This blog is a direct transcript from the video below. This comes in 3 versions: You are able to watch the video, read the blog for your convenience or listen to the audio experience (which is linked under the video below).
Believe it or not, Michigan is home to a number of stories pertaining to paranormal activity in various locations across the state.
after conducting countless research, I was able to compile some of the most horrific and haunted places in Michigan, so let’s jump head first into some of these paranormal stories.
Number 1 – a successful businessman by the name of Frank Henderson had a dream of creating a beautiful luxurious home, as anyone else would of course. Having a successful business in creating uniforms for secret societies, military and fraternal organizations, he and his wife Mary were able to create Kalamazoo’s first natural site plan.
The land, that was inherited by Mary, was spacious enough for the Queen Anne style home that was designed by the infamous C.A gombert of Milwaukee. This $72,000 home included 7 baths, an elevator, hot tub on the roof, third-floor ballroom, and the castle’s exterior was constructed of lake superior sandstone and brick.
This home was built with 25 rooms that incorporated the most expensive tastes of the time. Unfortunately Frank’s dream life in his castle didn’t last very long, as he passed away just 4 short years later in 1899, and his widow, Mary Henderson left the home in 1908.
Listed as one of the top 10 most haunted locations in Michigan, the Henderson castle located in Kalamazoo, is said to be crawling with spirits. The spirits of Frank And Mary Henderson are said to be roaming the castle to this day, as well as a spirit of a Spanish-American war veteran who serves with Henderson’s son, an unidentified child and a dog.
Since 2008, Denise Krueger, secretary and case manager for the Southern Michigan Paranormals, has investigated the Henderson castle more than 12 different times.
One unexplained phenomenon’s of this castle is about a late owner’s son who was 7 or 8 at the time, said he saw a figure in the original changing room for Mary Henderson and described to his father the clothing this figure was wearing and how similar it related to what Mary Henderson wore back in the early 1900’s.
Today, this jewel of Kalamazoo is a bed and breakfast where weddings, dinners and public tours are held. Numerous guests have also admitted to strange paranormal activity. Is this somewhere you’d make a visit?
Number 2 – in 1812, many Americans lost their life at the river raisin battlefield. Just like any battlefield, it has earned its reputation for strange paranormal activity. One of the biggest battles of 1812, 850 American troops were attacked by 1,000 British and native American soldiers. Many wounded men were slaughtered leaving only 33 Americans to escape.
Known as the river raisin massacre, several visitors of this very location have admitted to seeing American soldiers roam the land in uniforms that were most definitely appropriate for the 1812 time period.
Many Visitors have also have recordings that contain the cries of agony and the sounds of war taking place. Make a visit to River Raisin National park in Monroe, Mi if you feel obligated to have a first hand experience.
Number 3 – It’s one of the most popular tourist destinations for Michiganders, as well as out of staters. Some have said that in the warmest of days, some areas have a cold feeling compared to to other areas. Having more than 100 separate ghosts reported on this particular island, it’s considered to be one of the most haunted places in Michigan, even though it’s one of the most popular vacation spots.
Mackinac island’s Moral re-armanent building is said to be haunted by one of the former Mackinac college students who had a girlfriend that he proposed to, and when she said no, his heart was so shattered, that he went into the woods to commit suicide.
A missing person’s report was made in February and no one found him until July. Every report has said it was suicide, but there has been some speculation that there was some foul play involved.
Hearing disembodied voices and whispers, was this young man still searching for some closure? No one will ever know.
Have you ever heard of the grand hotel? This historic coastal resort was built in 1887 and has become one of the most desired summer retreats in Michigan to date. It has been reported that guests have heard phantom footsteps and doors open and close on their own. A lot of guests have questioned the reason for such paranormal activity, but little do they know, a cemetery was moved to accommodate the expansion of the hotel.
The ghost of a little girl named Lucy has been seen on one of the balconies calling out for her mom and dad who supposedly went away on business in Detroit while she passed away with a sudden illness before their return. Other hotels such as the Perry Hotel have been reported to have a spirit of a woman that committed suicide there back in 1902 and is seen overlooking a nearby lake.
For those of you that have visited Mackinac island, have you heard or seen any unusual activity? If so, comment your experiences!
Number 4– If you’ve ever visited traverse city, Michigan, you know it is the perfect getaway since there’s always something going on from festivals and events to having the luxury of the softest beaches in the world. You could plan a weekend trip and never find time to come back to your hotel room! Surely an amazing place like that couldn’t be haunted.
Have you ever took a drive near the old traverse city state hospital? This hospital was operating for more than 100 years, so it’s probably not hard to imagine the abundance of patients that have passed away in that amount of time.
This hospital still stands decaying and abandoned, you can bet it is considered one of the most haunted places in Michigan. One of the most disturbing stories that i read about the traverse city state hospital is a supposed portal to hell located under a tree just behind the main building. It has been reported that terrible voices and screams echo throughout the hallways, as the lights turn on and off by themselves despite the electricity being disconnected for a number of years.
Although there has been reports of voices and screams, it has been said that there was a farm nearby with animals and vegetable fields that was created to give patients a purpose in life. The structure’s exterior looked more like a school than a asylum, which not only accommodate for patients with mental issues but also expanded for patients with polio and the flu, and was later used as a rehab center for the elderly.
After budget cuts, the hospital closed its doors in 1989. A lot of reports believe that patients received such great care, that the ghosts of patients roam the halls because it was a place of happiness and growth not despair. It was a place where patients receive treatment they needed deserved. One of the main buildings is in the process or completion of being apart of the grand traverse commons village which offers residential and commercial developments.
Number 5 – Located on Woodward avenue in Detroit, this amazing restaurants was once owned by David Whitney jr, one of the wealthiest lumber baron’s that built this exquisite 21,000 square foot mansion in 1894. The mansion was restored around 1985 and has been reported to have unexplained activity such as disembodied voices and shadowy figures seen on the second floor.
A recording picked up a voice that clearly said “that’s right, I’m still here” along with knocks on the walls and the faint sound of a piano playing. Numerous investigations concluded that Mr. Whitney and his wife passed away in the home and its been said that the Whitney family had such an unbreakable bond that they never left the home.
There’s a few things you can think about when you are dining at drinking wine at the Whitney in Detroit.
Do yourself a favor and watch something funny before you go to bed tonight so these haunted locations don’t keep you up at night.
Like Part one of Haunted Places In Michigan? You'll LOVE part two and three!
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McManamon is a Michigan REALTOR® with Signature Sotheby’s International Realty and provides real estate services to Buyers, Sellers and Investors throughout SE Michigan including Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County & beyond. Andrew has become one of the rising stars of Michigan real estate agents. Prior to his real estate career Andrew was responsible for managing a senior living facility in Brighton, Michigan as a dining supervisor and an activities assistant. Andrew’s passion to help people is unlike any other, and he continues to strive to be best resource he can be. Andrew graduated from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan with a double major and currently resides in White Lake, Michigan.