There are at least three ghosts that haunt Mammoth Cave itself, maybe more (according to believers), and many more that haunt the national park. Mammoth Cave is in Kentucky and is the longest cave system in the entire world.
According to legend, Stephen Bishop was a slave who refused freedom because he didn’t want to leave Mammoth Cave. Bishop discovered many unknown passages in Mammoth Cave and he drew maps, that are still in use today. It’s said that Bishop didn’t want to leave Mammoth Cave in life, and he still refuses to leave it in death. He walks the passages of the cave looking for those who are lost and guides them to safety.
Another ghost that haunts Mammoth Cave is known simply as Melissa. Melissa was a southern belle who fell in love with her tutor, who was from Boston. When the tutor didn’t return Melissa’s affections, she led him into Mammoth Cave and left him there. She went back to show him the way out, but she couldn’t find him. It’s said that she still walks the passages of Mammoth Cave looking for him.
Floyd Collins is the third well-known Mammoth Cave ghost. He was a cave explorer who became wedged into a small space and couldn’t get out. Rescuers tried to free him, but he died in the cave. His family sold his belongings as souvenirs to the crowd that gathered.
When Mammoth Cave was declared a national park, the people who lived on the designated land were forced to move. It’s said that many of their souls haunt the area around Mammoth Cave. Violin music can be heard in the graveyard, and a strange light is seen around a tree where a man was hung.
