Manhattan Bistro is rumored to be haunted because of a murder and a well. It was near here that in 1799, Gulielma Elmore Sands left to elope with her secret lover, Levi Weeks, but her body was found strangled in a nearby well. Weeks was accused of the crime, but was acquitted. The well was found on the premises after some excavating; reports are uncertain as to whether the bistro is still in operation.
Manhattan Bistro
Mark Twain House
The Mark Twain House & Museum was the home of the Clemens family, including author Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain). It is believed to be haunted by the family’s butler, George Griffin. According to witnesses, apparitions, voices, knocking and banging sounds and phantom cigar smells have been detected on the premises, and some folks have had their clothing tugged on by something the couldn’t see. The site has been featured on an episode of TV’s Ghost Hunters.
Main Street Armory
Main Street Armory, built in 1905 by the U.S. Army for the training and processing soldiers, remained in use until 1990. It was vacant until the mid-2000s, when witnesses began to report apparitions, moving objects, and more strange happenings. Folks say the armory is haunted by a ghost boy. The site has been investigated by TV’s Ghost Hunters.
Milton Schoolhouse
The historic Milton School, built in 1904, operated until 1986 and then stood abandoned until the early 1990s when it re-opened as a decorative glass factory. It’s believed to be haunted by a schoolgirl nicknamed Mary who was raped and murdered at the school when she stayed late to work on a project. The crime was pinned on a school janitor, who was found hanged inside the school. Witnesses say strange things happen here, such as objects disappearing, shadowy figures, footsteps and unexplained sounds. An apparition of a little girl was seen as well, and may have left X and O patterns on a worker’s keyboard occasionally.
Market Street Cinema
Market Street Cinema is reported to be haunted by ghosts of homeless folks who stay in the theater at night. Legend has it that a former employee named James used to rent space out to the homeless in the basement overnight. After they all died, including James, their spirits kept coming to the theater for camaraderie and to check out the shows.
Missouri State Penitentiary
Missouri State Penitentiary, explored by TV’s Ghost Hunters and over 100 other paranormal investigators, is rumored to be extremely rich with paranormal activity. Witnesses have reported apparitions and unexplained noises, perhaps a result of some leftover spirits from the now-decommissioned prison’s bloodier days. Visitors are offered ghost tours, ghost hunts, ghost-investigation classes and more.
Madame Tussauds Hollywood
Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is said to be haunted by moving figures, a sign that turns on and off by itself, and unexplained music after closing time. Museum staff says the eyes move on the wax figure of Bette Davis, too. There’s been speculation that the museum is haunted by Victor Killian, an actor who was beaten to death in the vicinity.
Sacco's Bowl-Haven
Sacco’s Bowl-Haven, investigated by TV’s Ghost Hunters, has been owned by the Sacco family since 1939. It’s believed to be haunted by a former employee. Witnesses have described the feeling of something breathing on their neck and balls that return when the machine is off. The Ghost Hunters debunked the balls as a problem with the mechanical apparatus.
S.K. Pierce Mansion - Haunted Victorian Mansion
S.K. Pierce Mansion was owned by the wealthy Sylvester Knowlton Pierce, founder of the SK Pierce & Son Chair Company. It was built in 1875 and was originally located at 21 Union Street, but was moved to where it now stands shortly thereafter. The home had some famous guests, such as P.T. Barnum, Norman Rockwell, Bette Davis and President Calvin Coolidge. Several ghosts are said to haunt the mansion, including S.K. Pierce’s first wife Susan, who passed away of an illness only 3 weeks after moving in. A nanny named Mattie Cornwall who loved the mansion and S.K. Pierce is also said to haunt the mansion, as are other members of the Pierce family. When the house was later turned into a brothel, a murdered prostitute was added to its ghostly roster, and a young boy, believed to have drowned somewhere on the premises, appears in mirrors and has been heard throughout the house. Another interesting note: A boarder named Eino Saari is rumored to have died here of spontaneous combustion in 1963.
Union County Courthouse
Investigated by TV’s Ghost Hunters, the Union County Courthouse is said to be haunted by spirits from the Revolutionary War era. A woman’s ghost has been seen in the rotunda, and Hannah Caldwell, the first woman to die in the American Revolution, is said to haunt a fifth floor courtroom where a portrait of her husband Reverend James Caldwell hangs.
