Kentucky's Haunted Bluegrass Heritage Museum

Courtesy, KentuckyTourism.com

Since I featured an Ohio location yesterday, I felt obligated to provide my Kentucky readers a brand-new location as well!  I've chosen to feature the Bluegrass Heritage Museum in Winchester because even though there isn't a whole lot of information out there on the actual hauntings, the history of this location is fascinating...and a formerly adjoined bed and breakfast next door makes this a perfect location to spend a long weekend!

The Bluegrass Heritage Museum actually got its start in 1994, but since 2000 the collection has been housed in a beautiful white brick home.  The home was originally built in 1887 by Dr. Ishmael, who lived in the home until his death in 1920.  Shortly after, in 1927, Dr. Edward Putney Guerrant purchased the home, and over the years, several surrounding homes and properties.  He turned the Ishmael home into the health care facility known as the Guerrant Mission Clinic and Hospital.

Guerrant operated the hospital until his death in 1964, with his son taking over until the hospital's closure in 1971.   Today, the Guerrant heirs are still involved with the property, running a wonderful bed and breakfast known as the Guerrant Mission Bed and Breakfast, in another historic home behind the clinic property.  This house was used as housing for the nurses during the hospital's tenure.  The museum, though, uses the original clinic space to house three floors of collections dedicated to different aspects of Kentucky history.  The third floor, however, which served as Dr. Guerrant's operating room, is dedicated solely to the clinic's history and impact on the community.

An article on Yahoo Voices lists this location as in the Top Five (#4, actually) Haunted Locations in Kentucky and from what I can tell, this is based on a small snippet of information that is listed on several other locations, but without a strong original source.  This information states that the location is full of paranormal activity such as phantom footsteps, doors opening and closing by themselves, and even full-bodied apparitions.  There is even EVP evidence of screaming and moaning, and a video showing alleged poltergeist activity.  The hot spot of the museum is definitely the third floor, where the operating room was located, but activity occurs throughout the location, including the former morgue.

This past summer, the museum celebrated finally becoming debt-free, and when asked about the future of the museum at the former clinic, it was noted that there would be improvements on the roof and windows...but that the collection was rapidly outgrowing the space the building provided, leaving the fate of the Guerrant Clinic to an uncertain future.  Go visit while you can!

Bluegrass Heritage Museum Website