Dead Children’s Playground
Huntsville, Alabama
By Robin Wright
Founded in 1822 and reaching over one hundred acres of land, Maple Hill Cemetery is the oldest and largest cemetery in Alabama. Within the cemetery limits, tucked away in a peaceful cove surrounded by a rock cliff on three sides and picturesque paths leading through the woods, is the Dead Children’s Playground. Admittedly beautiful during the day, when dusk falls, the atmosphere changes into something quite sinister.
Some say that the spirits of the dead children come to the playground to play. Another legend has it that Huntsville suffered a rash of child abductions in the 1960’s, and sadly, the bodies of the children were found in the area of the playground. Since that time, there have been reports of swings moving on their own, children calling out, giggling, and when photos are taken, orbs of light believed to be the spirits of the children are captured. Much of this phenomenon occurs between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m., far too late for any live child to be out playing.
The most eerie of reports is the common occurrence of swings moving rhythmically and in sync by themselves, even when the swings have just been brought to a complete stop. Some have seen dust from the sand that covers the area rise as if someone had jumped off a swing. Others who have taken photographs see circles of light show up on their photos, some of which are the same height as a child.
In fall of 2007, the City of Huntsville tried to take the playground over in order to further increase the area of the cemetery for graves and tombs. This was done literally overnight, one morning the playground was there and the next day all of the equipment was torn away and the area destroyed. The public outcry that resulted caused the City to pull the work order for the cemetery and new playground equipment was installed. This disturbance has not stopped the mysterious occurrences at the playground, however.
In January of 2008, The Alabama Paranormal Society investigated the area known locally as DCP. One of the investigators heard a voice of either a woman or female child. She quickly snapped a photo of the area and when it was developed, a misty figure of a woman can be made out. Many of the photos taken that night are littered with orbs.
Thanks to the citizens of Huntsville Alabama, children, dead and alive, will still have a place to play in Maple Hill Cemetery.
114 comments on this haunted house. Share your story »
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anonymous says: |
December 1, 2008, 2:56 am |
been there a bunch, we used to go smoke there every weekend just about. Nothing happened EVER.
jessica says: |
April 3, 2009, 11:04 am |
going to dead childrens playground is really creepy. i hvae been many times and i get spooked just the same. i recomend you bring a flashlight and if you find your name on the playset you should get away from there, and dont return. i recently found my name on the playset two times, if you look up pictures of the playground you will see.
robyn johnson says: |
April 29, 2009, 10:21 am |
the is a really scaray place at nite with no flash lite we took pics and got one orb
Nikki says: |
May 3, 2009, 9:48 am |
I have lived in HSV my whole life. The story about them finding bodies of children in the 60s is false. It is a very creepy place though. And a lot of the stories may come because of where it is located. It is behind Maple Hill Cemetery. It makes me think, WHY of all places would you put a playground there? Its totally secluded from the road. I’m not saying it isn’t haunted, Just wanted to clear up the rumors. Maybe the children buried in Maple Hill are the ones there playing. Its a nice thought.
angie says: |
May 9, 2009, 10:13 pm |
sweet a haunted playground wonder how they died???!!!!!
re re says: |
May 10, 2009, 1:21 pm |
someboy stole my road sign
Gwen says: |
June 7, 2009, 8:50 pm |
I was at DCP on June 6, 2009 I was swinging on a swing and next to me I felt a little girl in the swing. It was daylight and I was there with my brother-in-law. We took pic’s while there. As we where there it was very peaceful.
Mar-Ann((: says: |
August 11, 2009, 8:03 pm |
Woah! Dis sounds really interestinq 2 me. So if im not Wastinq ur time i wuld love 2 see pictures of dah “Kids” please && than you.:D
Trayc says: |
August 12, 2009, 12:28 pm |
I have been to dead childrens playground so many times its uncountable, we first started going when i was 13 and im now 28. We have experienced many things there. Swings moving to and fro with no wind and calm weather, the faint sound of childrens laughter traveling through the air. Its definetely an eerie feeling you get. I love it though.
Zane says: |
August 14, 2009, 4:06 pm |
I grew up in the area in the 60s/70s and the wive’s tale was the children were sacrafied by Satan worshipers….of course, if you grow up in the South, EVERY evil deed is perpatrated by satan worshipers.
Joshua Davis says: |
September 7, 2009, 9:23 pm |
It is September 7th 2009. I live a few mins away from this place so im going tonight. We have bad weather comeing in an i hope to see something. I will take pictures an EVPs the time im there.
Unsolved Mysteries Forum says: |
September 9, 2009, 12:13 pm |
I am not sure is this true or not but it’s at least a big mystery. UFO for example are true story but you have no profs.So this is the same.
booobaaa says: |
September 22, 2009, 7:38 pm |
ahrhahrahharhahrSHWEEEET HOMEWEEEE ALABAMAYYYYYYYY
Evan says: |
September 29, 2009, 2:59 pm |
I’ve been going to that playground ever since I was two, and I never heard of it being haunted until a couple months ago! Dad would take me there (when the old playground equipment was still standing) and I’d slide on the slide and swing,all the stuff you’d expect a kid to do. but you can climb this little mountain and find these really weird trails up on the plateau.The branches on the trees bend over so you have to crawl through them, and you easily lose which trail is which.I never really questioned Dad when he sudenly stopped bringing me there, I just thought he fogot or something. But I went back up with my frined a few weeks ago and got TOTALLY lost up on the mountain in those creepy trails. We ended up in that old baseball field instead of where my Dad was. And there were patches of mud all over the place, and the whole atomosphere was creepy. Dad says that I used to talk to “people” when I aws up there, even though it was just me and him, but I can’t remember. Now that I know about what’s been going on there though, I can go back and try to figure it all out. So thanks!
jessi lea says: |
September 30, 2009, 4:15 am |
I live in huntsville and I go to dcp a lot its spooky but its special too cause those kids are just trying to play and have fun like they would do if they were still alive I believe in all this stuff to the fullest and if you don’t go there with me ill be more than happy to show you around…. jessi lea
scott says: |
October 3, 2009, 3:49 pm |
i am planning a trip to the play ground and cemetary looking for new people to start a new ghost encounter team if intrested email me cowboylite@yahoo.com
becca says: |
October 7, 2009, 3:04 am |
a few friends and i went up there tonight, two of whom did not believe in ghosts, spirits, anything of the sort. I have always been able to sense, see and feels spirits, and got an overwhelming feeling walking onto the playground. First, the temp dropped a good 20 degrees in the area of the swings. All of us, including the skeptics did hear giggles, laughter, whispers and actually a cry and a scream. We did sit on the swings, and the one next to me stat=rted to swing by itself. I felt there was a little girl right there. When two of us walked onto the other play equipment, we heard more laughter and a cry, i also saw a few small orbs on the edge of the woods. It was an awesome experience, and i plan to go again and investigate some more.
Kathy says: |
October 12, 2009, 9:52 pm |
My family and I have been there many times. We love to go visit “the children”. We have had manny strange experiances there too. Once burger king bag moved as though someone was digging inside. and then it fell over. Also we have experianced the swings moving-not on a windy day. We hear laughter at night. I love it. I reccomend going there:] Oh and by the way,there is a statue in the cemetary that cries blood. Interesting i know.
Chris says: |
October 13, 2009, 7:59 pm |
My friends and I just heard about this place today and plan on going real soon. Which statue cries blood?


Alex says:
November 14, 2008, 8:03 pm
Me and my team went there on November 12, 2008 and it was definately creepy. It was a 100% full moon, and the weather was windy and stormy. It rained most of the time, but me and my friend watched the swing twist around by itself. we also got an evp of a jack in the box music playing in the background as one of my friends was going to swing by the swing that moved. We also heard growling, and when we played back our EVP recorder we have little yelps of children as well. It is definately a place to go that has activity. We will definately be going back when the weather isnt so disturbing.