The Mystery of Mooney's Haunted Mansion on Walhalla Street

Have you heard of the horror of Mooney Mansion? if you're from Columbus, Ohio, chances are you have heard some version of the haunting tale. No Columbus native can drive through Walhalla Road without feeling a strange sense of confusion and misplacement. The street itself is an enigma, with the one-mile stretch of land feeling more like back country West Virginia than urban Columbus.

Walhalla Road is located in Northern Columbus, between the blocks of Weber Road and North Broadway. Whereas the bordering streets are flat and developed, as is much of Columbus, Walhalla plummets down into a vast, wooded gorge or "holler". The trees and hills shroud out the sunlight, and large houses and manors are tucked away into the mysterious folds of landscape. Curiously, many of the rich houses face out to other streets, with the their backs facing Walhalla. This was probably done as a security measure, as such a densely wooded area can be dangerous. It is here, in this strange setting, that the legend of the Mooney murders took place.

The Mooney Mansion is located at 259 Walhalla Road, and indeed there are records of a Mooney family living there from 1944-1961. The place itself is a vast imposing structure that was built in 1913. The house itself was abandoned for several years before the current owners bought it in 1973. As it is a private residence, the current owners have offered up no information surrounding the legend. What hides behind the large iron gates?

Our story takes place in the late 1950's. It is said that Mr. Mooney went insane, and murdered his wife and daughters, then took his own life. Many have commented that they have driven by the home late at night and seen a cold blue light emanating from the attic window. Perhaps he did it there. Others have said that he hung himself from the Walhalla bridge after killing his family. The bridge towers over the lowest part of Walhalla Street, before one begins their weary ascent back to the main street. Either way, even without documented evidence of the murders taking place, the legend persists to such an extent that if you are caught snooping around Walhalla Road or Bridge on Halloween night, you can be arrested.

I heard another intriguing version of the story a few years back from a friend, and can attest from experience that Walhalla Street is indeed a mysterious place. My friend told me the pull my car up to Indianola Avenue, where Walhalla Road begins, and to turn the engine off. Then, I had to put the car in neutral. "Make sure you don't brake," she said, as this would ruin the creepy effect. What is supposed to happen, is your car starts to roll down into the gully. It gains momentum, barreling faster and faster through the sharp turns and twists.

When the car reaches the bottom of the hill, right before Walhalla, suddenly it slows down to a crawl. "Feel that resistance?" my friend told me. "That's Mr. Mooney's daughters trying to protect us, to keep us away from the bridge where their Daddy died." Indeed, it did feel weird. The car was going so fast before, I had to fight the urge to break, and now it seemed as though the car might stop in the middle of the road and I'd have to start the engine. "Remember, don't do anything," my friend Susan replied. "Now's the freaky part." After a few breathless seconds wondering if the car would pass under the bridge or not, it did and gained momentum. Suddenly it picked up speed, but now we were going UP HILL!

"This IS Weird," I replied to Susan. I knew it must be some trick, some law of physics that my car would be speeding up hill, all the time without any power. "Now that's the girls pushing the car back up the hill, to help us to escape from Mr.Mooney." I didn't believe it, but the all-in-all effect raised hairs on the back of my neck.

We did indeed make it to the end of Walhalla, all uphill, without braking or turning the engine on. I don't recommend doing this, however, as the road is narrow and winding, and you can't see another car coming until it's right in front of you. But still, I felt something strange that night.

Columbus, Ohio, is full of haunted sites, but Walhalla is unique because the legend has persisted despite the absence of concrete facts. The area is unique, and it is free to explore, but I must remind tourists that the Mooney Mansion is occupied by a family, so observe from a distance. Still, it is worth seeing, and you might even have a paranormal experience!