Washington is home to vast and majestic scenery, exciting cities, and quaint towns. But it also has a dark side. The state is a haven for those who have a penchant for the darker side of life. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, there’s no denying that the state has some seriously spooky places. From derelict mental institutions to eerie theatres, Washington is full of hair-raising sites. Here are seven of the most haunted places in Washington.
1. Tacoma Old City Hall, Tacoma
The Tacoma Old City Hall has been mostly eerily vacant since the 1950s, with many creepy abandoned hallways and rooms. Some say that a resident prankster liked to play tricks on people that worked in the building. Employees were kept out of their offices, the lights would turn on and off, dishes would go flying, and they even got a rise out of the police. The police went to the theatre several times for fire alarms going off and break-ins, but when they got there they couldn’t find a logical explanation or an intruder. It’s undoubtedly one of the most haunted places in Washington.
2. Mount Baker Theatre, Bellingham
People say that just about every theatre in America is haunted, and Mount Baker is no exception. Since its opening in 1927, guests and staff have reported inexplicable noises, ghost sightings, gusts of cold air, strange voices, and more. The most well-known is Judy, a particularly flirtatious woman. Judy apparently likes to chase males through the theatre, flirting with them and attempting to seduce them!
3. University Heights, Seattle
There’s something creepy about an old school, especially University Heights. Rumours say that the eerie corridors are haunted by the ghosts of children who went to the school decades earlier. People say they’ve seen ghostly childlike figures running through the halls and laughter can be heard echoing around the building. One tragic story is of Brian. A teacher locked Brian in a closet for misbehaving and unfortunately forgot about him over the weekend. On Monday, he was found dead. People say they experience an extreme sense of dread when they enter the classroom and have actually seen Brian there.
4. Oxford Saloon, Snohomish
Built in 1900, the Oxford Saloon has seen several ghosts pass through its halls. People say that today the saloon is haunted by three unresting spirits, a man in a bowler hat and two women. One woman is Kathleen, a woman that lived upstairs, and her daughter, Amelia, whose body was found in a closet. In 2005, the Washington State Ghost Society performed several investigations here. They say they heard a child’s voice laughing or crying, a man say “I am the one”, “you’ll die”, and “get out”. Creepy stuff.
5. Kells Irish Pub, Seattle
Kells Irish Pub is undoubtedly one of the most haunted places in Washington. It used to be called Butterworth Building and started out life as a mortuary. No wonder it’s creepy. It was actually the country’s first mortuary, with paranormal activity spanning centuries. Today, it’s a cosy, family-friendly Irish pub. People go to the pub for its ghostly reputation and stay for its fun and welcoming energy. People say that ghosts are attracted to positive energy, which could explain the several ghosts that call Kells home. One of those is a young girl who apparently likes to play pranks on the staff and visitors, particularly children. Some patrons have actually seen her, dressed in a scarlet velvet dress and her hair in red ringlets.
6. Northern State Hospital, Sedro-Woodley
If anywhere will give you the heebie-jeebies, it’s Northern State Hospital. It gained its reputation as one of the most haunted places in Washington for its brutal history as a mental institution. Hydrotherapy, electroshock therapy, lobotomies, and psychosurgeries are among the horrific ‘treatments’ that the patients had to endure. So, it’s no wonder the former patients are unresting here. Many died here, some believe as many as 1487. There have been many ghostly sightings here, and some say they felt a destabilising wave of nausea upon entering.
7. Campbell House, Spokane
Campbell House is the image of a creepy house. Ghost hunters have found high electromagnetic fields in the home, which suggests a strong paranormal presence. Visitors have also felt an overwhelming sense of someone watching them in the house, while others say they’ve even seen ghostly figures. Today, brave guests can tour the historic home while keeping an eye out for what lurks in the shadows.