A park that probably sees more ghost-hunters than kids derided its name from the macabre history of its location and creepy goings on.
Affectionately known as ‘Dead Children’s Playground’, the recreation area is located in Huntsville, Alabama. And with its modern swing set and climbing apparatus, it looks like pretty much looks like your standard place to let the littlies burn off some energy.
But this park isn’t like many others, with passers-by often reporting sightings of swings moving on their own, as well as orbs or ghostly figures. So what makes this play area so special that poltergeists are hitting the slides?
READ MORE: Inside eerie remains of ‘enchanted’ US theme park – Johnny Depp’s forgotten film location
There’s lots of quality news coming out of the US.
Well it’s because it’s been built right next to Maple Hill Cemetery, which is the final resting place of victims of the Spanish flu pandemic.
(Image: Atlas Obscura)
And this stroke of planning genius means it’s not just the living kids who get to enjoy a play, according to local legend.
The playground is surrounded on three sides by the limestone that formed many caves in the area, giving it a shadowed appearance that lends itself to spooky legends.
And the proximity to the historic cemetery doesn’t hurt, either. Local teens have given it its sinister moniker, which transcends the generations, and yet remains a place used by families.
(Image: Atlas Obscura)
Legend has it that a significant number of children who perished in Huntsville as a result of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic are laid to rest in the Maple Hill plots located next to the playground.
Some people believe that after dark the spirits of the children emerge to run and play, as they used to do in their lives. Peak time for this otherworldly recreation time is said to be between 10pm and 3am.
The worldwide pandemic, which killed an estimated 50 million people, hit Huntsville particularly hard.
(Image: Atlas Obscura)
According to theAlabama Department of Public Health, the deadly flu arrived in Alabama by way of Huntsville on September 25, 1918. And within 10 days, it had spread to the general population.
The Alabama DHP quotes an October 5, 1918, article from The Birmingham News, which states: “Reported cases of Spanish influenza have increased to more than 1,100 in Huntsville. According to Dr. C. A. Grote, health officer of Madison County, there have been an additional 300 cases and seven deaths in the past 24 hours.”
The exact number of children buried in Maple Hill is unclear, but some say the swings swing by themselves, ghostly lights float around, and you can see the spirits of kids enjoying themselves at night.
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.