Haunted Seattle: From Pike Place spirits to Arctic Club ghosts
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Pike Place Market is said to be visited by the ghost of Chief Sealth's daughter, Princess Angeline. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
A city rich in history and mystery, Seattle is home to numerous haunted locations where the spirits of the past are said to walk among the living.
85 Pike St.
One of our top tourist destinations is also considered one of the most haunted spots in Seattle, with over a century of history and several restless spirits that are said to linger, including Chief Sealth's oldest daughter, Princess Angeline.
- Angeline, who lived in a small waterfront home below the market, can sometimes be seen out of the corner of the eye haunting the stairs to Western Ave., the legends say.
- The nephew of the market's developer, a small boy and a singing barber are other spirits said to roam the trading post.
1916 Post Alley
Formerly the E.R. Butterworth & Son mortuary, this pub in Pike Place Market is known for ghost sightings, including apparitions of a young girl and a man in suspenders and a newsboy hat.
700 3rd Ave.
Built for wealthy Klondike Gold Rush adventurers, the Arctic Club building is rumored to be haunted by former club members, with visitors and staff reporting cold spots, disembodied footsteps and the voices of long-dead businessmen discussing frontier deals at the swanky Polar Bar, according to Ghost City Tours.
1932 2nd Ave.
This century-old performing arts venue is said to be frequented by the ghosts of past performers and some visitors have described discomfort at the feeling of "haunted eyes watching them," according to Washington Haunted Houses.
- There have also been reports of the smell of cigar smoke even though smoking indoors is no longer allowed.
900 Madison St.
Listed as one of the most haunted sites in the city, this building could convert non-believers into paranormal enthusiasts, an employee told The Seattle Times last year.
- The ghost of Alice B. Toklas, a one-time resident of the city who is famous for weed brownies and her relationship with Gertrude Stein, is said to roam the halls, and guests have reported other spirits knocking things over.
Between Maynard Ave. S. and 7th Ave. S.
Long gone are the dust-covered tea cups that could still be seen through the bullet-cracked glass of the Louisa Hotel for three decades after the 1983 Wah Mee massacre, the deadliest mass shooting in the state's history.
- But the alley remains on various haunted-spot maps, with some visitors reporting an unsettling sensation of being "pulled downward" by the spirits of the 13 victims, according to a book on "How to Hunt for Ghosts in Seattle."