This photo comes from the Catfish Plantation restaurant in Waxahacie, TX. Built in 1895, the restaurant is a former Victorian reportedly haunted by several spirits. Strange activity in the business includes levitating objects, eerie blue lights, and a ghostly bride that stares forlornly out the window. Is that her in the pic?
Send your ghost pics to ghostsghoul@gmail.com!
***Mr. Ghost And Ghouls’ first contribution to this blog!***
Is that a cool Pacific breeze on your neck or is that the damp, ephemeral hand of a long dead killer? That’s a question countless visitors and employees of Billy’s Bar and Grill have been asking themselves for years.
Aberdeen, Washington is known for something a bit more sinister than timber and fish. A long time maritime port, Aberdeen has been a respite to those shipping to and from various ports of call. Billy Gohl, or “Billy Montana” as he was more colorfully known, went about preying upon hapless travelers for more than a quarter century.
Historians attribute more than 100 missing sailors and union opponents to the cold, murderous hands of Gohl. During the late 1800s and early 1900s, Grays Harbor saw the disappearance of more than a hundred men, most likely due to a bullet and a chute to the Wishkah River. The old Sailor’s Union building held the valuables of those departing, as well as one of the most prolific serial killers in US history – Billy Gohl. A sailor who’d had a little too much too drink and holding a few extra coins and notes might find himself lifelessly floating out to sea the next morning like so much other discarded trash thanks to Billy. It wasn’t until a cohort had been caught that was Billy ever brought to justice. While only formally convicted of two killings he’s strongly suspected of so many more.
Long after his trial and ultimate death in a Washington mental asylum, Billy as well as some of the prostitutes and sailors who once graced the premises, seem less than eager to move on from this world. Employees have reported glasses flying from shelves and a regional paranormal research group was able to record a faint but noticeable voice call out “whore.” Most patrons who experience the phenomena report feeling sudden cold spots where the fabric between the living and dead is worn thin.
So when you’re in the far corner of America, along the shores of Grays Harbor, be sure to stop by Billy’s Bar and Grill if your hunger for a hamburger includes a side of the macabre. Flash a little cash while you’re there and see if don’t feel the cold rush of Billy Montana trying to claim one last victim.
Looking for spooky places in Savannah, Georgia? Here are a few of the city’s most haunted hotels and restaurants (complete with map below). Eat, sleep, and be scared!
17Hundred90 Inn
The 17Hundred90 Inn was originally three separate residences but is now one of the oldest inns in Savannah. According to local legend, a young woman named Anna committed suicide after leaping from a window in Room 204. Given its history and tragic reputation, it’s not surprising that ghosts reportedly roam the halls of the historic property. In fact, Savannah tour guides often refer to the 17Hundred90 Inn as “the most haunted hotel in the most haunted city in America.”
Employees tell of pots and pans rattling in an empty kitchen and mysterious crashes in vacant guest suites. One staff member heard a man’s voice in the courtyard and felt hands pressing against her back. However, most of the paranormal activity takes place in Anna’s old dwelling, Room 204. Guests have startled awake to the sound of shattering glass or the sight of a shadowy figure standing near the foot of the bed. Women leave their jewelry or toiletries one place only to find them somewhere else a few hours later.
Read about my experience in Room 204…
307 East President Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 236-7122
The Kehoe House
Irishman William Kehoe built The Kehoe House in 1892, and lived in the stately home with his wife and ten children. The house has also served as funeral home and private residence of quarterback Joe Namath (who was going to turn it into a nightclub), but today operates as a four-star bed and breakfast. Though many residents have come and gone, it’s William’s children who reportedly haunt the historic building.
Legend has it a pair of twins from the Kehoe family died after playing in a fireplace. Guests often hear children laughing and playing in the hall, though few kids stay at the high-end bed and breakfast. Rooms 201 and 203 are particularly active, with reports of a child appearing and disappearing and an unseen entity sitting on the bed. Other unnerving events include lights that turn on in empty rooms and a doorbell that rings when no one’s at the door.
123 Habersham Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 232-1020
The Marshall House
Built in 1851, The Marshall House is Savannah’s oldest hotel and perhaps one of the city’s most haunted establishments. The four-story building has served as a hospital for Civil War soldiers, as well as victims of yellow fever, and many believe ghosts roam the 161-year-old facility.
Eerie events at The Marshall House include faucets that turn on and off, lights that flicker without explanation, and disembodied voices that ring throughout the halls. Renovation efforts have also turned up bones buried beneath the floorboards, bones historians believe came from the amputated limbs of Confederate soldiers.
123 East Broughton Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 644-7896
The Eliza Thompson House
Built in 1847, Savannah’s Eliza Thompson House was home to cotton dealer Joseph Thompson, his wife Eliza, and the couple’s seven children. Joseph died in 1855, and Eliza managed the home until her death in 1875. The historic home is now an inn.
Ghost sightings at The Eliza Thompson house include a Confederate soldier in an upstairs window and a young woman in white who wanders the hallways. Room 132 is a hotspot for paranormal activity, with one guest reporting the sound of child’s gleeful laughter and an invisible presence at the foot of the bed. Sightings of a Confederate soldier’s torso are also common. Read about my stay in the Eliza Thompson House.
5 West Jones Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 236-3620
Olde Harbour Inn
The Olde Harbour Inn dates back to 1812, though the original building was destroyed in a fire eighty years later. The owners rebuilt over the stone foundation, and the building served as an oil company and an overall and blue jeans factory before sitting vacant over 20 years. It was re-opened as the Olde Harbour Inn in 1987.
Rumor has it a ghost named Hank reportedly haunts the historic, upscale inn. Guests report coins dropping from the ceiling, cigar smoke when no one’s around, and objects that disappear from one spot only to reappear in another.
508 East Factors Walk
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 234-4100
East Bay Inn
Built in 1852, the East Bay Inn building has served a number of purposes, including a space for cotton merchants, a steam bakery, foreign consul offices, and cotton and grocery warehouses. The building sat vacant from 1965 to 1983 and was re-opened as the East Bay inn in 1984.
Legend has it that a ghost named Charlie haunts the historic property. Guests and staff have seen a man in a dark suit and top hat who stares off into space before fading away. Some visitors have startled awake to the sound of heavy footsteps outside their room followed by a jigging of the doorknob. Flickering lights and disappearing objects are also common.
225 East Bay Street
Savannah, Georgia 31401
(912) 238-1225
Olde Pink House
Revolutionary war hero James Habersham Jr. originally owned the house at 23 Abercorn Street which is now a five-star restaurant known as the Olde Pink House. Habersham reportedly haunts the 241-year-old building, along with a few mischievous spirits who tap bartenders with wine bottles and toss dice against the walls. Patrons and staff also see apparitions at the bar and hear a woman sobbing on the second floor.
Olde Pink House
23 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 232-4286
Moon River Brewing Company
Savannah’s Moon River Brewing Company has a reputation for being one of the most haunted buildings in the city. Employees have witnessed bottles flying off shelves, silverware sliding off dining room tables, and shadowy figures roaming through the building. A hostile spirit who once pushed a foreman’s wife down a flight of stairs has thwarted all efforts to renovate the upper floors of the restaurant have been thwarted. The brewery fittingly serves a custom-made beer known as Apparition Ale. Learn more.
21 West Bay Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 447-0943
The Pirates’ House
The Pirates’ House has served guests since 1753, making it one of the oldest restaurants and taverns in Savannah. Seamen and pirates flocked to the establishment due to its proximity to the Savannah River, and legend has it more than few patrons passed out drunk in The Pirate’s House only to wake up on a ship headed to a distant port.
Eerie events at the historic restaurant include shadowy forms that appear in the corner of one’s eyes, laughter that erupts from empty rooms, and furniture that rearranges itself after closing. The heavy atmosphere of The Pirate’s House has also made a few guests and staff members sick.
20 East Broad Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 233-5757
17Hundred90 Restaurant
Though Anna in Room 204 gets most of the attention from guests and ghost hunters, the restaurant at the 17Hundred90 Inn reportedly has a spirit or two of its own. Legend has it a hostile apparition lurks around the kitchen and dining room, jangling her bracelets at female guests and shoving them from behind. One of Savannah’s most famous ghost pictures shows a woman reflected in the restaurant’s dining room mirror after the restaurant had closed and staff had gone home for the night.
307 East President Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 236-7122
Six Pence Pub
Located in Savannah’s historic district, the Six Pence Pub reportedly harbors a number of spirits. The kitchen staff talks of pots and pans that jump off counters and fly from shelves, while a former manager saw the chair in her office spin around and roll across the floor. The pub has also had problems with a plummeting thermostat and light bulbs that pop out of their sockets.
245 Bull Street
Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 233-3151
The Rail Pub
The Rail Pub opened its doors in 1890 and has served as brothel and boarding house as well as a pub. The establishment got its name from the day laborers who used to wait for work on the nearby railroad. A paranormal investigation team explored the property in 2010, and noticed flickering lights, the strong smell of perfume, and high EMF readings.
405 West Congress Street
Savannah GA 31401
(912) 238-1311
Here’s the second installment of a four-part series featuring 100 haunted restaurants from across the United States (first part here). Have you visited any of the places on the list?
The Country House
A young woman reportedly haunts The Country House Restaurant in Clarendon Hills. Legend has the woman committed suicide sometime in the 1950s and now makes her presence known by opening shutters, moving around pots and pans, and playing music on the jukebox in the middle of the night. People have also spotted the young woman beckoning customers from an upstairs window.
241 55th Street
Clarendon Hills, IL 60514
630-325-1444
One Eleven Main
Galena’s One Eleven Main, once the site of a mortuary and casket-making company, now has a haunting reputation. The executive chef photographed what he believes are three ghosts playing outside the historic restaurant (photo here), and another employee found the name “John” written in sawdust.
111 North Main Street
Galena, Illinois 61036
815.777.8030
