The 10 Most Haunted Places Near Washington

It’s no surprise that Washington State is filled with haunted locations. These eerie spots are enough to cause goosebumps on even non-believers. Are you ready to learn about the 10 most haunted places near Washington? Some may even leave you shaking in your seats or jumping at the slightest creak.

1. The Sorrento Hotel/Hotel Sorrento

The first spot on our list of the most haunted places near Washington is the Sorrento Hotel in Seattle. It’s an Italian oasis-style hotel in the historic First Hill neighborhood. Architect Harlan Thomas built this stunning hotel in 1909. It’s at the northwest corner of Madison Street and Terry Avenue. The first guests for this gorgeous seven-story hotel were Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition attendees. Very few people knew of Seattle at the time of the hotel’s opening.

As you can imagine, the Sorrento Hotel has many popular ghost stories. This century-old hotel has had its share of ups and downs but has housed thousands of guests. Currently, it’s open and listed as a four-star hotel. Guests who stay in the Sorrento Hotel often hear strange noises at night, and some have even seen ghostly apparitions appear and disappear quietly. Although there are likely more than just a few ghosts roaming the halls of this historic hotel, there is one in particular that many guests claim to see, Alice Toklas. According to previous guests, she’s most commonly seen in Room 408 and sometimes plays the piano.

Contact Information

Phone: (206) 622-6400

Address: 900 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104

2. Georgetown Castle

The next haunting place in Washington State ends in a lot of tragedy, the Gessner Mansion, also known as the Georgetown Castle. Peter J. Gessner built this stunning Queen Anne-style home in 1902. He built this gorgeous home for his wife and kids, but they never got to enjoy it together. Peter separated from his wife. Some reports indicate that his wife, Anne Elizabeth, left him for a farmer. One year later, Peter killed himself, resulting in the first tragedy in this home.

Peter J. Gessner was an interesting man. He was a blackjack dealer and operated this stunning Victorian-style mansion as a brothel. It was a brothel again, about twenty years after his death. Eventually, though, it became a legitimate boarding house, until around the 70s, when it reopened with new ownership as the Castle Inn. This was also short-lived.

So, who haunts this home? Honestly, it would be easier to ask who doesn’t as residents in the area have reported seeing multiple apparitions. One rumor suggests that the heartbroken Peter J. Gessner haunts the second floor of the mansion. Another potential spirit is a destroyed mother, who was supposedly left locked in the home, after losing her baby. Some people have reported seeing a misty figure in the front yard, by the gates, crying. When it operated as an inn, past guests also complained of cold draft rooms and spooky moans filling the air. These details are enough to leave goosebumps on any non-believer.

Currently, the mansion is a private residence, so while you can take a peek at the renovated home from the outside, you aren’t allowed past the gates without permission. Instead, maybe you’ll see the ghost of the first owner from the gate.

3. Campbell House

Another haunted place in Washington State is the Campbell House in Spokane. The outside and inside are both stunning and open to the public. Renowned architect Kirtland K Cutter designed this unique Neoclassical Revival-style home. It was built in 1898 for about $30,000. However, this amount may have been as much as $70,000. The Campbell House is massive and contains a main house and a carriage house. The interior is very dramatic and matches the outside very well. This lovely home features a gilded French reception room right by the dark wood-paneled entry hall.

This home belonged to Amasa B. Campbell, his wife Grace, and their daughter, Helen. However, when Amasa passed away in 1912, his wife, Grace, continued to manage it until she died in 1924. Helen, their daughter, gave the house to the Eastern Washington State Historical Society in memory of her mother. It’s been part of a museum since and is now open for tours. You can enter this museum as long as you’ve purchased admission to the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture. Self-guided tours are available from Tuesday through Sunday from 12 to 4 p.m.

Some people consider this home very haunted, although it’s hard to say if this is true. While no gruesome or strange deaths have occurred on the property, some museum visitors report seeing the misty silhouette of Grace Campbell! Maybe next time you visit the house, you can keep your eye out for the lady of the house.

Contact Information

Phone: (509) 456-3931

Address: 2316 West 1st Avenue, Spokane, Washington 99201

4. Fort Vancouver

Although in no particular order, the fourth haunted place on our list is Fort Vancouver. This 19th-century fur trading post was on the northern bank of the Columbia River in present-day Vancouver. It was established in 1824. Fort Vancouver was the headquarters of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s interior trade. The original fort burned to the ground in 1866. Now, you can visit the restored Fort Vancouver and learn more about this area’s history. The buildings you can tour are the jail, bastion, bakehouse, and the well. Also in the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, is the reconstructed Fort Vancouver Village. At its peak, the village housed over 600 people.

Fort Vancouver is considered one of the most haunted places near Washington State. This historic site might be crawling with paranormal activity. Some visitors when touring complain of random temperature drops and strange feelings like they are being watched, but by what?

Even if no ghosts exist on this historic site, it’s still worth a visit for its rich history. To visit the Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, you’ll need to pay an entrance fee. However, some days are free. Although a fee is required to enter the fort, you can go to the Fort Vancouver Visitor Center & Bookstore for free. Within the site are also the Pearson Air Museum and the McLoughlin House Site, for no extra cost.

5. The Moore Theater

Another spooky location on our list is the Moore Theater in Seattle. It’s two blocks away from Pike Place Market. This lovely, historic theater is the oldest, active theater in all of Seattle. E. W. Houghton designed this lavish social venue for James A. Moore. After its opening in 1907, John Cort operated the theater. Although initially successful, this entertainment venue was struggling by the 1970s. In 1975, Dan Ireland and Darryl MacDonald took over the lease and renamed the venue to the Moore Egyptian, in hopes of increasing attendees. This did draw people in, leading to the birth of the Seattle International Film Festival. The Moore Theater still operates, although under new management and without the use of the word ‘Egyptian’.

Now that we know a little more about this historic and iconic theater, let the haunting fun begin! There are a lot of creepy stories surrounding this century-old venue. It all starts with the location. According to some rumors, Moore Theater is built atop Seattle’s oldest cemetery, which held about twenty bodies. Not only was this building built on top of an old cemetery, but the man who developed the land, wasn’t sure if all bodies were removed from the ground. Now, visitors, guests, and stars occasionally see glowing orbs fly across the rooms. Some people even smell the strong scent of cigar smoke while alone. Theater workers even tell stories of an angry Native American spirit, upset that his body remains underneath the building, without rest. Regardless of the validity of these stories, they are still chilling to hear!

Contact Information

Phone: (206) 682-1414

Address: 1932 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

6. Black Diamond Cemetery

Unsurprisingly, another haunted location in Washington State is the Black Diamond Cemetery in Black Diamond. This important cemetery has been on the National Register of Historic Places since April 21, 2000. The Black Diamond Coal Mining Company established this cemetery in 1884. It sits on Cemetery Hill Road and has more than 1,200 graves. Most of the graves are of immigrant miners who worked for the Black Diamond Coal Mining Company.

There is something about cemeteries that is both peaceful and scary. Generally, cemeteries are the final resting place for most people. Sadly, not all deaths of those in the cemetery were peaceful. Quite a few violent mining accidents claimed the lives of miners. Residents often tell stories of loud crying sounds within the cemetery. According to a few reports, people have also witnessed a shadowy figure from afar waving their arms almost as if they were asking for help. One popular ghost story is of a glowing white horse, that charges at visitors and is sometimes seen standing majestically in the center of the cemetery. The ghostly horse is either protecting the cemetery or wandering around in the afterlife, alone. This cemetery is so popular, that it’s also attracted the interest of amateur and expert ghost hunters.

While you can visit this cemetery, remember that this is a place of rest. Treat the cemetery with respect.

Contact Information

Phone: (360) 886-2560

Address: Black Diamond, WA 98010

7. The Historic Covington House

Next on our list of the most haunted places near Washington is another historic building, the Historic Covington House. This lovely historic home is on Main Street in Vancouver. Richard and Charlotte “Anna” Covington built this lovely home in 1848. The Hudson’s Bay Company hired the two to teach the children of the fort. They were excellent musicians and the historic cabin was used as a residence and a boarding school.

Although this stunning home is considered haunted, the ghost stories and speculations surrounding the home are mild. The home’s history, instead, is rich and nurturing, as the home was a social place for musicians. Still, a few people have reported seeing strange flying orbs or glowing lanterns around the house when walking by or hosting an event. The flying orbs are harmless, but quite a sight to see.

Don’t let the ghost stories surrounding this historic cabin scare you away. The home is a community area that frequently hosts events and open houses. You can also rent the space to host small private events. Maybe in one of these private events, you can try to catch a ghost or two, or simply enjoy the history in the walls.

Contact Information

Phone: (360) 602-2088

Address: 4201 Main Street Vancouver, Washington

8. Northern State Mental Hospital

You can only imagine the horrors that happened within the doors of the Northern State Mental Hospital in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. By the early 1900s, Washington was home to only two mental asylums. However, because of the overcrowdedness of the two, a third was built, the Northern State Mental Hospital. It opened around 1909 to 1912 and housed over 2,000 patients. Although this hospital was considered ‘good’ compared to the others in the state, it harbored dark secrets, not all patients were mentally ill. The massive hospital became the largest in the state, with a 700-acre farm. This farm was used as a treatment for some of the patients. However, doctors also performed multiple unusual techniques like electroshock therapy and lobotomies.

It’s hard to know just how many patients were sent to this hospital without a just reason. The hospital was filled with post-menopausal wives and children with reading deficiencies. The saddest part though of this mental hospital is the number of deaths that occurred on campus. It’s likely over a thousand were buried here, and many more cremated. Behind the hospital’s gym is a graveyard full of unmarked and vague graves. The hospital closed its doors in 1973, and now a plaque at the cemetery site down the hill from the hospital reads:

“In respectful memory of the 1,487 Northern State Hospital patients interred in these grounds. May they now rest in peace with dignity. 1913 – 1972”.

Some of the hospital is open today, although not operating. You can visit the cemetery, but if you do, please do so respectfully. Many people report feeling deep sadness and pity when stepping onto the campus, for understandable reasons.

Contact Information

Phone: (360) 416-1350

Address: 25625 Helmick Rd, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

9. Monte Cristo Ghost Town

There was no way that the Monte Cristo Ghost Town wasn’t going to make our list of the most haunted places near Washington State. The Monte Cristo Ghost Town is northwest of Monte Cristo Peak, in eastern Snohomish County. This community/town was established in 1889 when Joseph Pearsall saw glittering deposits in the area. By the next year, 1890, many miners hiked to Monte Cristo and made themselves home. This booming silver mining town had plenty of work for miners. There were 13 mines and 40 claims by 1891. The mines were very prosperous but peaked in 1894 to 1896. Mining efforts in the area stopped just a few years later in 1897. Interestingly, while the silver mining industry nearly collapsed the town, it continued to thrive as a resort town and tourist spot until 1983. The last remaining business in the town burned down.

A few intact buildings remain, which you can see by taking a hike to the Monte Cristo Ghost Town. One of the most popular ways to travel to this ghost town is by hiking the Monte Cristo Trail. It’s an 8.8-mile out-and-back trail with an elevation gain of 626 feet. On average, it takes hikers three hours to complete, more if they stop and explore the ghost town.

This charming ghost town is best hiked in the morning unless you want to take the chance of seeing a ghost! Past explorers have noted hearing strange sounds and footsteps as if someone else was hiking the trail to the ghost town with them. However, when they turn around, nothing is there! What do you think? Have some past miners remained in the ghost town, still looking for silver?

10. Oxford Saloon

Next on our list of haunted places near Washington State is the Oxford Saloon in Snohomish. It’s a chilling place surrounded by death, violence, and mysteries. The Oxford Saloon was built in 1900. Originally, the building was called Blackman’s Dry Goods store.

When the building was remodeled and turned into a saloon, things got wild. According to some reports, the second floor was a high-class bordello. The businesswoman who operated the brothel never went inside and instead ran her business at the local Eagle’s Lodge.

So, what ghosts haunt this unique bar and restaurant? The most popular ghost in this saloon is the spirit of Henry, a police officer and regular at the saloon many years ago. According to local tales, Henry was brutally stabbed to death and fell down the stairs when trying to break up a fight in the saloon. Some people claim to see Henry, dressed up in his police uniform, standing in corners of the saloon, acting like a bouncer. Apparently, he also hangs around the stairs where he died, but is shy, and rarely stays long after noticed.

You know that brothel we discussed earlier? The second most popular ghost may be Madam Kathleen, the owner of the brothel. Eventually, she moved into the brothel and met her demise. Although unconfirmed, one tale states that Kathleen was killed in the saloon, murdered by an angry ex-lover in the bathtub. She is sometimes seen upstairs, holding her head in her hands, while wearing a purple dress with purple bows.

Amelia, a worker at the brothel, also haunts the halls of the saloon. She was found dead in the establishment, with a mysterious broken neck. Other stories report she was found standing up in a closet.

Contact Information

Phone: (360) 243-3060

Address: 913 1st St, Snohomish, WA 98290