A Haunted Tour of Wisconsin

Unless you're from Wisconsin or you've spent a lot of time in the area, you probably have no clue just what a long series of ghost stories and haunted spots this state has accumulated over the years.

Start with a trip to Kemper Hall is Kenosha, Wisconsin. When this was first opened in 1861 it was known as the Charles Durkee Mansion, due to its first owner. The Episcopal Church later owned the building and changed the name to Kemper Hall when they decided to christen it as a seminary for women. Not long after, Kemper Hall fell under the control of the Sisters of St. Mary.

One of the sisters was known for her temper and strict adherence to the rules. Supposedly the woman died there as did a former student who killed herself. In 1900 the school did have a heartbreaking story when Sister Augusta disappeared while spending the summer there. A few days later her body was found floating in a nearby river and police ruled the death a suicide, as did the church. Today though people speak of seeing a woman in a habit or sometimes a brown dress who seemingly disappears into thin air.

Also rumored to be haunted is Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. East Hall was once a YMCA where a young boy named Willie drowned in the swimming pool. Students have claimed to see the ghost in the pool and seeing strange things happen in the bathroom when they're alone. Johnston Hall is also haunted, supposedly by two Jesuits who killed themselves there. Those in the building have seen shadowy figures, heard voices or footsteps and seen the faces of the two men looking out the windows.

Marquette is also home to the haunted Cobeen Hall where students find the posters in their room sometimes torn down and the haunted Tower Hall. When the building was a hotel, a small boy was killed in a fire and students sometimes see him wandering around inside. At the Varsity Theatre you'll find that a projectionist who was killed there now likes to play with the doors and lights. Humphrey Hall was once a children's hospital and people now see the ghost of a girl in a hospital gown as well as hear the sounds of former patients screaming.

In Mineral Point you'll find the haunted Walker House. During the early 1800s this was used as an inn and one man was actually hanged there after killing another. He was later kept at the hotel in his coffin until he could be buried. The Walker House sat empty for several years, but when it reopened people found some strange things. There are stories of a headless ghost and several other spirits running through the old building.

Then there's a strange story about a werewolf known as the Bray Road Beast. On this road in the late 1980s and through the end of 1992, there were dozens of stories about werewolf sightings. Everyone who came across the creature described it as looking like a tall man only with larger arms, claws and hair all over its body. There were also stories told of animals disappearing and turning up ripped into pieces along Bray Road. The stories quickly spread, but almost just as quickly, the sightings stopped. Even today people wonder if the beast was some type of dog or wolf or if the whole thing was just a hoax.

If you stop by Superior, you can see the haunted Fairlawn Mansion. Those working and visiting the house have seen the helpful spirit who sometimes gives directions or simply takes the form of cold air. Many believe this is the ghost of a servant girl who once lived in the house and worked for one of the original families.

Plover, Wisconsin is home to the Old Sherman House Restaurant. It wasn't until this old house was turned into a restaurant that people began to hear stories of ghosts. The ghost would push employees, throw things around and play with the doors and lights. Rumors are that the ghost was a former owner who hated alcohol and was unhappy at the changes to his old home.

You can find the haunted Grand Opera House in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. This old theater is over a century old and had some weird things happen there throughout the years. People have heard someone walking around, saw ghosts sitting in the chairs and even captured ghosts on film or seen strange lights floating around.

Then there's the Frank Lloyd Wright house known as Taliesin in Spring Green. This was Wright's summer retreat and the place he fled to after an affair with the wife of a client nearly ruined his career. His mistress, Mamah Cheney fired a servant working at the house. In retaliation the man started a fire and killed a number of people in the house including the woman. People now claim to see the woman walking around the house looking forlorn. Others have seen the lights or doors act on their own.

Another haunted location in Wisconsin is the Lutheran Church in Amery. This old church was used since 1841 and some believe it's still haunted by former parishioners who return late at night for services. People hear the sounds of a pastor talking inside and even the sounds of people quietly whispering. In addition the bell inside the tower rings when no one is around to ring it.

You may not have known all the haunted spots you can find in Wisconsin.

Sources:

http://theshadowlands.net/places/wisconsin.htmhttp://www.prairieghosts.com/hauntwi.html