It’s winter; cabin fever is real. Especially after what happened over Christmas – that was wild. So when things finally start to thaw and those inevitable unseasonably warm days begin to interrupt the frosty, cloudy ones, we should all take every opportunity to get some sun and start to warm up – physically and mentally.
A super-fun adventure to take that’s especially good when the leaves aren’t on the trees is Moonville Tunnel. This place has everything: strange sounds, EVPs, old foundations, local history, exercise – Stefon would be proud. And it’s just a half hour out of town. What are any of us ever doing Sunday afternoon, anyway?
Moonville Tunnel: A Ghost Town’s Tunnel Full of Ghosts
In true Ohio fashion, this local haunt is said to… be haunted. But ghost-searcher, outdoor enthusiast or local history buff, this place will fascinate you. It’s a staple on every haunted Ohio website, and apparently such a mystery it even has its own .net.
Moonville was founded in the mid-1800’s as a result of the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad constructing a track through Vinton Co. As with most rural Appalachian hamlets, the town name most likely came from the family name Moon, which was very common in the area back then. Once families moved into the surrounding hillside, Moonville Tunnel was blasted into one of those hillsides so trains could pass through.
Moonville was never a “town,” per se. Most people had their homes built in the little hollers and valleys near the tracks. Moonville’s center had a few residents, a store, a school, a station, and a cemetery. Moonville was so secluded that there was actually no way to reach it besides walking the railroad tracks, and we know that ended up costing over two dozen people (mostly rail workers) their lives over the 90 years the town was active. By 1940, Moonville was abandoned. However, the rail line and tunnel stayed in use until the 1980’s.
But back to the ghosts. There are about 140 years of stories to be told, with most unearthly sightings and sounds attributed to those many railroad workers that lost their life on the narrow tracks. The most famous is the drunken brakeman who fell asleep on the tracks and became decapitated. Other of the tunnel’s characters include the Engineer, the Lavender Lady and the Bully. Supposedly.
But Moonville is so much more than a bunch of ghost stories. It’s a relic of old Appalachia, back when these rural mining towns were the lifeblood of the region. Walking the railroad tracks, seeing the engineering that went into the tunnel, following the trestle through the woods – these are all a unique Athens experience that really makes you feel like you’re stepping into the past.
How to Get to Moonville Tunnel from Athens
Thanks to our rolling landscapes, there are several ways to get to Moonville Tunnel in just 35 minutes or less. The simplest way is to take OH-56 W to OH-356 S. From there:
Turn right onto Robinette Ridge Road and stay for 1 ½ miles.
Continue to Buck Lane and stay for 2 miles.
Continue to Hope-Moonville Road for ¼ mile.
You’ll see it; it’s unmistakable.
You could always wait for spooky season and go in October – it’s just as good in late fall as it is early spring. Or do both! Walk the trestle as far as you can one visit, and come back to walk the other way! Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky people who spot the old foundations or hear an otherworldly voice.
Honestly, is there anything more Appalachian Ohio than creeping around abandoned, possibly haunted stuff the minute it gets warm outside?