Halloween, Friday the 13th – why do we need a reason to seek out 5 of the coolest haunted bars in the US.
Whatever your superstitions, we say why not lean into the creepiness of the day (any day), and find a watering hole with an otherworldly air about it. Where better to spend the most cursed date of the month then in one of the top five haunted bars in the world?
1. Old Absinthe House – New Orleans, LA
It’s a name to conjure with. The historic Old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street is a New Orleans landmark. In the heart of the French Quarter, it’s one of the oldest buildings in the city, and following considerable renovation work, one of the most atmospheric places to drink. True to its name they serve absinthe-based cocktails and their signature drink is the Absinthe House Frappe dating back to the 1860s. They also serve all the other New Orleans classics – refreshing Planter’s Punch, mean Mint Juleps – and the Suissesse, a mix of absinthe and raw egg, said to be a potent hang over cure. The bar itself is on the small side, with a cosy fireplace, and an array of business cards from past guests on the walls. Oscar Wilde drank here when in the city and the Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin were said to have partaken of a cocktail or two within its walls. The atmosphere is lively and warm, with a trace of the Big Easy of old still evident
Employees and regulars have reported sightings (and more complete encounters) with any number of famous, long gone locals; less celebrated specters appear on a daily basis, moving barware, re-arranging chairs, and slamming doors.
2. White Horse Tavern – New York, NY
Originally constructed in 1652 as the two story, two room residence of Francis Brinley, “the massively framed building and quarter acre of land fenced with Pailes at the corner of Farewell and Marlborough Streets” was acquired by William Mayes, Sr. in 1673 and he converted it to a tavern.
Dylan Thomas drank himself to death here in style, with eighteen straight shots of whiskey before stumbling back to the Chelsea Hotel. To this day, employees (and anyone drinking at his regular table) have reported unexplainable sounds – as well as freshly used, empty barware that appears as if from nowhere.
3. The Old Tavern – Unionville, OH
The Old Tavern is the oldest surviving tavern in Ohio.
Located in Unionville, the Old Tavern began as a log cabin in 1798. Over the years, the tavern expanded, providing fine accommodations and food for travelers in northeastern Ohio. During the early 1800s, the Old Tavern served as a stop for stagecoaches traveling between Buffalo, New York and Cleveland, Ohio. During the 1840s and 1850s, the tavern’s owners also provided runaway slaves, who were traveling along the Underground Railroad, with a safe haven. Ohio was the home of many safe houses for African Americans, as runaway slaves could not truly gain their freedom unless they left the United States of America entirely. Many runaways fled to Canada, seeking freedom.
Among the tavern’s more famous guests were Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. The Old Tavern, now known as the Old Tavern and Restaurant, continues to welcome guests today.
This bar sits over a network of subterrnanean tunnels, and is said to be haunted by the clanging, moaning, restless ghosts of runaway slaves.
4. 40 Club Inn – Aitkin, MN
A far more recent addition to the haunted hot-spots list, this Minnesota bar is reportedly haunted by a man who killed himself on the premises in the late 1990s. Since his body was removed, the principle complaint is that bars TVs have long turned themselves on, blasting improbable static and blistering white noise.
5. Ear Inn – New York, NY
This old sailor bar (the oldest working bar in New York City), built in the early 1800s, plays host to a spirit named Mickey, who harasses waitresses and steals drinks from patrons even during the bar’s busiest hours.
6. Billy’s Bar and Grill – Anoka, MN
Billy’s Bar and Grill was built in 1877 in Anoka, Minnesota. It was originally a hotel that had a restaurant and bar in it. After a fire swept through the Anoka area in 1884, and the building was severely damaged it was rebuilt and ready to open in 1885. Shortly after reopening its doors and the first anniversary of the fire, the hotel had its first murder occur. A drunken disagreement between friends led to one man shooting the other. In the 1920s the original owners turned it over to relatives and in 1952, the hotel was converted into apartments and stayed that way until 1975. The ownership changed hands a few times over the years and now just a bar and grill. The place is haunted by a red haired woman that is believed to be a prostitute from the 1920s that disappeared while working in the hotel. She appears in a third floor window and is known to walk through the bar and grill. There have been incidences when the pictures on the walls move and the lights turn on and off. There was one time when the beer cases shifted in the stock room to the point of blocking the door.
7. Moss Beach Distillery – Moss Beach, CA
The Moss Beach Distillery is located in Moss Beach, California and was built in 1927. This place was originally called “Frank’s Place” and it was popular during the prohibition period for still selling booze to its clients. Frequented by movie stars, politicians, and writers it was a quiet out of the way place. The place is located on a cliff, so the “rum runners” would drop the alcohol on the beach and it would be dragged under the cover of darkness and fog to the establishment. Frank used his charms to ensure the place was never raided. As the story goes, there is a lady in blue that haunts the establishment. Supposedly, a woman, who was married, was on her way to the bar to meet her lover and had a car accident. She is said to still frequent the bar looking for her lover. The rooms will be locked from the inside and items will move or vanish, sometimes, showing up in another place days later. She has been seen dancing alone, hanging out by the ladies room or by the piano. Sometimes, people can feel her touch or smell her perfume. There is also said to be a second woman there that had fallen for the same man and she will make an appearance to compete for his affection.
