Stull Cemetery — The Gateway to Hell in Kansas

Overview

Stull Cemetery, near the small town of Stull, Kansas, is often described online as one of the “Seven Gateways to Hell.” That claim is almost entirely fictional. This is not a haunted site rooted in atrocity or occult history. It is a textbook example of how rumor, repetition, and media amplification can transform an ordinary place into a supernatural meme.

Status Classification

The cemetery’s history and use are verified and unremarkable. There are no documented atrocities, mass deaths, or criminal events associated with the site. The supernatural reputation exists entirely within legend, urban myth, and media repetition.

Historical Background (Verified)

Stull Cemetery dates to the mid-19th century and served a small rural farming community. The burials are typical for the region and period, with no evidence of unusual mortality patterns, cult activity, executions, or occult practice.

A nearby stone church, frequently misidentified as the source of demonic lore, was built in 1893 and later demolished in the early 2000s due to structural deterioration. Its removal was a matter of safety and maintenance, not secrecy or ritual activity.

There is nothing in the historical record that distinguishes Stull Cemetery from hundreds of similar rural graveyards across Kansas.

The “Gateway to Hell” Narrative (Fabricated Legend)

The most persistent claims surrounding Stull include the idea that Satan appears at midnight on Halloween, that a stairway descends directly to hell, and that the Pope refuses to fly over the site.

None of these claims have historical, ecclesiastical, or logistical support. The “Pope won’t fly over it” story is demonstrably false and appears to have originated as a joke that hardened into “fact” through repetition.

The legend gained traction primarily in the 1970s through the 1990s, spreading via college folklore, paranormal books, and later early internet forums. Each retelling added authority without adding evidence.

Sightings and Reported Experiences (Anecdotal)

Visitors report feelings of dread, sightings of shadowy figures, and sudden fear or nausea while on or near the property. These experiences are subjective, expectation-driven, and unsupported by independent evidence.

There are no police reports, historical accounts, medical records, or documented incidents that support claims of supernatural activity at the cemetery.

Why It Is Considered Haunted Today

Stull is considered haunted because it is remote, visually stark, and labeled with emotionally charged language such as “gateway” and “hell.” Repetition without verification allowed the story to grow, while local residents pushing back against trespassing paradoxically reinforced the sense of forbidden mystery.

The site is not dangerous. It is contagious in the memetic sense.

Visitor Information (Verified)

Stull Cemetery is private property. Trespassing is discouraged, and local residents have repeatedly requested respect and quiet due to vandalism, harassment, and disruption driven by the legend.

Evidence and Sources

This account draws on Douglas County historical records, cemetery and church documentation, local newspaper archives, and academic studies of folklore and urban legend formation.

Editorial Reality Check

Stull Cemetery is not a gateway to hell.
It is a gateway to understanding how badly people want ordinary places to mean something extraordinary.

There is no blood-soaked history here. No occult trail. Just a quiet graveyard that lost control of its own story.

And that, ironically, is why it became famous.