Unfortunately, not every house or business can be successful and some are often left abandoned. Nature takes its course, making for interesting landscapes and structures that still surprisingly remain in place today. Here's a collection of some eerie and unsettling abandoned places in Kentucky that will leave you a little bit spooked and also scratch that itch to explore the unknown ... if you dare!

1. Waverly Hills Sanatorium

We've covered this place before, but it's such a world-known abandoned haunted establishment that it makes it to the top of our list yet again. Located in Louisville, KY, Waverly Hills Sanatorium is a historic former hospital in Louisville that came close to being demolished. A historical society saved it and has offered tours, ghost hunts, and other events for several years. The building (and its ghostly residents) has gained much notoriety over the years thanks to famous ghost hunters, television shows, and word of mouth from visitors. If you enjoy history, haunting tales, and meeting ghosts, a tour should be on your bucket list.

If you are ready for a creepy experience, head to the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, one of the scariest abandoned places in KY. Learn more about it in this video from AmysCrypt:

2. Old Taylor Distillery

The Old Taylor Distillery once sat decaying, until recently, when it was revitalized and reinvented as Castle & Key Distillery. The story begins in the late 1800s, when Col. E.H. Taylor, a Bluegrass bourbon aficionado, built his very own distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Inspired by European architecture, Col. Taylor was a trailblazer in whiskey tourism, constructing his very own bourbon kingdom complete with a castle-like distillery, classical springhouse, and sunken garden. The distillery flourished, not just becoming a place of unprecedented bourbon production (it was the first distillery to reach one million U.S. Government certified cases of straight bourbon whiskey), but also an epicenter of Bluegrass bourbon tourism. But all good things must come to an end. Once Taylor passed away, the Old Taylor Distillery changed hands a few times, ultimately falling into disrepair.

The story doesn't end here, however. In 2014, during the beginnings of the bourbon boom in Kentucky, a group of spirited investors bought the derelict distillery with the intention of bringing it back to life. Inspired by the castle-like buildings on-site, the new bourbon whiskey operations were named Castle & Key in February 2016, and in 2018, this beautiful bourbon distillery reopened -- bigger and better than ever!

3. Ouerbacker House

On the corner of 17th Street and Jefferson Street in Louisville, KY, this historic house was built in the 1860s and is feeling the reaps of being weathered since.

4. Red Bridge

On Devil's Hollow Road near Frankfort, Kentucky, this unfinished structure will give you the creeps and is definitely something you don't ever want to try and cross.

5. Hayswood Hospital

This abandoned hospital in Kentucky was built in 1915 and has since been abandoned since 1983.

Learn more about the abandoned Hayswood Hospital in Maysville, KY in this video from Morehead State Special Collections and Archives:

6. Quinn Chapel Church

This old Gothic Revival Kentucky church sits empty today, decaying near two of the city's busiest streets.

7. Abandoned Dawahares Store

This store (and town) has definitely seen better days but is a good landmark for the town. Located in Neon, KY, a teeny-tiny town in the state.

8. Fort Knox Tank Graveyard

This military base has to dispose of its gear at some point. You can witness some of these historical machines every Memorial Day when the base opens the restricted areas for several hours for civilians to view the cemetery. Find the abandoned graveyard in Fort Knox, KY.

9. Old Bullitt County Jail

This sandstone structure was the old Bullitt County jail constructed in 1891. It's now nested behind another county building. This old jail is located in Shepherdsville, KY.

10. William Tarr House

This real-life haunted house in Kentucky is a photographer's dream for cool shots capturing its remains.

Explore the long abandoned Kentucky William Tarr house in this video from tales from the narcside:

Old age, weather, and decay may have the best of these places and they may seem like more of an eyesore than something to boast about. But we explorers like to encounter all sorts of unique places with lots of stories and history. Which of these creepy abandoned places in Kentucky will you be hitting up first?

If you really enjoy exploring abandoned places near you, especially ones that are potentially haunted, you'll love this Kentucky haunted places road trip we put together for you. Rent an RV from RVShare and go in style!