Featured Photo by Edinburgh Manor (Scotch Grove, IA)

Ghosts on the Great River Road

Love the spine tingle of a good scare? We found the creepy, the scary, and the downright chilling! There are fascinating places along the Great River Road to check out in the evening for some fun local legends.

 ~Minnesota~

Chase on the Lake (Walker, MN)

A short drive off the road for some serious creepiness. Maybe because the grand opening doubled as a wake? Ask the staff about their experiences or join the November Paranormal Investigation weekend.

St. James Hotel (Red Wing, MN)

A former hotel owner is said to linger on the third floor. And the mist seen in the basement? That’s attributed to the time the hotel was used as a makeshift mortuary for 98 people who drowned in a paddlewheeler capsizing.

 ~Wisconsin~

The Ghosts of Historic La Crosse (La Crosse, WI)

Downtown La Crosse is full of historic buildings, and some of the past owners seem to have stuck around. Take a walk with a local storyteller who has done the foot work to interview people with some interesting experiences to share.

Big River Bar and Grill (Genoa, WI)

Several owners have died on property. Employees have reported strange electrical behavior, phantom footsteps, and one deceased property owner who enjoyed CNN and apparently still does, often turning channels back to the station.

~Iowa~

Edinburgh Manor (Scotch Grove, IA)

A little over 8 miles off the Road, but it once housed the poor, elderly, and the incurably insane. Check out the EVPs on their website, they’ll make the hair on your neck stand up.

Stoney Hollow Road (Burlington, IA)

Reportedly haunted by a woman named Lucinda, this lonely stretch of road is where some say they see the silhouette of a woman after dark. Still waiting for her love she believed jilted her.

~Illinois~

Acid Bridge (Collinsville, IL)

A creepy little girl who hangs out there, a phantom car that chases off visitors, torch lights in the woods… sounds like a stop!

Cairo Public Library (Cairo, IL)

Toby, the resident ghost of this historic building, seems to have been pretty active. Turning on lights and rocking in the reading room’s rocking chair.

 ~Missouri~

St. Charles Ghost Tour (St. Charles, MO)

A Google search of St. Charles brings up an impressive list of hauntings. What is it about this little river town that it has so much paranormal activity? Take a tour and find out.

Ste. Genevieve Ghost Tours (Ste. Genevieve, MO)

Professional paranormal investigators have visited this town to check out the activity. One group had a ghostly voice leave his name on a recording and it turned out he had been the first man hanged for murder in the county. Creepy!

~Kentucky~

C.C. Cohen Building (Paducah, KY)

Less than 30 miles off the Road, and now called Shandies, reportedly haunted by Stella the last member of the Cohen family. What gets me is the reports of movement in reflections.

~Tennessee~

Orpheum Theater (Memphis, TN)

Six ghosts reportedly haunt the theater, the most active is Mary a 12 year old girl. Her giggles and running footsteps have been documented. Yule Brynner even claimed to have seen her when rehearsing the King and I.

Backbeat Tours (Memphis, TN)

Check out the haunted side of Memphis. Voodoo, ghosts, and eerie legends.

~ARKANSAS~

Magnolia Hill Bed and Breakfast (Helena, AR)

Currently closed, this B&B has had several paranormal investigators through it. They believe it’s haunted by the ghost of a union soldier who is trapped in the house.

St. Francis County Museum (Madison Township, AR)

Listed as one of the top ten most haunted places in Arkansas. Once the office of a pioneer physician, it had its share of suffering take place.

~Mississippi~

McRaven Tour Home (Vicksburg, MS)

Mississippi’s most haunted house. Even the Travel Channel and 48 Hours have checked out the ghostly goings on.

King’s Tavern (Natchez, MS)

The building is over 230 years old! It had its own episode of Ghost Adventurers.

~Louisiana~

Myrtles Plantation (St. Francisville, LA)

There have been ten known murders here. One of the more likely spots to see something unexplained.

Witches Brew Tours (New Orleans, LA)

New Orleans may be the most haunted city in the US. It certainly has the reputation! Just researching the city’s ‘haunts’ is creeping me out. Where to start? The ghost, voodoo, and vampire tour.