BAY CITY, Mich. -- Since the beginning of time, humanity has held a strong belief in the existence of an afterlife, a place that we go once our time on Earth is done. While exactly what it is and how we get there widely varies, there is one constant element in every form of spirituality: Ghosts. As old as their concept are stories of their interactions with the living, which have been shared around campfires, read in books, and seen in movies and television. Whether you believe or not, ghosts remain a hot topic in popular culture, and even more so the places in which they're said to linger.
Given the almost 200-year-old history of our beloved Great Lakes State, we have our share of creepy locations where many visitors report strange happenings that continue to go unexplained. Are they just the product of wild imaginations influenced by creepy old buildings...or are they really the apparitions of those long passed revealing themselves to us?
With Halloween just a week away, we at Graff Bay City would like to share with you five places in Michigan that are said to
actually be haunted. Reader beware!
1. ELOISE - Westland, MI
Considered one of the most haunted places in Michigan, the defunct psychiatric hospital known as Eloise is a subject of terror and intrigue amongst those in the Metro Detroit area. If you grew up there, you're familiar with the folklore, and you probably know a couple of people who have ventured out to the property for the thrill of encountering the restless spirits of long-dead residents.
Established in 1839, Eloise began as a poorhouse and farm, then by 1913 gained the psychiatric and tuberculosis divisions that would become responsible for its infamy. At its peak during the Great Depression, the massive complex covered 902 acres across 70 buildings, housed over 12,000 people, and even had its own public safety departments and post office. It was so big that, for a time, it had its own zip code! The psychiatric division closed in 1977, and Eloise finished out its final years as the Wayne County General Hospital before shutting down completely in 1982.
In addition to hearing screams, moans, and roars, visitors to the Eloise complex have reported seeing a variety of apparitions coasting through its crumbling halls, but the most common sighting is that of a woman dressed entirely in white. In 2016, a previously forgotten cemetery was discovered on the grounds holding the graves of nearly 7,000 patients - perhaps explaining a lot of the activity.
2. HOLLY HOTEL - Holly, MI
As far as historic buildings go, the Holly Hotel is said to be the most haunted in Michigan - and perhaps the country. In fact, noted professor of parapsychology and ghost hunter Norman Gauthier declared the 127-year-old hotel to be "loaded with spirits," and the Ghost Hunters of Southern Michigan have captured some pretty incredible material during their yearly stays.
Constructed in 1891 as a railroad inn, the Holly Hotel was originally owned by John Hirst, who continues to reside in the building as one of its most active spirits. "Mr. Hirst" most often manifests by way of the smell of cigar smoke, laughter, or speech. However, on the rare occasion that he does visually appear, he's reported as a male figure wearing a frock coat and a top hat.
The Holly Hotel is also home to the spirits of Nora Kane and an unnamed little girl, who is suspected to have been Nora's daughter. A music lover in life, Nora can still be heard playing the piano - and is also identified by her distinctive perfume and has often been seen in the bar and back hallway. As for the little girl, she is described as a friendly and playful spirit whose giggle can be heard as she moves things around in the kitchen or runs up and down the hallways.
3. THE MASONIC TEMPLE - Detroit, MI
Chances are you've been to or at least seen this towering neo-Gothic building located on Temple Street overlooking Cass Park - but did you know it's haunted? When George Mason designed the Detroit Masonic Temple in 1920, he spared no expense. The massive structure includes over 1000 rooms, concealed passageways, and hidden staircases - making it the largest of its kind in the world. Unfortunately, this extravagance cost him a pretty penny, causing him to go bankrupt and his wife to leave him because of it. As a result, George climbed to the top of the tower and jumped to his death.
Since then, security guards at the Masonic claim to have seen George's ghost making that fateful climb up the steps to the roof. Other visitors report strange happenings such as windows and doors being slammed shut by themselves, moving shadows with no one or nothing to cast them, cold spots, and the constant feeling of being "watched".
4. OLD CITY ORPHANAGE - Marquette, MI
Formerly known as the Holy Cross Orphanage, this haunt built in 1915 definitely has one of the saddest histories on our list. The French nuns in charge of the orphans who ended up here were anything but benevolent. Their unbelievable cruelty and violence against the children have spawned many awful stories - however, one particularly grisly account stands out above the rest.
During a blizzard, a young girl wandered outside to play in the snow and later died of pneumonia. In a truly sickening attempt to "teach the other children a lesson", it is said that the nuns left the girl's body on display in the lobby of the orphanage.
Old City has been abandoned since the 1960s, but that hasn't stopped a number of curious explorers from venturing onto its haunted grounds. Many have reported seeing strange lights passing between windows and even entire floors, as well as hearing the sounds of crying children echoing throughout the property.
5. MICHIGAN BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY - Grand Rapids, MI
Those who grew up in Grand Rapids are no doubt familiar with this spooky site, and more so the strangely unique (if not persistent) way that the two spirits who remain there are said to go about their haunting. Where the Michigan Bell Telephone Company now stands downtown, there used to be a lavish mansion turned rental property known as the Judd-White House, and among the residents were a couple by the name of Warren and Virginia Randall.
When the Randalls moved there from Detroit in 1907, times were splendid. Warren had an excellent job as a brakeman on the G.R. and Indiana Railroad, Virginia was a kept wife, and the two were blissfully in love. That was until just a year later when Warren lost his leg in a railway accident and received a wooden prosthetic. In the years that followed, he grew very insecure and paranoid, constantly accusing Virginia of having affairs and often getting very violent, which caused her to leave him later that summer. In 1910, Warren persuaded Virginia to take a carriage ride with him, perhaps in an attempt to get her back. Upon arriving back to the Judd-White House, however, any hope of a happy ending for the Randalls was dashed as they engaged in one last vicious fight - which claimed both of their lives.
The Judd-White House stood for another ten years after that, never occupied, with many reports from locals about strange lights and sounds coming from the house - including the "thump thump thump" of Warren's wooden leg and Virginia screaming for mercy. In 1924, the house was demolished and the Michigan Bell Telephone Company was built in its place where it remains to this day. Haunting over, right? Wrong. The Randalls are said to have inhabited the new building, still reenacting the sounds of that fateful night, and there have even been reports from several Grand Rapids residents of receiving strange phone calls in the middle of the night - a male voice on the other end of the line. Upon investigation, every call was traced back to the Michigan Bell building.
Have you visited any haunted places in Michigan? What were your experiences? Let us know in the comments!
