The Top Ten Most Haunted Places in Indianapolis

Filled with history and culture, Indianapolis is home to many historic landmarks that locals cherish and call their own. But these old buildings and forgotten plots of land hold many deep, dark secrets of horrendous murders and tragic deaths that attract some of the darkest entities imaginable.

Are you ready for the scariest tour of Indianapolis? Contact us today to schedule your ghost tour with us here at Indy Ghosts for a chilling good time.

What is the Most Haunted Place in Indianapolis?

Lavish estates, an abandoned asylum, and a bar located inside a 200-year-old building are just a few of the haunted sites you can find in the midwestern city of Indianapolis. It can be hard to determine which location is the most haunted of them all, but it is safe to say that they all have plenty of thrills and chills to frighten even the most skeptical visitor.

Hannah House

The historic Hannah House on Madison Avenue was built by its namesake, Alexander Moore Hannah, in 1858 on his 240-acre farm. Hannah was a businessman and farmer who made a fortune while staying in California temporarily during the Gold Rush before returning back to Indiana to build his estate.

Hannah lived alone in the 24-room Italianate brick house until he married Elizabeth Jackson in 1872. They had one child on March 16th, 1875, but sadly the baby was stillborn.

Since Alexander and Elizabeth had no heirs, the property was divided following their deaths and resold several times before the home was rented out to John and Gladys O’Brien between 1960 and 1970.

The First Hauntings of the Hannah House 

The O’Briens ran an antique store inside the home, and during their time living at the Hannah House, they began to notice many peculiar incidences. It was mostly your basic haunted house issues, such as strange noises, flickering lights, and electronics malfunctioning.

After the O’Briens moved out, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The owners started holding special events at the Hannah House during the 1980s to raise funds so they could maintain the historic home. They held murder mystery parties, hosted dinners, and allowed the home to be used for weddings and other celebrations.

As more people visited the home, the number of reported ghostly encounters increased and became more harrowing. Visitors said they could smell the scent of burning candles coming from the attic, which is where the servants who once lived in the house supposedly had an altar.

Some guests have noticed a disturbing odor that could only be described as the smell of rotting flesh. This occurred in the first bedroom at the top of the stairs.

Several apparitions have been seen in the home, including a man wearing a black suit and a woman sitting near a window, holding a stillborn baby believed to be Alexander and Elizabeth’s child.

Indianapolis Athletic Club

The Indianapolis Athletic Club, located on Meridian, was founded in 1920. Over the years the organization grew to have more than 2,000 members. The building had three floors with 160 sleeping rooms for members, an apartment for women, a billiard room, a swimming pool, dining rooms, and smoking lounges.

On February 5th, 1992, faulty wiring in a refrigerator caused a massive fire to erupt that killed one of the guests and two firemen.

According to the local legend, every Halloween, there are reports of a ghost being spotted in the building. The locals believe it is the spirit of one of the firefighters, John Lorenzano, who was killed in the fire. People claim to hear John’s voice telling them to get out of the building as a warning.

Indiana Repertory Theatre

Originally known as the Indiana Theatre, this community event location is dedicated to creating a vibrant live theatre experience. It is the largest non-profit theatre in the state and officially opened its doors in 1921. Fifty years later, the building was faced with the possibility of demolition until the Indiana Repertory Theatre took over.

Tom Haas was the Repertory Theatre director who came to Indianapolis from New Jersey, where he studied at the Yale School of Drama. While there, he mentored actors such as Meryl Streep, Henry Winkler, and Sigourney Weaver. Everything was going well for Haas and the theatre group until one unfortunate day in 1991.

It was a cold morning with a thick fog in the air. Haas was out for a morning jog when he was suddenly struck by a van; a month later, he died from the severity of his injuries.

Following his death, strange things began to occur at the theater. Witnesses claim they heard floorboards creaking. According to the legend, it is believed they are hearing the spirit of Tom Haas jogging around the mezzanine level of the building. The noise is particularly evident on rainy and foggy days.

Indiana State Capitol Building

The Indiana State Capitol Building is a historic treasure belonging to all of the citizens of Indiana. The four-story building, which was built in 1888, is home to the Indiana House of Representatives, the Indiana State Senate, the Indiana Supreme Court, and the Indiana Court of Appeals.

The State Capitol is believed to be home to several dark entities. Many people refuse to go up the creepy spiral staircase that leads to the top floor. Staff members say they have heard strange noises and see things out of the corner of their eyes while up there. They say there’s no logical explanation for many of the things they see or hear.

According to the legend, there was an employee who worked in the mailroom in the late 19th century. As he was pushing the mail cart to deliver letters and packages, he either lost his balance and fell over the balcony of the fourth floor, or he willingly jumped to his death.

Several people have mentioned hearing the wheels of the squeaky mail cart behind them while they are on the fourth floor at night. When they turn around, no one is there.

The Haunted Basement

Hauntings have also been reported in the basement of the Capitol building. According to the story, many years ago, blacksmiths were working in that part of the building when one of their horses got out of control.

The horse reared up and kicked a worker in the head, instantly killing them. Now several people have mentioned if they are in the basement late at night, they can distinctly hear the sound of horses whinnying.

Some visitors and staff members have also reported seeing the apparition of a woman with long hair dressed in a 19th-century long, flowing dress who disappears as quickly as she appears. There is also a story of a gray or black orb that randomly appears at times inside the building.  

James Allison Mansion

The James Allison Mansion is an elaborate estate with an impressive interior design featuring marbled walls and floors as well as Tiffany-style stained-glass windows.

The estate was built by James Allison in the early 20th century. Allison was an automobile entrepreneur, most famous for being the co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 race.

Allison spared no expense on his elaborate home. The exterior was just as impressive, featuring lush gardens along with greenhouses, ponds, and orchards. After his death in 1928, the fate of the James Allison Mansion was uncertain. 

Eventually, it was acquired by the Sisters of Saint Francis, who are also the founders of Marian University. The Allison Mansion is now a part of the university and home to the Office of the President and the Office of Conferences and Events.

As with many historic locations in Indianapolis, the James Allison Mansion has many ghost stories linked to it that locals have told for decades. According to reports from witnesses, the spirit of James Allison haunts the mansion. He is constantly rearranging things, such as books in the library or moving furniture throughout the home.

It is also rumored that the spirit of a young girl who drowned in the basement pool haunts the mansion as well. Visitors have reported seeing her ghost and have even heard bloodcurdling screams paired with the heart-wrenching cries of the child coming from the basement.

Slippery Noodle Inn

Another haunted location on Meridian Street is the Slippery Noodle Inn. This trendy bar is the oldest in the state that still operates in its original building, which is around 200 years old. While the establishment is admired for its rich history, that is not the only reason curious tourists venture to this popular hangout.

There have been many claims throughout the years that the Slippery Noodle is haunted. When the bar first opened, it was known as the Tremont House. According to the story, at that time the bar may have doubled as part of the Underground Railroad.

In 2018, the event coordinator of the bar said formerly enslaved people would hide out in the building before catching a train heading north. Many have said there is an eerie presence in the basement, and something just doesn’t feel right there while you are down there.

A page on the bar’s former website, which has since been deleted, stated that the building was also used as a brothel until 1853. According to local lore, there were two regular male customers who got into a fight one night over the same woman. 

One man ended up killing the other and leaving a bloody knife at the bar. That type of brutal murder fueled by passion is exactly the kind of dark energy ghosts and spirits will cling to.

Central State Hospital

The Central State Hospital was the first hospital of its kind in the state of Indiana to offer treatment for mental illness and addiction. Dr. John Evans and other local physicians advocated for the fair and respectful treatment of these patients and for the hospital to be constructed. 

Prior to the hospital opening, people diagnosed with mental illness were confined to almshouses and jails, many times suffering from neglect. Unfortunately, after the hospital opened, the lack of funding and understaffing led to patients being abused there as well. 

The superintendent, Dr. Fletcher, hoped to resolve this issue by burning all patient restraints in a bonfire in 1883. Later a pathology lab opened in the hospital in 1896, and afterward, the building served as a state teaching hospital. It was given the name Central State Hospital in 1927 and closed its doors in 1994 after several patients died from neglect.

Spirits of the Asylum Patients 

Those who have lived in Indianapolis all their lives have heard tales about ghosts haunting the old mental hospital. It was rumored that as renovations took place on the grounds of the former hospital, a soccer field was built over the mass graves of the patients.

Construction efforts revealed how patients were once chained in the basement and left to suffer in dark and damp conditions. There have been many terrifying stories about the horrible abuse patients received at the hands of the doctors as well as patients murdering other patients.

Most of the old building is now torn down or reappropriated. But the frightening rumors and stories still remain. 

There are tales of shadowy figures lurking around the outside of the building at night. People have also seen the apparition of a young woman with black hair and a flowing dress, who has been said to not have eyes.

Rivoli Theatre

The Rivoli Theatre was built in 1927 and opened its doors on September 15th of the same year. It provided a new era of entertainment for the people of Indianapolis inside a beautiful, stylish building featuring a large auditorium with terrazzo floors made from Riviera black marble.

While it was a popular location at first, the Rivoli was closed several times over the years and had several different owners who used it for various purposes. At one time, the theater was a concert venue for the local rock music scene.

This historic theater has plenty of ghostly energy within it, with one of the most popular urban legends being about a spirit known as Lady Rivoli. This spirit is a former patron who haunts the auditorium.

It is rumored that she will steal and misplace work equipment, which stresses out the employees and performers. Staff members have also reported seeing strange apparitions, hearing noises, and having a feeling of being watched.

According to research about the location, there were reports of strange and unusual activity occurring on the site before the theater was built. It has been said that the theater was built over an old Indian burial ground, which may have contributed to the haunting activity.

Paul Ruster State Cemetery

This cemetery, located within the 102-acre Paul Ruster State Park, is surrounded by a peaceful rural setting where visitors enjoy jogging, hiking, and walking their dogs. But the locals know there is more to this pleasant park than meets the eye.

It is believed that the cemetery as well as the park is haunted by a ghost that is hundreds of years old. Some of the first people to report these strange occurrences were a group of young people who gathered in the park in the 1980s to play Dungeons and Dragons. 

The group of kids, who would meet up on a regular basis, started hearing strange noises coming from the park’s boundaries. The sound would often cause the kids to stop playing, and they would leave the park in a hurry out of fear of the unknown.

According to the local legend, a 12-year-old boy who lived on a nearby farm was killed when he was playing his harmonica and walking along the train tracks that were close to the park. No one knows if the boy was struck by the train or if something else caused him harm.

Reportedly, he is buried in an unmarked grave at the cemetery. Witnesses claim that if you walk along the long path leading from the soccer fields to the woods near his grave, you can hear the sound of a harmonica being played by his spirit. 

Others have witnessed seeing the apparition of the boy, walking down the road, again playing his harmonica. The railroad tracks may be long gone, but the spirit of the fallen child still remains.

Wheeler-Stokely Mansion

This estate was built for the co-founder of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Frank Wheeler. This mansion, as well as the aforementioned James Allison Mansion, now both belong to Marian University, owned by the Sisters of St. Francis. And like the Allison property, the Wheeler-Stokely mansion is also believed to be haunted.

Following the death of Wheeler, the property was sold to Monty Williams, who gave the estate the name of “Hawkeye.” He remodeled the property and removed the lagoon that was on site. The next owner, William Burnett Stokely Jr., purchased the property in 1937 and lived there until 1963 when it was sold to Marion University.

According to a 1990 article in the university’s publication The Carbon, Wheeler committed suicide in 1921 after gangrene caused by diabetes infected his legs. 

Witnesses have reported strange activity inside the building. One of the professors of music and her students saw the apparition of a man appear in the rehearsal rooms.

Another bizarre incident occurred when campus security was making their rounds after hours at the mansion. They brought in a K-9 dog to investigate a report of a possible trespasser. 

They heard the sound of keys jangling and doors slamming. The dog halted at the bottom of the stairs leading to the third floor and refused to move.

Haunted Indianapolis

Indianapolis is a capital city that is filled with folklore dating back for generations. It has been a hotspot for ghostly encounters thanks to the many haunting and momentous locations.

From historic mansions to sites of old asylums, it is safe to say that Indianapolis is one of the most haunted cities in the Midwest.

If you are interested in learning more about the spookiest places in Indianapolis and surrounding areas, be sure to keep up with our blog. And for more thrills and chills, schedule your ghost tour with us here at Indy Ghosts.

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