Do you believe in ghosts? Would you ever think that the very room you’re sitting in could be the same place someone roams to haunt? Winona is not just a ghost town on weekends when people leave, but is a legitimate haunted town. I searched around town looking for the spookiest places, so like any creepy person might say; “come on in.”
St. Mary’s College, Heffron Hall
We are thankful for that certain father figure in our life, but probably not Father Louis Lesches, who murdered Bishop Patrick Heffron in 1915. Witnesses have experienced such things as cold spots and eerie feelings of someone watching their every move. One witness stated that good ole Father Lesches walks the halls at night with dark eyes. How comforting.
Winona State University, Lourdes Hall
When you think that random gusts of wind aren’t enough to keep you on your toes, Lourdes Hall not only provides those gusts of wind, but doors are also closing and locking on their own, and voices can be heard when no one is around. With the building being an old infirmary for nuns, stories such as one believing that a nun was killed due to a priest because of a pregnancy. Their child was then thrown down the laundry shoot, and if it is quiet enough while riding in the elevator you can hear that very child crying.
Lourdes has also been haunted in the scariest place you would want to be welcomed by a ghost: the pool. Stories have been shared that the priest who “knocked up” the nun that was killed, and their child being thrown down the shoot, decided to do Winona the pleasure and hang himself where the pool sits now. Granted, he didn’t know there was going to be a pool, let alone a school there in the future, but the founders of WSU sure as heck probably did! We recommend to not swim alone in the pool, due to flickering lights, and having the feeling of being pulled down when you are swimming. So against the words of Dory, don’t keep swimming!
Winona State University, Richards Hall
Once again on the list we see another dorm on the Winona State campus. This actually being the dorm I lived in, and was personally told this ghost story as well! In 1978, a student hung himself in Richards hall, leading to a spooky ghost sighting. Thankfully they redid Richards, but that does not mean that I looked both ways before walking down the hall later than 9 pm.
Winona State University, Performing Arts Center
When it comes to theatre, some things might be dramatic, especially deaths. But it’s not all true for student Christopher, who was performing when he all of sudden collapsed dead. To this day, no one truly knows the cause of death besides internal bleeding found, and a friend stating Christopher finding his way around drugs. To this day, the building is haunted by Christopher, by having a certain area of the building that has never been disrupted by water damage or nests from bees or wasps. When lights are being fiddled with people just understand that it is probably Christopher because when you walk over to fix them, the switchboard is always found in the “C” preset mode.
Pieces of the Past
You might go to this cute little antique shop, and look for little trinkets to bring back to your dorm or home and make you feel more connected with Winona, but do you know what actually used to be there?! The building where Pieces of the Past is placed, used to be a Lawyer’s Office and Brothel, at the same time! Pieces of the Past might just be a name, but it works great with the story behind the building. Stories share that one night a woman was shot to death at the brothel, in the stairway that is no longer there. Her image lurks in the building, including a man being heard running upstairs, (creepy because they are stated to not be there any longer!) a cat, and jukeboxes mysteriously turning on by themselves.
Now every time you go into these buildings, when you think you feel a cool breeze and goosebumps because of the exciting feeling you get, just remember that there are many that are no longer with us that may be lurking in the hallways. Happy Halloween Winona!