In honor of Halloween coming up, I’m highlighting some of the supposed “haunted places” around Seattle. Whether these or true or not, they are a little spooky. You’ll have to decide for yourself, or maybe be brave enough to stop in to see if you spot any paranormal activity.
Table of Contents
Kells Irish Pub
1916 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
Kells is a popular bar by Pike Place Market often filled to capacity on the weekends, but its history is much more interesting than people watching the drunk college students stumbling out. The original building, the Butterworth building, was built in 1903 and was the site of a mortuary.
Seattle was filling up with more dead bodies than it could handle due to disease and labor accidents, and thousands of bodies passed through the Butterworth building. Fast forward to today, where this building is now an Irish pub.
More reports of unearthly activity have been reported than can be counted. The upstairs wood floors creak when no one else is in the building, mirrors have shattered suddenly with no explanation, and people have sworn on their mother’s grave they have seen countless figures in the shadows and stairwell of the building.
Employees report feeling a sudden burst of cold air in certain parts, even with no air conditioning on. Go for a pint and see for yourself if you notice anything out of the ordinary in one of the most haunted places in Seattle.
The Cadillac Hotel
319 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
The original hotel opened in 1898 and was a popular place to stay with the local loggers and miners during a time the city was rebuilding from the Great Seattle Fire. Prostitution was said to be common in this hotel was well.
The hotel thrived on and off until the 1970s, when new fire regulations in the city shut down the hotel since it didn’t pass. People were reported to have been seen “floating by” the windows, even though it was vacated.
The hotel eventually reopened, but got badly destroyed in the Nisqually earthquake in 2001, and was once again abandoned for awhile. It was rebuilt and turned into the Klondike Gold Rush museum. Rumors quickly turned it into another haunted place in Seattle. A woman and her child are said to be heard crying late in the night, and a chill is often felt in the elevator, leading some to believe ghosts of past hotel guests are still guarding it.
Read more: The Best Seattle Fall Activities
The Sorrento Hotel
900 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104
I’ve been here for happy hour many times, but had no idea it was supposedly another haunted place in Seattle. Built in 1909, it was Seattle’s first boutique hotel and had amazing views of the city before other buildings went up around it. Having dinner up on the 7th floor was very popular from 1930-1950, and the restaurant was known as “Top O’ the Town” due to its location up on First Hill.
There are several ghosts who are said to still roam the hotel. One woman reportedly goes up and down the halls of the 4th floor. Another ghost is considered “friendly,” and the hotel even holds a celebratory dinner for him every year on Halloween. I have to say, it does have a creepy look to it at night with the dim lighting.
The Moore Hotel
1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101
Currently a popular music and arts theater, the hotel on top is often forgot about by locals. The hotel opened in 1907 by James A. Moore from Nova Scotia (the same guy who created land around what is now Greenlake and parts of West Seattle, as well as coming up with the idea for what is now the Lake Washington Ship Canal). It became a grand theater with its lavish decorations and big name shows it brought.
It appears that some theater-goers loved it so much, they’re still here. Footsteps have been heard in unoccupied areas of both the theater and hotel, and cigar smoke has been known to come from the theater’s seats, even though smoking hasn’t been allowed in ages. Mr. Moore himself is also said to have been seen roaming through the hallways of the hotel he created.
Comet Lodge Cemetery
2100 S Graham St, Seattle, WA 98108
I’m sure you’re not surprised a cemetery might be spooky, but this one has a different reason. Years ago, a graveyard was here and the city moved the tombstones, but didn’t move the graves deep in the ground. Houses ended up being built over parts of the cemetery where children’s graves were.
The people who lived in the new homes started hearing strange noises, and each morning toys would be all over the living room. When they asked their children, they repeatedly denied it. It’s rumored the souls of the children in the graves come out at night to play.
Image attribution: Irish pub – Pixabay, Cadillac Hotel – Tadson Bussey via Flickr, Sorrento Hotel – Java Colleen via Flickr, The Moore – Adrienne via Flickr, and Cemetery – Pixabay.
How fun! I always like to visit those kinds of places – just because. Here in Omaha we have a few, but mostly outside locations – so who knows! Ha! Thanks for this fun post!
It’s pure speculation, buts it’s always fun to know the local myths!
I LOVE Seattle. We did an underground tour once there, and it was fun.
This is so cool! I love hearing about creepy places like these. (Visit them? Not so much, ha ha!) I used to study theatre, and always thought theater ghost stories were the most fascinating! 🙂
Fun selection of places — funny how they’re almost all in Belltown! Maybe we should start a Seattle Ghost Walk to earn some extra $$ for our travel lifestyles? 🙂
The Underground Tour is so fun Angie! I actually have a post coming on that soon… 🙂
Theater would be so interesting to study Jenn. I bet there are a LOT of ghost stories there!
Best idea ever Valerie! That’s a perfect side gig. 🙂
I love Seattle! I was there this Summer. Your pictures are amazing, I love old, vintage buildings. These surely must be haunted, they look like they have a lot of stories to tell!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed Seattle. 🙂
I love hearing about supposedly haunted places. I always like to do a haunted tour in a city if it is known for that. There are a lot of hotels listed! That should make it easy for anyone who wants to see if it’s haunted for themselves!
This is a fun list! I should put something like this together for Minneapolis.
Seattle does have a ghost tour! I’ve been meaning to go on it.
Let me know if you do Crystal, I would love to read it!
Wow
What a cool post! I’m not a huge fan of haunted place but this is cool.
I don’t like scary movies, but am intrigued by supposed haunted places! 😊
Wow. Good to know. Love the pictures. I’m scared of spooky places but will visit these sometime 🙂
They aren’t TOO scary! 😊
Love the Moore for coffee and I’ve peeked at the hotel, but now even more intrigued if it’s haunted!! What a great list:)
You should check it out Terumi!
These look like neat places to check out! I have only been to Seattle a few times, this post make me want to go explore Seattle some more!
Yes come back and explore! 😊
Such a fun post! Last Halloween we had dinner at The Sorrento for that reason:-). I hadn’t heard of these other spots though. Sharing this today!
I love the Sorrento!