No cemetery has as big a reputation as Stull Cemetery in Kansas, a disreputable “Gateway to Hell”, known for it torn down churches and hanging tree. It’s in fact so well known that rumors say that Pope John Paul II refused to fly over the cemetery on his way to Colorado, claiming the land to be “unholy”. Still, hundreds flock to this graveyard in the middle of nowhere in search for stairs that lead to the underworld, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lucifer himself.

Stull Cemetery was created around 1850 when the area was inhabited by German settlers. Over time as the town grew, so did the deaths, and so did the cemetery. Through much of the 1800’s and early 1900’s the graves lay in peace until settlers heading west began to stop in the town. These frontiersman began to see things in the cemetery, claiming to catch glimpses of apparitions, demons, and the devil himself. According to the stories he would appear during the fall (Halloween) and spring Equinox to the supposed satanists and witches living in the nearby towns.

The Stull Cemetery Church

There was church which was built on the property in 1867 by the early settlers and used for church activities and religious ceremonies. Over time the church and its following was used less and less frequently, becoming abandoned in 1922. It was rumored that the building was later used by witches to perform spells and incantations. This same church was also said to contain a gateway to hell. An anonymous letter written to us said,

“The church wasn’t always always evil, but was overtaken by the satanists who lived in nearby towns. They conjured up so much evil that they opened a portal to hell. When the still church stood there were stairs located on the back wall near the right side. Most of the time they were overgrown and hidden with thick grass. It took a bit of searching unless you knew where they were. These stairs were a direct gateway to hell and used by Lucifer to appear on Halloween night at midnight. If a person was to travel down these steps, even just a few, they would be trapped and forced to walk hours back up, trying to return from the pits of hell.”

Alas, the church was knocked down in 2002 due to an “unknown” demolition.

A photo posted by Michael (@nolacyclops) on Mar 15, 2016 at 10:48am PDT

The Legend Grows

According to an post written on the University of Kansas website,

“An article that was printed in the University of Kansas student publication about Stull Cemetery in 1974 reported several student encounters with mysterious forces in the graveyard. This fed the legend that the devil shows up at Stull twice a year at midnight, on Halloween and spring equinox.”

From this point forward the legend only continued to grow. Over the next four years articles were written and college trips were abundant, all from thrill seekers hoping to catch a glimpse of a ghost. It is said that on Halloween night in 1978 that over 150 people showed up to see Satan, only to be disappointed. Articles published in 1980 by the Kansas City Times also led to a crowd of over 500 people who wanted to see the dead rise from their graves. Under the ask of the owners, the crowd was disbursed only hours before midnight. This occurred again in 1988 and 1989.

Rumors began to spread about a tall pine tree which thrived until it was cut down in 1998. It was said that many witches were caught and hanged on the tree. One of those witches birthed a child with the devil; a werewolf who still travels the grounds at night.

It wasn’t until Halloween of 1999 that a television news channel showed up to document the cemetery and prove once and for all that the rumors were false. They were forced to leave by the owner around 11:30, just a half hour before midnight. This raised the question about what the landlords were hiding. Since then no paranormal crew has gained access to investigate the grounds.

Stull Cemetery Today

Today Stull Cemetery is heavily guarded by police who enforce a strict curfew, ticketing thrill seekers hoping to visits the grounds after dark. Many of the stories remain legends with little truth behind them, but that doesn’t stop society from believing in the evil. It is one of the most popular haunted locations in the whole US.

Stull Cemetery is in fact so popular that it was even featured on the season 5 finale of the television show Supernatural (best show ever). This could also be a shout out to the nearby city of Lawrence, Kansas where the fictional brothers Sam and Dean were from. Lawrence is 10 miles east of the actual cemetery.

Stull Cemetery in the Supernatural Season 5 episode “Swan Song”

Be respectful if trying to visit the cemetery, and know that trespassing is not allowed on the grounds. But keep an eye out, because the Devil may be watching! You never know what mysteries may be lying around the corner.

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Betty

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Interesting ,anyone else know whats going on with that graveyard is it still open to families that have loved ones there?
3 years ago
Shannon Palma

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I have visited Stull Cemetery a couple of times and nothing has ever happened but I was excited to visit there on my way to the VA Hospital in Topeka…. Sometimes the gates are unlocked and you can visit but on other times it is locked. Take a chance and visit here knowing when you head out it may be locked and you could waste a trip…do not be stupid and hop the fence because you could end up arrested or get ticketed!!! Good luck!!!
4 years ago
Branden

Scare Score

I would love to visit there
5 years ago

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Haunted Places, Legends and Ghosts

Stull Cemetery : Lecompton, Kansas

Stull Cemetery : Lecompton, Kansas

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