Inside some of the world’s spookiest caves

SCIENTISTS discovered the bones of about 100 prehistoric humans inside Moaning Cavern. What on earth happened to these people?

What happened to these people in this cave?

CAVES can be scary — so they’re the perfect setting to get you in the Halloween spirit. Even better, some of these underground labyrinths are also reportedly haunted.

MOANING CAVERN, CALIFORNIA

A variety of tours are offered to Moaning Cavern.

Moaning Cavern in Vallecito, California gets its name from the sound the air makes as it circulates deep within the cavern. Scientists discovered the bones of about 100 prehistoric humans inside Moaning Cavern. Uranium-thorium dating found the skull of one early human to be 13,000 years old. If you’re brave enough, this spooky cavern offers rappel tours into the abyss and then guests have to exit through a wrought iron staircase. You’ll want to watch your step, because it’s a long way down.

MAMMOTH CAVE, KENTUCKY

Mammoth Cave, located in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, is known as the largest haunted cave in America. Some 4000 years ago, people mined deep inside the cave, and the cave was sold to mine saltpeter. After several years, and after the War of 1812 made saltpeter desirable, the owner of the cave hired slaves to mine the cave.

After the war, the business went under and the cave brought it’s first tourists. The cave was then used in 1842 to house people with tuberculosis as an experiment. The cave is said to be haunted by the patients that died there.

WIND CAVE, SOUTH DAKOTA

The cave is open every day except Christmas.

Nestled in Wind Cave National Park, this cave is known as a sacred place for many Native American tribes. But it’s generally believed that the cave was discovered by a pair of brothers, Jesse and Tom Bingham, in 1881. While hunting, the brothers saw some grass blowing near the cave entrance, which was a hole in the ground. Tom had his hat knocked off by the winds blowing through the entrance, but then several days later, Jesse returned to the cave to find that the wind had switched directions and sucked Tom’s hat inside the cave.

Today, it is understood that the movement of the wind is related to the difference in atmospheric pressure between the cave and the surface. But the brothers didn’t enter the cave. That distinction went to Charlie Crary, a local miner, who in 1881 left twine to mark his trail so others could follow. He was the first to see the rare rock formation called box work, which closely resembles a large spider web.

BELL WITCH CAVE, TENNESSEE

Visitors today can visit Bell Cave and tour a replica of the Bell Cabin.

Legend has it that John Bell, a farmer from North Carolina, settled in northern Robertson County in 1804 with his wife and children on a farm along the Red River. In the summer of 1817, family members started seeing strange looking animals on their property and late at night they would hear knocking sounds on the doors and outer walls of their home. Eventually, sounds started being heard inside the house, such as chains being dragged across the floor, and rats gnawing on the bed post.

The family lived in fear, but kept the problem to themselves for over a year when things became intolerable. John asked for help from a neighbour, and invited them to stay the night in order to witness the sounds for themselves. Once they confirmed the mysterious sounds, word got out and people would come from miles and miles to hear and witness this terrorising force. After a while, the unseen force had gained a voice and revealed its name was Kate Batts. From then on, people referenced the force as “Kate” the “Bell’s Witch.”

HELLHOLE, WEST VIRGINIA

The cave isn’t open to the public, but you can admire it from afar.

Hellhole cave, located in Germany Valley, is home 20,000 hibernating bats and rare cave-dwelling animals. Since the 1940s when it was first explored, cavers have documented over 65km of mapped passage in the Hellhole system.

CATHEDRAL CAVERNS, ALABAMA

Tours are offered 7 days a week.

Cathedral Caverns, originally called Bat Cave, was opened to the public in the 1950s and was renamed because of its cathedral-like appearance. After the state purchased it in 1987, it was opened as a State Park in the summer of 2000. Cathedral Caverns boasts a massive grand entrance and inside the cavern are the most beautiful formations, including “Goliath” — a stalagmite measuring 13m tall. Although there is no hidden legend or mystery, the grandness of this cave makes it a scary place to be during the day or after dark.

This story originally appeared on Fox News.