With the Halloween month now upon on us, it’s time to get spooky. It can be fun to get down with the illusions between haunted houses and dead-end hayrides and so much more, but what about if you’re looking for something a little scarier and a lot more real? The Twin Cities has multiple haunted locations that could fill that spooky void you have this October.
First Avenue, Minneapolis
As a classic Minnesota venue for live music, many fans and bands go through the doors of First Avenue. While you can go every night of the week for a performance, you may also find there’s some spiritual energy that comes with the musical energy. (Trigger warning, scroll past if you desire).
Two spirits are said to prowl the premises, one of which is a woman who allegedly hanged herself in the fifth stall of the women’s restroom. Her spirit is said to quite literally still hang around in the bathroom. The second presence is one that can be seen usually through a balloon that manifests and then goes up and down the staircase.
Minneapolis City Hall, Minneapolis
Any location with a tragic past typically has paranormal activity, and the Minneapolis City Hall is no exception. The last hanging in Minnesota took place there in 1898; the person hanged was a man named John Moshik who was tried and convicted of murder. It said his presence still lurks between the courtroom where he was convinced, the place where he was hanged, and the mayor’s office.
His behaviors range from a merely rearranging objects, to making judges and attorneys ill. Worst of all, he’s said to appear to staff or prisoners in only his underwear, peering into cells and windows, and walking up and down the halls still only half dressed. A spooky sight!
Soap Factory, Minneapolis
The Soap Factory used to annually host a haunted basement attraction during Halloween season until two years ago. The attraction was all actors and a set, but the location being haunted is no scene from a play.
While suds seem pretty harmless, the process it takes to get there isn’t. Since soap is made from animal carcasses, there were quite a few that were passed through the factory and out into the river beside the building, which attracted stray dogs that then had to be managed by the city. By managed, I mean collected and strangled.
The gruesome past leads to the eerie and uncomfortable atmosphere that engulfs the building like too many bubbles in a bathtub.
Wabasha Street Caves, St. Paul
From miners to gangsters to spirits, these caves have hosted a lot. There is rumored to be upwards of 30 entities inhabiting these mines turned speakeasy turned event center. Most of them are unaware they’ve even died, believing they’re still at a nightclub in the 1930s. If you’re lucky, maybe you’ll see the infamous gangster dressed in a dark suit and tie lurking in the men’s restroom.
Hamline University, St. Paul
It’s all fun and games until where you sleep, eat and learn gets involved. Hamline University is said to be one of the most haunted locations in Minnesota, it’s even posted on our website. Eyes follow you in Old Main, spirits move all your stuff in Manor and the worst of all has to be the hand that’s loose in Drew Hall!
After goofing around with the new elevator door, a freshman in the 1960s lost his entire hand, and never found it. The hand is still said to be running loose, and just might make your toes icy cold when you’re sleeping.
Whether you’re taking in some live music, strolling through a government building, suds-ing it up, exploring caves or just hanging around campus, there are many ways to spice up this fall season. So have fun out there, enjoying the fine line between paranoia and reality. Just remember to stay safe, say goodbye on the Ouija board and always cover your toes with the blanket before you fall asleep.