren’t totally empty, as more visitors and trespassers reported run-ins with ghosts. In 2025, hope for renewal finally arrived. Hayswood was poised to be restructured into apartments. But would future tenants have to share their space with spirits?
Is Hayswood Hospital Haunted?
As Hayswood Hospital has been closed to the public since 1983, many of the most vivid ghost stories come from unsanctioned explorers.
There’s no telling how many urban explorers had ghostly encounters there during its decades of emptiness. But some of their eerie reports have since become local legend.
Mysterious Apparitions in the Maternity Ward
Perhaps the most well-known phantom of Hayswood Hospital haunts the old maternity ward. There, a woman’s somber figure sometimes manifests before visitors’ eyes. Witnesses report that she will appear wearing a hospital gown, and almost always carrying her baby.
Passersby outside further claim to hear a baby crying from somewhere inside the empty hospital. Could this be the sound of the maternity ward’s phantom infant?
Ghost Lights & Phantom Feelings
On the third floor, there is said to be an exceptionally tall, dark figure who often lingers near the windows. Outside, people walking by might see this mysterious figure staring down at them from the windows.
Locals further report strange flashes from the hospital’s windows, or even lights being turned on, despite the building’s electricity being disconnected.
Even when they don’t see strange lights and figures, people often claim to feel unexplainable and unsettling feelings when walking by Hayswood Hospital.
Mysteriously, these feelings always fade away as soon as they cross the street.
Is This Maysville’s Most Haunted?
A handful of people over the years have tried to capture evidence of paranormal activity inside the haunted Maysville hospital. Most of the time, all anyone is able to capture on photos or videos are dust orbs and particulates.
But a few intrepid photographers report capturing strange shadowy figures and even full-bodied apparitions lingering in Hayswood Hospital. Along with that, ghost hunters claim to collect EVP recordings from their explorations of the building.
New Life for Hayswood Hospital’s
Old Ghosts
While it’s long been a home for the dead, Hayswood Hospital will soon get a new chance at life. The decrepit and spooky-looking structure has seen a great deal of restoration activity recently. Windows have been covered and interiors cleaned, all in the hopes of bringing new life into Hayswood.
But how many of the old ghosts will remain?
The answer to that question will have to wait until the doors of Hayswood Hospital swing open to the public again.
But when they do, visitors will almost certainly be watching for figures in the windows, and listening for baby cries in the corridors.
