The Demarest Building, once called the National Hotel, was constructed in 1863 and was used as an inn and a meeting place for the townspeople. In the mid-1900s, the building was turned into apartments and the Demarest Bar, which closed in the early 1990s. It is now a complex of office rentals, boutiques and restaurants. Mysteriously, screams occasionally come echoing down from the top floor of the building, locals say. The source of the haunting is unknown.
Demarest Building
The Parsonage
The Parsonage, now closed, was a restaurant set inside an 1855 minister’s home for the Reformed Dutch Church. It was said to be haunted by an apparition of a lady in 1800s clothing and a bonnet, who appeared between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. in an upper window. Furthermore, apparitions of soldiers have been seen in the dining room during operating hours. They walked through the building and out toward the cemetery, which is across the road.
Prospect Hill Cemetery
In July of 1874, the Omaha Daily Bee newspaper reported a ghostly “woman in white” at the Prospect Hill Cemetery. She was seen from an adjacent marble-cutting shop, coming from the cemetery straight toward the shop’s door. The frightened shop occupants hurried out the back, but the ghost appeared before them, asking them where her children were. One man pulled out a gun and shot at the ghost, which did nothing, so they followed her to the cemetery where she disappeared. The ghost came back again the next night; after that, the men decided to go someplace else to sleep at night.
Whitehaven Cemetery
Whitehaven Cemetery is an 1865 graveyard said to be haunted by many spirits, including that of a little girl, a mother, and a Gulf War soldier. Witnesses say within the cemetery’s gates you may discover disembodied footsteps, glowing headstones and cold spots.
Holy Cross Seminary Site
The Holy Cross Seminary Site was built by the Catholic Church’s Passionist Movement in the early 1920s as a preparatory school. It closed in 1968 and by the mid-1980s it had been demolished. Ruins of the building and chapel and the driveway are all that remain. The ghost of a priest with bowed head is said to appear here during the daytime, and quickly vanishes.
Hoyt Mansion - The Point
Hoyt Mansion, also known as Hoyt House or The Point, was built in 1855. It was almost demolished to build a public swimming pool, but its historic status saved it. Despite that fact, no plans have materialized to use the building, and it is now abandoned. Reports say the belonged to an eccentric family who used underground means to enter the home and all eventually committed suicide. It stands between the Mills Mansion and the Vanderbilt Mansion.
Cunard Hall - Wagner College
The circa-1852 Cunard Hall was built by Edward Cunard, son and heir of shipping magnate Samuel Cunard. It is now part of Wagner College. In 1890, a man leapt to his death from a second-story window, and witnesses have seen his face peering from the windows.
The Vanderbilt Tomb - Moravian Cemetery
Legends surrounding the Vanderbilt Tomb at Moravian Cemetery abound. One says the photos taken near it show an extra person or one of the people in the shot vanishes. Another says that inside the tomb, the Vanderbilts are not buried but are propped up like statues. The cemetery is believed to be haunted by several ghosts, and many unexplained sights and sounds have been reported here.
J.N. Adam Hospital
J.N. Adam Mermorial Hospital was built as a tuberculosis hospital in 1909 and was used for that purpose until 1960, when it became a developmental disability center. It was abandoned in 1995, and is rumored to be haunted. The Friends of J. N. Adam Historic Landmark and Forest is a group who is interested in trying to save the historic spot.
Lancaster Opera House
A ghostly Lady in Lavender resides at the Lancaster Opera House, locals say. She appears in the balcony, looking down on the stage as if watching a performance. Another ghost named William, thought to be the spirit of a man who hanged himself here, is believed to play pranks, like throwing a TV across the stage during a performance. Both ghosts wear 1920s-era clothing.
