5 of the Most Haunted Places in the Cincinnati Area
Briana Rice, Cincinnati Enquirer
Published 10:08 p.m. ET Oct. 24, 2019
If you are hoping to see something spooky this Halloween season, you don’t have to travel very far.
Cincinnati has its fair share of ghost stories, legends and whispers. Most of these claims are unsubstantiated rumors, but nonetheless, over the years, people continue to share tales of ghost sightings and other paranormal experiences.
Are ghosts real? A poll conducted by HuffPost/YouGov of 1,000 people suggests that 45% of people think so.
Whether you believe in the paranormal or not, here are some spooky places to visit this October:
Cincinnati Music Hall
Music Hall has it all: beautiful architecture, glass doors, chandeliers and, of course, some really creepy ghost stories. The rumors of hauntings are so popular that Music Hall even offers ghost tours.
Music Hall was built over a potter’s field, a place where immigrants and the poor who had died without identification were buried. It is rumored that the “soul and spirits” of those buried now haunt the building, according to Friends of Music Hall.
“They are definitely in this building, some sort of spirits. If anybody thinks I’m nuts, come here at 3:00 in the morning, 4:00 in the morning,” said the late Cincinnati Pops Music Director Erich Kunzel.
Lick Road
Lick Road is a narrow, winding road off of W. Kemper Road, right next to the Richardson Forest Preserve.
There are a lot of unsubstantiated stories surrounding the area, but they all seem to agree that a woman named Amy was murdered there. The road is dangerous to drive, especially at night, and is on private property.
There have been a lot of claims about Amy’s murder and after-life. Some have reported hearing footsteps following them in the woods. Others have said they heard screams. Another legend states that if you flash your headlights while on Lick Road, Amy will write “help” in the condensation on your window. The Ohio Exploration Society has several first-hand claims listed on their website. Colerain Township, 45251.
Spring Grove Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery is known for its beauty. It has sculptures, lakes, tall trees and winding roads.
It also has some really creepy ghost stories even though the cemetery closes to the public at 6 p.m. On of the monuments at Spring Grove is the bust of Cincinnati real estate magnate Charles Breuer, known because the eyes on the sculpture are made of glass. According to the Ohio Ghost Hunter Guide, the eyes of the bust are said to follow whoever walks past. Some even say that the eyes of the bust were made from Breuer’s own eyes. That is not true.
To find Breuer’s monument, follow the main street entrance roadway, past two shelter houses. Right after the second shelter house, the road forms a Y where the monument is located.
The other story involves the Dexter Chapel Mausoleum, a private family vault built in 1869. Inside, there are 12 marble catacombs and the remains of 20 Dexter family members, according to Ohio Ghost Hunter Guide. The legend is that if you are on the steps of the mausoleum, two white dogs will run past you, growl or stare right in your eyes.
The Dexter Chapel Mausoleum is down the main street, left at the first shelter house.
Sedamsville Rectory
The Travel Channel has named the Sedamsville Rectory a haunted destination. The Rectory was the home of a priest accused of molesting children in the home as well as the site of animal abuse, according to the Sedamsville Rectory Facebook page.
There have been claims of sudden temperature changes and random, unexplainable scratches. Former owner Terrie Scott claimed to have been pushed by an invisible force.
The house has been featured on several shows including Ghost Adventures, Haunted Collector and My Ghost Story, according to the Facebook page.
Bobby Mackey’s
“The most haunted nightclub in America,” according to Gatekeeper Paranormal.
The site was home to a slaughterhouse and meat-packing facility in 1850. A well was dug and used to hold the blood, guts and waste from the animals, according to the Travel Channel.
Over the years, there have been several murders in and around the nightclub, according to the Travel Channel. Some claim that the building’s basement holds a portal to hell itself. There have been reports of ghost sightings, as well as unexplainable temperature changes and attacks.
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Thank you to Briana Rice for including a link to the Ohio Exploration Society’s website in her article about Cincinnati area haunts.