Is Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel haunted? It’s complicated.

The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee is one of the city’s premiere luxury hotels, notably having hosted every U.S. president since William McKinley. But aside from its numerous celebrity guests, the hotel is famous for another reason – it’s considered one of the most haunted buildings in Wisconsin, and one of the most haunted hotels in the entire country.

Opened in 1893 and designed by Milwaukee architect Henry C. Koch, the hotel is 23 floors tall and hosts an extensive collection of Victorian-era artwork – the most of any hotel in the world. Modeled after Romanesque Revival architecture, the hotel is adorned by stunning marble staircases and ornate ceilings.

The hotel was the vision of Guido Pfister, a German immigrant to Milwaukee who became wealthy as a venture capitalist. Pfister passed away during the hotel’s construction, leaving his son, Charles, in charge of finishing up the job. Charles oversaw the completion and opening of the hotel, but died of pneumonia in 1927. The popular legend is that Charles Pfister is the one who haunts the building, watching over the guests of his “Grand Hotel of the West.”

However, this is not the only theory about who haunts the Pfister. Charles Milwaukee Sivyer, a city native born in 1836, was interviewed in the Milwaukee Daily Sentinel shortly after the Pfister opened. A local historian and storyteller, Sivyer said that he had previously lived in a cabin on the site where the hotel was built – right next to private burial grounds, which had been there his entire life. 

There is one demographic that has reported more paranormal experiences at the hotel than anyone else: MLB players. Most recently, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Mookie Betts shared that he would not be staying at the hotel on a recent visit due to ghost-related concerns. He’s not the only one – a laundry list of star players have recounted seemingly otherworldly encounters during their stays. Local legend is that Charles’ ghost haunts visiting teams playing against the Brewers, in order to shake them up before facing off against Milwaukee’s beloved home team. 

Players’ stories from the Pfister range from lighthearted to frightening. Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds had his radio flicker on and off while in the shower, while Carlos Martinez of the St. Louis Cardinals claimed that he saw an apparition in his room – blaming his poor performance the next day on the encounter. 

While it’s unclear exactly who haunts the Pfister, it might not even matter – the Brewers are doing great this year.