The Most Haunted Places in Madison

While Madison, Wisconsin, has a charming reputation as a vibrant college town with scenic lakes, there may be more to the story. Beneath its charming exterior lies a rich tapestry of haunted history. From gaudy theatres to old science buildings, this city has something to offer every ghost hunter. If you’re into ghosts like we are, we’ve got something even better than this article on haunted places in Madison. Book a Madison ghost tour with us today, and you can see the spooky side of Madison for yourself!

What Are The Most Haunted Places in Madison, Wisconsin?

Madison has plenty of ghosts to entertain even the most energetic ghost hunters for days. The streets of Madison offer many surprises to those daring enough to find them. The incredible Majestic Theatre, the disaster-laden Wisconsin State Capitol, and the former cemetery at the center of the University of Wisconsin, Bascom Hill, are among the most haunted places in Wisconsin and are well worth a visit.

The Most Haunted Places in Madison, Wisconsin

The ghosts of Madison have met many tragic ends. Will they ever find their peace, or will their spirits continue to roam the streets forevermore? While we hope the spirits find their rest, we can’t say we’re not intrigued by their stories. Come with us as we discover what’s lurking in Madison.

Majestic Theater

Known for its glitz and glam, the Majestic Theatre has been operating on King Street since 1906. It currently serves as a live music venue and dance club, but it has hosted many different shows on its stage. These acts include magicians, vaudeville performances, and silent films.

But that’s not all the theatre has to offer. Some visitors to the theatre also experience strange apparitions of a misshapen shadow man roaming the theatre halls.

Perhaps the most unique report comes from cast members of the Rocky Horror Picture Show performed in 2000. These cast members claimed to have heard a ghostly voice yell, “Good luck with the show!” They also felt their hair yanked, without anyone there to pull on it.

The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.

One of Madison’s favorite pubs sits in the old Fess Hotel building. This hotel wasn’t just known for providing excellent customer service for over 130 years. Instead, the hotel had a much spookier claim to fame: it’s known for being haunted.

Ironically, now the home of a pub and brewing company, the original Fess Hotel was known as a “temperance” hotel, or a hotel that did not serve alcohol. The hotel stayed this way until it was sold out of the Fess family in 1972. When it was set to reopen with a new cocktail lounge under new ownership in 1974, strange things began, like calls coming from inside the building.

The Great Dane moved into the space in 1994, while the strange events continued. Even after technology moved away from switchboards, calls continued to pour in. Some say these calls come from the spirit of George Fess, disgusted by the alcohol in their formerly sober building.

Tempest Oyster Bar

The Tempest Oyster Bar has got to be the most popular funeral-home-turned-eatery in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s known not only for its fantastic fresh seafood, of course, but also for its hauntings.

You see, there’s reason to believe that the missing 40th member of the Heaven’s Gate cult (who shocked the world by committing mass suicide together) was found hanging in the basement of the former funeral home. In 1997, a few months after the mass suicide, a tenant of the building hung himself in the basement of the building. His death has since been linked to the cult.

As for the hauntings, the many spirits who travelled through this building, whether as a funeral home or otherwise, cause chaos inside the Madisonian restaurant. Employees have reported dishes breaking, doors slamming, and disembodied voices throughout the building.

Of course, that’s not the worst of what you can experience in the building. If you make the trip down to the basement, you’ll feel a chill sink into your bones as a dreadful feeling makes its way into your heart.

American Exchange Building

The American Exchange is home to two of Madison’s oldest ghosts. This building, located at 1 S. Pinckney St., is the second-oldest building on Capitol Square. It was built in 1871 for Park Savings Bank, but the ghosts come from a time before the bank.

Previously, a hotel stood on that land. This hotel was built in 1838, but was destroyed by fire in 1868. The ghosts in the bank allegedly belong to a waitress at the hotel and her lover, a postal clerk. Legend has it that if you pass by, you will see them embracing in one of the upper windows.

Sanatorium Hill

Sanatorium Hill was once home to the tuberculosis sanatorium in Madison, Wisconsin. From 1930 to 1966, patients with tuberculosis were housed at Lake View Sanatorium for treatment and end-of-life care. Many patients lost their lives in the fight against the disease.

Since then, many eerie reports have surfaced about the woods behind the sanatorium and the graveyard. These woods have seen apparitions, strange lights, striking temperature differences, and more.

Orpheum Theater

The Orpheum Theater, originally built in 1926, stands tall with much of its original architecture preserved. Home to a gorgeous grand staircase, the theater is flashy and stylish. But the theater is not just a beacon for performers looking to hit it big. It’s also home to otherworldly experiences.

The city’s premier music venue is frequented by the ghost of its former manager and other employees who, unfortunately, lost their lives in the theater. Some say you can see poltergeist activity through the theater’s windows.

Wisconsin State Capitol

The state capital of Wisconsin is iconic not only for its importance to the legislature but also because it is said to be haunted. In 1909, the roof of the Wisconsin State Capitol collapsed over the fourth floor of the south wing during construction.

Rumors abound that the victims of this tragic incident still roam the halls. Others have experienced cold spots, disembodied voices, and apparitions throughout the building.

Bascom Hill

Did you know the heart of the University of Wisconsin—Madison was actually once a cemetery? That’s right! Used as a cemetery for white settlers from 1837 until 1846, the land was later excavated to make room for a bronze Abraham Lincoln statue. The men digging the foundation for the statue unearthed two men who’d died in Madison.

The first man, William Nelson, is believed to be the first to die in Madison. He died due to typhoid in 1837. The second man, Samuel Warren, was struck by lightning and killed in 1838.

Science Hall

Another spooky site on the UW—Madison campus, Science Hall is the second-oldest building on campus. This hall, fittingly used for science, was home to the anatomy department in the early 1900s.

These students had performed autopsies on cadavers in the upper floors of the building. Those cadavers were then forgotten about. Imagine the surprise Jon Kimberling felt in 1974 when he found an embalmed human foot—skin still attached—in the attic of the building!

The building is also the place where two men tragically died. One, a UW German professor, died during a faculty meeting. The other, a construction worker named Henry Hoven, died when a guide wire on a derrick crane snapped. The crane hit him in the head, and he died days later.

Haunted Wisconsin

If you’re into haunted history, Madison’s most haunted places are sure to excite you. While the town’s culture is now bubbling over with college life, its rich history also contributes to the strong lure of the city. Whether you’re a visitor or a local, we know you’ll love taking one of our Madison ghost tours. Book one today!

And, if you’d like more ghost stories from the comfort of your home, you can check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more! We can’t wait to see you there.

Sources:

• https://www.concoursehotel.com/blog/haunted-madison
• https://usghostadventures.com/madison-ghost-tour/great-dane-pub/
• https://usghostadventures.com/madison-ghost-tour/tempest-oyster-bar/
• https://isthmus.com/news/cover-story/madison-monsters-meet-our-ghosts-ghouls-witches-and-werewolves/
• https://608today.6amcity.com/haunted-places-stories-madison-wi#:~:text=%F0%9F%95%B7%EF%B8%8F%20Wisconsin%20State%20Capitol%20Our%20iconic%20capitol,away%20to%20reveal%20the%20ghostly%20looking%20soldier.
• https://badgerherald.com/news/campus/2019/10/31/the-spooky-history-of-uw-death-onstage-human-foot-found-in-the-wall-bodies-unearthed/