I was born and raised in Wisconsin just outside the city of Milwaukee. And when I was very young, still in kindergarten we lived in the city and I distinctly remember my brother walking me past an old dilapidated house that was abandoned for years. He told me it was haunted and to never ever go inside because any kids that did never made it out. True story or made-up wives tale? I will never know, but I promise you even as an adult I would not dare have set foot inside. Thankfully that next year we moved out to the suburbs where all the houses were brand new so I was not so spooked anymore.

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We all have our deepest darkest fears and I am someone who loves haunted houses, scary movies, Halloween I am all about it. But when it comes to real-life ghosts, goblins, witches, or any paranormal stuff I turn into the cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz. But in a weird way I am still intrigued by it. Here are some notable places in Wisconsin that have reported a fair share of paranormal activity as reported by hauntedplaces.org.

1. Summerwind Haunted Mansion in Land O Lakes, WI

This place has shown up on multiple websites as being extremely haunted, which by the looks of it I would say that does not seem like a big surprise. The mansion was once a summer house for a man named Robert Lamont and his family. According to the story of the home, a ghost appeared startling Lamont and so he shot at it, and the bullet remained in a closet door. After his death, a new family moved in but began experiencing lots of frightening paranormal activity and eventually moved out in the 1980s leaving the home abandon. Some investors bought it years later in an attempt to renovate it but it was then struck by lightning. I guess the ghosts did not want anyone else living there.

Here is a video with some history about the Summerwind Mansion.

2. Pfister Hotel In Milwaukee, WI

This very old and very prestigious hotel is also very well known for being haunted. This is unfortunate for the major league athletes that tend to stay there when they are in town to play at American Family Field. This well-known four-diamond luxury hotel is said to be haunted by the former owner, Mr. Pfister, himself. His ghost is sometimes seen walking in the hallways with his dog or at the top of the steps in the lobby.

Here is a news story about the hotel's haunted history.

3. Wausau Club in Wausau, WI

This building is also referenced very often as being haunted by the ghost of a lady named Martha, who hung herself in a guest bedroom in the west wing of the building. She has been seen on the staircase and in doorways of the building. Plus cold spots have been reported, as well as lights going on and off, chandeliers swinging by themselves and items disappearing and reappearing in unusual places.

Here is a video trying to find the ghost.

4. Fairlawn Mansion in Superior, WI

This 42-room Victorian mansion and museum is reportedly haunted by a ghost who is often mistaken for a museum guide. She is dressed in period costume like the real guides, but folks feel a cold chill when she is around. The ghost is believed by some to have been a former servant girl who was murdered by her husband. Historians say the house once served as an orphanage, and witnesses have seen and heard the ghosts of children near the swimming pool in the basement. Some years, the mansion has offered nighttime flashlight tours during Halloween.

Here is a video touring the mansion.

5. Sanatorium Hill Madison, WI

This location was once operated as the Lakeview Sanitarium from 1930 to 1966 as a tuberculosis treatment center. Behind the facility is a wooded area now known as Lakeview Woods. In a cemetery nearby, witnesses have reported cold spots, mists and more eerie occurrences. Through the woods along the trails, people have noticed apparitions, hot spots, murmured voices and something that pulls people's hair. Apparitions have been seen from outside the building glowing.

Here is a video tour, visiting the building during the daytime.

6. Kemper Hall in Kenosha, WI

Kemper Hall has stories that cover the gamete of any horror story. The mansion was turned into a girls boarding school with one of the nuns that apparently was very strict fell to her death either as an accident or possibly pushed out the window by a student. Now people report seeing a headless nun haunting the grounds. Yikes!

Here is a video telling the story of the headless nun.

7. Old Rittenhouse Inn in Bayfield, WI

If you head to Bayfield for the Apple Fest, you might want to stay at the legendary B&B where there are reports of guests seeing the apparition of a tall figure dressed in white standing on the front porch. Spooky!

Here is a video showing off the Old Rittenhouse Inn.

8. Northland College in Ashland, WI

Memorial Hall at Ashland College, which is a women's dorm building, is said to be haunted. Witnesses say a ghostly figure of a student who jumped to her death down an elevator shaft has been seen, and some people think that her boyfriend pushed her. Also, black handprints are found in certain rooms and computers turn on and print an image of the desktop in the middle of the night. This is rumored to be the work of a deceased former janitor.

Here is a video tour of the campus.

9. The Devil's Punchbowl in Menomonie, WI

This beautiful, but odd little trail is a place rumored to be the home of fairies, gnomes, and trolls. Once you head down the staircase to the riverbed, the legend is that these mystical creatures look down on you from above. Good night! I will never be able to look at a ceramic garden gnome the same again!

Here is a video touring the punchbowl and offering history of the legend.

10. American Club in Kohler, WI 

This beautiful resort apparently has some skeletons in its closet. One guest stated he saw a  man in the hallway wearing a dirty and torn flannel shirt and pants. When security cameras captured the man speaking to someone, nobody was there. The east wing of the resort, which is the oldest part of the building, is known to be haunted. In Room #209, a woman hanged herself after her husband was killed in an industrial accident. Apparently her ghost has appeared wearing a blue hat and has been seen standing near the fireplace.

Here is a video about the resort.

11. Brumder Mansion in Milwaukee, WI

Built in 1910, this massive home was once a boarding house and later a coffee house. No paranormal activity was reported until renovations were underway in the 1990's. Today the mansion is a B&B. The new owners celebrate the fact that there is paranormal activity in the house and thankfully the spirits all seem to be fairly pleasant so far.

Here is a video explaining the deep and interesting history about this mansion.

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