The Dark History of Iroquois Park (Louisville, Ky)

In this video we dive into the murderous and ghostly history of Iroquois Park, which is located in Louisville Ky.

Introduction and Basic Information About Iroquois Park 00:00
The True Crime History of Iroquois Park 02:23
Urban Legends and Exploring the Park at Night 05:01

Sources used for this video:

The cameras used for this video include the Sony RX0 II, GoPro Hero 8 Black, and the GoPro Hero Max.

[LeaAnnLouden]

During the mid 80s it was a big hang out for cruising cars. Many great memories there!

[CountessKitten]

Louisvillian born, raised and bred.... Will never leave here. Iroquois Park is one of my favorite spots on earth!
So many lifetime memories there. None really scary or sad, as I have seen many who've commented that. But always happy, pleasurable and fun.
Although, when I lived literally next door to the park, I was very aware that there were some serious nefarious goings on there. Iroquois Park is in the south end of Louisville, and that is a notoriously bad area of The Ville and as I've aged, the crime rate in Louisville has grown astronomically, so it makes sense.
But, Iroquois Park is one of the places I feel most at home. ❤️💫

[michaelhobbs]

Didn’t even scratch the surface. My dad was part of the third district in the old LPD - the stories I heard from those officers still chill me 40 years later. Billy goat man, the ghost off the 8th hole green - well I’m changing the subject so I have a chance at getting to sleep.

[Earthdweller]

My family and I moved to the Iroquois park area in 1969 when I was 11. I went to 5th and 6th grade at Hazelwood elementary school, and what was then Gottschalk middle school, and then graduated from Iroquois High. I remember some great times in winter snow sliding down the hill at the golf course on my sled. Things started to get rough in the early 70's. I remember being with some friends and we rode our bicycles to the park one day. As we were turning to head up the hill, a car pulled out of the line of traffic stopped at the stop sign, and ran my friends and I off the road, along with some guys on motorcycles. One of the guys had to lay his motorcycle over to get out of the way. The guy pulled a revolver and emptied into the car that ran us off the road. By 1975, the park had become a huge gathering place at night for teens on the weekend. There used to be a gravel parking lot behind Jacobs Lodge we called it the 'gravel pit'. It would be full on Friday and Saturday night during the summer. A lot of weed and alcohol use. But peaceful for the most part. Then teens from another area started showing up, fights started to happen, etc. There were some murders in the late 70's. Eventually Louisville started a Park Ranger service that patrolled the park. The Ranger program was ended. The 'gravel pit' and surrounding area was turned into a natural habitat for wildlife and the top is now closed to vehicles. Today I would not have a problem going there during the day, and a lot of people that live in the area frequent the park for walking and bicycle riding. Night time is another story. All metro parks close at 11pm. As for the supernatural stuff, it's hogwash.

[PBRfabco]

I'm a proud Louisvillian who was born & raised here and I live across from the park, in which you can't even go to the top during the day or not because of the park officials won't give access to it. the park was used as a camping park in the 40-50s. during the opening and developing of Louisville one of the founders lived in the park in which his wife was murdered by indians of the area in that time in which became an urban legend. during the late 70s into the 80s a serial killer used the park as a hunting ground for killing woman/girls from 15-45 in which they caged off a cave up by the jacob's lounge. crime around the park is outta control.

[jus]

Used to hang out here a lot when I lived in Louisville and loved it.

[majorskepticism]

50 years ago, every Sunday morning, there were thousands of cars, a few hundred motorcycles, countless bicyclists and joggers, pot everywhere, some alcohol (but not much), people making their own music, singing, laughing — it was great. There were no police most of the time, just not really needed — the crowd did not tolerate troublemakers. You got the impression that everybody knew everyone. I saw Outlaws helping another rider fix a flat tire. There was an area where people brought custom cars and motorcycles, a car show every week. EVERYBODY got along. Nobody sitting on a bench with a cellphone taking all there attention, noone passing others without a smile or even looking at the stranger. It all changed one Sunday in the 80's when a car caught fire at the first lookout and it took hours for a fire engine to get up the hill. The next week there was a barricade at the bottom. Paradise lost. The Amphitheater — the old amphitheater was very small, no walls, no gate, anybody could come in, find a seat, maybe watch a bunch of stoners acting out Shakespeare, making up most of the lines. In all the Sundays I spent there I never saw a fight, and heard few cross words. You could drive your car all the way to the north lookout. Now you can't even drive the loop around the park. I don't go there now. Maybe it's because I remember what it used to be. OZ is gone.

[leachapman]

I lived on Inverness avenue growing up. Grew up around the crip gangs and learned a lot. I’m not stated my family’s rep name but there’s still good memories there in that park.

[rhondawells]

You get a sense of sadness while at the top of that park, there was a spot in particular that every time I got to that location, I would cry. I never knew that park had such a dark history

[donaldscobie]

In the late 80s my now wife and I were walking to the overlook. It was cold and a blonde girl with a tartan Fawcett haircut, wearing white bell bottoms and a red floral shirt walked by. The clothes were something you wore in summer, we waved and said hi, but she said nothing. We passed her and I had a weird feeling so I turned around and she was gone. We loomed for her and saw nothing.

[ANiceishKaren]

Cruised this park many times, family bbq and it creeped me out then and I had so much anxiety when he was there at night.

[brownbunny]

I'm from Louisville and grew up not too far from the area. I didn't know any of this.

[Maddog]

Grew up in this park i have to say i was recently walking the park i did get the feeling of being haunted i felt i was being watched i made it to the top and had a feeling of danger anything could happen and there would becno way of getting help its sad the people can't enjoy the park like it was designed for

[louisvillebsc]

Grew up in the south end of Louisville 8 blocks from the park. More takes of horror than I can remember. They closed the top for years because of the crimes and drugs. I played golf there. Two of my classmates were killed in that parking lot. I moved away almost 50 years but the park still haunts me. P.s. I hear it is a great amphitheater short on parking

[bretttownsend]

They need to station one cruiser there every day, then a night shift unit

[Mrshvdows]

walking in a full moon at night at iroquois park is cool also the sunrises when the leaves have fallen

[therealblackcarin]

Well a humongous park would be ideal for hiding bodies but there is a lot of negative energy there because every time I walk the trail I can feel it. It’s very uncomfortable and I never could figure out why I would be scared by walking in broad daylight!

[DanielleBryant-bx]

Born and raised here. This is so misleading. I’ve been there morning, noon and night. I’ve never had any scary, or mysterious times there, there was no figures, ghost or any of that. Iroquois park is just located in a bad area. Always has been and it’s only got worse over the years. It’s just a small hood in Louisville. That’s why there was so many killings. It’s a shaded park with a lot of trees, places to hide out etc. there is no “urban legend”. Urban legends are typically just stories people make up. Especially in these days

[bretttownsend]

Dusty hill of ZZ Top did his last show there at the amphitheater. A couple years ago sad

[thepurplevelvet]

I recall this place in my childhood but scary I don’t really remember it pretty spooky.