Your Ghost Hunting Guide: Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a state widely known for it's roadside stands that tout "Cheese Curds! Fireworks! Cold Beer!". All the one stop shopping one might need, especially on his way to catch a big musky in Hayward, or attend a kegger in Madison. The people are friendly and hardworking, and typically have no problem defending their "Cheese head" reputation, especially when it proves their loyalty to the Packers.

Wisconsin has a bit of darker, more macabre history than the rolling meadows dotted with barns and the cows that occupy them might outwardly show. After all, this was the happy home of both chocolate factory worker Jeff Dahmer as well as Ed Gein, the morbid killer whose taste for ladies thighs inspired the character of Hannibal Lector. Here are a few stories of the restless spirits that have been doomed to haunt Wisconsinites for eternity.

In the downstairs "Shanghai Room" bar, the lights flicker, doors slam open and shut, and the smell of blood permeates the air where a female employee was brutally murdered in 1953.
451 East Grand Avenue

A group of security guards saw 3 children playing in a restricted area via a security camera. One went to shoo them out, and saw nothing when he arrived. The others saw him along with the three phantom children on the screen. They were running around the guard and playing "tag".

This National Register building was a railroad hotel and later a popular restaurant. Now closed, it is on the state of WI watch list for the most endangered historical buildings. The ghost story comes from the heyday of the hotel, during which a horse thief was drug out of the bar by an angry mob and lynched from a tree just outside. Former employees claim to have seen floating, disembodied heads, been locked in the walk in freezer, and felt unnerving cold spots. A local artist even wrote a children's book about the exploits of a kitty cat in the haunted building. No, I'm not shitting you. The Walker House is closed, and only an asshole would trespass to get a look inside. There's a nice photo here, though

Kewaunee - The Historic Karsten Inn

This inn, located in the popular Chicago City People Tourist Trap of Door County is celebrated as haunted (if such a thing exists). Explored by the most meticulous of beeping-plastic thingie-holding ghostbusters, The Historic Karsten was certified "haunted!" by Wisconsin Ghost Investigations team in 2002. The plethora of odd activity on that investigation alone included: cold spots, spook lights, funny odors, odd sounds that mimicked running feet, glass breaking, children, a flute being played, furniture being drug across an upstairs floor, crying (on floor two), and whispering. Apparitions were also reported, and legend says that at least one belongs to former owner Mr. Karsten. A particular female ghost is said to haunt her old room on the third floor.

This hotel, which might win the award for "Most Uncomfortable Sounding Accommodations", is said to be built atop what was a 19th century sanitarium for the insane, whose graveyard is also still reportedly beneath the newer structure. Employees say that the doors of vacant rooms open and close themselves, and one staff member (who doesn't like to be asked about it, incidentally) experienced the sensation of someone tapping her on the shoulder - when she turned to look, she saw a man who vanished as soon as she looked at him. 5419 Durand Ave

This B&B consists of two separate homes built by affluent brothers near the Kettle Moraine recreational area. Odd things have happened, especially on the 3rd floor (of which building, I don't know). Footsteps from empty rooms have been reported, as well as an incident of a mirror that shattered as it hung on the wall, apparently undisturbed. 405 Collins St

Fond du Lac - Ramada Plaza

Formerly the Hotel Retlaw, former owner Walter Schroeder still haunts the hotel property. Activity includes lights and faucets that turn themselves on, screams, banging noises and apparitions.

A gentleman named Norm wrote me, asking a bit about the history of this hotel. I was a little disappointed to have to tell him that I really had no idea if the story I had posted was the least bit accurate. Thanks to the miracle that is the world wide web, I managed to find an excellent real audio clip from a radio program in Chicago (link) which contained the fascinating and melancholy story of Walter Schroeder, whose kind actions in life were replaced by countless ghost stories in death.
In the story, writer Starlee Kine researched the Fon Du Lac Retlaw Hotel (Ramada Plaza), one of several that Walter had built in Wisconsin. ("Retlaw" is Walter spelled backward, you see...) Although it seems that Walter was never murdered here, let alone even died in the building, staff was quick to tell stories of the strange encounters that they all blamed on Walt.
Among the odd occurrences, which often center around teenage girls, are "tingles up your back", "hair pulling", one instance of a flash of light like a camera's flash from an empty balcony, and the relatively frequent switching of the TV channel - often to C Span. The hotel unofficially keeps a log of the ghostly activity. The most dramatic event, as one staffer recounted, centered around room 717. One evening when screams were heard from the room, a few staff ran to the door and tried unlocking it, to no avail. The key wouldn't budge the door. The screaming continued, and the door was shaking as if being kicked from the inside. Finally, the tumblers gave way to the key and the door opened... to a silent and empty room. There were no marks on the door that had sounded and looked as if had been violently kicked seconds before.
All over the Badger State there are places named after Walter Schroeder , whose philanthropic donations gave Wisconsin many libraries and other public buildings. Kine called a few of the other buildings named for Schroeder, and had a few surprising interviews. It would seem Walt's ghost was stuck in Wisconsin for eternity, just like Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were in "Dogma". At the YMCA in Brown Deer, WI (specifically the Walter Schroeder Aquatic Center), staff reportedly had been so "freaked out" by Walt's post mortem shenanigans that one quit his job there. A Mason at the Scottish Rite Lodge in Milwaukee said that "Walter's Lounge" was similarly haunted. A piano in the room plays itself, and there are odd noises in the room at night.
Gary Simeck (sp.), for one, is saddened by the blaming of Walter for these various paranormal adventures. As the head of the Walter Schroeder Library at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, he described the real Walt as "nice, generous, charitable" and thinks it's a shame that he's being blamed for rattling chains after living such a peaceful and good life. I tend to agree with Gary.

The hotel has the distinction of being the first meeting place of the Gideons International Society, and thus the town is touted as "Birthplace of the Gideon Bible!!" (You know the ones, like you find in the drawer of the nightstand at any given hotel in the western world...)Hotel builder and dead Prussian guy Adam Boebel has been spotted haunting the place by staff and visitors.

This extra nifty resort hotel is the only triple A, five star resort in the Midwest. And it's close to the toilet factory, too. Security cameras caught an incident in which an individual walked past and said hello to a rather shabbily dressed man in a flannel shirt. The man seemed strange and didn't respond, and when the man looked back at him a second later, he had vanished. The security camera tape showed the baffled man talking to no one where he said the other guy was standing.

Wisconsin Werewolves? In rural Southeast Wisconsin in a thickly wooded forest preserve lies a local legend of a dog-headed man that roams about at night. Similar in many ways to the stories of sasquatch, yeti and Bigfoot from other parts of the world, this one differs in that eyewitnesses describe a carnivorous, dog faced animal with a menacing, terrifying demeanor.

Since 1936 when Markie Shackelman was a night watchman for a local school twice encountered what he thought was a dog digging in an Indian burial mound, sightings of the creature have been whispered from neighbor to neighbor Shackelman told no one for years, except his son, who described him as "low key" and a "non - hysterical type of individual".

In 1991 a reporter from a local newspaper got wind of stories of the hairy beast that was said to have roamed the area, and later wrote a book entitled The Beast of Bray Road

Kenosha - Durkee Mansion

Ghostly nuns have been seen peering from the mansions windows.
Open on Thursdays 1-4pm and the third Saturday of each month. 6501 3rd Avenue, Kenosha, (262) 657-6005

Mukwonago - Rainbow Springs Golf Club

A bitter former owner who died prior to the completion of the club is said to haunt the club and even the course. S103W3 Highway LO

Hayward - Lac Courte Oreilles Casino and Lodge

Built on the site of a farmhouse that was reportedly also haunted, this Native American casino is reported to have sightings of apparitions after closing time. The original farmhouse was moved, intact, somewhere up the highway nearby. I visited the casino once several years ago, but only experienced that all too familiar phenomena of being robbed blind by the poker machine.

Merrill - T.B. Scott Mansion

Even the Wisconsin state tourist brochures list this mansion as "cursed" and "haunted", which is fairly unusual... In a legend worthy of Walt Disney Corporation, the daughter of a local Indian chief died and was buried in the location the home was built on. The story varies, from the girl dying of a European ailment brought by the westward pushing settlers, to the girl killing herself after getting knocked up by a charming Nordic lumberjack. Either way, her father reportedly cursed anyone who would trod upon the grave of his beloved "Jenny" (that doesn't sound very Native American to me, but let's move on...). Along wanders T.B. Scott, with big plans for the hill that Jenny was buried on. Within a couple of years of building, Scott, Mrs. Scott, and eldest son of Scott would all meet untimely deaths. The next owner, a Chicago millionaire of the Industrial Age, lost his fortune and landed in an insane asylum within six years. The guy who held the mortgage of the ruined millionaire was stabbed to death within a year of procuring it. The next owner disappeared without a trace within a year of purchase, and the next female owner died... you guessed it, within a year. A caretaker managed the estate for several years after the female owner died, and then decided to visit his relatives in England in 1911. He booked a room back to the U.S. on a little boat you might have heard of... The S.S. Titanic. One more caretaker died of alcoholism (which doesn't seem all that odd) and finally the widower of the last owner gave the cursed place to the city, who later gave it to the Catholic Archdiocese for use as a convent. The only reported "ghosts" have been apparitions peering from the tower. I have no idea if this place is open for tours (I couldn't find even a whiff of a 'museum' or the like, even though the place is well documented all over the internet), but it looks spectacular to see even from afar; And is as ominous looking as the story is bizarre.

Spooner - Hammill House

The mansion is on the local chamber of commerce's "Spooner Heritage Guide", though it is not open for tours. (PLEASE respect the residents or face the Spooner PD) Generations of residents have blamed odd voices and noises on the original owner, Frank Hammill, "The Father of Spooner"

This ornately decorated, 48 room Gilded Age mansion is said to be haunted by a maid who worked for the affluent family who lived here. After marrying and moving away, her husband murdered her, and she returned after death - or so the story goes. The other history of the house is that it was an orphanage in the middle 20th century. The maid has been known to make appearances during tours, and visitors also report two phantom little girls who appear in the basement.

Janitors have seen ghostly little girls playing in this landmark Art Deco style building that was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Tours are offered - see website. 14th and Franklin Street

Winning the trophy for "Longest Hyphenated Name Not Belonging To A Feminist", The Dousemblahblahblah is open for tours May to Oct. The preserved antebellum stagecoach inn is said to house a dark apparition that wanders the upstairs, peering from the front door windows. Legend says the spirit will knock unwanted visitors from the porch.

A motel which was close to the caves is rumored to have been owned by Al Capone, but more likely was a resort built to take advantage of the "healing properties" of the nearby springs (a practice which was in vogue in the late 1800's/early 1900's) The resort partially burned down in the 1920's. What remains is said to be haunted by icy hands that touch those who come near, a little barefoot girl in black who haunts the trail that leads to the caves, a white spooklight that emulates the front light of a horse drawn carriage, and phantom singing and laughing. "Motel Hell", as the locals like to call it, is abandoned and in serious disrepair, so don't be an asshole and go falling through a rotten floorboard, for God's sake... This place is located in a state park which is patrolled by Wisconsin Conservation police

Not to be confused with the haunted Octagon House in Washington DC, this little home, which was used as an Indian fort and later a hideout for the underground railroad, is loaded with secret passages, and now gives tours to lookie-loos. The house has an unusual past, (strange enough to be featured on "The History Channel") and is said to be haunted by the apparition of a little boy. 276 Linden Street

Burlington - The Malt House Theater

Joyce was nice enough to send me the following story: "The Malt House Theater in Burlington, home of the Haylofters Community Theater, has a resident ghost, dubbed "Esmeralda" by the members. Some have seen her, but mostly we have strange things happen, our lights flicker and go out (and often return on when we ask for it), and props are moved when no one is around. During a production of "Camelot" one summer, the director unlocked and opened up the theater to find that the candles on stage had been recently lit. An actor standing at the back of the theater waiting for a cue during a rehearsal heard a low voice growl, "Get off my a--!" Other noises and general creepy feelings have been acknowledged, and the up left corner backstage is usually cold and clammy feeling, even when the rest of the theater is warm. It is generally accepted that she wears a long, blue Victorian dress, and she has never done anything really nasty. Once when I was directing a children's show, some of my kids (who knew nothing of Essie) came in from waiting outside in the area behind the theater to tell me "a lady in a long blue dress was floating back there." I've never personally seen her, but I wouldn't discount it." Holy cow! Thanks, Joyce! 109 N Main St

Kenosha - Rhode Opera House

The opera house's website details all of the many odd occurrences that have happened here. 514 56th St 262-657-PLAY

The former owner, who died in the 1980's, still hangs out and makes appearances from beyond the grave

I don't know what the deal is with theater builders, but they just never want to leave, I guess. This particular builder, Earl Kjer, likes to mess with the props and curtains, and sit in his favorite chair in the audience. Two custodians were working one night when Earl began to frantically flip the lights on and off , like a "strobe light", and then clashed two heavy desks across the room and into the walls.

This town, best known for being the home of PT Barnum's partner Bailey, has a lot of offbeat little attractions. One of the most offbeat might be the Old Baraboo Inn, a 141 year old saloon that was renovated in 2002 into a restaurant, was investigated by a local paranormal research team in 2005 after three years of bizarre occurrences witnessed by staff, tenants to the upstairs apartments, and dozens of customers. Phenomena includes: floating and flying objects, such as dishes, a 200 lb griddle, plastic containers, a broom, and pictures from the wall as well as other poltergeist activity such as doors that slam open and shut by themselves. The walk in cooler is notorious, says the owner, for locking people in and shutting the lights off. When "If the House Is A-Rockin" by Stevie Ray Vaughan is on the jukebox, regular customer Char Lotte says, then the spirit of a prostitute nicknamed "Mary" is apt to appear in the bar room and "cut a rug" (Stevie Ray Vaughan, incidentally, died in a plane crash in East Troy, WI in 1990 - 120 miles away). The former house of ill repute has seen the deaths of at least three prostitutes ("Mary" bled to death) and two former owners. Upstairs tenants have complained of female apparitions in "saloon" attire, as well as hearing their names called in a female voice and relentless tapping on the door. 135 Walnut St

Kimberly was kind enough to send me her account of this local haunted spot: "Years ago I use to work at the Wausau Club in Wausau Wisconsin. The Wausau Club is an old mansion made into a private club now. On several occasions stacks of dishes would fall over and crash to the ground all by themselves. In certain wings of the mansion upstairs just a very strange feeling would make you finish up quickly and run out of there. One night after a banquet when we were finished with our work, I made a point to go turn off the lights in the ballroom. As we were walking to our cars to leave someone asked me 'I thought you turned off the lights in the ballroom' I replied 'I did' yet there for all of us to see, all the lights where back on. The lights remained on. No one was going back inside, obviously, Martha wanted the lights on."

"Martha", the club's resident ghost, is the stuff of local legend. She has been blamed over the years for phantom footsteps, swinging chandeliers, turning on and off the lights, and appearing on the grand staircase and in the doorway of the north room.
309 McCellan Street. Unfortunately, the club closed in 2004.

The spirit of a traveling salesman who strangled a chambermaid in the building still haunts the East Side Steak House. Subsequently, the traveling salesman fell to his death when trying to catch a train shortly after killing the girl. Today the sound of heavy boots walking up and down the empty hall is heard, down the steps, and out the door.

The specter of a small boy named "Carl" seems to be centered around a painting in the restaurant. 157 S. Knowles Ave 715-246-2220

Monona - Four Lakes Yacht Club, formerly Muskie Lounge and Crab House

A waitress who died of a heart attack during the Restaurant's days as a yacht club many years ago has been known to tap people on the shoulder when no one else is around. Apparently a workaholic, she still likes to put out place settings and arrange tables during the night. "Marlene", what it is said her name was, will give the occasional belly laugh late at night and has been known to toss pots and pans and unpack for the musicians who appear here. The building has recently been reopened under it's original name, as it was when Marlene was a waitress. 6312 Metropolitan Lane , just outside of Madison

Formerly a hotel, it is widely reported as haunted in the area. General stories about objects moving themselves and unexplained noises are told. 1101 1st Center Avenue (608) 897-2626

A former female cook who has since died hangs around the deep fryers, where she first collapsed before dying. She also likes to hide things, that reappear later. Current owners deny these stories. 706 Main Street (715) 458-4180 or (715) 781-2728

Formerly a local's tavern for many years, this building has had reports of the apparition of a woman, nicknamed "Mary" who is blamed for objects flying from shelves.

The restaurant in particular has had odd occurrences such as lights turning back on after the room is closed and locked up, and strange footsteps up the vacant basement staircase. Also, occasionally eight coffee cups will go missing, which the staff attributed to the ghost of a (dead) former owner named Kenny (insert your South Park joke here) who would guzzle eight cups of coffee a day when working there. Kenny reportedly always watched CNN and wouldn't change the channel for anyone - and today workers claim that the TV switches to CNN by itself all the time. 500 Main St.

Deemed "The House of Swiss Elegance & Gemutlichkeit" by the owners, The Hartland Inn no longer houses overnight guests. The restaurant has been the focus of an odd occurrence a few years ago in which several staff heard "blood curdling" screams from the basement, which soon after was found empty. Also, people have reported a phantom little girl dressed in an archaic turn of the last century sailor outfit - also spotted in the basement.

This locally favorite German restaurant is said to be haunted by former owner Ray Fox (who, incidentally was also a painter). One of his paintings near the fireplace which depicts hunting dogs has "ghosts" hidden within the scene by the dead artist. 1298 Friess Lake Road

Minocqua - Tula's Cafe

This strip mall dining establishment is reportedly haunted by unusual "vapors" that linger near the hallway with the bathrooms (insert toilet humor here). Apparently, a man died in the same hallway. Cold spots and self - moving objects are also reported. 70 West Shopping Center

This popular restaurant is reportedly built on that old Ghosttraveller favorite - the Ancient Indian Burial Ground!! The building has been, among other things, a farmhouse, a retirement home for brewery work horses, a roadside amusement park, a religious commune (thus the name), and a hotel that had a bad reputation (also owned by the leader of the religious commune - go figure). Former employees have reported apparitions, glasses that throw themselves to the floor, and even one far fetched story about a non-believer of the supernatural who "mysteriously" broke both legs in the upper floor.

Mukwonago -Fork in the Road

This former tavern has had reports of odd footsteps, the noises of billiard balls clinking together and rolling along the floor, and voices and strange mists in the storage areas. 215 North Rochester St. (Hwy. 83)

Sitting on the rubble of a tavern, unfortunate DQ workers are bothered by lights that flip on and off and unexplained noises as they whip up tasty Blizzards and ChiliDawgs for hungry Wisconsinites. (there are 2 DQ's in Appleton - I've no idea which is the gate to Hell: 1813 N Richmond St or 2000 S Oneida St)

Locals claim that a whole family of benevolent spirits can be found "wailing around" after closing time at this restaurant. 222 S Main St

Spirits in this Wisconsin tavern have locked the owner in the walk in cooler, among other things. The building has been a hotel, restaurant, saloon and boarding house on and off since it was built in 1884.

The trickster in the white sheet that dominates the Sheeley House has also locked ladies in the restroom, thrown spoons at a server, and moved other things. Phantom footsteps are heard, and objects have gone missing. Some attribute the haunting to a former reclusive boarding house owner, Anna Sheeley, who passed in the late 1970's.

The building has changed hands several times in just the past few years, and hauntings have been more prevalent since, you guessed it... renovations have begun. In one odd event, a second floor mural was painted over because it didn't compliment the new decor. The roses in the mural repeatedly bled through the new paint. After staining the stairs, two large footprints appeared in the fresh stain - when no one had walked on them. 236 West River Street,
715-726-0561

Oh, those rotten booze runners. In yet another example of Al Capone's haunted legacy, this former speakeasy reportedly has the bones of a Chicago Irish gangster buried behind the second floor banquet room's fireplace. The prohibition era distribution center for Des Plaines, IL mobster Roger "The Terrible" Touhey, at least one of his associates met his end here. Today, cigar boxes shift around in the display case when no one is nearby, and footsteps go up and down the stairs late at night. 232 East Olin Ave

A female spirit, nicknamed "Molly", slams doors, turns appliances on and off, and generally haunts the "area above the bar". She has been spotted near the stage, and voices have been heard there. It is said that cold spots are felt in the basement, and workers feel "ill" when they are down there. Other phenomena includes phantoms in old west clothing that have been spotted in the mirrors by customers, that look as if they are walking toward the exit, kegs of beer that move themselves around in teh cellar, and unexplained voices near the stage area.
24 Broadway, (608) 253-2628.

The ghost of a dead hooker who once lived there, nicknamed "Blue Moon", is heard walking up and down the steps late at night. They also have a 56" rattler skin hanging in the tavern, by the way... 106 Main St

This very old establishment had two owners who disappeared under mysterious circumstances at some point. They are said to haunt the bar, and customers report apparitions throughout the building. 2088 Church St (262) 642-3735

Waterford - Tichigan Lake Inn

The Chicago mafia used this building as a speakeasy , and also as a safe house for associates who bought bootleg booze from a whiskey still on top of a hill on Hwy 164, the contents of which would be shipped to Chicago during prohibition. Reportedly also a favorite dwelling for ghost stories among locals, the old inn has had reports of such anomalies as glasses that fly from the shelves and crash to the floor, beer taps that flip themselves on and flood the bar, a blender that turns itself on then shuts off just as the bartender reaches to flip the switch, the cook's dingie bell ringing when no one is in the kitchen, and even footsteps that are heard on the staircase that are shortly thereafter followed by the apparition of a former customer who appears to staff. 28837 Beach Drive

Eau Claire - The Stones Throw

This popular college town establishment is said to be haunted. Staff reports beer bottles that smash themselves after flying across the room, footsteps heard in empty rooms and hallways, and doors that slam themselves. One bartender jokingly yelled for everyone to "get out!" after the place had already emptied, and was horrified to see a man stand up from a chair, shake his coat out, walk toward the door, then vanish into thin air.

Green Bay - Brewbakers Pub

Local cheeseheads report that they can hear footsteps in the empty attic, and the lights will unexplainably go on and off. 209 N. Washington

La Crosse - Del's Bar

Locals tell the tale of one lucky bar manager who was sitting at a chair for several hours before opening doing paperwork in 2003. Upon hearing a knock at the door, he walked over and opened the door, at which time an industrial fan fell from the ceiling onto where he had been sitting. There was no one at the door when he opened it. Creepy shit, huh? 229 3rd St N

This nightclub has reports of cold spots, objects that hurl themselves from the roof, and bizarre overwhelming smells of bleach and starch in the basement near the pool (was formerly a gym). The apparition of a man has been reported, and local folklore says it is that of an abusive man who ran a shelter there after the gym closed.

Ojibwa - Rainbow Asylum Bar

This village, pop.300 has (or maybe used to have... I'm not entirely sure) a bar, which was rumored to be a mafia hideout during prohibition. Past owners have reported the sounds of footsteps, and objects being moved about at night after close. The owners had a photo showing their ghost, they claimed. Ojibwa is just southeast of Hayward, WI

Spooner - Corral Bar

A female bartender was stabbed to death and left thrown in a corner of the bar in the 1970's. The very pissed disco era barmaid is blamed for such anomalies as messing up the jukebox, and has been spotted as a reflection in the mirror or in the corner of the room by patrons and staff. Spooner is a town in northwest WI; 114 Walnut St

Washington Island - Nelson's Hall and Bitters Pub

This pub's claim to fame is that it is the oldest "continuously operating tavern" in the United States. Founder Tom Nelson's mischievous ghost is blamed for such activity as disappearing and moving objects, a haunted ladies room, and phantom tapping on one's shoulder. Oh, and you get a "Lifetime Membership" to the "Bitters Club" if you do a shot of Angostura Bitters while you're there. Have you ever tasted plain Angostura Bitters? Let's just say I won't be joining the Bitters Club anytime soon...

A lady in red is said to haunt a local tavern, said by the source to be "one of the oldest in town". The oldest place in town that I could find on the net was Hintz's North Star Waldeim Room (built in 1894; 7919 Highway K), but of course, your guess is as good as mine on this one. Maybe a local can help you out. Email me if you know more about this haunting (see below)

Janesville - The Old Towne Mall
Racine - North Side Pick N Save
Milwaukee - Grand Avenue Mall
Sheboygan - First Star Bank
Green Bay - YMCA
Plainfield - True Value Hardware
Potosi - Brunner Food Center

A bearded phantom with a black beard and green clothes walks along the highway, and disappears before your eyes if you try to pick him up.

A phantom lady jogger runs along this road, which is lined with a marshy wetland. She apparently was hit by a drunk driver when jogging here early one morning, and her body was never recovered out of the water. She turns to face your car, and when you "hit" her, she either vanishes into your hood or her disembodied head cuts through the windshield to stare you in the face... yikes!

"Witnesses report seeing a frail very white woman wearing a royal blue scarf on her head an a blue jacket only to vanish in thin air"

- not a ghost, but even better - a "GRAVITY HILL"! Your car appears to roll up hill while in neutral due to an optical illusion in the surrounding landscape.

Crooked Lake - the lake

On the dock behind the "Pines Bar", the apparition of an old man in a fishing boat is said to appear. The old man is said to call for help, then disappears in a mist.

Eau Claire - Vine St

During September, around midnight, locals say a phantom female jogger is seen along this street. A woman was killed here in 1986 by a drunk driver, as the story goes.

Eau Claire - downtown "rope swing"

Apparently this town has a municipal rope swing near the river (???) that paranoid college stoners report the sounds of whimpering children nearby. Local folklore ties the area to disappearances and drownings.

Menomonee Falls - Main Street

A ghostly man, tall with dark features and a beard, has been seen walking along the street near the middle school and Menomonee Falls.

A triple header of ghostly women haunt this town. As the legend goes, a bride was killed in a car crash on the night of her wedding along this stretch of highway. One unlucky policeman saw a woman in a bloodied bridal gown in front of his squad car, and was unable to brake in time before he hit the figure, which then vanished and re-appeared in his back seat. Another local legend says that a girl named Arianna who was murdered by a boyfriend reenacts her murder with blood curdling screams. The red bridge on a gravel road near the town is also rumored to be haunted by a distraught woman. Stephens Point is north of Madison on I-39

Yay! Another Gravity Hill!!!
The legend behind this gravity hill is that an old Native American named (you guessed it...) Joe tried to prevent the paving of a road over an Indian burial ground, so they just basically ran him over and paved right over the top of the corpse. Like all gravity hills, if you put your car in neutral, it will seemingly roll up the hill (and locals think its old Joe doing it). Travel south on WI 55; Joe Road is a quarter mile from a hotel on the right and it will be your first right on a road after Co Tk F. The road signs for Joe road are actually on the "T" of Lakeshore and Joe road.. but the ones on the "T" of Joe road and 55 are missing. (Thanks to The Shadowlands)

The namesake of the road was apparently burned down in his house after locals had decided he was a pedophile; according to legend, the locals found out that their accusations were unfounded after they had killed him, and thus odd things happen along the road, including spook lights, a phantom train, a green glowing apparition, phantom cars and motorcycles, and even "imps" that hide in the trees. Okie Dokie... Another local legend says that a high school boy that was screwing around and "car surfing" (whatever that means) died along the road. 10 miles outside of Staughton, I don't know exactly where... email me (below) if you know

A tall phantom milkmaid, named "Gretchen", is said to make appearances along this road. Washington Island is the little island at the very northeast tip of Wisconsin

Racine - Eye On Video

Cold spots are reported near the door to the office, and a black shadowy apparition has been spotted by employees during the late night/early morning hours. Doors slam themselves, and movies have reportedly flown from the shelves as well. Elmwood Plaza; 3701 Durand Ave

This old eight story hotel is now closed, but in it's years of decline gave fuel to many local ghost stories. The lounge had reported sightings of people in full Victorian dress that were going about their business, even dancing. The elevator was known to malfunction, and a woman who committed suicide on the top floor was known to appear in the doorway, after it opened itself. Her blood would be visible on the floor. Employees of the small ground floor restaurant, which was the last part of the hotel to close, said they would hear pounding noises in the vacant upstairs floors, and would always find nothing upon investigating further - even the police with a K9 unit would come up empty handed. The Evergreen is currently closed and trespassers will be prosecuted.

This former hotel has had reports of phantom footsteps and music in the empty building, ghostly figures in the basement, and cabinets that open and shut themselves.1312 Wisconsin Avenue

(Disclaimer: it is upon the reader of this site to use good judgment in frequenting the places listed herein; it is not the responsibility of the proprietor of ghosttraveller.com if a reader commits an illegal act, such as trespassing, based upon what he or she reads here. It is the reader's responsibility to research the given areas discussed in this forum prior to visiting, and to ensure that it is not illegal to visit said place prior to visiting, or to obtain permission from the owner prior to visiting)

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/forestry/Publications/pdf/AnchorTreeBook/Chapters/105%20HauntedMansionPines.pdf