Whether you believe in ghosts, it is rather scary to hear an unexpected bump in the night. Wisconsin paranormalists say Wisconsin is one of the most haunted states in the United States. If Wisconsin has all of these spirits looming around in the shadows, where can they be found?
Jennifer Lauer, executive director and founder of the Southern Wisconsin Paranormal Research Group, is not sure “if there are more hauntings or just more people in the area that look at haunted places.” According to Lauer, many ghost stories come out of Wisconsin “because there have been so many serial killers it brings out the tone of ghosts and weird stuff.”
The Grand Opera House of Oshkosh, which opened in 1883 may be housing more than just actors. It has gone through “many different histories,” said David Lange, the event manager at the Grand Opera House.
In 1990, the city took over the theatre and renovated it. It now is available for rental and offers a wide variety of performances and movies.
Lange has heard many stories about the haunting. “A man with glasses, a sweater and blue jeans is often seen walking through the hall and the lobby area,” Lange said. “People have also seen a dog on stage.”
Both audience members and workers at the theatre have experienced these events.
Another legendary ghost of Wisconsin is the Ridgeway Ghost. Ridgeway is the site of a series of reportedly haunted encounters since the 19th century. The Ghost has appeared in many forms including a headless man, an old woman, a ball of fire, dogs, pigs and horses.
Marsha Davis, who grew up in Ridgeway, remembers hearing accounts of the haunting. The most recent accounts have taken place on the military ridge, which is now a bike trail that runs from Verona to Dodgeville. “The ghost took the form of a big black dog that lurked around the bike trail and followed people,” Davis said.
Maybe people with large imaginations create these stories, or perhaps there truly are spirits roaming around the shadows. To find out whether these stories have truth to them, visit these sites this Halloween season.
