October 14, 2020
10 of The Most Haunted Places in Michigan
Whether you’re a believer in the paranormal or not, there’s something exciting about exchanging bone-chilling stories on a dark and stormy night. If you’re looking for a few spooky tales to tell this fall, look no further—Michigan has its fair share of historical hauntings.
From hotels offering ghastly pasts to an artist commune with ghosts wandering the halls, our state is filled with spirits both friendly and foul. We rounded up a few of the most (supposedly) haunted locales in Michigan, all with a creepy story of their own. Read on… if you dare!
Beeson Mansion | Niles
Regal and donned with an iconic turret that overlooks sprawling grounds, Beeson Mansion has an interesting history. The manor was built in 1847 by a whiskey distiller before being purchased by a local Niles attorney, Strother Beeson. Beeson had an elaborate mausoleum built outside of the mansion for his deceased mother’s remains. Over the years, that mausoleum became the final resting place for many more members of the family—including Beeson’s own infant grandson.
Today, the home and grounds are said to be crawling with spirits, most notably that of the infant’s grieving mother, who’s wailing can reportedly be heard on quiet nights. Beeson Mansion is a private home and trespassing is not permitted but you are still able to drive by if you’d like to see it from afar.
Doherty Hotel | Clare
If walls could talk, this Clare hotel would have quite a story to tell. The Doherty Hotel has been in operation since the 1920s, and even operated as a speakeasy during prohibition, offering backroom gambling and adult entertainment. The popular drinking spot became the meeting place for the Mafia and Purple Gang, who would come to the hotel to “work out their differences”. In 1937, the hotel saw one of Michigan’s most notorious murders: Isaiah Leebove, a former Purple Gang attorney turned businessman who was killed in the bar. It is believed that Leebove’s ghost is one of the spirits that haunt the hotel, along with the Doherty family matriarch, Helen Doherty.
Both guests and employees have reported paranormal activity throughout the hotel including loud knocking; bedroom doors opening and closing by themselves; and shadowy figures appearing throughout the hotel. It is also rumored that you can sometimes smell Helen’s favorite perfume wafting down halls, as if she just walked by.
The Gandy Dancer | Ann Arbor
Constructed in 1886, The Gandy Dancer has always been one of our favorite spots for elegant seafood dining in Ann Arbor. But while we’re sure you know that they have the best oysters in town, you might not have known about the restaurant’s storied past—which happens to include plenty of reported hauntings.
Before it was a restaurant, The Gandy Dancer was a railroad station and was an integral part of Midwest transportation. According to employees, the station was once a location where people brought the deceased during World War I. Bodies that weren’t claimed were kept in the basement. Employees say that they’ve witnessed lights being turned upside down and glasses flying off shelves. Others report that a figure of a man often roams the hallways.
Henderson Castle | Kalamazoo
This century-old mansion, which is now a luxury bed and breakfast in Kalamazoo, was the dream of Frank Henderson, one of the town’s most successful businessmen at the time. Construction on the mansion was finished in 1895, with the building coming in at a whopping 11,000 square feet and sitting on 3 acres.
Over the years, Henderson Castle has been named one of the most haunted places in Michigan by the Awesome Mitten and Thrillist and has even appeared in three horror movies. This is all because of the massive amount of reported ghosts that apparently haunt the cozy B&B. Among the most famous ghosts are the original owners, Frank and Mary. Visitors say that Mary can often be seen at the top of one of the staircases. Paranormal investigators have also recorded disembodied voices saying “Hey” and “Flowers and candy” at the hotel.
Holly Hotel | Holly
What is a popular restaurant today, was once a hotel built to serve travelers of the Flint and Holly Railroad Line. The hotel, which was constructed in 1891, has been referred to as the most haunted historic building in Michigan. Holly Hotel has been the site of many tragic events throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, from raging fires to fights in the adjacent Battle Alley. This has caused many to believe that ghosts still roam the area, and the overwhelming number of paranormal occurrences support the theory. Many guests and staff report smelling cigar smoke throughout the hotel; seeing a figure (who may just be the ghost of the hotel’s original owner, Mr. Hirst) at the top of the stairs; hearing disembodied laughter or soft piano music with no source; feeling a phantom dog brush against their legs and so much more.
The Holly Hotel loves their ghosts so much that they have an entire page dedicated to their hauntings on their website. You can read through the entire history and get an introduction to their many ghosts, here.
Michigan Bell Telephone Building | Detroit
In 1910, Warren Randel, a railway worker who had lost his leg due to a train accident, murdered his wife Virginia in a fit of jealousy before killing himself in a Detroit mansion. Due to rumored hauntings, their home was never occupied again and was torn down in the early 1920s because of disrepair. In 1924, the Michigan Bell Telephone Co. purchased the property and erected the current iconic building in its stead. Throughout the years, many have reported strange noises coming from the building—including the rumored disembodied voice of Virginia begging for help. Residents of Detroit also started receiving odd phone calls late at night. When the calls were eventually traced, they were found to be coming from within the phone company office building.
The old office building was transformed once again in 2013 into housing and support facilities for the local homeless population, which seems to have quieted the ghosts quite a bit. Click here to read about the Neighborhood Service Organization and all the amazing good they are currently doing in Detroit.
Michigan’s First State Prison | Jackson
Constructed in 1838, Michigan’s First State Prison in Jackson remained in operation through 1934. Known for its brutality, the jail housed some of the state’s worst criminals, garnering a reputation for prisoner neglect, abuse and torture. Today, the old prison is now Armory Arts Apartments, a 19-acre residential complex for artists, musicians, designers and craftsmen—it even landed on MSN’s list of “10 of the World’s Most Unusual Apartments”!
In spite of the modern renovations, the past continues to seep in through the newly painted walls, with rumors of hauntings persisting throughout the complex. Many artists claim they’ve seen apparitions wandering the hallways while others say—particularly the ones who live in what used to be jail cells—that ghosts live in their apartments full time.
The White River Light Station | Whitehall
Michigan is pretty famous for its haunted lighthouses, so we had to include at least one on this list! One of the most interesting, and dare we say spookiest, is the White River Light Station in Whitehall. Captain William Robinson and his family, which included his wife Sarah and seven of their eventual 13 children, moved to the area in the 1860s. It was the thriving lumbering industry that brought them to Michigan from England, and Robinson hoped he would be able to find work. When they arrived, Robinson observed the high amount of traffic traveling in and out of the White River and he was surprised that there was no light to guide their safe passage during the night. He began petitioning the lighthouse service to have a beacon built and started hanging a lantern on the pole at the end of the channel every night to aid passing ships. In 1875, a lighthouse was finally built, with the Robinsons appointed the first keepers.
For nearly 50 years, Robinson kept the light shining, saving many lives. He passed away in 1919 at the age of 87, but it’s said that he and Sarah remain at the lighthouse as permanent residents. You’ll usually find Bill walking up the spiral staircase to the lantern room while Sarah will often relax in the upstairs bedroom where their youngest children slept.
The Whitney | Detroit
One of the most iconic buildings in Michigan, The Whitney, offers a particular grandeur that can only be found in old Detroit architecture. While the building houses a restaurant today, it was once a home built by lumber baron David Whitney Jr. in 1894. The home has changed hands many times since it was constructed, even becoming the home of the Wayne County Medical Society in the mid-1900s.
Rumor has it that David Whitney Jr.’s ghost still calls this exquisite building his home. In fact, there have been so many sightings that Amuse deemed it “the most haunted restaurant in the United States.” Visitors and employees report that they’ve experienced apparitions appearing in windows and a lift that follows employees from floor to floor. If you want to experience the ghostly activity for yourself, the restaurant offers haunted tours every Sunday and has a special “Ghostbar” set up in one of the creepiest corners of the restaurant for adventurous libation seekers.
Ypsilanti Firehouse Museum | Ypsilanti
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Built in 1898, this old firehouse turned museum is one of our favorite spots to soak up Ypsilanti history. Ironically, the firehouse building has caught fire twice since its construction, once in 1901 and another in 1922. In the second fire, the fire department’s chief, Alonzo Miller, reportedly perished. Today, Miller’s ghost is said to still haunt the museum. Witnesses say they’ve heard voices, bangs, whispers and doors opening and shutting by themselves.
The Firehouse Museum itself actually plays into the haunted factor, often hosting fun “Paro-con” events where visitors can experience the strange occurrences for themselves. Follow the museum on Facebook for updates on future spooky events!
Scared Yet?
Have you had a paranormal experience at one of these Michigan buildings or another one we didn’t mention? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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