Even if you’re from the St. Louis area or lived there at one point, you probably have no idea just how haunted this city truly is. Let’s start our haunted tour of St. Louis with a trip to the Jefferson Barracks.
Jefferson Barracks was used by the military for nearly a century as a place to train new recruits, get those recruits some experience and also as a hospital. Since the beginning this old military base has been rumored to have a few ghosts. According to legend the ghost of a Civil War soldier has resided there for over 60 years, frequently appearing when large groups of people are present. Other stories involve strange footsteps heard and people walking around inside the now long abandoned buildings.
Another ghostly victim haunting the Jefferson Barracks is a man with a bullet hole in his head. Some who have seen this ghost even claim that they saw blood coming out of his wounds. There are also stories of lights turning on and off when no one is inside the building and strange feelings experienced inside the abandoned buildings making up the old camp.
St. Louis is also home to the haunted Gehm House. One of the former owners of the home was believed to have hidden away gold coins and other valuables in the house, sometimes burying the possessions in the yard. Another owner claimed that someone or something kept waking her up in the middle of the night. At other times she would hear someone walking through the house or find things moved when she was the only one there. The woman’s children also talked frequently about an elderly woman in a black dress they saw in the house.
Another family that owned the house saw a few ghosts of their own and noticed that their dogs often barked at things no one else could see. They also noticed that things in the house were moved and that the attic door never seemed to stay closed, odd considering that the attic was rumored to be one of Gehm’s favorite hiding places. The same family also claimed the Gehm House was haunted by a small child. Even today the house is rumored as haunted.
Take a haunted tour of St. Louis and you’ll also find the Newstead Avenue Police Station. The station closed in the 1960s under claims of dirty cops and was turned into a home. Former owners have claimed to hear people walking and moving things as well as electrical equipment turning on or off by itself. Stories abound that former prisoners and police officers alike haunt the building.
In nearby St. Charles you’ll find the haunted South Main Street Historic District. There are some who believe the entire area inside the district is haunted, thanks to a cemetery. Others believe it’s only a few select buildings that are haunted.
The Mother-In-Law House is one such building. The ghost in this restaurant seems to enjoy playing with and annoying customers by moving their food, dishes or silverware around and by making their food turn ice cold in a matter or seconds. Experiencing the ghost is almost as exciting as eating there.
The same historic district has the haunted hotel the Boone’s Lick Trail Inn. There are stories that someone once fell to their death while climbing the stairs inside and now makes their presence known by offering a hand to those having trouble with the steps. At the David McNair House people report smelling food cooking when no one is cooking a thing.
There’s also the Winery of the Little Hills where guests have frequently spotted a couple in old-fashioned clothing wandering around the property. When anyone approaches the two, they simple vanish into thin air. A different ghost also inhabits the winery, moving around bottles and equipment.
At the Crow’s Nest you’ll find the ghost of a former riverboat captain who once lived in the area. People claim to hear his rocking chair squeaking and occasionally see him rocking away, still watching over the street.
This historic district in St. Louis also has the ghost of a little girl who can’t seem to sit still. Supposedly the girl lived in the area and was accidentally burned when she fell against a stove; she later died from her injuries. A number of people including visitors, employees and residents have seen the girl and watched her mysteriously disappear.
St. Charles also has the haunted Lindenwood College. Supposedly Mary Easton Sibley, the founder of the school, still haunts the campus and keeps an eye on the students. Sibley Hall on campus is also haunted or so says local legend. Students claimed to see lights turning on and off, having things moved inside their locked rooms, and hearing people inside empty rooms.
There are many other haunted places and ghost stories surrounding St. Louis and St. Charles, but these are a few of my favorites.
Sources:
http://www.missourighosts.net/
http://www.prairieghosts.com/stlouis.html
