Kings Island, an amusement park that opened in 1972, is rumored to have an 1840s graveyard called Dog Street Cemetery on the premises. But most witnesses feel that the park’s haunts are victims of accidental deaths, like the 1976 tragedy when a Lion Country Safari Ranger was killed by a lion or Black Sunday in 1992, when a man, his friend and a security guard were electrocuted in a fountain that had an unknown electrical issue, and a woman on the nearby Flight Commander twisted to look at the commotion in the fountain and fell out of her harness to her death.
One of the Kings Island ghosts seen often is a girl in a period blue dress that some call Tram Girl, as she’s often seen around the parking lot or admissions area after park close. And Racer Boy is the nickname given to a little boy ghost who wears white and appears near the Racer coaster. He is believed to be attached to some of the Racer cars that originally belonged to a Coney Island ride called Shooting Star, on which a little boy was found dead on the tracks, having fallen from the ride. Tower Johnny is the ghost who haunts the Eiffel Tower. In 1983, he was visiting on a grad night event when he fell down an elevator shaft while exploring restricted areas of the Tower. He is still blamed for electrical problems; workers call unexplained tripped sensors “Johnnies.”
The former Trelles Clinic, now the Ybor Resort and Spa, is housed in a 1904 building. Witnesses say the many ghostly phenomena here include a child that tugs on people’s clothing, unexplained slamming windows, and an apparition of Conchita, a deceased wife of a doctor. TV’s Ghost Hunters featured the site on one of their episodes, and their equipment picked up a voice saying “Juan.” As it turns out, Juan was the name of a boy who died at the clinic.
The massive Ventfort Hall mansion is rumored to have a few ghosts under its roof, and witnesses say sometimes the spooks even touch people. One unsettling occurrence is a woman’s face that hovers as it descends a staircase. A whispering voice, doors that open and close and screams also have been reported. The ghosts are believed to be former owners George and Sarah Morgan. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
The Lockport Caves is a system that was built in the 1880s to provide the area’s mills with water power. Witnesses say the spooky caves are occupied by something otherworldly. They have seen shadows, lights and odd mists and heard unexplained sounds, laughter and voices. Speculators think the ghost may be a man named Bertram who was drowned in the nearby canal. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
The former Lullaby Lane Baby Store (now Baby World) has been in operation since the 1950s, and is believed to be haunted by a former employee named Jean Brown, who retired from the store in 1977 and died of lung cancer in 1980. Witnesses report unexplained noises, footsteps, moving chairs, flickering lights, and toys that turn on by themselves.
Naples Hotel was built in 1895 and is rumored to be haunted by 6 or more ghosts. One is a man named Topper; another is a woman who has her ghostly children in tow. According to witnesses, the ghosts like to lock doors, turn on the lights, and move pictures around. Ghost tours are offered.
Northern State Mental Hospital opened in 1912, and was said to be the site of many deaths, at least partially due to experimental trans-orbital lobotomies. It operated as a hospital until 1976, and today the site holds a job corps and a drug rehab center…and some ghosts. A prankster ghost nicknamed Fred has been known in the past to toss sheets and bedpans. Witnesses have seen apparitions of a man and a little girl with a red ball, and a nurse hanging from a noose. Cold spots and other anomalies have been reported here as well. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
NJ Bar and Grill was the scene of a murder. Reports say long ago a man was killed by his mistress while he was playing pool here, and now his ghost lingers in the place where he passed. Witnesses say wine bottles float and then drop to the ground, and a shadow has behaved threateningly toward an owner. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
Oakland Hall is a private 1800s estate said to be haunted by the ghost of a disabled girl who was locked away here by her family. The ghost can be heard playing, according to the present owners. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
The 1928 Palladium Theater, witnesses say, is haunted by something that creates disembodied footsteps and a floating orb the size of a soccer ball. Even more eerie, rumor has it that dead bodies were discovered in a dressing room a couple decades ago. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
