This house, built around 1920, is now part of the University of Missouri–Kansas City. It is believed to be haunted and has been featured as on of the Top 5 U.S. haunted houses on TV’s Unsolved Mysteries. The ghost in residence is Harriet Evelyn Barse, adopted daughter of original owner Uriah Epperson and his wife. She died at age 47 in the house, during the construction of the house’s large organ. Students and security personnel have reported seeing Barse’s apparition in an evening gown along with strange lights and unexplained organ music at night. In 1978 when campus police were called after witnesses heard footsteps in the empty building, an officer arrived and as he was parking near the house, felt a great crash along with the sound of shattering glass, as if a car had hit him from behind. When he got out to look, there was no other car, no damage, and his car had moved 8 inches, according to skid marks beneath his tires. Another time, a campus policeman saw a ghostly arm appear in a blue suit, believed to be Uriah Epperson, and turn of a light.
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 5200 Cherry Street
Kansas City, Missouri
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 39.03112847652746, -94.58124266085207
- County:
- Jackson County, Missouri
- Nearest Towns:
- Mission Woods, KS (1.5 mi.)
Westwood Hills, KS (1.6 mi.)
Westwood, KS (2.0 mi.)
Mission Hills, KS (2.1 mi.)
Roeland Park, KS (2.8 mi.)
Fairway, KS (2.8 mi.)
Prairie Village, KS (3.9 mi.)
Mission, KS (4.0 mi.)
Countryside, KS (4.1 mi.)
Kansas City, MO (4.7 mi.)
Contact Information
- Web:
- http://www.umkc.edu/virtualtour/epperson-house.asp
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
I was driving past the house at night and there were two lights on outside the house and one on the top level of the house inside. When i drove past the first half of the house, the outside light on that side shut off, I turned the corner and the second outside light turned off, i was too scared to go back to see if they turned on again.
LOL! I BELIEVE YOU with everything in me. I used to go to UMKC. I am an ALUMNI and I heard the same stories about the Epperson House. I WOULD NOT go in that house. The only difference is that I thought the lady was Mrs. Epperson, not Harriet Barse.
My father works at the university, and has keys to the building. One afternoon about two years ago, he took me on a walk through of the building. While we were only inside for about half an hour, I felt like I was being watched the whole time; this feeling was most intense when we ascended into the building’s attic. The whole place just exuded a bad vibe that put me on edge. Unlike many witness reports, I did not experience anything strange relating to the building’s custom organ designed by Harriet Barse in the living room. In fact, of all the rooms in the house, that was the only one I felt truly comfortable in. By far the creepiest space was the basement pool area. The whole room had this negative, dark energy that made you want to leave, as if someone was saying “get out”, despite that it was 2:30 in the afternoon, and some (although limited) sunlight illuminated the space and tried to give it warmth. All around, while I didn’t experience any auditory or visual manifestations, I would definitely give the place an 8/10 for its creepiness factor.
is there photos of the epperson house and can people go inside there ?
does anyone know who i could talk to about going here for something?
About 230 in the morning while sitting across from the house I observed a light inside the house in the back sunroof area slowly Com on. Kind of like someone slowly turning on a dimmer switch. The light became very bright and went out suddenly. Myself and several others searched the house, which was vacant for any trespassers. Not only was the house empty, but there was no dimmer switch in the area I saw the light, nor where there any light bulbs in the fixture. AZ we left the house se real of us saw a male figure walk around the porch towards the room. When we pursued the individual he had disappeared.
sept, 29th-2017; My Dad was Prof/Music teacher at umkc. (trpt). umkc did use e/house to teach. (early “70’s) I was there as a kid somtimes. My Dad, William F. Trumbauer always told me to stay close. His studio was up one floor from the grand-entry. I felt odd and a bit scared of the vibe I was getting. I never went up to the 3rd. Having many things like this happen in my life, yes I do think there is energy there. Yet, not evil. At 59 yoage now, I’d love to go see that again and pick-up the good or bad. It can’t affect us. We learn..
Was a conservatory student at UM K C from 1980-1985. Before the PAC was built I had applied lessons in the Epperson house along with class piano. My fraternity used the building for our initiations and some meetings. I gave my senior recital in the Oak Room, the living room with the organ loft. In all those years I never experienced anything or felt uncomfortable there. Think some people just let their imaginations run wild.
The old Disney film “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken” comes to mind regarding the Epperson mansion, and its big old organ loft. Da, doo, da, doo, da, doo, da, dooo……
The light on the left on the right was on but the top was on when I flew over so the light wasn’t really on until it was turned down by the airplane on at night and left on top in the morning so I was scared.