Lights in the water Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
Local author Steve Asher told WPSD that people drowned when the old town was flooded, and that flickering lights in the water at night are said to be their spirits. Source: WPSD Local 6.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
The branch penitentiary was begun in 1884 and turned over to the state on December 24, 1890 (Wikipedia).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Then and now
Public access
Closed to the public It is an operating maximum-security and supermax prison (Wikipedia). Sources differ on the opening date: Wikipedia's lead says it was completed in 1886 and its infobox gives 1889, while its history section says the prison was turned over to the state on December 24, 1890. Last checked: Nov 1, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Eddyville and Kentucky
- More haunted & abandoned prisons
- Nearby: Crenshaw House (Old Slave House) (Equality, IL), Bell Witch Cave (Adams, TN), Willard Library (Evansville, IN), Octagon Hall (Franklin, KY)
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