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The five most haunted places in Milwaukee

By Josh Skarda

October 17, 2024

The old town of Milwaukee is no stranger to ghost stories, haunts, and paranormal sightings – in the Halloween spirit, we’ve rounded up five of the city’s most haunted locations and the eerie stories behind them.

 

The Pfister Hotel

424 E. Wisconsin Ave.

We’ve already looked into this one in a previous article, but it’s worth revisiting here – after all, the historic hotel might be Milwaukee’s  most infamously haunted building. The ghost of Charles Pfister, who oversaw the hotel’s completion in 1893, is rumored to roam the halls of the building to this day. In particular, visiting MLB players have reported many a paranormal encounter at the Pfister – legend has it, Charles attempts to shake up these teams before they play against the Brewers in their home city.

 

The Rave/Eagles Club

2401 W. Wisconsin Ave.

One of Milwaukee’s premiere rock clubs, The Rave has been plagued by ghost stories for nearly a century. Specifically, the venue’s basement pool is the subject of urban legend – in 1927, only months after the venue opened to the public, a 15-year-old boy drowned in the pool in a freak accident. Today, touring bands have reported hearing the sounds of children echo through the building when no one else is there. The pool is now a tourist attraction, open to artists who perform at the venue and to the public during special events. It’s become a tradition for performers to sign their name in the now-empty pool – famously, late rapper Mac Miller left an eerie message there prior to his passing.

 

Shaker’s Cigar Bar

422 S. 2nd St. 

Branded “America’s most haunted cigar bar,” Shaker’s in Walker’s Point was built in 1894 and has lived many lives as a cooperage, a speakeasy, and a brothel – at one point, it was even owned by the Capone brothers. Many of the bar’s ghost stories originate from this time in its history – several skeletons have been discovered in the basement, which are presumed to be relics of the bar’s legacy as a mob hangout. Shaker’s offers nightly ghost tours of the premises, and the brothel space has now been renovated into an Airbnb for overnight stays. 

 

Pabst Mansion

2000 W. Wisconsin Ave.

The Pabst Mansion is one of the most historic sites in Milwaukee – built in 1892 for Captain Frederick Pabst, founder of the Pabst Brewing Company, the mansion would later go on to house five different archbishops before being added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975. There’s some disagreement over whether the building is actually haunted or not – some locals claim that Captain Pabst, who died of a stroke in the mansion, still haunts it. Volunteers and visitors have reported experiencing strange, chilling sensations and seeing doors open and close on their own. However, the mansion’s staff vehemently deny any paranormal activity – a ghost-hunting group also spent a night and reportedly found no evidence of any haunts. If you’d like to investigate for yourself, the mansion offers after-dark tours for Halloween.

 

Brumder Mansion Bed & Breakfast

3046 W. Wisconsin Ave.

George Brumder Sr. was one of Milwaukee’s most famed publishers in the 19th century, establishing the largest distribution company of German-American texts in the entire country. His legacy is preserved through the Brumder Mansion, which he built for his children in the heart of Milwaukee shortly before his death in 1910. Today, the mansion is a bed and breakfast – with many ghost stories to go around. Partially due to its history as a speakeasy during prohibition, apparitions are rumored to haunt the grounds. Visitors have reported seeing one of the speakeasy’s bouncers watching over them in the basement, and some believe that the mansion continues to be haunted by the ghost of George Brumder Jr. Individual rooms are said to be haunted by different spirits, including one that leaves blood in the bathtub of the hotel’s Gold Room.

Author

  • Josh Skarda

    Josh Skarda is a journalism student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin. In his free time, he writes freelance for student publications and serves as the music director for UWM’s student radio station.

CATEGORIES: LOCAL HISTORY
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