The Best Haunted Places in Michigan – My Michigan Adventures

These are the 30 most haunted locations in Michigan that will make you feel scared.

There is no better way to feel that eerie feeling of being alone than to read ghost stories that will keep you awake at night.

There are many ghost stories to be found in Michigan. Michigan has many haunted locations, from the populous Wayne County to remote areas in the Upper Peninsula.

These Michigan haunted spots are home to bone-chilling ghost stories. There’s enough evidence to support them.

Grab a hot cup of cider, a cinnamon donut, and curl up under a blanket to read about Michigan’s most haunted attractions.

Michigan’s Haunted Hotels and Inns

Clare’s Doherty Hotel

You want to spend the night at a hotel that is haunted by ghosts? Clare, Michigan is the best place to start.

Former Senator Alfred James Doherty built the historic Doherty Hotel, Clare in 1924. He was a friend to Henry Ford. The Doherty family, which has been operating the hotel in mid-Michigan for almost 100 years, has owned it.

Doherty Hotel was used as a meeting spot for the mafia during prohibition. It also featured a variety of illegal activities. The notorious Purple Gang of Detroit also frequented this hotel.

The Purple Gang, a notorious organized crime gang that terrorized the Detroit and southeast Michigan areas, dates back to the 1920s. Their criminal activities extended beyond the city limits and reached Clare, a small town in mid-Michigan.

In 1938, Jack Livingston, his cousin and business partner, shot Isaiah Leebove to death. This was one of Michigan’s most famous murders.

Numerous hauntings are reported today. Hotel guests have reported hearing strange knocking and ghostly apparitions locking and unlocking the doors.

Some believe that Isaiah Leebove could still be at Doherty Hotel with Helen “Grandma”, his family matriarch.

Is he still there? Let us know your opinion.

Henderson Castle, Kalamazoo

Are you looking for a haunted house that has “friendly” ghosts and historical architecture?

You should visit Henderson Castle in Kalamazoo, southwest Michigan, if you are interested. It is one of Michigan’s Top 10 Haunted Places. This Queen Anne-style, ornate home is now a popular Bed and Breakfast and Event Venue.

Henderson Castle, perched high on West Main Hill with a view of downtown Kalamazoo since the late 1800s has been a constant presence. The castle was built by Frank Henderson, a successful businessman, and Mary Henderson, his wife. It cost $72,000 in 1895, which is about $2.5million in today’s dollars. The 25-room home had a ballroom, as well as an elevator that could take you to the third floor. It was quite luxurious for its time.

Mountain Home Cemetery is located across the street from the sandstone castle. It contains the final resting place for Frank and Mary Henderson.

Frank died in his 70s, but many guests reported experiencing unexplainable phenomena.

According to legend, the ghosts of Frank, Mary (a Spanish-American War veteran) and Henderson’s son, a strange little girl, as well as a dog, have been seen or felt in Henderson Castle.

A number of disembodied voices and strange sounds have been reported to be heard.

These spirits are friendly and appear to take care of the haunted house, which is far from the demon hauntings seen in horror movies.

Landmark Inn in Marquette, MI

Paranormal activity is not uncommon in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, as demonstrated by The Landmark Inn Marquette MI.

The elegant hotel is located near Lake Superior and has been the setting for a few bone-chilling tales dating back nearly 100 years.

The Landmark was built in part to provide luxury accommodation for New York and Boston business owners who wanted to visit the area to review their business interests. Over the years, ghost hunters and paranormal investigators have been drawn to the Landmark’s stories.

One story tells the story of a man who murdered his girlfriend out of jealousy while the inn was being built. The man then took her body down to the basement and buried it there.

Another ghostly tale is set in the hotel’s sixth-floor “Lilac Room”.

The story centers on a shipworker who falls in love with a local librarian. They had their affair in the Lilac Room where the man was living.

The couple was said to have planned a wedding upon his return from his last voyage on the sometimes-treacherous Lake Superior. Their love affair ended tragically when their ship was hit by a storm and fell to the bottom. The librarian grieved him in the Lilac Room and he never returned to shore.

Visitors report haunting occurrences that continue to add to the spooky tradition.

In the 1930s, a worker who was assigned to build the hotel claimed that he heard a female whispering and weeping to get him to locate her body.

The second-story librarian is also said to be on the sixth floor, pacing or crying, still grieving her lover.

Terrace Inn

The Terrace Inn was opened in 1911 in Petoskey’s historic Bay View. It is a 38-room Victorian resort. It has been the scene of two deaths since its opening.

A rumor has it that two workers were killed when a beam crashed on them while they were building the inn.

Another story says that Elizabeth Abbey Sweet, a pregnant woman, was in room 211 at the time she fell and miscarried. According to legend, her husband died years later from a broken heart after still grieving the loss his wife and twins.

No matter what story you believe, at least three ghosts are believed to haunt the inn.

The first lady is a woman in white who walks the halls and rooms.

The second ghost is a man wearing a tweed suit and looking out from the balcony at the front. The third ghost is a child hiding in the basement.

These ghosts have been reported by guests to be seen, heard, or felt while they were here.

Michigan: More haunted hotels and inns

Mission Point Resort at Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island’s Mission Point Resort is believed to be haunted. Harvey, a college student who died in the 1970’s near Lake Huron resort, was said to be haunted and has returned for “visits”.

Holly Hotel, Holly, MI

This charming green awning should not fool you: the Holly Hotel has been the site of many strange events, drawing the attention of paranormal investigators and ghost hunters from across the country.

The Holly Hotel is considered to be Michigan’s most haunted historical building. It has received many visits from otherworldly visitors.

Bowers Harbor Inn

The Mission Table restaurant is now the name of the Inn, but the two-story home on Traverse City’s Old Mission Peninsula houses a playful ghost. His sleight-of-hand pranks are well-documented. It is believed to be Genevieve Stickney’s ghost, who was once the caregiver for the owners of the Inn. Here is a detailed and fascinating account of her visits.

Fort Shelby Hotel

This historic hotel in downtown Detroit is now known as Doubletree Suites. It was built in 1916 and is said to have been home to a friendly ghost called “Al” who can sometimes be seen walking through the hallways.

Haunted Forts of Michigan

Fort Mackinac

Tourists visiting Mackinac Island will not be able to miss Fort Mackinac.

The Revolutionary War-era fort was home to soldiers who engaged in combat using rifles and cannons. The fort is now part of Mackinac Island State Park. It has been restored but it still retains a lot of its violent past.

There are several hot spots around Fort Mackinac that visitors can encounter the paranormal.

Photos of severed limbs are displayed in the Post Hospital, which is now a museum that offers a glimpse into 19th century medicine.

Cold spots can be felt inside the Fort’s Guardhouse even on the hottest summer days.

Other ghostly sightings have occurred in Fort locations where restless spirits appear to be appearing. Visitors may sometimes see apparitions using their own eyes. This includes a woman crying in the cemetery or a soldier near Sally Port North Entrance.

Fort Wayne

The historic Fort Wayne is located on the banks of the Detroit River, and is a great choice for anyone visiting metro Detroit.

Historic Fort Wayne is named after Mad Anthony Wayne, a brigadier-general in the U.S. Army. It was built in Detroit in the 1800s.

The fort is now part of Detroit Recreation Department. Rumours abound that it’s haunted. It is rumored to be one of the most haunted locations in Detroit.

The excavation of an indigenous burial ground was required for the construction of the project, which created a feeling of unrest on the land.

While touring the fort, visitors notice some strange anomalies. These include seeing strange apparitions and being touched by unseen beings.

These ghosts are believed to be from deceased soldiers. Others believe they are the hauntings of Fort Wayne’s burial ground.

Michigan has more haunted forts

River Raisin National Battlefield Park, Monroe

Although it is not technically a Fort in fact, it IS the location of the War of 1812 Battle of Frenchtowns, one of the most bloody battles in American history. The battle between American and British troops saw more than 500 American soldiers die and many others were left to die on the battlefield.

Their restless spirits are believed to wander the grounds every day. Paranormal activity hunters from all over the country have visited Monroe’s historic site and recorded strange sounds and sights that indicate the presence of “others”.

Michigan’s Haunted Lighthouses

While not all Michigan’s lighthouses have been deemed haunted, there are a few that do. You can find out more about Michigan’s lighthouses here. You can either use our guide to Lake Michigan Lighthouses, or our guide to Lake Huron Lighthouses. If you want to see something cold and sometimes scary, check out our post on Michigan’s Frozen Lighthouses.

Seul Choix Point Lighthouse

The waters of Lake Michigan are visible from Gulliver in Michigan.

Here is Captain Willie Townsend, who worked here from 1902 until 1910, when his death occurred.

Due to the remoteness of the location and the time period, Captain was placed in the basement of the light and left there for almost three weeks. His family then made the trip north to pay their respects.

Haunted events are now a way for guests to use all their senses.

The air is suffused with the odor of cigar smoke, the reflections of hazy faces in the bedroom mirrors become apparent, and the sound from furniture moving echos through the tower like Captain Willie Townsend still tends to the tower.

White River Light Station

The White River Light Station is a local landmark that has been appreciated by Whitehall residents.

He arrived in the area in 1860s and was shocked to see how traffic was flowing in and out the White River. So he petitioned the lighthouse service for one.

The first lighthouse keepers were the Robinsons, and they worked tirelessly for over 50 years to maintain it. The home is still inhabited by Captain William Robinson and Sarah Robinson.

People claim that William is heard going up the spiral staircase to the lantern area to tend to the light, while Sarah seeks solace in the space once occupied by their children.

Michigan has more haunted destinations

Former Holy Family Orphanage, Marquette MI

The Old City Orphanage is a landmark Michigan landmark. It’s located in Marquette. When it opened in 1915, 60 Native American children and eight nuns were the first to move in.

As adults, former residents claimed that the nuns had abused children both mentally and physically. They often used cruel and severe punishments. Rumours claim that the nuns beat and even left the children out in the cold of northern Michigan to die.

People who have walked the grounds say that they can hear little girls crying and moaning on quiet nights. Some have also reported seeing ghostly apparitions.

Masonic Temple Detroit

Detroit was bustling in the 1920s with a booming automobile industry and a lucrative, but illegal, liquor trade. During prohibition, underground networks such as bootleggers or Freemasons flourished.

Because of the increasing popularity of Freemasonry within the city, George D. Mason received a commission to build the Masonic Temple.

Tragically, his wife, who had been a bankrupt, left him during construction, prompting him to jump from the temple’s roof. According to security guards at the Masonic Temple, he was seen heading upstairs towards the roof by his ghost, appearing as if in a loop. This makes the Masonic Temple one the most haunted locations in Detroit.

Michigan’s First State Prison

The Michigan’s First State Prison was constructed in Jackson, MI in 1838. It housed thousands of inmates and was the largest prison with walls in the world.

This prison’s history is littered with riots, neglect and escapes, wrongful death, torture, cruelty and sickness, cementing its reputation as a place for unrest.

These prisoners are believed to be in prison and linger in underground tunnels, rooms, and halls in search of forgiveness, redemption, or peace. Many people have reported seeing visions, hearing voices or being touched by the unseen.

The prison is also known for being very noisy. Reports have claimed that prisoners hear unearthly moans, phantom screams, and the sounds of banging on pipes and doors echoing through the halls.

Traverse City State Health

The Traverse City State hospital was established as the Northern Michigan Asylum, 1885. It has remained in operation for more than 100 years.

Dr. James Decker Munson founded it because he believed that “beauty could be used to treat mental illness.”

The former asylum in Grand Traverse Bay is now a haunted hospital. Some have reported seeing lights flickering when electricity is cut, or hearing footsteps or disembodied voices that cannot be explained.

Some people claim to have seen or felt shadowy figures. According to some, dark spirits caused a priest at the asylum’s chapel, to hang himself there. Others experienced strong energy in that chapel.

If you are planning to visit Traverse City , make sure to use our guide.

Michigan has more haunted places

Stay tuned for Part Two of Haunted Places Michigan. These must-see spots will be shared with you.

Eloise Asylum
Mary Mayo Hall, East Lansing
South Manitou Island, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Pere Cheney Cemetery, near Houghton Lake
Hell’s Bridge, near Grand rapids
Findlay Cemetery in Grand Rapids
Paulding Light
Calumet Theater
Old Presque Isle Lighthouse, Lake Huron
Felt Mansion in Saugatuck
David Whitney House, Detroit
Fayette Ghost Town Fayette (MI)
Quincy Mine, Hancock, MI