The Paris Catacombs were created at the beginning of the 18th century out of necessity due to overcrowded cemeteries. They decided to use old quarries which had been in use during the 15th century and then abandoned. The quarries were however only a small part of what would later become the Catacombs.
The site was filled with bones from overcrowded cemeteries which were transported at night to avoid the protests of the people who would not agree with the remains being disturbed. Transfers of the dead stopped in 1814 but continued again in in 1840 with more cemeteries being emptied. In 1786 the site was consecrated under the name of the 'Paris Municipal Ossuary'.
In 1809 the Catacombs began accepting public visitors by appointment only. This quickly became a success for tourists as well as Parisians.
By the time they had finally stopped placing human remains in the tunnels, there were over 6 million Parisian bones laid to rest within the tunnels. Many of them are still viewable today by visitors though some areas are closed to the public.
Being one of the most eerie attractions in Paris, the Catacombs are home to many stories and legends which given it's macabre history, comes as no real surprise.
One such legend is of a man named Philibert Aspairt who got lost in 1793 after accidentally wandering into the catacombs. His body was not discovered until eleven years later in 1804. Cause of death was never determined but many believe he simply got lost and was unable to find his way back out.
It's also said that if you visit the catacombs after midnight, disembodied voices will try to entice you to go deeper into the catacombs until you're unable to find your way out again and become lost forever among the dead.
In the early 90s a group of people who were exploring the catacombs came across a video camera left abandoned in the tunnels. It was apparent based on the footage present on the camera that the owner had become lost and was likely going mad from his inability to escape the eerie tunnels. The footage also contained 'disturbing sounds'.
In 2004 a group of police were in an area restricted from the public and they found an entire setup complete with electrical wiring, a 20 seat cinema, a bar and a living space. A few days later they returned to investigate only to find everything gone. The only thing left was a note saying 'Ne cherchez pas'. Do not search.
I've read about this and i do find it so fascinating that everything in that catacomb was made entirely out of bones