Ghosts have been known to inhabit some of Missouri’s famous locations – from the oldest prison west of the Mississippi River to Mark Twain’s stomping grounds. Come see for yourself on a spirited adventure at Missouri’s most haunted places.
Spooky Spaces
Missouri State Penitentiary
By day, take a history tour of the Missouri State Penitentiary. At night, experience the otherworldly side of the prison during a two-hour ghost tour, a three-hour ghost hunt or an overnight paranormal investigation. Located in Jefferson City, the facility was the oldest continuously operating prison west of the Mississippi River. The prison housed inmates for 168 years until it was decommissioned in 2004. Explore the grounds and cells and learn about former inmates who some say still roam the halls.
Pythian Castle
Hear ghostly tales on a night-time tour of Springfield’s Pythian Castle. Strange noises, unexplained voices and floating orbs have been reported at the historic structure. The castle was built as an orphanage by the Knights of Pythias. It was later owned by the U.S. military for more than 50 years. Today, the castle hosts ghost tours and investigations, history tours, escape rooms, and murder mystery dinners.
The Elms Hotel & Spa
Said to be haunted by several spirits, The Elms Hotel & Spa in Excelsior Springs experienced two major fires, one in 1898 and the other in 1910. There were no fatalities, but rumor has it that a spirit was involved in one of the fires. Guests have reported paranormal activity in the lap pool area of the hotel – once a popular hangout during the Prohibition era for gangsters, including Al Capone. Explore the hotel’s ghostly legends on a nightly paranormal tour.
Haunted Castle House
A pioneer graveyard occupies the backyard of the Haunted Castle House near Brumley. Learn about the house’s dark and intriguing history, including multiple accounts of mysterious deaths on and near the property. Reserve a spot on a paranormal tour or investigation.
Mysterious Mansions
Lemp Mansion
Built in the late 1860s, Lemp Mansion in St. Louis claims to be the most haunted site in the city. LIFE magazine once called it one of America’s 10 most haunted places. Learn about the Lemp family’s chilling history during a ghost tour, or hunt for paranormal activity with an infrared camera on three floors of the darkened mansion during The Lemp Experience.
Beattie Mansion
Take a paranormal tour of the Beattie Mansion, one of St. Joseph’s most haunted places. You can also spend the night at the grand Victorian residence. The original owner – a wealthy businessman and the first mayor of the city – died mysteriously in 1878 after a “sudden bout of cholera.” His wife passed away two years later. While renovating the mansion, contractors experienced an array of paranormal activity including disembodied voices and shadowy figures.
Vaile Victorian Mansion
Tour Vaile Victorian Mansion to explore the home’s history – filled intrigue and tragedy. Special Macabre Tours are held on select dates in October. The 31-room Gothic-style mansion in Independence dates back to 1881. Accused of fraud in an investment scheme, the original owner, Harvey Vaile, was plagued with legal woes. His wife Sophia died under questionable circumstances and is said to haunt the mansion to this day. The home later served as a sanatorium where archaic procedures were performed. Visitors say they have witnessed apparitions and captured unexplainable figures on film.
Eerie Asylums
Glore Psychiatric Museum
Located adjacent to the former St. Joseph State Hospital, Glore Psychiatric Museum shares the history of the hospital, once known as State Lunatic Asylum No. 2. The asylum opened in St. Joseph in 1874. Museum exhibits include medical equipment and tools used during the asylum’s 145-year history, photographs, and artwork and stories from patients. The museum is located in the St. Joseph Museum complex where you can also explore the Black Archives Museum, Doll Museum, and Archeology & Native American Galleries. Tour all four museums for one admission price.
Emmaus Asylum
By the glow of lantern light, step inside the haunted halls of Emmaus Asylum, where echoes of the past still linger. Take a guided tour and uncover chilling history and stories of restless spirits that roam the location. Hear paranormal tales, explore the asylum’s spooky corridors, and end the night with a dark-room session.
Spine-tingling Tours
Haunted Hannibal Ghost Tours
Climb aboard a shuttle for an after-dark driving tour of Hannibal’s haunted places. Listen to stories about murder and mischief from Mark Twain’s boyhood days. Meet present-day ghosts lurking in the mansions on Millionaire’s Row. Walk among the graves of Civil War soldiers in the Old Baptist Cemetery.
Gateway Ghouls and Hauntings Walking Tour
Discover the chilling secrets of St. Louis. Led by haunted history experts, this walking tour includes the city’s most notorious locations. Venture down shadowy streets and hear real-life accounts of ghostly encounters. Discover eerie tales at iconic spots including the Stifel Theatre, Washington Square, Soldiers Memorial and Kauffman Park. Venture down shadowy streets and hear real-life accounts of ghostly encounters in one America’s most haunted cities.
St Charles Haunted History Trail
Discover the mysteries of Main Street in St. Charles on this self-guided video walking tour. Unearth true tales of infamy, villainy and the paranormal that have shaped the legacy of the town’s historic district. See where the witches gathered. Learn about Edgar Allan Poe’s St. Charles connection. Walk the grounds where a large cemetery once stood and hear the stories of the town’s angry villagers and restless spirits.
Haunted History Walking/ Bus Tours
Springfield’s spookiest stories come to life during Haunted History Walking Tours. Hosted by the History Museum on the Square in September and October, the tours focus on local history with a haunted twist.