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| Altoona Side of Tunnel |
Many local haunts and legends can
be classified as urban legends. One popular legend deals driving
through a tunnel at night in hopes of seeing a ghost. Usually the
driver has to do a ritual of horn beeps and flashing
lights. Altoona Pennsylvania just happens to also have its own take
on the urban legend. The reason it has survived generations and is
still popular, is probably due to its ties with the Horseshoe Curve.
This story takes place down the mountain from the Curve at the Tunnel
next to the visitor center.
So what supposedly haunts the Horseshoe
Curve Tunnel? Well, from just about every account of the legend, a
beautiful young women in a white flowing dress is said to manifest
there. This young irish women, when she was alive, would wait on the
Altoona side of the tunnel for her man to return from working on the
Horseshoe Curve. The story takes two different turns at that point.
Some believe she still roams the tunnel awaiting her man who never
returned to her. He was either killed in an accident or murdered
over some bar room brawl he was part of. When others tell the tale,
she was the one murdered in the tunnel and is doomed to never get
out.
The point of visiting this location is
to hopefully catch a glimpse of the lonely woman in white. If you
dare to try your luck, you are to arrive between 11pm and 3am.
Another account says to drive past the three reservoirs before the
tunnel approximately seven minutes until Midnight. The best time to
visit is on a full moon and when precipitation is present like fog,
rain, or snow. Once you arrive to the tunnel at the right moment,
drive through heading up hill away from Altoona. Then turn your car
around about 50 yards from the tunnel using the pull off. Be sure no
cars are coming or behind you, then begin the drive forward into the
tunnel at midnight. The next parts do at your own risk. Turn off the
lights as you enter and drive slowly. Beep your horn three times in
the middle of the tunnel and turn off the engine. Sit quietly as long
as you safely can. Listen for the young women's voice and keep alert
out the windows to catch sight of her. If nothing happens, drive
through and you might see the young irish girl standing on the wall
outside.
Besides seeing the young women or
hearing her voice, people also report having multiple hand prints on
their car when they get home and look at it. Other witnesses report
care trouble or feeling something hit their car while in the tunnel.
The haunting at the Horseshoe Curve
tunnel could be interpreted as a local urban legend. It could also
have some merit to it if you believe in the paranormal. The haunting
has a semi-believable history behind it, as well as, multiple eye
witness accounts from generations that you can not fully discount.
However, the best way to make up your mind about this legend is to
try and experience it first hand. Please just take caution.
I went there with my sister. We were ghost hunting and I had a recorder. I put it on top of the roof of my car and put my windows up. We sat there for five minutes very quietly. I felt heavy and decided to leave. I took down recorder and drove into the museum parking lot and hooked up recorder to my car speakers and we listened. I dropped the recorder on the floor when we heard a horrible growl on the recording. We were alone and I took pictures of the tunnel before we drove in. I still have that evp and it still creeps me out
ReplyDeleteYou should post that EVP somewhere and let everyone else including locals hear it!
DeleteI've seen and heard so many strange things in here. Children giggling, loud and strange screeching, white silhouettes, silhouettes darker than the darkness itself, faint but clear whispering, unearthly-looking hand prints on the vehicle, as well as things hitting it. The stories are definitely not bogus and I recommend visiting the tunnel for quite a story to tell, despite it being one of the biggest hot-spots for ghost hunting in the area. Just please be respectful like you always should and don't litter, don't try to summon demons, etc. Nice article, Mick!
ReplyDeleteThis amazes me as I grew up not far from Horseshoe Curve and never ev en heard this story. That there might be actual paranormal evidence in that general area is not surprising. The town of Glen White was not far away. We used to ride through this tunnel as teenagers with the headlights out on Summer nights. It was wonderfully eerie but we never had a ghost sighting of any kind. I'm kind of disappointed.
ReplyDeleteIt's a recent legend from my kid's generation (ages 25-30). I grew up not far away and we spent a lot of time "up at the curve" and never saw anything but too many cars while we were trying to party.
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ReplyDeleteAwsome
ReplyDeleteI went there I heard cars and a guy coughing
ReplyDelete