Ever since we started doing this in 2007, people have been asking us the Dunham Recreation Complex. We never bothered with it till now for a couple of reasons, the main one being we didn’t figure we could get the pictures we would want to make a post worth while. The other being we were too lazy to make effort. But as luck would have it, someone else did it for us! More on that later, let’s go through the back story of Dunham Park first.
The site now known as Duhnam Park was at one time the Guerley Farm. Don’t know much about it, but in 1897, Cincinnati General Hospital (now University Hospital) started transferring Tuberculosis patients there. Again, not sure why, but I’m assuming there were too many of them to house at the hospital, so they somehow obtained the farm to house them there (Being right down the street from Cincinnati’s potters field was probably part of the decision). In 1912, the Cincinnati Tubercular Hospital officially opened on the site. Aside from the main hospital building, there was also housing for doctors and nurses, An occupational health building, a school, a preventatorium (which I’ve never heard of before), a laundry building, and probably a few others I’m not mentioning.
The Hospital operated until 1971, having changed names a couple of times, and becoming the Dunham Hospital in 1945. After closing, ownership of the property went to the city, and it was converted into the Dunham Recreation Complex. Many of the buildings were torn down, including the main hospital, and baseball diamonds and a golf course were built. The occupational therapy building is still there, and is now used as an auditorium. The laundry and the school remain as well, the laundry is used as a parking garage, and the school as an arts center.
Something else that remains are some of the underground tunnels that connected these various buildings. These are what people are really interested in, and what we were referring to earlier when we said we couldn’t get the pics we wanted for this post. These are closed to the public, but thanks to Lindsey Vetter, we finally get to have a look at what’s there.
The whole park is said to be haunted, and considering how many people must have died here over the years, that’s not surprising. But the remaining buildings, and these tunnels, are where the majority of these ghost stories come from. People claim to see figures in the halls when no one is supposed to be there, the sound of coughing that seems to come from nowhere, doors slamming and opening on their own. There’s even said to be disappearing nurses in what is now the garage.
Lindsey managed to get a look at these underground tunnels, and was nice enough to share these pics with us. According to her, they were as creepy as they look! These all belong to her (except the pic of the column), and we appreciate her letting us share them with you.
Dunham Recreation Complex is at 4320 Guerley Road in Cincinnati.
Cool pics! Having worked with Sunset Players for a number of years I have been i n the tunnels and have spent a lot time on the property there at Dunham. I personally have not seen or heard anything strange or even picked up any weird vibes….Maybe they were just sleeping but Dunham has never given me the creeps despite its history and appearance.
Loved doing this. Heard lots of noises.
NOISES?////////////////
Is there any way you can help someone get in?
Wow! I had no idea about the tunnels but I’m not surprised. I would love to see this in person. I have history with Dunham -history that would cause most people to stay away from that location forever.
I have a quite a story if anyone is interested in hearing a bone chilling encounter that involved 3 of my high school friends and myself at Dunham about 15years ago. Run on sentence I know but now that the hair on my arms is sticking straight up my grammar is irrelevant.lol but seriously.
Tell me more please!!!
I would love to hear your story. I used to live on sunset Ave when I was from three years old til I was nine. Me and my friends and siblings used to play down there by the entrance when we were about six or seven years old
I would like to hear your story. I lived at Allen House twice & was always afraid of it. I found it to be really creepy.
Used to hang around there back in the mid 70s and all through that building even stay there overnight one time
Attend many plays there. Have always wondered about the history and architecture. Thanks for sharing. Would love to see old photos of the entire complex when it was in use serving the needs of our community.
Back in the mid-70s it was used as a haunted house during Halloween season! My dad took us a couple times.
I wrote a chapter about this location in a book I wrote several years ago titled “Headless Brides and Devil Dogs – Exploring Southern Ohio’s Haunted Roads and Bridges.” One of my uncles was a patient at that TB hospital. If you really want to check out the hauntings, go across the road to the park. The place was filled with bodies (part of the Potter’s Field) that were dug up during construction.
I read your book, I used to frequent your website. I seem to recall an interview you did for a podcast some years ago also.
That was an interview I did with a podcast called The Paranormal View. I wish I had used the interview as an extra chapter in the book. Maybe some day, if I do a second edition. Thanks for checking out the web site and reading the book. I appreciate it.
Finding this website and seeing pictures of the tunnels-Can’t stop thinking about my experience with the paranormal at Dunham.
The scariest day of my childhood / adolescents occurred at a park behind my High School ( Western hills high school ) This park is on the west side of Dunham recreation center. It is an abandoned park but still offers a hiking trail or at least it did in 2001 / 2002. We always called it, prosperity park, as u would take Prosperity pl to get there. As u drive down prosperity place without turning on any side streets u will see this park on your right toward the intersection of ashbrook Dr and Hardwick. It’s easy to miss as the grass is never cut.like I said abandoned ( or at least it was 15years ago). It wasn’t until after my bone chilling encounter or experience there that I realized where this park sat. Directly next to Dunham separated only by a rusty fence with bio hazard signs covered up by brush and trees that read Warning tuberculosis waste / dumping site. I’m sure that’s not exact as it’s been a long time since I’ve seen those signs. I haven’t read anything about potters field yet but I doubt it is this.
I did some research about 10years ago on Dunham and found absolutely nothing involving Hauntings or paranormal activity. Now all this has come to light, and I’m just so happy I’m not the only one who knew of this crazy place. I grew up in Covedale and spent way to much time walking around the surrounding neighborhood’s instead of focusing on school work. I have so many questions now that I know about the tunnels and other people’s experiences there.
Where do I start?
I lived there as a child for many yrs..you forgot an important part..it was a children’s group home for abandoned childern…I lived there for several yrs during that time frame..I still maintain contact with many other kids that were there as well…and none of us ever seen ghost …just to let people no that truth…it’s not haunted..but I wish..I still live right up the street from it
My mom also lived in the Allen House as a child. I can’t seem to find much information about it online.
My mother sister and myself were patients at Dunham hospital back in 1965. I was only 3 yrs old but I remember being in a baby bed and was strapped down by my leg with a leather strap. I wanted my mommy so I kept getting out of the baby bed. I still remember alot about that scary place.
my Last is dunham how book a ghost hunt at dunham park
I was in an orphanage on these grounds. The Allen house. It’s always haunted me that place was scary.
My father was a patient there. I remember going under that really tall black reilroad trussel and turning up the drive-way. Seeing this big red brick building, it looked like it had the hugest black windows. Later I found out the openings were salaireiums. I was four years old at the time. I wanted to clime on the bed with my father be cause I missed him so much. My mom would not let me. That hurts me even today. Six months later my father was dead at dunnum from sylacosis, that is sand dust on the lungs. He was a molder. I still think about that place with fear in my hart and I’m 80 years old. ( creepy old place )
Ahadi Sitawi
2018/3/19
I remember when I was very young. My dad took me there when it was a haunted hospital during halloween.
i was there three different times with seven other brothers and sisters from a baby to a teenager eight of us the third floor we were not allowed to go up to it was a scary place a creepy place and abusive place and I think it’s sad that the government did not believe any of the children back in the ‘late 60 and
The matrons were very abusive. Orange hot wheel tracks were used to smack her legs. Boys would sneak over from the boys side and come on the girls side climbing up the drain pipes. There was a playground in the back also there used to be a swimming pool back there there was big wood train tracks with chains wrapped around them weighing down the service elevator outside. A little boy Charles apparently playing in the elevator died I remember him he had a learning disability he was very slow and the matrons would pick on him terribly I always hated them for that he couldn’t help that he was slow. I remember that place very well there was also a White House with a breezeway and another room off of the breezeway it was call Sunshine acres I was also in that group home on the property. It was a little more free there and the matrons were a lot nicer I was able to go to Robert’s Middle School off of the property a regular public School. I ran away from the group home with four other girls and went to Florida we made it to fort Lauderdale they had put a APB out on us and of course we were found two weeks later and taken to pompano detention center in Florida my social worker came back to get me they put us on a flight back to Cincinnati and I went to 20/20 detention center that was a very scary place. I was sent back to the group home on the property of the Allen house and shortly after I was taken to Louisville Kentucky to a girls school called Mary Hurst on Bank Street in Louisville Kentucky I had no family here my family was all in Cincinnati all 7 of them three adopted out and the other three and Foster Care some sharing the same homes but the same foster parents. The sisters at Mary Hurst found me a couple with seven children to go visit on the weekends since I had no family here in Louisville Kentucky I would go on the weekends they lied to me very much and I have been in there family and their lives for many years now I was 14 when they brought me to Louisville Kentucky at Mary Hurst and was 15 when I moved in with this amazing family and their seven children I am now 65 and very happy the way my path and my journey has brought me and that scary place in Cincinnati where I was a small child was sent there three different times made it I have no animosity towards the people that abused me and that scary place. I am very happy to hear that it is a recreational place that people can enjoy now and that that place can never hurt anyone ever again. Thank you for hearing my words I turned out pretty good I didn’t let any of that anger defeat me and I am now living a very happy life and enjoying every day and every minute of it. Thank you
I did a student rotation while training at the Jewish Hospital in 1962 or 63. Never worried about ghosts