Haunted Milwaukee

A Wisconsin folklorist named Robert Gard once stated that Wisconsin may have more ghosts per square mile than any other state in America. I have no idea if this is actually true or even if I believe in ghosts, but one thing is certain, no place is quite like the state of Wisconsin with its peaceful lakes, serene forests, miles of beautiful wilderness and an eclectic city (Milwaukee). But what lurks beneath the surface of this tranquil state are tales of colorful folklore.

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought this would be the ideal time to share such eerie legends. Of all of the ghost stories and haunted houses in Wisconsin, Milwaukee boasts a great number of ghostly spots.

Several schools in Milwaukee have their own sort of "school spirit" if you will. Marquette University claims a number of buildings connected to the school – Helfaer Theater, Humphrey Hall, Johnston Hall, Mashuda Hall, Straz Hall and Varsity Hall – are haunted.

Also, Sanburg Hall at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is said to have many strange incidents such as mysterious squeaking coming through the concrete floors and objects that move independently off shelves and around rooms in the North Tower.

Those at Wisconsin Lutheran College claim that several different spirits have been witnessed repeatedly – a poltergeist, signing nun, janitor, laughing children and a malevolent presence have all been supposedly reported.

At Cardinal Stritch University there’s alleged haunting from nuns who lived in the dorms many years ago. At nighttime it has been said that students have heard nuns walking around the hallways. Also in some of the dorm rooms posters are ripped off the wall, closets are opened on their own, locked doors are swung open and random objects are pushed off desks and onto the floor.

According to Troy Taylor, several other haunted locations in Milwaukee are public spots. One of them is the Modjeska Theater. Here the resident specter has been dubbed the "Balcony Ghost" because he has a habit of looking down on the audience from the balcony during movies.

Another location is the Pfister Hotel where the ghost of founder Charles Pfister reportedly  greets guests. He has been seen looking over the lobby from a spot on the grand staircase and has also been seen walking in the gallery above the ballroom. (Witnesses identify him from a portrait that hangs in the lobby.)

Furthermore, many rooms in The Rave are very cold even in the heat of summer (which I guess is a sigh of ghosts?) and have had reports of paranormal activity. The roof has been investigated by security many times after locals reported someone throwing things off of it, but when police arrived to the scene, only empty beer cups were found scattered on the ground below.

Other locations in Milwaukee that are steeped in legend are the Grand Avenue Mall where dark figures have been seen by security guards dancing on the second floor, Holy Hill Cemetery where thick mist appears in photographs or randomly at night, and at Grant Park where it has been rumored that if you go to Seven Bridges and walk the paths during a full moon between the times of 9:30 p.m. and Midnight you will see different colors of light dancing around in the woods or hear sounds of laughter and screams. If you are really quiet you can hear footsteps and heavy breathing in the woods coming towards you. (Remind me never to go to Seven Bridges. Ever.)

Other haunted places located outside of Milwaukee are Kemper Hall, a former seminary and school in Kenosha, which is rumored to be haunted by spectral nuns; and Rosslyne Manse a house at the St. John's Military Academy in Delafield constructed by Dr. Sidney Thomas Smythe, one of the presidents of the military academy.

But probably the scariest story I have read while researching haunted areas in Wisconsin is the tale of the Dousman House in Brookfield. It’s an old house that dates back to the civil war. Apparently the doors have been reported to slam with nobody present and a dark figure has been seen walking back and forth upstairs while occasionally looking in the front windows. The figure sometimes rushes people if they approach the house and pushes them with such great force that they fly backwards off the porch.

(By the way, I have a pit in my stomach while I type this - I'm such a wimp when it comes to scary things!)

Additionally, the Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove is haunted by the ghost of "Pinky" and Whitnall Park in Hales Corners sounds as if it’s a pretty creepy place at night; and on Main Street in Menomonee Falls it has been said that a translucent man has been seen walking near shops and wandering around North Middle School.

While lingering ghosts are one thing – what about a werewolf in southeastern Wisconsin? Since the early 1990s, residents have been talking about the mysterious Bray Road Beast, but there have been other Wisconsin werewolves as well, according to Taylor. See the link above for the story of the Beast on Bray Road and then click here for accounts of other Wisconsin werewolves.

Whether you believe these uncanny tales or not, there’s a vast collection of stories plaguing many locations in Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin. If you’re feeling brave, checkout this site to find chilling tales of your town.

Or maybe you’re like me and scary stories aren’t your thing (they give me nightmares), then perhaps you’d prefer getting your Halloween thrills from manufactured haunted houses showing up in many local communities during the month of October – in which case, stay tuned for my haunted house preview.

Note: These places listed above probably require permission to visit or investigate. Many of the places are patrolled by the authorities, so you can bet that trespassers will be prosecuted. Consider yourself warned.

Comments

[Christi]

I love haunted houses, and I love Halloween. It runs a close second to Christmas in terms of my favorite holidays! The adrenaline I get from sheer terror is so exciting!!

Thanks for sharing the stories. I worked at a nightclub in Chicago while living there (Excalibur on Dearborn) and it's one of the last remaining buildings from the great Chicago Fire. And has been used in the past as a mortuary during a famous shipwreck in the Chicago river.

Currently, it is haunted by a number of ghosts, including a little girl who wanders the club and leaves her doll in random places throughout the club. There is also a woman in a red gown that has been seen wandering the second floor. In fact, the club is so famously haunted that is was featured on the History Chanel! Creepy!

[Audra]

Spooky!

When I first moved here someone told me about some Milwaukee bar (I can't remember the name) that was supposed to be haunted. Have you heard anything about that one??

[Karen]

Christi- Great story! I went dancing at Excalibur several years ago and heard from one of the bartenders that it was haunted. It's kind of an eerie place to begin with, so knowing it was supposedly haunted made it even creepier!

Did you ever see the ghost or her doll? (Also, do you know why patrons have to pay more to go upstairs? I’ve been curious about that for awhile...)

[Amanda]

Audra, the Rave bar is haunted I think...

[Karen]

Your comment prompted me to look that up, Audra. Here's what I found regarding haunted bars in Milwaukee:

Landmark 1850 Inn
(5905 S. Howell Ave.)
This is Milwaukee's oldest tavern - no wonder why it's supposedly haunted. Apparently employees have reported a female apparition dressed in Victorian era clothing that has been seen walking down the backstairs.

Ardor Pub & Grill
(607 N. Broadway – Downtown)
This was the site of a fatal fire – the Newhall House burnt down claiming over 70 victims in 1883. Today, waitresses claim they've heard strange noises and have seen streaks of light in their peripheral vision.

House of Frank N Stein
(726 E. Center Street – Riverwest)
This was a former funeral parlor that was recently turned into a bar. Patrons have reported being overcome by “weird feelings” in the dish room, which I guess was once used for embalming. (Yum)

Apparently Barclay is haunted as well.

[Christi]

Karen, I DID see the doll once. I'm not kidding. I was working a beer tub in Vision Dome and looked up and saw a doll sitting on the ledge on a spot that was physically impossible for anyone to put up there (without some sort of ladder) Rumor has it that someone has put it there to toy with patrons who have heard the doll story, but I don't know. It's creepy though.

As for the extra cover charge to get upstairs, the club is so massive that often times there are 3 or 4 different events going on at one time. Often times we would have a special DJ performing upstairs and therefore there is an additional cover charge to get upstairs. But once you paid that extra charge, you have full roam of the entire club...including access into Vision Nightclub, the adjacent club. It's ridiculous I know. I'd have to hear it from pissed off patrons nightly =)

[Karen]

No way!

Christi, I would have quit on the spot even if the doll was a joke!!! It's one thing to get cheap thrills from a manufactured haunted house, but it's another to work in a real one!

[Melanie]

This may be off subject a bit but has anyone ever seen the ghost in the movie Three Men and a Baby? It is toward the end of the movie. You can see the ghost sitting by the window. It looks like a rag doll.

[Karen]

Melanie- I haven't seen it, but I've heard about the ghost. Maybe I'll rent the movie and look for it.

[Tim]

It wouldn't be worth your time Karen. Certainly if a ghost had been captured on the film of a Hollywood movie it would be more than just a rumor, more than something you've only heard about vaguely. This logical stance is more than just a sound theory; it's true: There is no ghost in "Three Men and a Baby".

http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/3menbaby.asp

Still, such stories are very entertaining.

[Sue]

On the corner of 175 and Maple Road near Germantown, I was traveling home in a blizzard when I saw the outline of a man flashing me to stop. I jammed on the breaks and slid into a ditch. Upset, I ran to the intersection only to find no one there and no footprints in the freshly fallen snow. I was so angry, finally getting out of the ditch. I figured someone played a very mean trick on me. The only thing there was a very old cemetery. Five years later, a historical museum opened up in an old church on that corner and as I walked up to the door, pasted on the door was a news article about a ghost reported to play in the traffic at that intersection. For 5 years, I thought it was a man who did that to me, I felt kinda weird hearing it could have been a ghost.

[Karen]

Wow, Sue. That's one spooky story! I haven't seen a ghost – I don't really want to either – but I think the stories are entertaining.

Thanks for sharing yours!

[wfbdoglover]

We go by the Douseman House every time we go to the dentist. I have been meaning to check it out.....I will have to for sure now.

As far as the Sunset Playhouse. I usher there every couple of weeks. I had read this before - but forgot about it. I will have to ask the next time I am there. I use to get an uncomfortable feeling sitting in the theater by myself - before renovations........

[Karen]

Ohhh!!! You should definitely let me know what you find out! I love this creepy kind of stuff, but I'm way too chicken to explore it myself. Ha-ha.

[wfbdoglover]

HA HA (thanks, I think)

My sister and I went on a vacation together in Savannah and did a ghost walking tour. It was a blast!!

I will report back my findings... Maybe you could feature this blog next October for everyone. This was a good one!

[Bill Blop]

I was walking to my friends house and I had this eerie feeling that somone was walking next to me! later that day i saw someone apear and disopeer just like that it was creepie!!!:(