A little girl who hushes talkative theatre audiences. A dancing couple in a closed bar who disappear when police show up. A heartbroken woman who jumped to her death. And, a classic cowboy who still knows how to have a good time. Get to know some of the Valley’s perennial haunted hot spots and the legends behind them.
Orpheum Theatre
This stunning venue has wowed crowds since 1929. But, it’s also known for entertainment off the stage. There are tales of creepy goings-on in the dressing rooms and a mystery greeter, but the star is the ghost of a little girl called “Maddie” who regularly strolls the property and has been known to tap chatty people on the shoulder and shush them in the balcony. The theatre has embraced its haunted persona and repeated appearances on the state’s “Most Haunted Places” lists, and operates its own Orpheum Ghost Tour that gives guests who dare the spooky scoop. PhoenixConventionCenter.com
The Stockyards
This 74-year-old east Phoenix steakhouse and former packing house has been the site of several spooky encounters. Once, a bar patron saw a woman wearing red walk behind him with her reflection moving in the mirror behind the bar. But when he turned around, she wasn’t there. The owner has claimed to have lost cleaning crews after they experienced paranormal activity after hours, and there are numerous staff stories over the years about hearing voices when not a single soul—that can be seen with the naked eye, anyway—is around. StockyardsSteakhouse.com
Rosson House at Heritage Square
Built in 1895, this classic Victorian was home to the influential Rosson family, as well as to the many other owners who followed until the City of Phoenix became its final owner in the early 1970s and transformed it into a museum. Its classic Queen Anne style gives it a haunted house visage, but the haunting vibe goes beyond appearances.
The structure took on a supernatural life of its own in the early 1980s after one of its caretakers was shot outside of the house. Legend has it that the ghost of the caretaker continues to oversee his place of employment, and makes his presence known with never-used fireplaces that randomly illuminate or give off heat, doors that lock on their own, and museum pieces that get mysteriously shuffled around. Visitors have also reported a shadow in their peripheral vision, and footsteps progressing on the staircase that don't belonging to anyone. HeritageSquarePHX.org
Hotel San Carlos
Not long after this Downtown Phoenix hotel opened in 1928, a young woman jumped to her death from the roof after suffering a devastating breakup with her boyfriend. Today, guests continue to report seeing a woman in white standing bedside before vanishing. Both guests and staff have reported her wandering the staircases, as well.
There are also accounts of children’s voices and laughing amid the patter of footsteps running through the halls or basement—possible supernatural vestiges of the city’s first school which was built in the late 19th Century where the hotel now stands. HistoricHotelSanCarlos.com
Casey Moore’s Oyster House
This house-turned-neighborhood bar and seafood spot a few blocks Tempe’s Mill Avenue is just as famous for decades-worth of odd sightings. The most common: A man and woman in vintage clothing are seen dancing on the second floor after closing time—usually around 4 a.m.—but when neighbors have called the police, they arrive at an empty space and an alarm system that is undisturbed.
The couple are said to be the ghosts of William and Mary Moeur, the original owners of the historic home and part of the influential Moeur family responsible for much of the early development of Tempe.
Others report a vision of a woman wandering around during business hours. Legend says she was a resident during the days when the building was used as a boarding house and possible brothel, and was strangled by her bitter ex-boyfriend. She is also blamed for the occasional pictures flying off walls, silverware hurled off tables and tablets, and chairs mysteriously rearranged overnight. CaseyMooresOysterHouse.godaddysites.com
The Hermosa Inn
This elegant grand dame of the Valley’s prestigious resort scene is not only a beloved spot for the living seeking to celebrate small and large occasions. Alonzo “Lon” Megargee III was the original owner of the Inn, which also served as his home. He was a famous cowboy artist and created some of his greatest pieces here. After he died at the age of 77, patrons and staff have reported seeing his unmistakable tall lanky shadow and silhouette with his trademark Stetson hat around the restaurant that bears his name.
But, his presence has rarely garnered fear. Known as a friendly and good-time loving ghost, Lon is credited with the random falling of glasses and beer bottles off the bar, pots tumbling off kitchen shelves, and the occasional inexplicable flushing of toilets. HermosaInn.com
Pioneer Living History Museum
It’s a bit of a drive, but the isolation of this 90-acre collection of two-dozen historic 19th-century buildings tucked away in the black rock foothills of North Phoenix adds to its secluded if-you-scream-will-anyone-hear-you persona.
The museum includes original homes of territorial settlers who helped tame the Wild West. Some say these structures that come from all over the state also each come with their own ghost. Employees of the nonprofit organization have reported a bevy of unexplained happenings: Children singing in the old schoolhouse, dark figures emerging from the Opera House, sudden cold blasts of air, and the touch by unseen hands. Visitors also share some of these accounts in addition to being overcome by feelings of uneasiness.
The reports have been so credible that the museum has been the subject of many paranormal investigations. The Phoenix Arizona Paranormal Society LLC, which is registered with the State of Arizona, has led a number of these quests and conducts the "Whispers in the Dark” tours. PioneerAZ.org
Crowne Plaza Phoenix-Chandler Golf Resort
A floating woman, internal phone calls from rooms and extensions that no longer exist, and moaning from empty spaces are among the reports made by guests at the former San Marcos Hotel in Downtown Chandler. The occasional laughter of little girls echoing from the basement is said to belong to the spirits of Monica and Henrietta, who were playing in the irrigation tunnels when they were inundated with flood water and drowned in the 1960s. SanMarcosResort.com
Jefferson Park
With a baseball field, volleyball court, playground for kids of all ages, and lots of ramada and picnic spots, this Mesa park is the ideal neighborhood family gathering space. But after dark and, they say, around midnight, it takes a PG-13 turn.
According to legend, this peaceful spot is home to the ghost of a young girl who was assaulted and murdered in the park. Doomed to spend eternity running from tree to tree in a never-ending effort to escape her fate, late-night park-goers have heard her screams and seen her faded image streaking by, sometimes up close. MesaParks.com/parks-facilities/parks/jefferson-park