Is the ghost of Anne Brandfjell, a famous fortune teller and wise wife from Norway haunting the old Maritime school in Oslo?
Some buildings seem to breathe with memory. Their corridors carry footsteps that no longer belong to the living, and their walls remember pain as clearly as kindness. Sjømannskolen is one such place. By daylight it appears ordinary, shaped by education and routine. By night, it reveals something older.
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The Maritim School is a four-story building that was built for the Oslo Maritim School in 1917. Although the school left the building in 1989, the name is still used for the castle-like building located at Kongsveien 30 in the Ekebergskraninga slope just above Grønlia in Oslo. Here, not all spirits are the same.
Long before Sjømannskolen stood where it does today, the land belonged to Brannfjell. In the nineteenth century, a woman named Anne Brandfjell lived there. She was known for tending to those in need, caring for physical suffering and quiet despair alike. People came to her with wounds, illness, and grief, and she offered what help she could. She was also known as a wise woman, a fortune teller and healer.
Anne-Marie Andersdatter:Popularly known as Anne Brandfjeld , (born 1815 in Vardal, now Gjøvik, died 1905 in Christiania. She was thaught by Elseby Hansdatter Unsethagen and Vis-Knut from Gausdal.
In 1841, Anne-Marie came to Christiania as a maid to the goldsmith and jeweler Hermann Øiset. She had two illegitimate sons with him, who otherwise had no children from his two marriages. In 1849, Anne-Marie married the greystone mason Christen Evensen. The newlyweds settled on the Ekeberglien homestead under Ekeberg farm in Aker municipality . Ekeberglien was located at the northern end of the “Brannfjell” ridge – hence the name “Anne Brandfjeld” in the vernacular.
She once treated a man who everyone thought was dead. His heart had stopped beating, but Anne still managed to bring him back to life. Before she died, she passed down her knowledge to another young woman to continue the tradition.
According to legend, Anne never truly left the place where she devoted her life to others.
Students and staff spoke of a calm presence moving through the hallways. Doors open softly. Footsteps are heard without urgency. Those who encounter her feel no fear. On the contrary, there is a sense of reassurance, as if someone is watching over the building with gentle intent.
Anne Brandfjell is not described as an angry spirit. She is remembered as she was in life. Caring. Protective. Unwilling to abandon those who walk the same ground she once did.
Anne Brandfjell Haunting the Halls
Those who claim to have seen her describe a woman who seems slightly out of time, her appearance quietly old fashioned. She does not speak. She does not linger. And yet her presence feels purposeful.
Many believe she continues her work, wandering the corridors to ensure that no one is truly alone.
If this were the only story Sjømannskolen held, the building might feel almost comforting after dark. But there is another place within its walls where the atmosphere changes entirely.
The Bub Below with the Darker Energy
Beneath the building lies a pub, and it is here that the stories turn darker.
Employees have reported sudden waves of discomfort while working there. Feelings of unease that arrive without warning, heavy and oppressive. Some have noticed the smell of smoke filling the air, despite no fire and no source to explain it.
Others claim to have heard music drifting through the space. Faint, distant melodies that vanish the moment someone tries to locate them. No one else hears it. No radio is playing. The sound simply fades, leaving silence behind.
Unlike the calm presence in the hallways, whatever lingers in the pub does not feel benevolent.
Actor and Medium Meeting her Ghost
One perhaps unlikely ghost hunter who visited the school once, was Mikkel Gaup, Norwegian and Sami actor most known for Pathfinder from 1987. He has also been a public person, chasing ghosts and exploring the occult, especially through Sami traditions and rituals. Mikkel Gaup came up with his concept of “Mikkelmessen” in 2009 and chose the school to have it. A large part of the focus will be on Sami culture; Sami outdoor activities, Sami crafts, food, music, film, theater and concerts.
But another thing he was going to do was to meet the ghost there. How the meeting went though, is uncertain.
Said to be a protector of the Valleys in Armenia, the Dakhanavar vampire hides in the caves in the mountains, waiting for intruders to quench his thirst.
Could the Connolly Station in Dublin be haunted? Some claim that the ghosts of the victims from the Dublin Bombing in world war two could still be lingering near the tracks.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
Who is the one haunting the King Intermediate School on Oahu and wandering the halls of the school as a ghost?
On the windward side of Oʻahu, King Intermediate School is more than just a place of education—it’s a notorious hotspot for the supernatural. The S.W. King Intermediate School, named after Samuel Wilder King the 11th governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, is a public intermediate School in Kāneʻohe with around 530 students. From King, the students will continue to Castle High School to complete their education. But according to stories, some never left.
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Since it opened its doors in 1964, this school has been whispered about in hushed tones among locals, who claim it is one of the most haunted places on the island. With eerie apparitions, invisible assailants, and stories of mysterious forces lurking in the shadows, King Intermediate School has earned its chilling reputation.
Ghostly Encounters and Unseen Forces
The Honolulu Police Department occasionally receives distress calls from the school, especially after hours, reporting the sounds of breaking glass or suspected vandals roaming the grounds. Officers responding to these calls often experience something far more unnerving. As they walk the empty halls and darkened corners, rocks are inexplicably thrown at them, rattling against walls and windows. Despite their thorough searches, they never find anyone responsible.
A former principal of King Intermediate School shares a particularly disturbing encounter that took place in one of the older classrooms. According to his account, teachers and students alike reported seeing a dark, shadowy figure standing at the back of the room. The figure would appear and disappear without warning, looming ominously in the corner. When it manifested, a low, menacing voice could be heard saying, “Get out” in Hawaiian. Those who have witnessed the figure say it feels like a command, not a suggestion, and leaves an icy chill in its wake.
The Dark Energy Lurking in the Shadows
One of the most chilling stories from King Intermediate involves a substitute teacher who was on duty for what seemed like an ordinary school day. As she was preparing a lesson, an unseen force violently shoved her from behind, pushing her into a storage closet. The door slammed shut behind her, locking her in the dark. The students, who witnessed the entire event, were paralyzed with fear, screaming and scrambling out of their seats.
Students and faculty at King Intermediate School have grown accustomed to the strange happenings on campus, but that doesn’t mean they’ve come to accept them. Many stories have been passed around the school as well, and one of them is about a student who supposedly attended the school. According to the story, he hanged himself from a Banyan tree in front of the school’s library. If you flashed light at the tree in the night it was said that you could see his ghost hanging from the tree.
A Place of Unrest at King Intermediate School
While many schools have their fair share of ghost stories and strange occurrences, the tales from King Intermediate School are too numerous and too eerie to ignore. The accounts of rocks being thrown, shadowy figures issuing chilling commands, and unseen forces attacking staff make it a place where the past and the present seem to collide in unsettling ways.
For now, the school continues to operate, with its students and staff going about their daily routines, all while knowing they may be sharing the space with entities from another realm and that the students running around the building might as well be ghosts of former students.
Said to be a protector of the Valleys in Armenia, the Dakhanavar vampire hides in the caves in the mountains, waiting for intruders to quench his thirst.
Could the Connolly Station in Dublin be haunted? Some claim that the ghosts of the victims from the Dublin Bombing in world war two could still be lingering near the tracks.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
The prestigious girl school The Convent of Jesus & Mary, known as Chelsea, is also known for their ghost stories from students that died on the premises as well as a headless horseman after them, luring them away with a red rose on their pillows.
Shimla, with its enchanting landscapes and colonial-era architecture, conceals a series of eerie stories within its picturesque hills. The Convent of Jesus and Mary, also called Chelsea, is a renowned prestigious school for girls in Navbahar where the royal families of Thailand, Nepal and high class families in India used to send their daughters. Although it harbors chilling tales that continue to haunt its premises.
The CJM schools that Chelsea is a part of is a network of Roman Catholic schools that have spread all over the world, and so have its ghost stories.
Convent of Jesus & Mary: The school in Shimla used to be a catholic boarding school for girls, and a legend about haunting from a headless horseman made its rounds around the students.//Source
The Convent of Jesus & Mary was founded by a French nun in 1864 called Marie Claudine Thevenet and was run by nuns, originally as an orphanage for the children of the British soldiers. In post colonial India the school of Convent of Jesus & Mary was re-branded as an elite educational institution. It used to be a boarding school as well, but as of 2000 it has just been a day school.
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While some may dismiss these stories as mere rumors, the spectral legends surrounding the Convent of Jesus & Mary have persisted over the years, adding an air of mystique to this educational institution.
The Legend of the Headless Horseman
During the Convent of Jesus & Mary’s time as a boarding school it was an international close knit community with little to no phones or internet with strong and old traditions with a lot of time to kill in the chilly Himalayan range. No wonder that many ghost stories were passed around at the school, although it is unsure exactly when these stories took shape.
The Headless Horseman: The figure is found in folklore across Europe since the Middle Ages. Typically depicted as a rider on horseback missing his head, variations of the tale exist in different cultures. In Irish folklore, the dullahan is a demonic fairy who carries his head under his arm and causes death when he stops riding. Scottish tales involve headless horsemen haunting areas after being decapitated in battles. In Welsh folklore, headless horsemen are said to haunt locations until their bodies are found and buried. German folklore tells of revenant headless horsemen who wander until they atone for sins.//Image: The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane by John Quidor
One of the most told stories associated with the Convent of Jesus and Mary revolves around an ominous figure: the headless horseman that have traveled the world and times with its striking imagery. Stories about the Headless Horseman have been told since medieval times, and everyone got their own twist.
It is said that the spirit of the Headless Horseman haunting the Convent of Jesus & Mary, started out as a coachman that used to live close to the school. He was said to have been too interested in ladies, but he died in some sort of accident or was decapitated in a brawl. It is said that on fateful Fridays, specifically the 13th of the month, this spectral rider materializes on the school grounds.
It is said that when coming to the school, he offers one of the girls a rose. A trope found in many girl boarding school legends, including Convent of Jesus & Mary. In some versions The Headless Horseman gave it directly to her or the rose was left on the girl’s pillow and found when the girls got back from class.
What happens to the girls after being chosen depends solely on their choice. Those girls who accept the rose are led away by the sinister figure, never to be seen again, while those who dare to refuse meet a ghastly fate and are killed.
The girls attending the school are wearing a red uniform and they are often referred to as Chelseaites and easy to spot. It is said that the fear of the headless horseman got so bad for a while that the girls covered their faces around the time leading up to a Friday the 13th.
The Dormitory Fire Tragedy
Another haunting tale whispers of a devastating fire that engulfed the Convent of Jesus & Mary’s dormitory during the British colonial rule on April 29 in 1946, taking out a two-thirds of the school building. The present-day play area conceals a grim history, as it is believed to be the final resting place of the 10 year old girl who tragically perished in the flames.
Ghostly apparitions are said to roam the playground, evoking the spirits of the past. Among these restless souls is a young girl, forever in search of her lost doll. She is not alone, as the spirits of other young women, taken by the headless horseman, are believed to linger in the shadows.
It is also believed to have been a fire that broke out when it was used for orphans, and the current building was built on top of the orphan children buried underneath it, still lingering as ghosts.
The 2012 Tragedy of Convent of Jesus & Mary
Tragedy struck the Convent of Jesus & Mary in 2012, when two young students, were found lifeless near the school. The grieving families and friends of the victims made a distressing claim: the children had taken their own lives due to mental harassment and torment inflicted by their teachers.
A pall of sadness and fear descended upon the school community. Some residents and students assert that the souls of these young victims linger within the school’s premises, casting a somber veil over the institution and are haunting the school.
Boarding School Ghost Stories
The Convent of Jesus & Mary in Shimla with its history and culture of young girls with a wide imagination and perhaps a ghost or two following them seems dark. Beyond its academic pursuits, the school has nurtured stories of spectral encounters that are found perhaps at other similar institutions.
While some may dismiss these tales as mere superstition, the eerie legends continue to linger in the hallways and grounds of the Convent of Jesus & Mary, evoking a sense of both fascination and dread among its students and visitors. Whether real or imagined, these spectral stories add an intriguing layer to the school’s rich history and the enigmatic charm of Shimla’s haunted landscape.
The St. Andrew’s Cathedral as well as the boarding school hall right next to it is said to be haunted by the royal specter of Queen Emma of Hawaii.
St. Andrew’s Priory in Honolulu stands as a monument to both faith and lingering spirits of Hawaii’s past. Adjacent to the church is a hall where students used to board and they are both said to be haunted.
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The priory started and is to this day an all girls school and is filled with ghost stories. It used to be a boarding school and the students lived in what used to be Queen Emma hall, now named Kennedy Hall. And it is from these borders that we get the haunted stories form. But who is it that is haunting both the halls as well as the St. Andrew’s Cathedral?
The Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew: Also commonly known as St. Andrew’s Cathedral, located at 229 Queen Emma Square. //Source: Flickr/Wally Gobetz
A Cathedral Born of Royal Devotion
The story of St. Andrew’s Cathedral begins with Kamehameha IV and his queen consort, Queen Emma, both devout members of the Church of England. Their deep friendship with Queen Victoria of England further cemented their commitment to bringing the Anglican tradition to Hawaii. In 1862, they succeeded in bringing Bishop Thomas Nettleship Staley to the islands, laying the groundwork for the Anglican mission in Hawaii.
Interior: Chancel of the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu, Hawaii. // Source: Farragutful/Wiki.
Inspired by their devotion, Kamehameha IV commissioned the construction of a grand cathedral that would serve as a symbol of faith and unity for his people. Tragically, the king never saw his vision realized. He passed away on the feast day of Saint Andrew in 1863, leaving the project unfinished. His brother, Kamehameha V, took up the mantle, and in 1867, he laid the cornerstone in honor of his late brother, marking the beginning of the cathedral’s long and storied history.
The same happened with the school which is adjacent to the St. Andrew’s Cathedral. She wanted to create a school for girls where they would have the same quality of education as the boys.
From England Queen Emma brought the Sisters of the Church of England to Hawai’i to run the school that opened on Ascension Day in 1867. In 1902 the Episcopal Church of the United States took over the school and it was run by the Sisters of the American Order of the Transfiguration until 1969.
The Haunting Presence of Queen Emma
Queen Emma, who shared her husband’s passion for the St. Andrew’s Cathedral and school, continued to be deeply involved in its development until her death in 1885. It is said that her spirit, still deeply connected to the church she helped inspire, returns to St. Andrew’s Cathedral, especially during the Day of Ascension—a day of great significance in the Anglican faith. On this day, many have reported seeing a faint, regal figure moving silently through the church, her presence felt by those who are particularly attuned to the spiritual.
The student who used to board at the school also claims to have met the queen in the hall, and that she is the ghost behind the creaking of the floors after the lights are off, turning the lights on and off and opening and closing doors.
Queen Emma: Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke (January 2, 1836 – April 25, 1885) was queen of Hawaii as the wife of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She was later a candidate for the throne but King Kalākaua was elected instead.
This is not the only place Queen Emma is said to be haunting though. Her ghost is also said to reside in the Nuʻuanu Valley on Oʻahu at the Queen Emma Summer Palace, also known as Hānaiakamalama.
Unseen Specters and Strange Sounds
But what about inside the St. Andrew’s Cathedral itself? There are also those who have reported hearing the soft strains of piano music from the cathedral’s grand piano, playing tunes that were known to be among Queen Emma’s favorites. The eerie part? No one is ever sitting at the instrument when the music begins. Some say it’s as if the queen herself is playing from beyond the grave, her fingers dancing across the keys in a final, ghostly performance.
Window: Interior of the Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew, Honolulu, Hawaii. // Source: Farragutful/Wiki
The St. Andrew’s Cathedral, with its high ceilings and echoing chambers, is a place where sound carries easily—but not all sounds have a logical explanation. On more than one occasion, visitors have reported hearing disembodied voices, soft whispers that seem to come from nowhere, as if the walls themselves are speaking. These strange sounds often occur when the cathedral is empty, lending an eerie sense of being watched or followed.
Shadowy figures are another common phenomenon. Visitors who stay a bit too late after a service or event often describe the unsettling feeling of being observed by something—or someone—lurking in the shadows. These figures are never fully seen, only glimpsed out of the corner of the eye, disappearing as soon as one turns to face them.
The Legacy of Faith and Spirits of St. Andrew’s Cathedral
St. Andrew’s Cathedral is more than just a place of worship; it is a living testament to Hawaii’s royal past and the enduring spirit of Queen Emma. The cathedral’s Gothic beauty is matched only by its reputation as one of Honolulu’s most haunted locations. Whether it’s the faint strains of a ghostly piano, the shadowy figures that move in the periphery, or the unmistakable presence of Queen Emma herself, St. Andrew’s Cathedral and the boarding halls next to it is a place where the spiritual and the spectral coexist.
Thought to be built on top of a cemetery, the ‘Aiea High School in Honolulu, Hawai’i is believed to be haunted. Across the campus, in the classrooms, hallways and even the football field, students and staff alike have sensed that something lingers from the spirit world.
Overlooking the historic Pearl Harbor, ‘Aiea High School carries with it a history that runs deep beneath its foundations—quite literally. Founded in 1961 in what was once a humble sugar plantation town, the school has grown from its modest beginnings of just eight buildings to a sprawling campus of fifteen structures.
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Over the decades, ‘Aiea High has seen its student body expand from a mere 200 to over 1,000 students. Yet, as the school flourished, so did the tales of strange occurrences and ghostly encounters that have plagued the campus since its inception.
‘Aiea High School is situated on land that was once an ancient burial ground, and as with many such sites, it seems the spirits of the past are not content to rest in peace. The connection between the school and its spectral inhabitants is undeniable, and students and staff alike have reported unsettling experiences that defy explanation. The campus itself is a mosaic of eerie energy, with some buildings standing out as particularly active sites for paranormal phenomena.
The most notorious of these is the R Building. Those who spend time within its walls often speak of strange noises—whispers in empty hallways, footsteps that echo where no one walks, and doors that creak open on their own. These sounds are so frequent that they’ve become a part of daily life at ‘Aiea High, a constant reminder that the past is always close at hand.
The Haunting of the Football Field
Perhaps the most chilling tale associated with ‘Aiea High School comes from the football field—a place where the living and the dead seem to collide in unsettling ways. Local ghost storyteller, Lopaka Kapanui, shares a story that has become legendary among students and alumni alike.
According to Kapanui, during a high school football game many years ago, a player fumbled the ball at a crucial moment. When asked about what happened, the player insisted that something had grabbed his ankle—an unseen hand that came out of nowhere and caused him to lose control. His teammates laughed it off, attributing it to nerves or an overactive imagination. But years later, during an investigation and excavation of the football field, human bones were uncovered. The discovery confirmed that the field had been built over an ancient burial site, lending credence to the player’s story. It turns out, the mysterious hand that caused him to fumble wasn’t a figment of his imagination after all.
An Atmosphere of Unease
The football field isn’t the only place where students have encountered the unexplained at ‘Aiea High School. The entire campus is shrouded in an atmosphere of unease, with many reporting encounters with shadowy figures and strange lights that appear and disappear without warning. Classrooms that are locked and empty sometimes echo with the sounds of desks being moved or voices whispering as if lessons from the past are still being taught to an unseen audience.
Even after school hours, when the campus should be deserted, security guards have reported hearing footsteps following them or seeing lights flicker on and off in empty buildings. Some have claimed to see figures standing in windows, only to vanish when approached. It’s as if the spirits who once called this land home are still very much present, watching over the school and its inhabitants, perhaps resentful of the intrusion into their final resting place.
Living With the Spirits at ‘Aiea High School
For the students and staff of ‘Aiea High School, these ghostly encounters have become a part of the school’s identity—a reminder that they are living and learning on sacred ground. For those who are sensitive to such things, the presence of the supernatural is palpable, an ever-present force that occasionally makes itself known in unsettling ways.
As the school continues to grow and change, one thing remains constant: the haunting legacy of the land it stands on. Whether it’s the phantom hand on the football field, the eerie noises in the R Building, or the shadowy figures that roam the campus, ‘Aiea High School is a place where the dead are never truly gone, and the living must learn to coexist with the spirits who came before them.
Said to be a protector of the Valleys in Armenia, the Dakhanavar vampire hides in the caves in the mountains, waiting for intruders to quench his thirst.
Could the Connolly Station in Dublin be haunted? Some claim that the ghosts of the victims from the Dublin Bombing in world war two could still be lingering near the tracks.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
In the abandoned ruins of the Old Maui High School, ghost stories of the place being haunted have been told for years. Those wandering too close have sometimes been attacked by a malevolent spirit, choking them.
In the quiet remnants of Hamakuapoko, Old Maui High School stands as a testament to the island’s educational history and a chilling relic of its past. Established as the first co-ed public high school on Maui by, it served the children of plantation farmers, until its abandonment in 1972 when it was moved to Kahului.
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The Old Maui High School was started in 1913 in the sugarcane plantation and missionary town. Back then, the students got to school by buggy, horse or by the Kahului Railway. After it was abandoned after people started to move to central Maui when the plantation camps closed, the building was destroyed and now only the skeleton of the huge school now stands. First it was taken by bulldozers trying to demolish the building, then by fires by vandals curious about its spooky rumors over the years, now leaving it more like ruins with its graffiti-covered archers amidst the green.
Old Maui High School: Main entrance façade, ruins of Old Maui High School (1913-1972), designed by Charles William Dickey (1871-1942) and constructed in 1921. // Source: Wikimedia
The Choking Ghosts Lingering in the Old Maui High School
As with most abandoned schools, it comes with haunted legends, where former students as well as staff of the administration are haunting the place. Some of the ghost stories are said to have haunted the school even back when students still attended it.
One of the most talked about ghost legends from the Old Maui High School was the choking ghost said to attack students who were skipping class. Some visitors still report about feeling something like fingers grasping around their neck when staying at the site. Could the legend of the choking ghost still be at large?
Legends of choking ghosts in Hawaii have been told as far back as the 19th century, mostly by immigrants and sailors from around the world.
The hauntings are not limited to eerie sounds. Many have described an oppressive force, as if invisible hands are choking or pressing them into the ground upon setting foot on the property. These malevolent spirits are thought to target those who once skipped classes, exacting a spectral vengeance on truants even decades later. This choking sensation is a grim reminder of the school’s strict discipline and the lingering presence of spirits who once roamed its halls.
The Girl in the Bathroom
Among the most unsettling reports from the Old Maui High School are those of a girl’s mournful cries emanating from the dilapidated bathroom. These sorrowful wails are believed to belong to a former student whose story remains shrouded in mystery and speculation.
Old Maui High School
The old school grounds, now private property, stand as a somber reminder of both educational strides and spectral mysteries. The spirits of early students and teachers are said to linger, their restless energies intertwining with the decaying architecture. While curiosity about the haunted site is natural, it is crucial to respect both the historical significance and the paranormal legends associated with Old Maui High School. Viewing the site from the road is recommended, ensuring that the past and present spirits are not disturbed.
Said to be a protector of the Valleys in Armenia, the Dakhanavar vampire hides in the caves in the mountains, waiting for intruders to quench his thirst.
Could the Connolly Station in Dublin be haunted? Some claim that the ghosts of the victims from the Dublin Bombing in world war two could still be lingering near the tracks.
Once a place for executions, the place the Ruffinihaus in Munich, Germany is built upon is said to be haunted. It is said that in the dead of night, the undead rises from their graves, still carrying their heads the executioners took.
Where the former country estate Campagne Mon Repos in Bern once was, the ghostly council of the military leader from General Robert Scipio von Lentulus was given in times of unrest. Is he still haunting the Könizwald woods, even after his estate is gone?
One of the old cemeteries in Munich said to be haunted is the Alter Südfriedhof, or the old south cemetery. According to lore, the ghostly voices of the so-called Eskimo Tragedy are still heard at night.
In the darkness of night and under the foliage cover of the forest, the demonic spirit of Uhaml is said to roam. The only way to escape it is getting out of the forest faster.
In the shadows between ghost, creature and witch, the Welsh Gwarch y Rhibyn has been given many names. Like a Banshee she has been said to be a deadly omen, often called The Hag of the Mist because of her presence in wet areas, or the Hag of the Dribble because of the versions where her mouth is dripping with blood.
Unhappy with the lack of beer in heaven, the Bavarian angel never returned when sent on a mission back on earth. To this day, he sits at The Hofbräuhaus bar in Munich, enjoying his brew.
Sometimes called the Devil’s Stone, the ruins of the former Mödling Castle is said to be haunted by a demonic bird-like entity, screeching at night as an omen of death and disaster.
Could a beer festival be haunted? Many have spoken about the ghost of an old brewer at Nockherberg haunting the beer festival, creating havoc to retaliate to what his descendants did to his brew.
After her public death in the tower of the Munich Frauenkirche, many have claimed to have seen the ghost of Fanny appearing at her death anniversary wearing white.
What really happened around the Pollingsried Chapel, and its supposed plague cemetery? Is there really a curse around the area? As far as the ringing of the bells can be heard?
For decades now, students have been terrified of the encounter with Hanako-san, the toilet ghost said to haunt the bathrooms in Japanese schools. Said to have died in one of the stalls, she now lures students into their death.
In the dimly lit bathroom on the third floor in the school building, there is a third stall believed to be haunted. No one ever uses it, but someone dared you to go to it. It’s just a game, they said, and curious, you wanted to see for yourself, if the story is really true. If you knock three times on the third door and ask “Hanako, are you there?” you will hear a faint voice answering from the inside. “Yes,” the voice says.
The door opens and a girl with short hair and a red skirt drags you into the bathroom, never to come out again.
Urban School Legends: Japan have a rich universe of urban legends and ghost stories set at their school, on their way to school. Many of them are the product of a specific fear in society, some are remnants of old folklore and tradition. The tale of the toilet ghost, Hanako-san looks to be a bit of both.
The Legend of Hanako-san
Hanako-san’s origins are a mystery wrapped in a horror story. There have been many versions of the school ghost story of Toire no Hanako-san (トイレの花子 (はなこ)さん), meaning Hanako oof the toilet, over the years.
Unlike some ghosts that belong purely to folklore, Hanako-san’s story has adapted to the times. She appears in horror movies, manga, anime, and video games, keeping her legend alive and well. In fact, she’s so famous that even outside Japan, people know her name. She’s been compared to Bloody Mary, Slender Man, and even the Girl from The Ring—but Hanako-san came first, and she’s still one of the most feared spirits in Japan.
Toire no Hanako-san is often described as a young girl with a short bob and wearing red, often a red suspender skirt or school uniform with a white dress shirt, making her visual constant figure throughout the many variations of her legend and origin.
School Uniform: Although not explicitly stated, the appearance of Hanako-san is most likely a school uniform, naturally so as she was said to be a student dying in the school bathrooms. Her colors of red and white however seems to be from much older times and is the same colors they used when worshiping the ancient toilet gods.
The Victim of Bullying
The modern version of the toilet ghost in Japanese girl’s schools bathrooms paints Toire no Hanako-san as a victim of relentless school bullying. Through the many versions of Hanako-san, it seems the way she died reflects a real threat the current society focuses on and fears. Is this the students biggest fear in modern times?
Humiliated and tormented, Toire no Hanako-san sought refuge in the bathroom, where she ended her life. Now, she haunts the very place where she was last seen, waiting for someone to notice her.
The Girl Killed in the Bathroom
Another version suggests Hanako-san was the victim of a violent crime, perhaps another fear that really took hold of parents and students in the more modern era of Japan, after the war ended. Toire no Hanako-san was hiding in the bathroom from someone out to hurt her.
In some version it was from an abusive parent and she had her hair bobbed like that to hide the scars from the beating.
Some say that she was hiding from a deranged killer. No matter who it was, they found her. Some say she was stabbed, others say she was strangled—either way, Toire no Hanako-san never made it out alive.
The World War II Bombing Tragedy
One of the most widely accepted tales places Hanako-san’s death in the 1940s, during World War II and is perhaps one of the earliest iterations of the urban legend. In 1944, the alarm went off and she was hiding in the school bathroom during an air raid. In some versions she was too afraid to leave the bathrooms. Some say that the children were playing hide and seek and she was hiding in the toilet and didn’t even hear when the alarm went off.
A bomb hit the school building, with most children having been safely evacuated. But Toire no Hanako-san was trapped, and the bomb killed her in the stall as the school burned down. Her spirit never left the toilet.
Other Origins Stories From Around Japan
Who was Toire no Hanako-san originally? What was her true name and where does she come from? There are origin stories from all over Japan, all claiming that this is where it all started. Some say that the legend started after a young girl fell to her death from a library window in Fukushima. Or an elementary school student who fell through an open drainage hole and died.
In a television program, 巷のウワサ大検証!それって実際どうなの会, aired in 2025 investigating urban legends, they claimed that she was a ghost by an evacuated girl who went missing in 1944 and a boy saw her ghost in the third toilet. The following year on 3rd of March snow blocked the toilet and somehow killed several students. Some say that she is buried in a garbage dump at a school in Saitama Prefecture or behind the gymnasium at a school in Tokyo.
Hanako is also not only haunting toilets, as there is a story called Hanako of the Persimmon Tree. This story tells about a young girl picking persimmons and giving them to a nursery home. But on the way, she died in a traffic accident and became a ghost, haunting the Persimmon Tree.
When Did the Legend Start?
The Legend has been around for a long time now, and is traced back to at least the 1950s. Along with many urban legends at that time, it gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s when children spent a lot of the time at school and an occult revival boom swept over Japan, making people particularly interested in urban legends and ghost stories.
But what happened in the 1950s that created this legend?
The Power of Toilet Ghosts: Hanako-san Isn’t Alone
To understand why there are so many legends of spirits haunting the toilets in Japan, we must understand the folklore that existed before the ghost stories. In Japan, as well as many other cultures, Toilet Gods and deities were popular and worshiped from the Edo period until the early Showa period. This is in large part because of the association between human waste and agriculture, therefore making the toilets a fertile ground so to speak. Toilets were often dark and unpleasant places where the user was at some risk of falling in and drowning. The protection of the toilet god was therefore sought to avoid such an unsanitary fate.
According to a different Japanese tradition, the toilet god was said to be a blind man holding a spear in his hand. The Ainu people of far northern Japan and the Russian Far East believed that the Rukar Kamuy, their version of a toilet god, would be the first to come to help in the event of danger. Most often, it was a benevolent god, but it happened, like in Okinawa, that the God could become a place of haunting evil spirits. The fuuru nu kami, or “god of the toilet” from the Ryūkyū Shintō of the Ryukyu Islands is the family protector of the area of waste. The pig toilet, lacking this benevolent god, could become a place of evil influence and potential haunting because of the accumulation of waste matter, rejected and abandoned by the human body. This version of the spirits residing in toilets is more reminiscent of the Korean Cheuksin (厠神): South Korea’s Vengeful Toilet Goddess.
Often the gods were given red or white girl dolls and flower decorations in the toilets. Today the tradition of worshiping toilet gods more or less gone, although toilets are often still decorated with flowers. This has also been a theory as to why Hanako is said to wear white and red clothes. Also her name, Hanako (花子), which consists of two Japanese letters meaning “Flower” and “Child” is said to come from this belief.
Toilet Gods: Often leaving little dolls or idols for the toilet dolls, they have also connected this tradition when the legend became a ghost story. Here from the movie, Hanako-san of the Toilet from 2013 about the urban legend.Watch here
Although most toilet gods are of a very masculine figure, there are examples of an old goddess from China that might have influenced the legend as well. The story of The Lady of the Privy, the Purple Maiden or Zigu as she is called, was said to be a concubine who was killed in the toilet, coming back as a toilet ghost.
After the war, there were a lot of old traditions that were left behind, and created the foundation for new ones. Gods and goddesses became ghosts and spirits, and only the skeletons of the legends reminicents the old tales.
Other Toiler Ghosts
Believe it or not, Hanako-san isn’t the only terrifying restroom spirit in Japanese folklore. Bathrooms, especially in schools, seem to be prime ghost real estate. Maybe it’s the isolation, the eerie silence, or just the general creep factor of public restrooms, but whatever the reason, Hanako-san has some supernatural company.
Other Bathroom Horrors in Japan:
Aka Manto (赤マント, “The Red Cloak”)
A male and malevolent spirit that appears in school restrooms and is said to preferre the last stall in the women’s toilet in school and public restrooms. Once you sit down for business you hear a male voice and asks you a simple question:
“Do you want red paper or blue paper?”
Pick red? You’re slashed to death, covering the walls in blood.
Pick blue? You’re strangled until you turn blue.
Pick neither? You can try to run, but many say he kills you anyway.
Kashima Reiko (加島礼子) or Teke Teke
A ghost with no legs who haunts school restrooms. She lost her lower half in a train accident, and now she crawls around, asking people where her legs are. She is also haunting urban areas and train stations at night, often then called Teke Teke, the sound she makes by dragging herself on her hands and elbows.
If you don’t answer correctly, she’ll cut off your legs and take them for herself.
Clearly, Japan takes its bathroom horror very seriously.
Summoning Hanako-san: A Dare You’ll Regret
In later years, a game was created around the legend of Hanako-san. If you’ve got a death wish (or just an unhealthy curiosity), you can summon Hanako-san—but be warned: not everyone who calls her walks away unscathed.
Popular Media: As a popular story, Hanako-san has been adapted into plenty of movies, animes, books and even one Japanese music artist is emulating her. This helps keep the legend of her alive. Here from the movie, Toire No Hanako San Shin Gekijyo Ban.Watch here
Here’s how it works:
Find a school restroom—specifically, the third stall of the third-floor girls’ bathroom.
Knock three times on the stall door.
Ask: “Hanako-san, are you there?” (花子さん、いますか？, Hanako-san, imasu ka?)
And then?
If she’s not there, congratulations, you live another day.
If she is there, you might hear a soft giggle, a faint whisper, or the distant echo of a child’s voice saying, “Yes, I’m here.”
If you’re really unlucky, the stall door slowly creaks open, revealing… something you should never have seen.
What happens next depends on the version of the legend:
Best-case scenario? Hanako-san just disappears. Worst-case scenario? A pale hand reaches out, dragging you inside the stall—where you vanish forever.
In some legends you can ask her to play a gay, and she agrees, asking what to play. If you say “Let’s play choking”, she will actually be choked to death… again.
In Yamagata they probably have the most bonkers version of the legend where you call out Hanako when you leave the toilet. If she responds in a displeased voice, you know something bad will happen. They also have a variation of the legend where Hanako-san actually is a three meter long lizard that eats anyone when it lures them towards it with its girly voice. So that is that…
In Yokohama in Kanagawa Prefecture there is Hanako san in the girl’s toilet and a Yosuke-san in the boy’s toilet. If you walk around the toilet three times in the boy’s toilet and call out for Hanako-san, a bloody hand will appear from the toilet. If you call out his name, you have three seconds to run away, or you will be killed.
Why Is Hanako-san Still So Popular?
Despite being a legend that dates back decades, Hanako-san refuses to fade into history. She still haunts schools today, with students daring each other to summon her, and rumors of real sightings still circulating.
So, let’s be honest: if you ever find yourself alone in a Japanese school at night, standing in front of the third stall on the third floor…
Are you really going to knock?
Maybe. Maybe not.
But if you do, and you hear a soft giggle from behind the door, I suggest running. Fast.
Sent away from their parents and culture, native american and métis children were taught how to be a christian american at the Mission House on Mackinac Island. What happened there? And where do the ghost stories come from?
In the glistening waters of Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is a serene retreat known for its picturesque beauty, historic charm, and an eerie reputation for the supernatural. In fact, Mackinac Island was called the most haunted town in America in 2021, with many stories having been covered over the years. And with only a full time population of around 583 people, the ghosts perhaps even outnumber the living.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA
With no cars allowed and transportation limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages, the island offers a unique step back in time. Some come to enjoy the quiet seaside and enjoy the famous fudge. The island has become a perfect summer destination for Americans, but after the tourists leave in the fall, the fog from the Straits comes rolling in, and the leaves turn color, the ghost of the island remains to haunt it.
Mission House: In 1825, this mission house was built at the site by a building crew led by Martin Heydenburk, a fellow missionary who was a teacher and carpenter. Today the Mission House is believed to be haunted by the indigenous children who were sent to school here. //Source: Wikimedia
A Brief History of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island’s history stretches back thousands of years, with indigenous peoples such as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Huron considering it a sacred place long before European settlers arrived. The island’s name itself, derived from the Ojibwe word “Michilimackinac,” means “big turtle,” referring to the island’s shape when viewed from above.
The French established a fur trading post here in the 17th century, and the island later became a strategic military outpost during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, it became more of a summer colony and a tourist destination that it still is.
The Haunting of the Mission House
Today the Mission House is housing the Mackinac Island State Park employees. It was also used as a hotel from 1847 until the great depression. Then, it used to belong to The Moral Re-Alignment movement, a religious group in the early 1940s up until the 1950s. Some would perhaps call it a cult even, as they were trying to mold the morality of the world to their own liking.
They built several buildings around Mission Point, a theater, library and even a private liberal arts college had a short lived stint. The college building, now where the Mission Point Resort is, with one of the island’s most famous ghost stories. So is the theater which is the building right next to the Mission House as well.
But the Mission House has a much longer story than that. Before any European set foot on the island, Mackinac Island was considered a holy place for the local natives where the Great Spirit resided. Ever since the French Jesuit missionaries came here in the 1600s, it was much used by missionaries.
The Mission House was built in 1825 by the Christian missionaries William and Amanda Ferry. William and Amanda Ferry and their associates came to Mackinac Island to transform the spiritual and temporal lives of people and especially the “heathen”. They believed that the Holy Spirit had called them to God’s service, and that God had directed them to Mackinac.
The Mission House was originally a boarding school for over 150 native American and Metis children per year. Here they were to learn English, crafts, liberal arts, about Christianity and other standards and ways of life based on New England and the American east coast way of life. The European one that is.
The background for these types of boarding schools was to assimilate the children into European society and culture, stripping them for their Indigenous identity and making them “good little christians.” A popular motto for these types of schools was “Kill the Indian, save the man.”
Native American Boarding Schools: Between 1869 and the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Native American children were removed from their homes and families and placed in boarding schools operated by the federal government and the churches. By 1900 there were 20,000 children in Indian boarding schools, and by 1925 that number had more than tripled. Here a picture from Carlisle Indian Industrial School, Pennsylvania, c. 1900.
How was this type of school? Many of these types of schools for native children were awful, was this any different? According to some historians, it was an early version of this and the parents of the native children sent them there willingly and that they all lived together peacefully and in a friendly companionship. These type of schools often prohibited speaking their native tongue, but according to records Mission House translated the material into their language and trained them to be interpreters for
At least 16 deaths were counted of the children according to a guide who used to live in the Mission House. They were said to die mostly due to illnesses like tuberculosis and typhoid. Although reports done on these types of schools claim there were no deceased students at Mackinac Mission School. The school operated after their own accounts, successfully for a decade. But the deportation of the tribes west of the Mississippi River in the 1830s, made it difficult for them to recruit more students.
The official reason for William Ferry’s resignation in 1834 and them moving away was a nervous breakdown. But was this true? A reverend called Peter Doughtery investigated and spoke to a woman called Jane Schoolcraft about his treatment of the students. He had this to say about school:
These schools have never really had a formal investigation by the federal government until 2022. It concluded that they didn’t know much about what went on in the school. Most schools they did investigate though, had burial sites next to them where thousands of indigenous children were buried.
The Children Haunting the Mission House
What is the truth is difficult to say. Keeping records was more difficult back then, and especially the case of these types of Mission Schools have been shrouded in secrecy, even to this day. According to legend, it is said that the ghosts of these children sent to these schools only to die of some type of illness, are still haunting to this day.
They were said to have sent the infected children to be quarantined in the cellar under the Mission House and few made it out.
They are mostly said to roam on the first and second floor as the third one wasn’t built until 1845 when they turned the Mission House into a hotel. During the night they are said to play, child voices laughing and their steps hurrying over the floor. The sound of a ball being tossed as well as knocking over stuff in the hallway makes their presence known.
Back in the day, the Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island used to be a university. According to legend it is haunted by a former student who ended his life after being heartbroken. Or did he?
In the glistening waters of Lake Huron between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island is a serene retreat known for its picturesque beauty, historic charm, and an eerie reputation for the supernatural. In fact, Mackinac Island was called the most haunted town in America in 2021, with many stories having been covered over the years. And with only a full time population of around 583 people, the ghosts perhaps even outnumber the living.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA
With no cars allowed and transportation limited to bicycles and horse-drawn carriages, the island offers a unique step back in time. Some come to enjoy the quiet seaside and enjoy the famous fudge. The island has become a perfect summer destination for Americans, but after the tourists leave in the fall, the fog from the Straits comes rolling in, and the leaves turn color, the ghost of the island remains to haunt it.
Mission Point Resort: This fine resort with an outlook over the blue water has gone through many stages and has been the home of many different organizations and schools. Today it is a hotel, but it is said it is still haunted by the ghost of a former student from when it was Mackinac Island College. //Source: Mary McGuire/Flickr
A Brief History of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island’s history stretches back thousands of years, with indigenous peoples such as the Odawa, Ojibwe, and Huron considering it a sacred place long before European settlers arrived. The island’s name itself, derived from the Ojibwe word “Michilimackinac,” means “big turtle,” referring to the island’s shape when viewed from above.
The French established a fur trading post here in the 17th century, and the island later became a strategic military outpost during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. In the late 19th century, it became more of a summer colony and a tourist destination that it still is.
Mission Point Resort: Tragedy and Restless Spirits
Mission Point Resort can be found on the southeast side of Mackinac Island and is notorious for its paranormal activity as well as its wonderful view of the sunrise. The family owned place has been a hotel and conference center since the late 1970, but by then, it already had a long history.
The southeast end of Mackinac Island thus became known as Mission Point after Reverend William Ferry, a Protestant missionary established Mission Church, which was one of the first protestant churches in the Midwest. You can also find the Mission House, a boarding school built to teach native american children the christian way of life. Like the Mission Point Resort, the Mission House also is believed to be haunted.
In the 1940 and 50s, a lot of Mission Point used to belong to a religious group known as The Moral Re-Armament group. They called themselves a multi-national group promoting love, unselfishness, purity and honesty. Other people have since called the group a cult with a pro fascism and pro Hitler statements professed by some members.
In any case, they invested in the place and built many buildings catering to the community, bot the locals as well as tourists.
Mackinac College and the Student Haunting it
Once, Mission Point Resort was a part of the Mackinac College campus, a private liberal arts college from 1966 to 1970. The college taught courses in biology, chemistry, physics, psychology, modern languages, theater, television, radio, journalism, art, government, and public affairs. The college offered professional degrees.
The student mass consisted of 113 students from 30 states and Canada. It wasn’t a successful one and closed after graduating its first class in 1970. Some tried to revive it as a bible college, but also this failed.
The Mission Point Resort is said to be haunted by the spirit of Harvey. He was a student at Mackinac College who allegedly committed suicide after a heartbreak. According to some sources, this was said to have happened in 1967.
Mackinac Island College: The Clark Center for Arts and Sciences (left) and Peter Howard Memorial Library (right) were constructed for use by Mackinac College. The Library (completed in 1966) was torn down in approx. 1990. // Source: Mackinac Island State Historic Parks
Harvey probably stayed at the West Residence that was used as the male dormitory for Mackinac College. According to Amy Bruni and her paranormal research group, they were able to track down his real identity, but according to her, Harvey’s parents asked for his real name not to be mentioned.
Some say it was simply an unrequited love, some say that he proposed, but turned him down. What really happened is something of a mystery, and we only really know that one winter day he went missing and wasn’t found until spring.
What really happened to Harvey, was it really suicide? Some say that it was actually a rival for his love interest who had something to do with his death. Many stories claim that he jumped from the cliffs behind the college, but this narrative is most likely made up. According to other sources, they said that he shot himself. This is were the story about it perhaps not being a suicide comes on. There were rumors that there were two bullets to the head from a gun that was nowhere near his body.
Visitors have also reported sightings of shadowy figures and phantom lights in the wooded areas surrounding the Mission Point Resort, as well as hearing mysterious voices calling out in the night.
Mission Point Theater: The first modern building at Mission Point, in 1955 the Theater is situated between Mission House (left) and Faren Cottage (right).// Source
Harvey Haunting the Theater and Mission Point Resort
His ghost is known to linger around the theater found at the center of the Mission Point Resort ground. The theater was built by the MRA group in 1955 and given to Mackinac College in 1965. where he is said to be flirtatious, bordering on harassing women and playing pranks on men. He is also said to be pinching and poking visitors, often accompanied by cold drafts and unsettling whispers.
The Crescent Hotel in Arkansas started and ended the 20th century as a luxury hotel among the many healing springs it is known for. In between it was also known as a notorious experimental cancer hospital, women’s college and an abandoned building. This has created a multitude of ghost legends.
A beautiful spring day in the Ozark Mountains, a couple was trying to check into Room 221 at the old and historic Crescent Hotel. They walk out the elevator on the second floor and are greeted by a man wearing an all black Victorian style outfit. He asks if they need any help finding the room and they follow him, believing him to be an employee in uniform. He leads them to their room and unlocks the door, standing outside smiling, tilting his head from side to side. When they entered, they remembered they hadn’t tipped him and turned around, but he had disappeared.
Thinking nothing more of this, they spent the rest of the day in the room, only leaving for dinner in the evening. But when they tried to reenter the room in the evening, their card didn’t work. When they asked about it at the front desk, they told them they had gotten the wrong card, as it was for Room 321. Confused, they told about the employee that had helped them. The front desk told them, perhaps knowing full well what had happened: “We don’t have a staff member like that working here”.
A Cure for Wellness at Crescent Hotel
Near the edge of the Ozark National Forest in northern Arkansas mountain region, the Crescent Hotel used to be famous for its healing springs around the city, now it is notorious for its eerie atmosphere and extensive ghost stories that it has accumulated over the years.
The Native Americans had known about these springs for ages and when bottled water from the springs sold well in the 1800s, people started to flock to the place and by 1881 it was the fourth largest city in Arkansas and a hotel was needed to accommodate the people.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the USA
Since its grand opening in 1886 with all the famous people of the time, this historic hotel has been a hotbed of paranormal activity, earning its reputation as one of the most haunted hotels in the United States within many of the 78 rooms.
A Haunted Christmas Eve Like No Other
Among its myriad spectral tales, one particular story from Christmastime continues to mystify and intrigue visitors to this day.
It was during one particularly festive Christmas season when an unusual event unfolded within the grand confines of the Crescent Hotel. Guests had gathered to marvel at the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in the hotel’s opulent dining room, adorned with sparkling ornaments and surrounded by an array of carefully wrapped gifts. The tree stood as a beacon of holiday cheer, its lights casting a warm glow over the historic hall. The room known as The Crystal Dining was closed off during the night.
However, the serene holiday setting was soon disrupted by a perplexing occurrence. One morning, guests and staff were astounded to discover that the entire Christmas tree, along with all its packages, had been inexplicably moved to the opposite side of the room. The initial reaction was one of confusion and disbelief. Who could have orchestrated such a prank without leaving any trace of their actions?
The next morning again, the tree and packages had moved again with the chairs circling it like a new holiday symbol they were facing.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories set during the Christmas season
As the guests pondered this mysterious relocation, whispers began to spread about sightings of ghostly figures. Several visitors reported seeing apparitions dressed in elegant Victorian attire wandering through the dining room. These spectral figures, seemingly from a bygone era, appeared to be in high spirits, as if engaged in their own Yuletide celebration. Witnesses described the phantoms as playful, with a mischievous gleam in their ghostly eyes, and it was believed that they were responsible for the eerie rearrangement of the room.
The following day, as the Crescent Hotel staff arrived to restore order, they found that everything had mysteriously returned to its original position. The tree and the gifts were once again exactly where they had been before the supernatural intervention. It was as if the ghostly revelers had finished their fun and tidied up before vanishing into the ether.
Year Round Haunting in the Crystal Dining Room
But it wasn’t only this one Christmas day that the Dining room felt like someone was haunting it as dancing and festive people in Victorian clothing can be spotted year round, the golden era of the Crescent Hotel. It is especially here in the room known as the Crystal Dining Room that a lot of the ghost stories come from. Employees could return in the morning and find the menus scattered throughout the room with everything else in place, well knowing that no one else had been inside it.
A story often circulating comes from a waitress that worked in the Crystal Dining Room. Once, as she was tidying plates, taking orders and bringing food, the waitress caught her own reflection in a mirror between the dining room and the kitchen. Looking back was a man and woman wearing Victorian clothing, facing each other like for a wedding. As the groom caught her gaze, they both disappeared. The waitress quit her job right after.
Another thing often seen and heard in the room is when a man wearing Victorian clothing again sits at a table by the windows alone. When asked what he’s doing by the unsuspected staff, he answers: “I saw the most beautiful woman here last night and I am waiting for her to return.”
Many of the stories we know of are told by the cook of the Crescent Hotel, Steve Garrison was just slicing up vegetables in the kitchen of the dining room when he saw a little boy. The little boy was weaning old fashioned clothes and knickers skipping around in the kitchen. Another morning as he was turning on the lights all of the pots and pans flew off the hooks and onto the floor. Garrison also would like to point out that he never drinks at all.
The Many Ghosts of The Crescent Hotel
The ghosts of the Crescent Hotel are numerous and varied, like Clifton “Brecki”, the 4 year old child of Richard and Mary Breckenridge Thompson who died in the hotel because of appendicitis, bouncing his ball throughout the Crescent Hotel, wanting to play with the children in the hotel. In the halls there is a waiter carrying butter, or Dr. John Freemont Ellis, who was the hotel’s in-house doctor in the late 19th century with his cherry tobacco smelling close to his office, now turned into room 212.
In many of the rooms, guests experience strange things as they stay there. A couple said they had been sleeping only with the sheet. The husband woke up and found the comforter having been tucked over them. This happened three more times that night.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from the Haunted Hotels around the world
There are also ghosts and things that happen that people seem unable to explain that have no names or history. Each spirit carries a story, adding to the tapestry of paranormal phenomena that envelops the hotel. Let’s have a closer look at some of them:
Morris the Cat Haunting the Crescent Hotel
Many of the ghosts are said to be old ghosts from the Victorian era to pre war times. One of the youngest ghosts though is said to not be a human though, but a ginger tabby cat. Morris, the cat known as the Hotel General Manager for 21 years, was beloved by guests and staff alike. There have been many cats at the hotel, but no one as famous as Morris who came in 1973. When he died over 300 attended his funeral when he was buried on the property.
Today his picture is in the Crescent Hotel lobby and on the east lawn his headstone can be seen. But it is also said that his ghost can be seen and heard sneaking around the hotel and many guests have reported about a feeling of something feeling like a cat rubbing up against their leg.
Micheal’s Ghost in Room 218
When they built the Crescent Hotel, they brought many stonemasons from Ireland when they started construction in 1884. One of these was a 17-year old, that at least today goes by as Micheal.
There is also said to be an Irish stone mason who fell to his death in the 1880s when they were building the hotel. He was said to have been attractive and flirtatious and died when he tried to get a woman’s attention allegedly. This is also said to have lasted in his afterlife and he is known for tapping women’s shoulders and even pulling back their shower curtain.
Where he died is now room 218 and it is said it is one of the most paranormal active rooms at the Crescent Hotel. It is said the red-haired ghost is the most spotted one and the staff simply refer to the well known entity haunting the place as Michael today.
Guests that have stayed at the place claim to have seen hands coming out of the bathroom mirror, and the screaming of a man in the ceiling falling. The lights and TV go on and off, the door is opening and closing, sometimes even being difficult to even open again.
Guests sleeping say they have been shaken awake, felt dizzy and nauseated staying in the room or even just passing by, and there is banging on the walls. Once, a guest ran screaming out from the room, claiming to have seen blood splatter all over the walls.
Crescent College and the Screaming Student
The Crescent Hotel’s haunted reputation is rooted in a history fraught with tragedy and intrigue. Built in 1886 as a luxury resort for the affluent that enjoyed the healing waters in the day, and the elaborate parties in the evening, it later served various roles, including as a girl’s college and a hospital. When some of the tourism to the healing springs dried up at the turn of the century, they made it into The Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Money in the off season to bring in money in 1908 to 1924.
From the time as a college student, people claim to see a young woman that is haunting from the time. This is a bit vague story, but it is said she was a love-struck student and is said to have either jumped or pushed off the third or fourth floor balcony on the east side where she died.
Those staying close to the balcony report hearing screams as someone is falling, seeing her fall or looking up to the balcony where a shadowy figure is looking back at them.
The Crescent Hotel as the Baker Cancer Clinic
The most infamous chapter in its history occurred in the 1930s, when the Crescent Hotel closed down in 1934 when the Great Depression hit the tourism business in full. But there were still people in need of a cure for wellness, but this time, it was a cure for cancer that was offered.
In 1937 it was transformed into a cancer hospital by a charlatan named Norman Baker that is seen in the hotel lobby at times, wearing his signature lavender tie and purple shirt. Baker had a strange background as a vaudeville actor, inventor and was a self made millionaire, running a radio show in Iowa. He had already fled to Mexico from Iowa for a time after practicing without a medical license, but now he was back in America about to start his most horrifying adventure.
He started to claim he had a cure for cancer through his radio show. All five test patients who took the elixir he had made for cancer ended up dead. It was an injectable with a combination of ground-up watermelon seeds, corn silk, clover, water, glycerin, peppermint, and traces of carbolic acid—which he called “Secret Formula Number 5.”
Baker’s fraudulent treatments and the suffering of his patients are said to have left a lingering aura of despair and unrest.
The Experiments in the Basement and the Morgue
Dr Baker was examining cancer patients in the basement as he was charging their families off all their life savings, making millions of them. A lot of the hotel’s haunted stories come from this time.
At the time on the 3rd floor, they built an annex into the Crescent Hotel that has seen some strange phenomena in later times. Guests seem to have a physical reaction to it, feeling faint and some are even passing out for a moment. It is said to happen very infrequently, sometimes going months and years between each time it happens, sometimes it happens weekly.
Especially in 2019, when archaeologists found hundreds of bottles of Baker’s “secret formula” and jars of bits and pieces he had surgically removed from patients. Dr. Baker wasn’t known to operate on patients though. According to those working there, it looks like something has stirred up some of the paranormal energy that has been lingering and they claim that sightings of ghosts and strange occurrences have become more frequent.
How many died is uncertain, although it is certain he didn’t cure anyone. As many as hundreds of patients died during the time under his care. It wasn’t necessarily the cure that killed them, but it definitely happened because they didn’t do any other treatments. When they did die, Baker would write letters to their families and pretend the patient was still alive.
When they used the old switchboard they used to receive phone calls from the empty basement where the patients agreed to pay for his services. It is also in this basement the ghost of Dr. Baker also has been seen.
Next to the morgue area is the laundry room and a maintenance man saw once all the washers and dryers turn on in the middle of the night. The laundry room still has his autopsy table and walk-in-freezer.
The sound of a gurney being pushed by a nurse wearing all white in what was known as the doctors morgue area in the basement is heard, its squeaking wheels and rattling echoing down the hall. It is only said to happen at 11 in the evening as this is when they used to move the deceased out of the hospital so they could do it discreetly without any of the other patients knowing. The apparition vanishes as soon as they reach the end of the hallway.
The hospital was shut down after a few years though, and he spent a couple of years in prison from 1941 to 1945 before being released. He then lived very comfortably in Florida until he died himself, from cancer in 1958.
The Woman Haunting in Room 3500
One of the rooms that are said to be haunted from this area is the Room 3500 where guests have reported about a lady seemingly wearing what looks like a Victorian nightgown. Today it is one of the hotel’s luxury suites, but back then, it used to be the servants quarter before it was turned into a hospice area for the critically ill cancer patients.
It is said that she is only standing at the foot of your bed and stares at you. Many claim that there are only women that can see her, and if a man is in the room with a woman, he is unaware of her presence.
Theodora’s Room at 419
In room 419, the housekeepers keep seeing the ghost they call Theodora who is constantly seen fumbling with her keys. She introduces herself to them as a cancer patient and vanishes after her greeting.
Those who meet her describe her as a prim and proper older lady. The housekeepers also sometimes happen to find the room tidied up by her before having time to do it themselves, but allegedly only if she enjoys the guests company. She has even been said to have packed the guests’ luggage.
What is the Cause of the Haunting
What makes this particular Crescent Hotel more haunted than others? Over 35 000 Paranormal investigators come by almost every year to find out, but there is no conclusive evidence. So much has been discussed though they even have two weekends “Eureka Springs Paranormal Weekend” to discuss their findings.
The Crescent Hotel certainly has many people passing by and even passing on, and some of its history, like the part of Dr. Baker, is so awful that it almost makes sense to be haunted.
Some point to it being built in limestone that has a particular ability to absorb and release certain electromagnetic and psychic energies. Both the 18 inch thick walls as well as the very hilltop the hotel is built on is of limestone. There are many examples of this, although plenty of brick and wooden houses that are also said to be haunted.
Some point to the mediums that have come and done a reading of the Crescent Hotel. They claim that the hotel acts like a portal to the other side, most likely because of Dr. Baker’s play with life and death.
In the end, who can really tell. The Crescent Hotel remains a captivating destination for those intrigued by the paranormal.
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
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