The eerie tale of the British Museum Station on the Central line is a haunting reminder of the supernatural lurking beneath London’s bustling streets. Situated next to the renowned British Museum, this station closed its doors in 1933, leaving behind a legacy of ghostly encounters and unexplained phenomena. The proximity to the museum, home to ancient artefacts from around the world, has fueled rumors of spirits and specters haunting the station’s abandoned tunnels.
Ghostly Encounters at Holborn Station
Some believe that the spirits from the old British Museum Station have migrated to Holborn Station, less than 100 yards away, via an old tunnel connecting the two locations. During World War Two, as the city braced itself against the fiery destruction of the Blitz, British Museum artefacts were hidden in Holborn Station for safekeeping. Among these treasures was the mummified remains of Egyptian princess Amun-Ra, whose spectral presence is said to have haunted Tube passengers for years.
According to reports, terrified commuters have claimed to witness the undead spirit of Princess Amun-Ra, clad in a loincloth and headdress, wailing and screaming through the dark tunnels. The 1935 comedy thriller film, Bulldog Jack, further perpetuated the legend with its depiction of a secret tunnel from Holborn station to the Egyptian room at the museum. The mysterious disappearance of two women from the Holborn platform on the night of the film’s release only added to the chilling atmosphere, leaving behind eerie marks on the walls and reports of ghostly moans.
The Haunted Coffin and Titanic Connection
In a bid to dispel the haunting rumors surrounding the British Museum’s ancient artefacts, museum staff made a controversial decision. Reports from the 1920s indicate that visitors viewing the coffin of Princess Amun-Ra began feeling ill, with one individual even experiencing cardiac pains. The International Psychic Gazette published a story claiming that the staff were so unnerved by the coffin’s “malevolent powers” that they replaced it with a replica and moved the original to the basement. Shockingly, the original coffin was later transported to America… onboard the ill-fated Titanic.
The tragic sinking of the Titanic led to widespread speculation that the haunted coffin was responsible for the disaster, further cementing the eerie reputation of the British Museum Station and its spectral inhabitants. Despite attempts to downplay the supernatural occurrences, the legacy of Princess Amun-Ra and her ghostly presence continues to captivate imaginations and fuel urban legends in London’s underground.
The haunting tale of the British Museum Station serves as a chilling reminder of the hidden depths beneath London’s bustling streets, where echoes of the past linger in the shadows. As commuters navigate the city’s underground network, they may unknowingly pass by the ghostly remnants of a bygone era, where spirits of ancient princesses and haunted artefacts still roam the dark tunnels of the Tube.
