Steve Gonsalves, the fearless adventurer of the paranormal realm, typically unfazed by ghosts, has recently admitted that even he gets a shiver down his spine on occasion. During an exclusive interview with E! News, he shared his most terrifying experience to date: "It's a place called Waverly Hills in Louisville, Kentucky, once a tuberculosis hospital where over 60,000 people tragically lost their lives in just three years," Steve revealed. "The frequency of activity there is off the charts, with apparitions looming around every corner, doors slamming shut, and things moving about on their own. Voices echoing through the air, it all starts as soon as you set foot inside."
As Steve described it, "That place is truly chilling." Waverly Hills Sanatorium stands as a testament to the tuberculosis epidemic that ravaged Jefferson County in the 1900s. Originally a grand five-story building necessary to house all the patients in the area, it operated as a health facility for nearly 50 years before closing its doors in 1961 due to advancements in medicine. Years later, overwhelmed by reports of paranormal encounters from those who had traversed its halls, the facility reopened in 2001 to offer tours to the public.
Despite his many encounters with ghosts, Steve admits that Waverly Hills left him genuinely shaken. "I cried," Steve admitted of his visit to the historic site. "I've wanted to go there for so long and it's so beautiful. The drive up to it with the trees shrouding it and the moment it reveals itself, I started to feel emotional. It's absolutely breathtaking."
For Steve, haunted places are not just abodes for ghosts but also repositories of intense emotions. He felt that way at Waverly Hills, overwhelmed by the sadness and grief that had transpired there. "It was a powerful experience," he added. "I thought it was fantastic."
But Steve also hinted that another historic location—the Franklin Castle in Cleveland, Ohio, where he conducted a real haunted tour for Cutwater’s Real Spirits Inside sweepstakes—would be equally terrifying. "History and the personalities that inhabited a place serve as a potent catalyst for hauntings," Steve said. "And here you have a wealth of history, laden with mystery." Indeed, sweepstakes winners reported hearing footsteps on empty floors and doors opening and slamming shut without explanation.
If you can't make it to Waverly Hills or Franklin Castle this spooky season, Steve also confessed that there's a horror film that gives him jump scares every single time: "John Carpenter's The Thing," he shared. "For me, it's required viewing not just at Halloween but all year round."
