Suddenly during the evening every gas jet in the house was turned off, and a genuine bonafide ghost stalked through the rooms. He, she or it was enveloped in the proverbial winding sheet, surmounted by a death’s head and the grisly thing displayed the osseous structure of its fleshless arms in the most appalling and hideous manner… the revelers waited in awe till the monstrous thing harmlessly withdrew. Total distance covered during this walk is about 1.5 miles.
– November 2nd, 1889, The Waukesha Journal
A city of spiritualism, murder, curses, and exorcism. Even Mary Todd Lincoln stayed here while seeing a psychic medium whom she’d prayed would connect her with the soul of her assassinated husband. From its resort city history to the ghosts of modern day, see a side of Waukesha that you never knew existed.
Learn the interesting legends, real-life stories, and strange history of things that have happened in Waukesha. While modern history here only goes back to around the 1840s, when the town was called Prairieville, people have lived here for thousands of years.
Throughout the 2-hour tour, expect to hear a number of strange and gory stories that many people swear are true. A manhunt that started at the Waukesha County Courthouse that could be the plot for a true crime podcast. UFO sightings in Wisconsin. The truth behind a neighborhood witch. And perhaps the most famous account of all: the time Mary Todd Lincoln came here to visit a psychic after Honest Abe’s passing.
Please note: Some of the stories can get graphic, so if you get scared easily, be prepared!
Expert paranormal guide
Duration: 2 hours
Easy/Moderate
There are two Fox Rivers in Wisconsin. One is the famous river that goes by Green Bay, Appleton, and Oshkosh. They call those municipalities “The Fox Cities” for that reason. On this tour, you stand along the Fox River that runs through most of Illinois.
Listen as your guide shares chilling accounts of mysterious drownings that have happened in this river, and the “Water Man” that could be responsible for it.
Next head to St. Paul Avenue, which runs parallel to this river. It used to be called Highway 59. Here, you will learn of freak car accidents that left people dead, and others scared out of their wits.
From St. Paul Avenue, walk to the front of the Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum. It’s housed in what was originally the Waukesha County Courthouse built in 1893.
In July 1918, at the Waukesha County Courthouse, a manhunt was launched to find a corrupt farmhand named Elder Krause. He was wanted after the unusual deaths of the Hille [pronounced Hill-a] family, German immigrants who came to the United States in the 1840s and had a successful farm.
This tragic story makes up for one of Waukesha’s most unusual hauntings known as the Hills Farm Curse. Find out more as your guide explains the events that transpired from a WWI bribe to a family’s group suicide to the unfortunate events that plagued anyone who bought the farm after the deaths.
This house at 929 Rosemary Street has had a reputation for weirdness since the 1960s. It’s the house that neighborhood kids would whisper to each other that a witch lived here and the legend was that on Halloweens or Friday the 13ths, you could see a glowing skull appear in the yard behind the house.
Learn the real story about the witch at Rosemary Street when your guide debunks some of the stories that collected about this house over the years.
With 22 reported sightings in the city of Waukesha since the year 2000, this place may very well be of interest to our little green extraterrestrial friends.
And actually, the entire state of Wisconsin might be of interest to them! Wisconsin has the 2nd highest reporting of UFO sightings in the United States. But it’s on this street, Arcadian Avenue, where in March 1987, a man called the Waukesha Freeman newspaper to report that his wife saw a triangular object with red and white lights hovering over the city.
It’s just one of many stories you hear about UFO sightings in Waukesha. You’ll even hear about a “federation telepath” in Waukesha who thought he was the inspiration behind the Star Trek series.
You’ll also walk by St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. It doesn’t have its own exorcist, but it was the church that a scared family came to after having strange experiences in a house they rented in downtown Waukesha.
Hear an entertaining story of the Catholic priest who tried to help, and the stubborn ghost who wouldn’t leave his house.
The Waukesha Freeman is a newspaper that predates the Civil War. It was established to provide a voice for the Abolitionist movement dedicated to eliminating slavery in the United States. And many of the prominent Abolitionists were also followers of Spiritualism. Your guide takes you to the front of this newspaper’s building to talk about some famous Spiritualism followers.
Get to know more about Mary Todd Lincoln’s spiritual connection to Waukesha, as well as more on séances.
After several more stops for entertaining and frightening stories around downtown Waukesha, your tour ends at the Waukesha Civic Theatre. This building was constructed in 1939 as the PIX movie theater and is on the National Register of Historic Places. You’ll also learn its haunted history of a student named Barbara Jean.
Waukesha's Public Library is next to Cutler Park named after one of the founders of the city of Waukesha, Morris Cutler, a character in his own right. Does he haunt the land where his old cabin was built? Or might it be a spirit from the library, built in 1896, still watching over all the old books...
Visit the former office of Dr. David Roberts, one of Waukesha's richest veterinarians in the early 1900s. His sordid love triangle resulted in a murder that capitivated the nation at the turn of the Twentieth Century. Discover how it all went down...
On this tour, we focus on building exteriors and outdoor spaces. Businesses and public places are open for you to visit during regular business hours. Otherwise we respect the privacy of individuals and organizations and expect that our guests do the same.
Service animals are welcome. However, for liability issues, please leave your furry friends at home if you don’t require their assistance.
We can never guarantee a supernatural encounter, but we will explain paranormal phenomena such as cold spots and residual hauntings. What we do guarantee: Our local connections and dedication to research means you'll get authentic accounts — in all their shocking detail.
While our tours do not contain anything too graphic or inappropriate, we find that kids that enjoy history have the best time. You know your children and that's left up to you. We do not recommend bringing children in strollers because sometimes that can be difficult with larger walking groups.
All sales are final, but we can help you with a reschedule or ticket credit. We love ghosts, not monsters!
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