With Halloween just around the corner and the evenings getting dark earlier, it is a perfect time to share ghost stories and explore spooky places in our own backyard. If you are someone who loves checking out places that are supposed to be haunted, you’ll love this list of spooky places in Wisconsin!
1) Summerwind, Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin
This fishing lodge has been rumored to be haunted since it was built. Mysterious things would happen such as objects being moved and strange sounds and lights. One of the first owners, Robert Lamont, fired his gun at what he believed to be an intruder. Once there was light, there was no intruder found, but the Lamont family left the home and never returned. Later owners reported shadows, voices and spots of unexplained cold air. The home was destroyed by fire in 1988 but the area where the chimney remains still seems to be haunted and mists are often seen across the foundation.
2) Mary of Elk Lake Dam, Elk Lake, Wisconsin
The murdered body of young Mary Schlais was found in the area near the lake. It was said that she was hitchhiking from either Milwaukee or Chicago. She was picked up and her killer dumped her body out of a moving car, but her killer was never found. The ghost of Mary is said to haunt the lake and dam because she is restless due to not getting her justice. She has been seen in various locations and seems to be quite restless. A number of people have experienced unexplained lights and sounds. One set of fishermen reported that they were fishing early one morning while it was still dark and the figure of a ghostly woman in white came to sit with them in their boat.
3) Bloody Bride Bridge, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
The rumored ghost that has been seen here is reported to be a young woman who was killed on her wedding night in an accident on the bridge. Apparently the ghost and bridge are the subject of a number of dares to drive down the highway and you will see the ghost. Another dare involves parking your car on the bridge at midnight and you will see the bride and groom sitting in the back seat of your car through the rear view mirror. Interestingly, there is no recorded history of an accident at this bridge.
4) The Siren Bridge, Siren, Wisconsin
The history for this legend has been somewhat established. During a Halloween blizzard, a car containing a family slid off the road and into the swampy area near the bridge. The parents and young daughter were trapped and drowned. The accident is confirmed to have happened. The legend says that people driving over the bridge will hear the voice of a young girl saying “Help me, Mommy, I can’t get out!” through their car radios. Once over the bridge, the radios returned to normal.
5) Maribel Caves Hotel, Maribel, Wisconsin
This former hotel was known as Hotel Hell. The rumors started with what are really a series of coincidences. The building itself burned three times and each time was on the same exact date. After the final fire, the building wasn’t rebuilt and there are still remains at the site. One of the former hotel guests reportedly went crazy and killed a number of people at the hotel and afterward he killed himself. During prohibition, the hotel was rumored to have been owned by Al Capone and he used it as a hideout. People have also said that Capone and John Dillinger used it as a storage place for their bootleg liquor. Investigators have proven that Capone had no real connection to the hotel but that hasn’t stopped the reports of ghosts, lights and sounds from the location.
6) The Rave, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This music hall was built in the 1920s. There is reportedly the ghost of a little girl here who is heard giggling and her small footfalls are heard throughout the hall. She has occasionally been seen as well. People have also reported smelling bleach and the sudden urge to leave the building. The building once served as a shelter and the manager was said to be mean and controlling and some people believe that he is responsible for the discomforting feeling that some people experience. Many people feel his presence near the pool and boiler room area.
7) The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
It is rumored that the entire East wing of the hotel is haunted by the ghost of a woman who hung herself in one of the rooms many, many years ago. It is rumored that her fiancé was killed in a nearby plant accident and she no longer wanted to go on. Her ghost is often seen as a lady dressed in a blue hat outside Room 209. There was also said to be a man who murdered someone in a 3rd floor room and the ghost of a man is seen leaving down the hall. People have reported a man in a flannel shirt, but he isn’t visible on hotel surveillance cameras.
Have you visited any of these creepy places in Wisconsin and did you have any experiences while you were there? We’d love to hear if you have any other spots we should add to the list!
RLF says
This was an interesting article! Been to the American Club in Kohler a number of times, but never heard about the hauntings!