The most haunted places in metro Detroit

FALL

Here in metro Detroit, something sinister looms. While not everyone believes in ghosts, who some believe are spirits that have unfinished business on this plane of existence, stick a non-believer alone in Westland’s former Eloise Psychiatric Asylum with nothing but a flashlight and we bet they’ll change their tune... to a scream. These are but a few of the places believed to be the Detroit area’s most haunted spots.

n Fair Lane, Home of Clara and

Henry Ford

1 Fair Lane Dr., Dearborn; 313-668-3200; henryfordfairlane.org The Fair Lane estate, which was where Henry Ford died, is allegedly haunted by a ghostly butler who has appeared inside of the vehicles on the grounds. The estate has been investigated by a Michigan paranormal team that said they recorded evidence of various strange sights like floating orbs and mist. Oh, and there have been reports of doors and windows opening and closing on their own. PASS!

n Northville Psychiatric

Hospital

41000 Seven Mile Rd., Northville Opened in 1952 and closed 50 years later, this hospital might just be home to some patients that have yet to leave. At the time, this Northville facility was touted as Michigan’s first attempt at scientific treatment of mental illness, and had everything from a movie theater, bowling alley, and therapeutic baths available to patients. However, the tunnels, which were designated as fallout shelter at the height of the Cold War, have been the source of paranormal activity, like hearing voices, footsteps, and clanking chains. Some have even reported having experienced touch and breathing down their necks by the unseen. While the asylum is no longer standing, it is said to be surrounded by a creepy forest where many of the spirits have allegedly relocated to.

of the most (allegedly) haunted places

15 Visit Detroit's cemeteries... if you dare. haunted places

in metro Detroit to scare your pants off

n Two-Way Inn

17897 Mt. Elliott St., Detroit; 313-891-4925; 2wayinn.com Detroit’s oldest bar has one hell of a history — and you bet it’s haunted. Established in 1876, the building once served as a brothel, general store, a jail, and a Prohibition Era-speakeasy. Anyway, the former owner and resident of the inn, Philetus Norris, has been said to have been seen by patrons and owners. Reports note that the Union spy, archaeologist, and Yellowstone National Park superintendent still dons his cowboy-like duds, even in the afterlife.

n Westland’s Former Eloise

Psychiatric Asylum

30712 Michigan Ave., Westland; eloiseasylum.com Once the largest psychiatric asylum in the country, and later, a favorite haunt for daring urban explorers, Westland’s hulking Eloise Psychiatric Hospital has been called “the Holy Grail” of paranormal investigation sites. Since it closed in 1981, the site has maintained a grisly history that is the stu of urban legends. Originally erected as the

Wayne County poorhouse in 1839, it soon housed people with mental and psychiatric disabilities, and at its peak, developed into a sprawling campus of 75 buildings that cared for as many as 8,000 patients a day. Developers have since transformed it into an immersive experience for paranormal activity aficionados.

n Ypsilanti’s Michigan Firehouse Museum

110 W Cross St., Ypsilanti; 734-547-0663; michiganfirehousemuseum.org When Al G. Dyer Jr. took over as director of Ypsilanti’s Michigan Firehouse Museum in July of 2018, he was warned that he’d be contacted by ghost hunters interested in the building’s alleged paranormal activity. The gist of it is this: The former fire station’s chief Alonzo Miller died in 1940, and is believed to haunt the building. Immediately after his death, Miller’s crews reported hearing strange noises in the station, with reports extending into the 1970s.

n Elmwood Cemetery

1200 Elmwood St., Detroit; 313-567-3453; elmwoodhistoriccemetery.org Elmwood Cemetery was first dedicated in 1846 and holds the title of being Michigan’s oldest operating cemetery. Some of Michigan’s most famous residents have been buried here, from governors to war heroes, and this cemetery also has the distinction of being the location of the Battle of Bloody Run. With so much history, surely paranormal activity could be part of it.

n St. Agnes Church

7601 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit St. Agnes Church was originally built in 1921 and was abandoned in 2006. Some say a nun’s spirit can be felt inside, who was once part of the church’s congregation. Oftentimes visitors feel cold spots, smell strange smells, and hear bizarre bangs. A haunt for the senses!

n Historic Fort Wayne

6325 W. Jefferson Ave., Detroit; 313-628-0796; historicfortwaynecoalition.com The land that Detroit’s Fort Wayne sits on was once a Native American burial mound, and when the mounds were excavated in the early 20th century, remains as old as 900 years were found. Hauntings reported usually revolve around the dealings of the American troops that carried out orders here. Many paranormal investigations have taken place here, and folks say they’ve found definitive evidence that this place is really haunted. Disembodied footsteps and voices have been reported along with ghostly figures.

n The Masonic Temple

500 Temple St., Detroit; 313-832-7100; themasonic.com The largest Masonic Temple in the world is right here in our backyard. Opened in 1926, Detroit’s Masonic Temple spans 14 floors with 1,037 rooms. The massive building is also said to be home to many paranormal experiences. (Those who believe in this sort of thing say the temple is currently haunted by George D. Mason, who went bankrupt because he helped to fund the construction of the temple. After that, his wife left him. Mason killed himself by jumping o the top of the temple.)

n Detroit Institute of Arts

5200 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313-833-7900; dia.org We have no Night at the Museum fantasies about the Detroit Institute of Arts after learning that security guards have been said to encounter strange activity at night, like reports of hearing loud thuds and other unexpected noises. Most of the bizarre activity is said to occur in the African art gallery, where the “Nail Figure” is.

n Belle Island Lake Tacoma

99 Pleasure Dr., Detroit; 313-821-9844; michigan.org/belleislepark “The Old Woman of Belle Isle?” We’re good! Apparently, the bridge near Lake Tacoma is home to the legend of an old woman. Scared yet? OK, well legend says that if you drive your car, stop on the bridge, and turn the motor o , an old and decaying woman will appear before your eyes. She will then try and lead the passenger into the woods, which you should absolutely not do. Or should you?

n The Alhambra Building

100 Temple St., Detroit This apartment building along the Cass Corridor was built in the late 1890s. In 1905, a woman named Rose Barron allegedly poisoned 40 families, killing two people with arsenic biscuits she made. It is said that the two victims still haunt the area, which is now part of Little Caesars Arena’s District Detroit renovation e orts. We have some bad bad news: you can’t evict ghosts.

n Detroit Symphony Orchestra

3711 Woodward Ave., Detroit; 313.576.5100; dso.org The Phantom of the Opera doesn’t have shit on the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Building, which is said to be haunted by its former music director, Ossip Gabrilowitsch. Visitors have claimed to have heard voices, footsteps, and have felt cold spots. Some employees and guests have also said to have encountered strange smells and hear music when no one is there.

n Stevens T. Mason Monument

1317 Griswold St., Detroit; historicdetroit.org/stevens-t-masonmonument Though Michigan’s first and youngest governor, Stevens T. Mason, was originally buried in New York, his remains were relocated to Detroit in 1905 in a tomb beneath his statue. In 2010, Mason’s statue was refurbished and his grave was exhumed, but nothing was there. A couple days later, Mason’s tomb was discovered several feet away.

n The Leland Hotel

400 Bagley St., Detroit; 313-962-2300; theleland.net The Leland used to be one of Detroit’s top hotels. Over the years there have been rumors as well as multiple deaths and more than 15 suicides, and ghosts have been spotted on the fourth floor of the building, including a woman who has been seen in the basement haunting the bathrooms and dance floor. (We’re not surprised this place eventually became a popular goth nightclub.)