The 12 Most Haunted Places in Washington State

The most haunted places in Washington state aren’t just shrouded in mist; they’re steeped in mystery! 

Maybe it’s all that moss holding in old secrets. 

Either way, if you’re brave enough to wander beyond the evergreens, you’ll find stories that’ll make you squeal.

These are the most haunted places in Washington state:

Black Diamond Cemetery

King County

Black Diamond Cemetery rests quietly in what was once a busy coal mining town. 

The cemetery was founded in 1884 as a burial ground for miners and their families. The town of Black Diamond grew around coal mining operations, and the cemetery holds more than 1,200 graves including immigrants from Wales, Italy, Russia, Germany.

The dangers of mining Black Diamond were as constant. Cave-ins, explosions, and suffocating gas leaks claimed dozens of lives. The nearby Franklin Mine disaster of 1894 killed 37 miners in a single morning, leaving families shattered and the towns draped in mourning. 

In 1891, a major coal strike erupted in Black Diamond when miners protested wage cuts and unsafe tunnels. Gunfire broke out near mine entrances, leaving many injured and one dead. The fight was so violent that the militia needed to be called in to restore order.

Today, the cemetery feels anything but peaceful. 

Many visitors hear distant whistling or low voices when no one else is nearby. On foggy nights, people have seen flickering lantern-like lights floating through the headstones, believed to be the spirits of miners. 

Others claim to see a glowing white horse walking through the tombstones. Some believe the apparition belongs to a miner’s horse that died in a mine collapse. Witnesses describe the horse’s form as faint but luminous, almost shiny, its hooves making no sound on the gravel paths.

University Heights Center

Seattle

University Heights Center began life as a school in 1903 and has since been transformed into a community hub. 

Despite its bright exterior, the building has a darker past that makes it one of the most haunted places in Washington state. 

The most famous story involves a student named Brian. According to legend, Brian was locked in a classroom closet by his teacher as punishment. When the day ended, everyone left, forgetting him inside. He remained trapped over the weekend, and when the closet door was finally opened on Monday, Brian was found dead from starvation and thirst. 

Some claim to see Brian sitting at a desk.

Others feel a sudden chill or an overwhelming sense of sadness in the room where he died. Visitors hear strange sounds, soft footsteps along empty corridors, doors creaking open, and faint voices that seem to echo from another time. 

Old City Hall

Tacoma

Old City Hall in Tacoma is a striking reminder of the city’s history and one of the most haunted places in Washington. 

Built in 1893 in an Italian Villa style, the building served as the heart of Tacoma’s civic life for decades. 

Edward Hatherton, the architect who designed the building, relocated from San Francisco to Tacoma to create the city’s landmark. But only a few years after completing Old City Hall, Hatherton suffered financial and personal losses. In 1896, he disappeared and was later found dead.

Because Hatherton’s life and death were so closely tied to the building, it’s thought that his grief, pride, and anguish became imprinted into the structure’s walls. 

Also at Old City Hall is Gus. People have experienced flickering lights, footsteps echoing through empty corridors, objects moving without explanation, or a shadowy figure in the halls, offices, and stairwells. While no definitive identity for Gus exists, these manifestations have occurred repeatedly over the years.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site

Vancouver

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, established in 1824, was the Hudson’s Bay Company’s regional headquarters and later a U.S. Army post. 

Today, it preserves reconstructed fort buildings, officers’ quarters, and archaeological sites that tell the story of early trade, settlement, and cultural exchange in the Pacific Northwest.

Despite its name, the Grant House Art Center was not home to President Ulysses S. Grant, but was named in his honor in 1879. The building itself dates back to 1849 and has served various purposes over the years, including as an officer’s residence and a social club. Today, it houses the Grant House Art Center and Café.

Besides folk art, the Grant House is also known for its hauntings. Reports from staff and visitors describe unexplained phenomena such as phones ringing without being plugged in, doors opening and closing, and cold spots in certain areas. 

One of the most notable apparitions is that of a figure affectionately referred to as ‘Sully.’ Sully is the spirit of General Alfred Sully, who served as the commanding officer at Vancouver Barracks from 1874 to 1879. 

Witnesses have seen his form in the café, holding a cup of coffee. Sully has landed Fort Vancouver National Historic Site on our list of most haunted places in Washington state.

Mount Baker Theatre

Bellingham

Mount Baker Theatre, opened in 1927, was designed by architect Robert Reamer in a Moorish-Spanish style. However, beyond its architectural grandeur, the theater is renowned for its hauntings, particularly a spirit named Judy.

Judy is believed to be the ghost of a young woman who lived in a boarding house on the site before the theater was built. When the building was erected, she reportedly lost her home and, some say, her life. Her presence is most strongly felt in the balcony and backstage. 

Staff and performers have heard their names called from empty spaces, felt unexplained touches, and experienced cold spots.  

Judy is known for being a flirt, often directing her attention toward male employees, who have reported feeling a gentle brush on the shoulder or hearing a woman’s laugh. 

But Judy isn’t the only spectral presence in the theater. 

Reports of floating orbs, especially over the main stage during performances, have long been tied to a well-dressed man known as Geoffrey. Described as wearing a pinstriped suit and carrying himself with the polished air of an early 20th-century gentleman, Geoffrey is believed to have been a former patron of the Mount Baker Theatre during its golden age. Some think he may have died suddenly while attending a show.

His apparition is seen seated in the balcony or standing near the main aisle. The air in his presence grows cold, and the faint scent of cigar smoke lingers even though smoking has been banned for decades. Technicians have reported unexplained shadows moving across the stage and strange flickers in the stage lights during rehearsals, followed by a brief, elegant laugh. 

There is also a lesser‐known spirit that takes the form of a feral cat haunting the theatre’s basement.

The cat is seen running through the basement and maintenance tunnels. Some visitors have reported hearing soft ‘meowing’ or the faint scratching of claws on concrete walls late at night. Once, a couple reported seeing a large black cat at the bottom of the backstage stairs.

Oxford Saloon

Snohomish

The Oxford Saloon is one of the most haunted places in Washington state. Built in 1900, the saloon has witnessed much violence.

In its early years, the saloon was a gathering place (with a brothel) for loggers, railroad workers, and traveling salesmen, and fights happened all the time. The basement once served as an unofficial holding cell where troublemakers were restrained until cops arrived, and some people died there from their injuries. 

Henry the Cop

In the men’s card room upstairs, a local policeman named Henry was stabbed to death during a fight. His apparition lingers near the stairs and doorways, often appearing as a tall man in uniform. Henry’s spirit is believed to haunt the basement stairs and is also known to pinch women in the restroom. Quite inappropriate behavior, especially for a cop. 

Other Manifestations

On the upper floors, there are three more manifestations: a man in a bowler hat and two female apparitions. 

The man in the bowler hat is seen standing near doorways or leaning against the railing of the staircase. Witnesses describe him as a tall, well-dressed gentleman who appears calm but distant, wearing early 20th-century attire that matches the saloon’s original era. Some believe he was a businessman or regular patron who died during one of the many violent altercations that occurred here.

Then there’s Kathleen, a madam described as an older woman wearing purple with matching purple bows. Kathleen ran the brothel, and her spirit is felt in the upper rooms.

The other female manifestation at The Oxford is Amelia, a young woman who was forced into prostitution by Kathleen.

Amelia was found dead in a closet, and her spirit haunts the building, particularly in Room 6, where she lived and died. Investigations have reported cold spots, flickering lights, and dark feelings of unease, as if the air itself remembers her suffering.

Kells Irish Pub

Seattle

Kells Irish Pub, which rests in Seattle’s historic Butterworth Building, is renowned as one of the most haunted places in Washington state. Originally constructed in 1903 as the Butterworth & Sons mortuary, the building was designed to handle the surge of deceased individuals due to disease epidemics, mining accidents, and violent crimes. 

The basement, now home to Kells, was once the embalming and cremation area.

People report unsettling things within the pub. Mirrors have been known to shatter spontaneously, and glasses are found displaced. Disembodied voices and cold spots are commonly experienced, especially in the basement. 

One of the most frequently encountered hauntings is that of a young girl dressed in a scarlet velvet dress with red curly hair, often described as a playful prankster who seems drawn to children. 

Then there’s “Charlie,” seen in the large Guinness mirror, wearing a derby hat and observing live music nights. According to staff, Charlie is believed to have been a worker or a victim from the building’s time as the Butterworth & Sons mortuary, possibly someone who met an untimely death and was prepared for burial in the basement where Kells now stands. 

Bartenders have seen his reflection in the mirror, and some have felt a tap on the shoulder followed by a sudden chill when he’s near.

Glasses sometimes slide off shelves during performances, and the scent of a cigar (though smoking has long been banned inside) is occasionally detected around his usual spot near the bar. Regulars say Charlie’s energy feels calm.

Starvation Heights Sanitarium

Olalla

Starvation Heights Sanitarium, once operated by Linda Hazzard and her husband Sam in Olalla, is another of the most haunted places in Washington state. 

The grim nickname “Starvation Heights” comes from Hazzard’s extreme fasting treatments, where patients were starved and given enemas until they died.

Dr. Hazzard believed that impurities caused disease and that extreme fasting, daily enemas, and massages could purge those toxins. 

Her “massages” were actually intense physical manipulations. She would press and knead the abdomen harshly to “stimulate” organs and supposedly help release impurities.

In reality, her patients were already weak from prolonged starvation. These brutal massages only caused further pain and internal injuries. Combined with dehydration and lack of nutrition, many patients’ bodies simply couldn’t handle the strain and died.

Dr. Hazzard wasn’t a licensed doctor but called herself one under an old law that allowed osteopathic “healers” to practice. She charmed wealthy patients and even took control of some of their assets. Her cruelty and greed made her one of the most infamous people in Washington’s medical history. 

Among her victims were wealthy British sisters Claire and Dora Williamson. When their friend Margaret Conway arrived, she discovered Claire’s body, starving, and Dora barely clinging to life, weighing just 50 pounds. Hazzard had taken control of their estate, looted their home, and helped herself to thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds and jewelry.

Visitors to the grounds report persistent cold spots, distant moans, and shadowy forms in the ruins of the sanitarium. Groans and moans in the woods or around the ruins where starved people once begged for food. Unexplained lights through the trees and old building outlines near the former patient cabins, even though no wiring or buildings remain.

While the original sanitarium structure no longer stands, the site’s remains (foundation and incinerator) are still visible in Olalla.

However, the land is private property, and general public access inside the exact former facility is restricted. The nearby Olalla Bay Market & Landing does display artifacts and exhibits related to Starvation Heights and welcomes visitors.

Historic Everett Theatre

Everett

The Historic Everett Theatre, originally known as the Everett Opera House, opened in 1901. But in 1993, during renovations, reports of supernatural activity began.

One of the most frequently reported apparitions is that of a man with a broad grin, called “Smilin’ Al.” 

He’s described as a gray-haired man with a huge smile.

Some think he is Al Jolson, who performed at the theater in 1906 and 1915. Many have seen him rush into the theater with his arms wide open, before vanishing. The phenomena are often reported in the lobby and foyer areas or near the stage entrance.

Besides Smilin’ Al, visitors have felt watched, doors that won’t shut or open, and objects moving on their own. Once, an employee in the projection room who felt an unseen presence before watching a sweater lift off the floor, float, and then be thrown back down.

Sorrento Hotel

Seattle

The Hotel Sorrento is beloved for its Italian Renaissance design, Rookwood tiles, and grand fireplaces. Opened in 1909, it has survived more than a century of ownership changes, thanks to the Malone family’s restoration efforts in the 1980s. 

But beyond its beauty, the hotel is known as one of the most haunted places in Washington:

The Haunting of Alice B. Toklas

Alice B. Toklas, the companion of writer Gertrude Stein, is said to haunt the hotel.

Toklas lived in Seattle while studying at the University of Washington before settling in Paris. She died there on March 7, 1967, and is buried beside Stein in the famous and beautiful Père Lachaise Cemetery. 

Guests and staff report sightings of her ghost dressed in white or black, often near Room 408 or in the Dunbar Room, where drinks sometimes move on their own and lights flicker mysteriously. Piano music is also occasionally heard in the Penthouse Suite, even when the room is empty.

The Hotel Sorrento has embraced its connection to Toklas. In 2018, they hosted a special dinner in her honor, featuring recipes from her book, The Alice B. Toklas Cook Book, followed by a tour of the hotel highlighting areas where her presence is strongest. 

St. Ignatius Hospital

Colfax

Towering over the tiny town of Colfax, St. Ignatius Hospital is one of the most haunted places in Washington state. Its five-story brick structure, now crumbling, looms like a monument to both healing and horror. 

Started in 1893 by the Sisters of Charity, St. Ignatius once represented compassion and care for Whitman County’s sick.

Its motto, “Charitas Christi urget nos,” (“The love of Christ impels us”) still adorns a weathered plaque near the entrance. 

Ironically, this same phrase often appears in Catholic exorcisms.

Inside, the hospital’s maze of hallways once buzzed with nurses, patients, and students. The St. Ignatius School of Nursing opened in 1911 and proudly graduated Washington’s first male nurses. 

During its years of service, the hospital has seen thousands of lives beginning and ending within its walls. The influenza epidemic of 1918 claimed entire families, and many patients on the left wing, the ward reserved for the deathly ill, never left alive. One of the earliest recorded deaths was F.E. Martin, a man crushed in a railroad accident the same year the hospital opened. 

After closing in 1964, the building briefly served as an assisted living facility before shutting down completely in 2000. 

These days, objects such as wheelchairs or medical carts roll or move on their own. Visitors report voices heard in empty rooms and hallways, including children’s laughter or cries. A dark shadow is said to infest the left wing of the hospital, the side reserved for the dying. Witnesses describe feeling an oppressive presence or being shoved.

Today, St. Ignatius Hospital stands abandoned but not forgotten, and is open for guided ghost tours.

Pikes Place Market

Seattle

One of the most haunted places in Washington is hiding in plain sight among the flower stalls and fishmongers of Pike Place Market. Established in 1907, the market is the heart of Seattle.

Beneath the smell of coffee and the chatter of vendors lies a network of ghost stories that stretches back more than a century. From a stubborn princess who refused to leave her land to a singing barber who met a tragic end, Pike Place Market has more than produce moving through its halls after dark.

Princess Angeline

The eldest daughter of Chief Seattle, Angeline, refused to leave her ancestral home when Indigenous people were forced onto reservations in the 1800s.

After she died in 1896, her cottage was sold, and the Pike Place Market was built over her land. Since then, people have reported seeing a hunched, slow-moving woman in a red scarf shuffling through the market. 

Witnesses describe her as gentle, sometimes appearing near the flower stalls or along Post Alley. Vendors say they feel a sudden chill or catch a faint scent of sea air when she is near. 

Some have heard her soft humming in the early morning corridors before the market opens, or seen her reflection in windows. Her presence is said to be one of sorrow and guardianship.

Fat Lady Barber

The ghost with maybe the most unfortunate nickname, the Fat Lady Barber, once ran a small barber shop in the market. 

She lulled men in with the promise of sex, then sang to them while she stole their money. She died tragically when the floor beneath her gave way, sending her falling to her death. Some report hearing the snip of scissors or the soft hum of an unseen voice when the market is empty.

Cold drafts have been felt moving through the old barbershop space, and a few shopkeepers have found chairs mysteriously shifted or hairbrushes dropped from shelves overnight. Security guards have also seen the outline of a woman in old-fashioned clothing moving behind closed doors, singing loudly before fading suddenly into silence. 

The Little Boy in the Toy Shop

During the 1918 influenza pandemic, a young boy named Jacob died near the market. 

Today, he’s said to haunt Merry Tales, a toy store in Pike Place Market that no longer operates. Staff once reported toys flying from shelves and strange laughter echoing through the aisles. 

But ever since the owner gave Jacob a tiny room with a bed to “live” in, the boy has become calmer, sometimes just nudging toys gently instead of throwing them. 

That small room, tucked behind a display wall, was decorated with a child’s bed, stuffed animals, and a few vintage toys. Employees would occasionally leave small gifts or notes for Jacob, and some swore that the items would shift positions overnight as if he had played with them. Visitors who didn’t know the story often said they felt a sudden warmth or sadness when standing by the doorway.

Madam Nora

Madam Nora’s spirit is attached to a crystal ball that once belonged to her. 

The ball first appeared at Pharaoh’s Treasure, a now-closed antique shop in the market. The owner ignored warnings about its haunted nature, only to find objects moving after dark. The crystal ball was relocated to Sheila’s Magic Shop. It’sbelieved Nora was once a psychic who practiced in the market, and she returned to where her spirit felt at home. 

Since her crystal ball was moved, visitors have reported strange activity surrounding it. Lights flicker when someone touches the glass, and the air around the display sometimes feels charged with static. 

People standing near it have heard a woman’s voice whispering faintly, or caught glimpses of a shadowed figure in a long skirt reflected in the glass. Tarot cards fall from shelves without warning, and pendulums swing on their own. 

Some believe Madam Nora protects the space, while others say she cannot let go of the tool that once connected her to the living.

Either, way Nora helps make Pike Place Market one of the most haunted places in Washington state.

Other Manifestations at Pike Place Market

• Arthur Goodwin: Arthur Goodwin managed the market in the early 1900s and remains one of its most loyal hauntings. His ghost, dressed in an old-fashioned suit, is known to appear in hallways and offices. Workers report sudden cold spots and the sensation of being watched.
• The Bead Zone: The former Bead Zone shop had its share of unexplained events, like beads shifting on their own, voices whispering, and temperature drops with no logical cause. Employees believed a former worker who loved the shop remained after death.
• Butterworth Building: Part of Pike Place Market once belonged to the Butterworth Building, home to Seattle’s first mortuary. Thousands of bodies passed through here during epidemics, accidents, and crimes. Visitors today report hearing footsteps, seeing shadows, and feeling a heaviness, especially in the basement where the dead once lay.

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