A Guide to Ghosts and Haunted Places in Evansville, Indiana

Evansville is one of my favorite places in all of Indiana. The town is full of history and it has some of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen before. It also has more than a few ghosts. If the only haunted spot in Evansville you know is the Willard Library, prepare for some surprises.

First is an abandoned house on #6 School Road. Abandoned houses are always fodder for ghost stories because of their appearance and this one is no exception. Stories say that at times you can see the ghost of a man standing in the window on the top floor. Oddly enough no one seems to know who this man might have been.

Many cities have one oddly haunted place and in Evansville that honor goes to the Eastland Mall. A former owner of the mall used to make nightly rounds to ensure that everyone was gone and that the stores were locked up. Now the ghost of the man supposedly still makes his nightly rounds. There are stories of people looking through the windows and seeing the man just before he disappears. Others claim this man wasn't the owner of the mall, but just a diligent security guard.

Willard Carpenter is probably the most famous resident ever to live in Evansville and two places related to him are rumored as haunted. One is his former home, now known as the Carpenter House. Volunteers working there have seen someone, only to turn and realize no one is there. In addition people hear odd things and find items in the house moved.

The other haunted site relating to Willard Carpenter is the Willard Library where a number of people have spotted a mysterious lady in gray, believed to be Louise, one of his daughters. The library has been investigated on shows like "Ghost Hunters" and the library even has a 24-hour webcam set up on their website. People from around the world can watch the camera and look for any signs of ghostly activity.

The Evansville Life Center is also rumored to be haunted. Prior to 1985 the building was used as a Catholic Church and there were a number of people buried on the property, including several nuns. The bodies were moved on June 8, 1985 and just after the work was finished, Evansville was hit by a tremendous storm. Supposedly the disruption of the bodies caused the ghosts of the former nuns to return to their old home. People claim to feel someone watching them or following them through the building.

A former school house in Evansville is also haunted. According to local legend the school was the site of two grisly events during its history. One story involves a man who dragged two female students into the basement where he raped them and then killed them. Another story claims that a psychopath walked into the school during the 1930s and killed an entire classroom. There are stories of weird experiences and cold spots in the school.

Lastly is the old tuberculosis hospital in Evansville. This old building was once called the Boehne Camp Hospital, but has since been abandoned. Locals have reported seeing the ghosts of patients wandering around the grounds and hearing sounds of someone crying or moaning.

These haunted places are worth a visit if you ever find yourself in Evansville.

Sources:

http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/haunted/hauntedplacesofindiana.htm

http://theshadowlands.net/places/indiana.htm