Spend the night in one of Wisconsin’s most haunted hotels.
It’s one thing to take a ghost tour, wander around a dark, unsettling place for a while…and then go home. But could you sleep there? Are you brave enough to spend the night in one of Wisconsin’s most haunted hotels? These spooky stays may have curb appeal, but booking a night in these haunted rooms might mean a pajama party with the paranormal because the veil in thin here and history seems to slip through into the present.
From haunted B&Bs and historic inns across the state to the Milwaukee hotel so notorious for spooking visiting MLB teams that it’s known as “Baseball’s Haunted Hotel,” here are 10 haunted places in Wisconsin where you can actually book a room and experience the ghosts for yourself. Whether you’re chasing paranormal activity or just want a creepy weekend away, these haunted stays deliver.
1. The Karsten Hotel – Kewaunee, WI
Ghosts
- Former owner William Karsten, Sr.
- A young child
- Phantom housekeeper
Most Haunted Room: 210-215
Open since 1912, this historic hotel replaced an earlier inn called The Steamboat House that burned to the ground. Today, the Karsten Hotel is legendary for its haunted happenings. Guests have reported eerie encounters with several ghosts during their stays. The spirit of former owner William Karsten Sr. is said to linger within rooms 210-215 where his personal suite used to be, making his presence known with the scent of cigars or, if he doesn’t like you, strong body odor. His shadowy figure is seen peering out the windows at the Lake Michigan view.
Karsten’s grandson Billy, who died at 5, likes to run around in the basement, as well as the second and third floors. He also likes it when other children spend the night. Kids have reportedly identified their spectral playmate by pointing to Billy in a historic photo. The full apparition of a former housekeeper named Agatha is known to appear in room 310.
2. Hotel Retlaw – Fond du Lac, WI
Ghosts
- Former owner Walter Schroeder
- A woman in a bathrobe
Most Haunted Room: 717
Now beautifully restored, this historic hotel blends elegance with eerie vibes. It was built by hotel magnate Walter Schroeder in 1923, during the Prohibition Era when bootlegging was so rampant in Fond du Lac that it was known as “Little Chicago.” Tunnels once connected it to the bars across the street, where John Dillinger himself was said to have run a speakeasy and an illegal gaming room.
The spirit of Schroeder is said to linger is several places across Wisconsin, but this hotel may have been his favorite. Staff often blamed him for various pranks such as turning lights and water faucets on and off, changing channels on the TVs, or knocking supplies off housekeeping carts. A guest once phoned down to the front desk about a disturbance in Room 717. Someone was pounding on the door and screaming for help. No one was booked in that room, and when the maintenance man unlocked the door and went inside, it was empty. Other paranormal occurrences around the hotel are attributed to a man who is said to have hung himself on the second floor, and a ballerina who reputedly jumped to her death from the window of her seventh floor room. A redheaded woman is seen wandering the halls in a bathrobe, and then vanishing through the walls.
3. Brumder Mansion – Milwaukee, WI
Ghosts
- Former owner George Brumder, Jr.
- Unknown woman
- Unknown child
Most Haunted Room: Gold Suite, Marion’s Suite
The opulent, gothic Victorian Brumder Mansion was a originally built in 1910 as a private home for George Brumder Jr. but it’s best known today’s as Milwaukee’s most haunted B&B. A male spirit believed to be Brumder himself lingers in the George Suite, where objects seem to disappear and mysterious cold spots appear. Dogs are not allowed in the Gold Suite after a female entity made it known she didn’t want dogs in there. The ghost of a child seems to hang around in the Marion’s Suite, where guests have reported feeling a playful or mischievous presence, and sometimes waking up to the feeling of someone jumping on the bed.
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4. Trempealeau Hotel – Trempealeau, WI
Ghosts
- Restless female spirit
Most Haunted Room: 5
This building was one of few that survived a devastating fire that wiped out Trempealeau’s commercial district in 1888. It’s been a hotel since at least the 1930s, and it’s known for a female spirit that prefers to stay in Room 5. When guests stay in her room, she will reportedly wander the hall at night, jiggling doorknobs in search of an empty room.
5. Scofield House B&B – Sturgeon Bay, WI
Ghosts
- A little girl who knocks on doors at night
This cozy, Queen Anne-style bed and breakfast hides dark secrets. Guests have woken to the sound of giggling and had their belongings mysteriously moved.
6. Union Hotel – De Pere, WI
Ghosts
- An old man in a top hat and spectral guests
The Union Hotel & Restaurant dates back to the 1860s and has long been considered one of Wisconsin’s most haunted, and while it may not actually operate as a hotel today, it’s still a great place to dine with the spirits Wisconsin supper club style.
7. Walker House – Mineral Point, WI
Ghosts
- Hanged murderer William Caffee
Not only is Mineral Point home to Vincent Price’s ancestors, a vampire, and a werewolf, (not to mention one of our picks for a creepy romantic getaway) it’s also the site of the 200-year-old Walker House, named the Named the “spookiest in Wisconsin” by the Food Network. Though the proprietors refute paranormal claims, the vengeful ghost of murderer William Caffee, who was hanged nearby in 1842, is said to haunt this historic hotel.
8. Astor House B&B – Green Bay, WI
Ghosts
- A woman in Victorian dress
This romantic getaway is known for its vintage charm — and vintage spirits. Guests say they’ve felt watched and even seen figures vanish through walls.
9. Hotel Chequamegon – Ashland, WI
Ghosts
- Man in a top hat
Most Haunted Room: Attic, 314
Located on the shore of Lake Superior, the historic Hotel Chequamegon is known for unexplained noises, disembodied voices, and objects moving on their own. The apparition of a man in a top hat has also even been seen strolling halls.
10. The Pfister Hotel – Milwaukee, WI
Ghosts
- Former owner Charles Pfister
Most Haunted Room: unknown
Known as “Baseball’s haunted hotel,” the Pfister is undoubtedly the most famous haunted hotel in Wisconsin. Built in 1893 by Charles Pfister, this historic hotel has long been the place for MLB players to stay when they’re in town to play the Brewers. But these days, some are too scared to even step foot in the building due to it’s notoriety, insisting on staying elsewhere.
Pitcher Colby Lewis once encountered a “skeletal apparition” in his room at 1:30am.
Ji-Man Choi felt a spirit crawl into bed behind him and hug him, while another whispered in his ear.
“When I woke up in the morning,” Bryce Harper said of his Pfister stay, “I swear on everything, the clothes were on the floor and the table was on the opposite side of the room against the wall.”
Many others have experienced pounding from the walls, flickering lights, footsteps inside their room, and much more. Even rapper Megan Thee Stallion had an experience during her stay in 2021.
Booking Tips for Haunted Stays
- Always ask specifically for the haunted room, as some hotels try to avoid assigning them.
- Book early in September/October for the full spooky season experience.
- Bring a flashlight, EMF reader, voice recorder or other ghost hunting equipment.
Map of Haunted Hotels in Wisconsin
Want more? Join the official Wisconsin Frights Fright Club on Patreon to access the member-exclusive Interactive Map of Weird Wisconsin where you’ll find odd attractions, strange history, and haunted places across the state.
Have you had a paranormal experience at one of these haunted hotels? Tell us about it or share your experience in the comments below!
