The Greater St. Louis area has more than its fair share of haunted happenings. Shadowy figures, eerie sounds – and worse – have been scaring us for centuries. Here are some adrenaline-pumping, hair-raising, bone-chilling places in the metro area. So scare, if you dare. 

Lemp Mansion

Probably the most well-known of the area’s haunted hot spots, Lemp Mansion in Benton Park is listed as one of America’s top 10 haunted places. Located on the south side of St. Louis, it was home to the Lemp family of beer brewing fame. Once a hugely successful endeavor, it permanently closed in the 1920’s due to prohibition. Rumors of a child chained inside the mansion, plus secret tunnels and mysterious deaths are all part of its history. Episodes of levitating objects, screams and hair-pulling add to its charm.

Exorcist Home and Alexian Brothers Hospital

Perhaps one of the most frightening movies ever, The Exorcist was based on actual events in St. Louis. It is believed that a teenage boy, only known as Robbie, fell victim to demonic possession after playing with a Ouiji board. Much of the nightmare unfolded at a Bel-Nor home near the University of MO St. Louis. When strange things started to happen, the family called for help, and a minister witnessed things such as the boy’s bed shaking, furniture moving on its own, and incidents with candles and holy water. Priests from St Louis University were called in to perform the exorcism. Robbie was relocated to Alexian Brothers Hospital in south St. Louis where treatment continued. After the exorcism, the hospital room was closed off for years before the entire hospital was later demolished.

Alton, IL

Just across the Mississippi River in Illinois, Alton has earned a reputation as America’s most haunted small town. Between events like a cholera outbreak, the Civil War, and being a stop on the Underground Railroad, Alton is a ghost hunter’s paradise for paranormal activity. Here are a few specific points of interest:

The McPike Mansion sits atop Mount Lookout Point, the highest point in Alton. Built in the 1800’s, this once opulent residence is dilapidated and said to be haunted by over a dozen spirits – one being the original owner, abolitionist and Alton Mayor, Henry Guest McPike.

The Mineral Springs Hotel, home to the American Oddities Museum, is another spooky spot in Alton’s old downtown. It was a spectacular hotel in the early 1900s; some ghost hunters believe several guests never left.

The Piasa Bird is a mythical monster painted on limestone bluffs near the Mississippi River in Alton. As the story goes, the Piasa terrorized Native Americans, picking them up and devouring them. The original mural painted by indigenous peoples no longer exists, but a newer one was painted in recent years.

Cemeteries

While cemeteries are inherently frightening, St. Louis has some that are incredibly spooky – Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, Bellefontaine, and Calvary, to name a few. 

All three date back to the 1800’s. JB Military cemetery has had strange reports of a ghostly girl walking and an apparition of a guard with a bullet hole in his head. Bellefontaine has vivid stories of unusual fogs and human figures, and Calvary is known for its ghost on the hill.

Chase Park Plaza

Named after its original owner, Chase Ulman, this building in the Central West End is known for paranormal activity. A frequently spotted spirit is believed to be that of Chase, wearing a top hat. Another entity is that of a woman who may have perished from one of the hotel windows. 

Creve Coeur Lake 

As the tale goes, a distraught Native woman jumped to her death from a cliff near the entrance of Creve Coeur Lake. Visitors say they can still hear her cries and see her ghost leap off the cliff when the moon is full. 

Music and Theatre

Venues around town draw all types of crowds, even some that are ghostly.

Formerly Kiel Opera House, the Stifel Theatre has been around for nearly a century and staff and guests have reported shadowy figures and loud banging noises. Patrons of Powell Hall have witnessed a ghostly man in a top hat and tails, along with violin music that plays late at night. Other theaters have reported paranormal activity, like the Fox Theater, where a stagehand was killed by falling equipment. Spooky season is here. It’s time to see, hear, and experience something supernatural.