This complex gives a fantastic and haunting look back in time at Tasmania’s penal colony past. Port Arthur was the first of any Australian convict site I visited. And although I thought I was prepared for what I would see, nothing could have prepared me for how powerful this historic site could be.

Table Of Contents

1. Aboriginal History
2. History of Port Arthur
3. Life in the Prison
4. The Massacre at Port Arthur
5. Practical Information
   • Hours and Admission
   • Access
   • Accessibility
   • Map
6. Visitor Center
7. Life Lottery
8. Government Gardens
9. Government Cottage
10. The Church
11. Scorpion Rock Lookout
12. Parsonage House
13. Accountant’s House
14. Junior Officer's Cottage
15. Chaplain & Magistrate's Houses
16. Trentham Cottage
17. Soldiers' Memorial Avenue
18. The Asylum
19. Separate Prison
20. The Hospital
21. Smith O'Brien's Cottage
22. The Penitentiary
    • The Old Mill
    • The New Penitentiary
23. Guard Tower
24. The Commandant Residence
25. Memorial Garden
26. Dockyards
27. Puer Boy's Prison
28. Isle of the Dead
29. Ghost Tour
30. Port Arthur Motor Inn & Restaurant

Aboriginal History

Before the colonization of Tasmania by the British, the Tasmanian Aboriginal people, self-name Palawa, lived rich lives here on the shores of the south coast. The clan that lived on the south peninsula were called the Pydarerme. These aboriginal people are entirely different from those in Australia since Tasmania was cut off from the mainland 10,000 years ago. Before the British colonization, there were around 3,000–15,000 Palawa that lived off this land. But by 1835, only 400 full-blooded Palawa people survived, mainly due to the impact of diseases introduced by the British. But this doesn’t mean the British were free from violent culpability; the British invaders also incarcerated many of the Palawa people in camps where they also died.

The absolute abolishment of the aboriginal Tasmanian people has been deemed a genocide as per the UN’s definition. Today, there are only a few thousand remaining Palawa, mainly mixed with European blood from the British settlers. Although the original Tasmanian language has been lost, there is an effort to rebuild it and restore much of the history ripped from the indigenous people of Tasmania. We need to remember the land’s past when visiting sites like this and recall that the convict history, while seemingly ancient, is actually very modern when compared to the thousands of years of history of the Palawa people.

History of Port Arthur

In 1830, Governor Sir George Arthur was sent to Van Diemen’s Land to build a penal settlement for convicts from Britain and Ireland. Van Diemen’s Land was the name given to Tasmania when Dutch explorers claimed the land and named it to honour Anthony van Diemen, the current Dutch Governor-General. At the site, the most hardened criminals came to stay. The worst of the worst as being sent to the other side of the world was seen as the most severe punishment, save for execution. For this reason, Port Arthur had some of the strictest security measures and most brutal punishments.

But Port Arthur was also a working prison. Authorities wanted to see these convicts reformed through a combination of religions, education and training in a variety of trades. This meant that the prison was known as an “industrial prison”. Port Arthur began as a timber camp; the location was rich with forests and close enough to Hobart’s main port to ship out the timber. After 15 years, the prison built a shipyard and began constructing shops. The prisoners also produced flour from the mill and made nails, bricks and boots all for sale to ensure the prison was profitable.

Life in the Prison

Port Arthur was reputed to be an inescapable prison. It was located on this peninsula that is surrounded on all sides by supposedly shark-infested waters. The only way to the mainland is across a 30-meter wide isthmus guarded by both soldiers, half-starved dogs and man-made traps. Only two prisoners were known to have escaped. One failed escape took place when a prisoner disguised himself using a kangaroo hide.

The prisoners’ conditions were so dire that they would even murder another inmate just to escape their situation. Murder was punishable by death and some would prefer this to staying any longer at Port Arthur. Savage floggings and brutal chain gangs were reported by the prisons when they returned back to England. It had a genuine reputation of being “hell on earth.” Any prisoner who attempted to escape would suffer 100 lashes. The prisoners would get horrible infections in their squalid living conditions. Often, these infections got so bad, that they lead to the death of the inmates.

But it wasn’t the corporal punishments that were the worst part of life at the prison. No, Port Arthur was one of the first Australian prisons to implement the “silent system”. This meant placing prisoners into individual cells where they were kept quiet for 23 hours a day. They got to leave their cell for one hour a day but were made to wear a hood anytime they were outside to ensure they never saw another human face. Although it wasn’t their intended outcome, this sent many prisoners mad. Eventually, an asylum was built to deal with the mental illness created by these inhumane conditions.

The Massacre at Port Arthur

In 1996, long after the prison had closed down and turned into a tourist attraction, Port Arthur was once more the site of great suffering. It was here that Australia found itself at the center of their worst mass shooting event in the country’s history. A lone shooter killed 35 innocent people, wounded 32 others and scarred an entire nation. It was this event that changed the course of Australia’s gun laws forever and since then they have never had another mass shooting. Today, the event is quietly remembered by transforming the old cafeteria where most of the shooting took place into a sombre, garden and reflecting pond. Although thinking back to these events is so haunting, it’s important to understand just how much suffering is soaked into the grounds of Port Arthur.

Practical Information

Accessibility

While the Port Arthur Historic Site’s rugged terrain might seem like it would be impossible to visit with a wheelchair, the site has made extensive efforts to make it more accessible for visitors. Some areas offer independent wheelchair access, while others may require assisted access. The Visitor Centre, café, restaurant and the Port Arthur Gallery are all wheelchair accessible via ramps or elevator. Accessible bathroom facilities are also available within the Visitor Centre.

Not all historic buildings and ruins are wheelchair accessible. Ask Visitor Services staff to find out which ones are safe to enter. The introductory Tour and Harbour Cruise are both wheelchair accessible. There are also wheelchairs available for loan from the Visitor Centre.

Map

When you enter the site and pass through the admission building you will get a paper map but I found this google map helpful as well. Since you can download it onto your phone you’ll be able to get real-time locations as you make your way around so you can easily check what site you are nearby.

Visitor Center

Entry into Port Arthur begins inside the Visitors Center. The Visitors Center acts as an introductory museum with artifacts and information about the prison’s founding and life inside. One of the best parts is the minature model that recreates the complex as it would have been during its heyday. This gives you a great visual idea of how the entire place would have looked long before it was left to ruin. Throughout the museum, there are lots of displays that focus on the brutal punishments the prisoners suffered. Seeing these implements of torture up close and personal sends a chill down your spine.

Life Lottery

Inside the Visitor Center, be sure to pick up a ‘Prisoner Card.’ This will assign you to the fate of one of the real-life prisoners who came to Port Arthur. This is called the “Life Lottery”. At the end of the tour inside the visitors center, you can discover how your inmate lived or died or even perhaps was one of the few who escaped life in Port Arthur. The different cards change the way you are lead throughout the convict gallery and really make the experience more interactive!

My inmate was William Thompson, a shoemaker and thief who was sent to Port Arthur for breaking into a house. He served four years at Port Arthur. Despite his relatively common crime, his experience as the prisoner was marred by a violent accident he witnessed inside the coal mines. He was forced to work inside the mines for 12 months. Eventually, he was removed to the shoemaking shop where he could apply his trade. Once released from prison, he moved to Hobart, where he met his wife, and they started a family. They went on to have seven children, and today their descendants make up the fabric of the population of Tasmania.

Government Gardens

Despite being a site of such sadness and violence, the Government Gardens are a beautiful place to visit. These were designed in 1846 as a place where visitors and resident families could escape the prison’s overwhelming terror. The gardens were laid out in a symmetrical and tidy fashion to communicate the ideals of order, peace and beauty that the prison wanted to exemplify. Plants found throughout the garden are mainly from England. The ex-pats wanted to bring a little bit of home to the employees and their families who had moved from Britain. Perhaps walking through the gardens, they could for a moment imagine they were back home. Everything from violets to foxgloves now grows throughout the area.

Government Cottage

The Government Cottage was where the senior officers and their families lived while stationed at Port Arthur. This residence was located a ways away from the prisoners, separated by the large Government Gardens. This was seen as a luxury and was saved for only the most important employees. Many of the wives who lived here also helped wash, saw and provide nursing care for the men on the island. Their children even could attend the nearby Free School where they were educated onsite.

The Church

The Church was where the convict would gather every Sunday for their mandatory religious reform. Here up to 1100 people would cram themselves into the church’s doors to listen to spiritual services. The church itself was built by prisoners in 1837. Although the builders were amateurs, they attempted their best adaptation of the gothic style. The stones used for the church walls were made by the young boys from the nearby Point Puer island prison.

The church was never consecrated to allow a multi-denominational service to be held inside. The church was destroyed by bushfires in 1895. All we are left with is the haunting brick skeleton.

Scorpion Rock Lookout

A little trail leads from the edge of the church up the hillside towards Scorpion Rock Lookout. From up here, there is a wonderful viewpoint over the entire prison complex. From here, you can really get a sense of the layout of the prison.

Parsonage House

Back onto the prison grounds, we approach the white picket fences and burnt orange exterior of the Parsonage House. A large street, called Civil Officers Row, was used to separate the convict population from the officers and their families. The more senior officers living quarters were built the furthest away to ensure they had some separation between work life and home life. The Parsonage was built in 1842 for Reverend Durham and his family. Durham was Irish and had a fiery temper. He would often get into squabbles with the Catholic convicts and even the church Chaplin. Eventually, Durham returned to Ireland. When he returned home, he was committed to an asylum. Oe can only imagine the kind of things he experiences at Port Arthur that would have affected his mind so much that he had to be committed.

Durham was replaced by Reverend George Eastman arrived with his wife, Louise and their 10 children. Eastman had served at other prisons, so he came with a bit of experience and had a kinder attitude towards the inmates. Reverend George Eastman fell ill in 1870 but, despite his sickness, continued to treat the sick prisoners. In his weakened state, he caught a cold from his work and died inside the Parsonage in 1870.

Accountant’s House

The Accountant’s House was built in 1843. It was designed to house the officer in charge of the supply of food and equipment into the prison. The house was purchased in 1889 and used as a school. The owner of the house took great pains to save the place from the bushfires, which is why we are left with such a well-preserved original structure today.

Junior Officer’s Cottage

Across the street, we find the Junior Medical Officer’s Cottage. The Junior Officer’s Cottage, also known as the Junior Medical Officer’s house, was one of the most luxurious houses located on the premises. Initially, the junior officer who first moved in here lived in a condemned house with his wife. They were threatening to resign if they didn’t get somewhere nicer to live. So this building was designed to accommodate them in 1848. In early 1900, this cottage was restored and was opened as a hotel, which is why it is in such good condition. Today, it remains one of the best examples of Australian Georgian architecture. You can go inside and tour the beautiful interiors that give you an idea of the furnishings available on the island.

Chaplain & Magistrate’s Houses

At the back of Officer’s Row, we find the resident Chaplain’s House and the visiting Magistrate’s Cottage. The Magistrate’s cottage was built in 1847 for 88 pounds, making it the most extensive and most expensive historic house on the grounds. The Magistrate was the judicial official vested with limited judicial powers. He would frequent the site to ensure everything was being run to the highest standards. Therefore it was essential to impress the visiting Magistrate with a lavish abode. After the prison closed down, the house was turned into the “Clougha Hotel.” It was advertised as a secluded escape with orchards, a nearby boating area and a shooting range. Today the interiors have been fully restored, and the space is mainly used as a meeting space for the museum staff.

The Chaplain’s House survived the bushfires of 1895 and 1897 and was bought up as a part of “Hotel Arthur.” The hotel complex couldn’t afford to restore the dilapidated interiors, so today, the houses can be simply viewed from the street.

Trentham Cottage

Walk down Tramway Street, passing Bond Street until you reach the Trentham Cottage. Trentham Cottage was built in 1898, late in the prison’s history. In fact, this is one of the buildings constructed after the convict era in Port Arthur.

Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue

The long row of trees was planted here in honour of the men from Carnarvon and Oakwood who served in the First World War and was named the “Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue”. Soldiers’ Memorial Avenue is a peaceful walk in the wood, leading up to the most ominous buildings in the complex.

The Asylum

Certain inmates who were taken to the prison were considered “mentally unstable” and therefore unable to be processed with the rest of the population. So this Asylum was built to house the “lunatics,” as they were once called. But the treatment of mental health back then was basically nonexistent, so these poor individuals were left to rot away in their single cells. Some of the prisoners housed in the nearby Separate Prison went insane during their time in solitary confinement. They simply moved from one part of the prison to another as their mental state got worse and worse.

A visitor to the Asylum reported that there were only two kinds of inmates in the Asylum. There were those who were catatonic and could barely move or speak, or those who were violently deranged and beyond the point of being able to be rehabilitated. It must truly have been a horrific place to both visit and be incarcerated. After the bush fires of 1895, the building was rebuilt and turned into a community center. Now the building serves as a cafe and a small museum. It seems pretty odd to be drinking a coffee in such a place of torture and mistreatment.

Separate Prison

The Separate Prison was better known as the solitary confinement building. Solitary confinement was a new method of punishment brought to Port Arthur in the early days of the prison. It was here that the convicted would be locked inside a solitary cell for 23 hours a day. During their one hour outside of their cell, they would be forced to walk around the high-walled yard, also alone, as each prisoner was given a different time of day to do their exercises. When the inmates left their cells, a hood would be placed on their heads so they couldn’t even see the guards or other prisoners. The guards on duty would use sign language to communicate to ensure the men never even heard voices. This, of course, meant so many of the men went mad, in much higher percentages than in other prison systems.

The people who ran Port Arthur seemed unmoved and continued with the abusive process. Some men were known to have been kept in separate prisons for as long as 14 years! Shockingly, after the prison closed down, the Separate Prison was sold off in the attempt to be converted into a hotel! A fire put a stop to the renovations, and now the old cells’ historic appearance still remain. Personally, I can’t imagine staying in what was once an old prison. But I suppose there is a market for that, even today.

The Hospital

Walking back to the main street towards the Penitentiary, you’ll pass the old hospital’s ruins on your right. The hospital was frequented very often by inmates. The poor conditions in prison made diseases like the common cold and other respiratory illnesses easily transmissible. This was mainly due to the cells being so cold and the criminals being forced to work outdoors in all weather conditions.

Smith O’Brien’s Cottage

Off in the distance, behind the hospital, you’ll see a buttercream yellow brick building; this is the Smith O’Brien’s Cottage. William Smith O’Brien was an Irish politician and leader of the Young Irelander Rebellion of 1848. He was first sent to Maria Island, and once he was there for a short time, he was transferred to Port Arthur. As he was somewhat of a celebrity and a very obedient prisoner, the commanders at Port Arthur had a little cottage built for his year-long residents. The building used for his cottage was originally an old stable which was converted in 1850. The building was sold off in 1940 and used as a youth hostel in the 1970s.

The Penitentiary

The large Penitentiary stands near the water’s edge. Although its roof has long since fallen in, the thick bricked exterior remains as a study silhouette against the rest of the landscape. The building fell into ruins after a massive bushfire gutted the interior. Before Port Arthur became a historic site, residents of the area would come here to steal bricks to build their houses and sheds. So you never know when a place you’ll be staying might be made from the bricks of the old Penitentiary.

The Old Mill

When the building was first established in 1845, it wasn’t made for housing but as a prisoners’ grainery. Here grain was milled for flour. The flour was then shipped to Hobart to be sold off in the hopes of making the prison more financially stable. When the water pressure wasn’t strong enough, prisoners were made to walk on a giant treadmill that helped power the mill. Despite the prison’s best efforts to make the mill a viable business, there were simply too many problems. Eventually, it was converted to the new Penitentiary.

The New Penitentiary

In its heyday, the building would have housed over 600 prisoners. The upper floors were dedicated to the “well behaved” prisoners. They slept in a huge dormitory and had access to a prisoner library, schoolroom and large dining hall. On the western side of the building, a kitchen and bakery served both the prisoners and the workers alike. The bottom level of the prison was for the so-called “lions”. These were violent offenders and those who didn’t obey the prison system. They each slept in individual cells, cut off from the rest of the population. This served as a warning before they were sent off to the dreaded Separate Prison.

Walking through these huge ruins is such a powerful part of the tour. One can really imagine how many men would have served here and if you close your eyes you can even imagine how loud this space once would have been.

Guard Tower

Walk west, towards the water where you’ll find the large Guard Tower. The guard tower was where the prison security officers would keep a lookout for any potential escapees. The guard tower was built with some of the same stonework as the church, made by the boys on the island. Due to the stone’s materials, this building withstood the large bushfire, which ravaged most of the settlement in 1895. The basement of the guard tower was used as an ammunition storeroom.

The Commandant Residence

Sitting adjacent to the Guard Tower, we find the old Commandant Residence. The Commandant was the prison’s most senior officer. As the most senior officer, they were designated to have the best residence on the grounds. The house was built in 1833, although it was nothing more than a simple wood cottage. The house’s location allowed the Commandant to look out over the rest of the settlement from the beautiful wrap-around veranda.

In 1854, the new Commandant, James Boyd, made a significant expansion to the house. He installed new brickwork and created enough space for 8 new rooms and even a servant’s quarters. You can still tour the interior, which has been preserved in its original 1850’s appearance.

Memorial Garden

Walking towards the Dockyards, you approach the Memorial Garden nestled into the edge of the hillside. This sombre water pond and surrounding garden were established in honour of the lives lost during the April 1996 mass shooting tragedy. During the ramage, 20 people, including both employees and tourists, were killed at this location alone. In total, 35 people were killed. Among the people who died here were members of the Historic Site staff, who died trying to protect others. The Memorial Gardens were designed inside the old Broad Arrow Cafe’s footprint where the killings took place. The building was demolished as it was too painful of memory, but the building’s outline can still be made out. Be sure to spend a few quiet moments here to remember those that passed.

Dockyards

Since one of the facility’s objectives was to teach men trades, one of the most important jobs of the time was shipbuilding. Although it was just convicts building these ships, it was reported that the boats that came out of Port Arthur were some of the best made in the nation. Convicts were responsible for building 16 large-scale vessels and over 150 smaller boats. In addition to creating new ships, they also repaired older ships in the dockyards. The prisoners learned everything from carpentry, blacksmithing, learning to be caulkers and coopers, in addition to assembling timber for production.

The dockyards were operational from 1834 to 1848. The only reason the dockyard was closed down was that the shipbuilders union complained that it was putting them out of business. Since the labour was free, as the workers were criminals, and the quality was so good, the ships cost vastly less to make than elsewhere. Another reason for the closure was that the learning of trades was optional as a form of rehabilitation. Many prisoners began to refuse to learn to build the ships as a means of rebellion.

Puer Boy’s Prison

Included in your admission is a 20-minute harbour cruise that runs from the Jetty to Point Puer Boy’s Prison and finally to the Island of the Dead. Puer Boy’s Prison was built as a reformatory for juveniles from the British Empire. These boys were aged 14 to 17, but there are records of boys as young as 9 being sent to prison. In fact, 10 to 20% of the arrivals on the island were made up of young boys. Their prison was located on the island to separate them from the older convicts. This was done in order to prevent the older inmates from influencing the younger generation.

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But their separation may also have contributed to the high mortality rates. Children on this island were known to have many diseases and suffered from poor nutrition. Injuries were commonly reported as a result of their laborious punishments. This labour included tree felling, coal-mining, road making and stonework. Since they were so far away from the mainland, the observation of the prison was often forgotten about and therefore these poor conditions continued. Unfortunately, no buildings remain at the site but wandering the now overgrown island is still a haunting place to visit. The prison once contained a barracks, two cell blocks, two exercise yards and two school rooms.

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Isle of the Dead

Across from the boy’s prison site, on a small island, is the Isle of the Dead. This island is the resting place of all those who died inside the prison. It is home to 1,646 graves, but only 180 of those graves are marked. The marked graves are for the prison staff and military personnel. All the prisoners received unmarked graves. You can make your way around the island, but be sure to be respectful on your journey.

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Ghost Tour

One of the best ways to experience the darker side of Port Arthur is at night. Specifically at one of their evening lantern-lit ghost tours. The ghost tours are even more popular than the regular site tours, and they book up fast, so best to book that tour well in advance. Since the site was such a place of pain and suffering it is the perfect location for hauntings. Whether you believe in ghosts or not the storytelling that takes place here is phenomenal and seeing the site at night is a really unique experience.

If you are interested in doing the ghost tour yourself, I have an excellent self-guided tour. Please be aware that you can ONLY enter the site at night by guided tour, so if you want to do the ghost tour yourself, you’ll have to do it during the day. But trust me, this site is spooky enough to send chills down your spine any time of the day.

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Port Arthur Motor Inn & Restaurant

I would recommend staying at the Port Arthur Motor Inn. Although the accommodations are fairly basic, as it is a 3-star motor inn, the location is what you’re there for. The rooms look out over the old historic site and getting to fall asleep and wake up to that view is something truly spectacular. Since there is a restaurant inside the motel, you can even get a reasonably decent meal right to your room to enjoy while looking out over the old prison. It sounds spooky, but it’s actually rather scenic.

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Let me know in the comments if you’ve visited the site before or what part of the tour you are most looking forward to!

Happy Travels, Adventurers!

The post Free Self-Guided Tour of Haunting Historic Port Arthur, Tasmania first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Launceston is untouched by mega-tourism and has a unique landscape only found in this part of the country. Launceston to me felt like a combination of New Zealand’s rich scenery and Australia’s vibrant culture. If you’re a tourist who wants to get off the beaten track and get a little peace and quiet, then Launceston is the place for you.

Table Of Contents

1. History
2. Access
3. Best Time to Visit
4. What to Pack?
5. Where to Stay
   • Launceston Backpackers
   • Kurrajong House
   • Hatherley Birrell Collection
6. What to do in Launceston
   • 1. Sweetbrew 
   • 2. Eat the Day Away at the Harvest Farmer's Market
   • 3. Explore Cataract Gorge
   • 4. Get up High on the Gorge Scenic Chairlift
   • 5. Wonder at the Works inside Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery
   • 6. Discover the old Craftsmanship inside the Old Umbrella Shop
   • 7. Indulge in Fine Dining at Stillwater
   • 8. Go Back in Time inside Franklin House
   • 9. Sip on Aged Ales at James Boag Brewery Experience
   • 10. Get Spooked on Launceston City Ghost Tours
   • 11. Wander down Memory Lane on a Self Guided History Walk

History

Launceston, located on the northern tip of the state of Tasmania, is one of their two main cities. The other being Hobart, located on the southern end. Launceston is Australia’s third oldest European settlement, established in 1806 after Sydney (in 1788) and Hobart (in 1803). The city is renowned for its well preserved historic buildings, artful food scene and lush countryside.

While I highly enjoyed visiting both Hobart and Launceston, and each had its own pros and cons, Launceston felt more in line with my creative travel sensibilities. The city streets were more artful, their parks lusher. The overall design seemed to be of the utmost importance, even if a bit dated. Like other Australian cities, Launceston features a thriving coffee scene, great food, excellent hikes and an intimacy with the natural environment that you wouldn’t expect from a big city.

Access

The best way to get to Launceston is by plane. A short flight from Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane will land you just 15 minutes outside the city’s centre. While renting a car is advisable to see the rest of Tasmania, we didn’t find that one was necessary at all for our time inside the confines of Launceston’s city centre and outer boroughs.

Best Time to Visit

Launceston and Tasmania, in general, is noticeably colder than the rest of Australia. Don’t come here without checking the weather! We saw a few people step off the plane in shorts and t-shirts in a climate that was more suitable for a winter coat.

From November to March are the best months to travel when the weather is at its most enjoyable. June, July and August are relatively chilly and rainy. Still, the prices of hotels are significantly discounted, and the city is almost empty! Summer is the peak travel season when you’ll find the hotels to be the priciest.

Whereas international travellers might not find their way to Tasmania, local Australians have been frequenting the island more and more, so be sure to check the dates of any Australia holidays or school breaks as these times may also be much busier and more expensive.

What to Pack?

As mentioned above, you might be surprised to see how different the weather is here compared to Australia’s arid deserts and beachy coasts. So much of Tasmania is made up of cool temperate rainforests. In addition to your regular travel essentials, there are a few critical items to bring to Launceston and Tasmania. It’s crucial to pack lots of layers that will help you keep warm in the morning, but which you can shed after a few hours of hiking which warms you right up!

It’s also essential to pack a good raincoat or waterproof windbreaker, which can be super useful since rain is a frequent visitor to Tasmania’s forecasts. The rainforests can get pretty wet. Umbrellas are also a good thing to pack in your bag for extra protection.

Where to Stay

When planning my stay in Launceston, I was so excited to find that almost every single home and hotel listed on Tripadvisor was over 4-stars. This meant that you could throw a dart and end up at a fantastic hotel. Everyone we met was so happy to see us, so proud of their city and more than willing to help us out in any way they could. Whether it was picking us up from the airport or showing us around town, Launceston’s residence were always going over and above our expectations.

Launceston Backpackers

We stayed at the Launceston Backpackers, a lovely old house renovated to hold guests. It felt more like staying in someone’s cottage rather than a hotel. I loved the architecture, the stained glass, the old furniture, pretty much everything. It was super affordable and right in the centre of town meaning we could easily walk from place to place without ever having to get on a bus or rent a car.

Price: $47 USD/night

Kurrajong House

Kurrajong House offers accommodation to adult-only guests who enjoy a quiet and tranquil stay. The house is a heritage property that has been lovingly restored. You can choose to stay in either their Heritage guest rooms within the main house or one of two courtyard rooms that overlook their small garden. They are located in Launceston’s luxury end and a short 5-minute walk to the city.

Price: $108 USD/night 

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Hatherley Birrell Collection

Hatherley Birrell Collection is a boutique hotel offering a high-end experience with some of the most exceptionally stylish rooms. With four unique spaces to stay in Hatherley Birrell Collection leaves your soul enriched and your creativity inspired during your stay in Launceston!

Price: $170 USD/night

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I’m back in Tasmania, first stop Launceston and the east coast (where I grew up). Next time you’re in Tas or plan a special trip, do yourself a favour and check in at @hatherleybirrellcollection (^ is part of their property) – my aunty and uncle have worked on every detail of their unreal boutique B&B #hatherleybirrellcollection #spring #time #boutique #art #north #tasmania

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What to do in Launceston

1. Sweetbrew 

The first thing to do in the morning is to grab yourself a cup of coffee! Australia is known for its incredible coffee culture, and Tasmania is no different. Sweetbrew is a local hangout for hipsters and tourists alike. Every coffee is perfectly crafted, and their summer berry cake is something I’ll remember forever!

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2. Eat the Day Away at the Harvest Farmer’s Market

For breakfast, head on down to the Harvest Saturday Farmers Market. Stock up on some doughnuts from @sandyssourdough and if you’re craving something savoury, hit up a gluten-free breakfast bowl from @mountgnomonfarm.

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Don’t leave without a bottle or two of manuka honey from Tasmania, something which is sure to cure what ails you. Even if you don’t have a kitchen at your hotel, this is the best place to load up on cheese, freshly cured meats, hot-smoked salmon, fresh berries and fruits and hot from the oven bread. This all makes for a super simple picnic luncheon to enjoy later on in the day.

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3. Explore Cataract Gorge

And where to eat your picnic lunch, you may ask? There’s no better place than Cataract Gorge! Cataract Gorge is a stunning park in the centre of Launceston. To get to the gorge, you begin by walking along a scenic pathway, called the King’s Bridge-Cataract Walk. This leads you around the South Esk River’s edge to the northern part of the gorge’s basin. From here, you can walk across the Alexandra Suspension Bridge. On the other side of the bridge, you’ll find a large swimming pool to be enjoyed in the summer months.

4. Get up High on the Gorge Scenic Chairlift

I found the best part of our visit to the gorge was getting to ride the antique chairlift! The chairlift, built in 1972, and is still the longest single-span lift in the world! We were one of the only people in the park during our visit and figured the lift wouldn’t be open. But to our surprise, a quiet old woman was sitting at the desk to welcome us in and let us ride. It felt almost strange like they had kept it open just for us. We giggled the entire way across the gorge, swinging our feet, nervously laughing as the chairlift climbed higher and higher. The chairlift covers 457 metres and moves pretty slowly for you to really take in the scenery around you.

When you get off the chairlift, you can explore the landscaped Victorian garden and small cottage restaurant on the other side of the basin. You’ll find unusual Tasmanian flora and fauna, including ferns, exotic plants, and even wild peacocks.

The trip costs $9 USD for a one-way ticket or $12 USD for an “Across & Back” ticket. We opted for the one-way sine we enjoyed the walk back to the entrance. The lift is open every day from 9am, 365 days a year! In the winter it closes at 4:30 pm, in the Spring and Autumn it closes at 5 pm and in Summer from 5:30 pm to 6 pm.

5. Wonder at the Works inside Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery

If you’re visiting Launceston, you should take some time to admire some local and National Australian art. I found that Australia has such a distinct fine art style and something completely unique compared to European or even American art. My favourite part of this museum was the Tasmanian art collection from the colonial era to the present day. Their gallery even has a focus on Tasmania’s convict history and the strange and powerful art produced by the prisoners.

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6. Discover the old Craftsmanship inside the Old Umbrella Shop

Launceston’s historic streets look as though they have been preserved in amber from the late 19th century. While other Australian cities, even in Tasmania, have moved along with modernization, Launceston captures the looks and feel of Australias at the turn of the century. One of the oldest shops which is still up and running is the Old Umbrella Shop. Three generations of the same family have produced and repaired umbrellas in this shop since 1860. The umbrellas here are even crafted from local Tasmanian wood. The historic signage out front is the same as it was in the mid-Victorian era. Giving you a glimpse of what this entire street once might have looked like.

7. Indulge in Fine Dining at Stillwater

For one of the best meals, you’ll have on your entire trip, be sure to book reservations in advance at Stillwater Restaurant. Stillwater is located inside a beautifully restored 1830s flour mill. If you’re lucky enough to get a seat with a view, you can soak in the stunning landscape of the Tamar River while you dine.

Stillwater prides itself on focusing on local food, grown by producers all across Tasmania. Their seafood options are my absolutely favourite dishes but their menu changes so often I can’t recommend one in particular. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong. Their wine bar is also stacked with Australian wines, which we know, are some of the best producers of wine world-wide. So relax and indulge in some fine dining!

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8. Go Back in Time inside Franklin House

Franklin House gives visitors a glimpse into what life was like for the new colony of Launceston in 1838. It’s Tasmania’s oldest house museum, which has been restored to its original appearance. The house was first built for businessman, Britton Jones. Jones himself was an ex-convict who managed to escape the system and make a new life for himself and his family. It was so exciting to explore the home and discover the original furniture and decor. This allowed us to imagine how all the home here would have looked in years past, like stepping back in time.

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First National Trust house in Tasmania, giving a glimpse of how some lived in early days.

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9. Sip on Aged Ales at James Boag Brewery Experience

Tasmania’s most famous beer is the Boags beer, which is sold worldwide but highly regarded in Launceston where the brewery is located. On the Brewery Tour experience, you’ll learn all about what makes their beer unique, see how its made and learn about the history of this Tasmanian Brewery.

At the end of the tour, you’ll be invited into their bar where you’ll receive a 30-minute guided beer tasting! Here you’ll be able to taste a flight of their brews paired with locally produced cheese! I’ve been to many a beer tasting but never one which included cheese, so that captured my attention straight away (I’m a HUGE cheese lover) and I did think it really gave an interesting spin on the tasting.

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10. Get Spooked on Launceston City Ghost Tours

Ok, now I know ghost tours might seem like something kinda cheesy, but I LOVE them. To me, they are just like a history tour but with a slightly macabre angle. Launceston has a deep and dark convict past. It’s said that some of the prisoners who were sentenced here can still be seen roaming the streets, their ghosts clinging to the mortal world. Walking the old streets of Launceston, your guide will tell tales of the past, making the city’s history come alive. There is both an adult-only and family-friendly option, so there is something for all ages! Obviousy the family-friendly tour is a little less scary so if you spook easily that might be the tour for you.

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11. Wander down Memory Lane on a Self Guided History Walk

Launceston has some of the best colonial and Victorian architecture anywhere in Australia. Cameron street alone perfectly exemplifies what the rest of Australia would have looked like during the boom times of the 19th century. You can do your own self-guided walking tour from Albert Hall in the east to the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in the west. This tour focuses on specific buildings along the route that tell rich tales of the city’s architectural and social history. There are little plaques along the way to help inform you of the stories as you go. And it’s a great way to explore the city on foot.

While Hobart might be the more famous of the two large Tasmania cities, Launceston is my favourite. It had a quiet charm which I find intoxicating. If you’re looking for a little escape from mainland Australia’s busy beaches and modern cities, Launceston is a great place to come.

Have you ever visited Tasmania? Let me know what you’re favourite part of this island is!

Happy Travel Adventurers!

The post 11 Amazing Things to See and Do in Launceston, Tasmania first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. Mårten Trotzigs Gränd
2. Black Friar Tombstone
   • Svartbrödraklostret
3. #23 Baggensgatan
   • Magnus Ahlström
   • Underground Excavations
4. #14 Kindstugatan
   • Lieutenant Storm
5. Stockholm Bloodbath
6. #20 Stortorget
7. Tjuvakällaren
8. Siskeburen 
9. #24 Västerlånggatan
   • Ghost Cat
10. Stockholm Royal Palace
11. Storkyrkobrinken
12. Bonde Palace
13. Riddarholmen
14. Stockholm Cityterminalen
15. Nya smedjegården
16. Rosenkammaren
17. Stora Barnhuset 
18. Schefflerska Palace
    • The Death of Knigge
    • Gustaf Sandström
19. The Käpplinge Murders
20. Brunkebergstorg
21. van der Nootska Palace
    • Mermaid Melusina
    • Jean Jahnsson
22. Stockholm's Bysättningshäkte
23. Kolerakyrkogården
24. Galgbacken
25. Skogskyrkogården
    • Sculptures in the Park
26. Happy Travels Adventures!
    • References

This guide is laid in geographic order. You can easily explore each location in one long walking tour or split the visit up into the various neighbourhoods and/or districts around Stockholm.

Mårten Trotzigs Gränd

Stockholm’s old town, or Gamla Stan, is a great place to start your tour. This part of the city dates back to the 13th century and still contains many 17th and 18th century buildings. The streets are dense with history and ancient spirits. Make your way along Västerlånggatan to the iron gated entrance to Mårten Trotzigs Gränd. This narrow alley, thick with graffiti, looks from afar like nothing special. But entering the lane at night, you’ll notice how dangerous and eerie this cramped walkway really is. The path has 36 steep steps, which spread only 35 inches wall to wall, making it the narrowest alley in Stockholm.

The stairs were named after merchant Mårten Trotzig. Trotzig owned several properties around the area and he commisionned the staircase in order to be able to better access them. He was a copper and iron merchant and one of the richest men in Stockholm. But with such a large purse of gold, came those who would try to steal it. And in 1617, he was beaten to death in nearby Kopparberg. His untoward death perhaps cursed the staircase, and these stairs would become the scene of many deaths to come.

Famously people would be robbed at the top of the stairs after exiting nearby brothels. The stairs were a prime location for thieves as the drunkards would be struck on the head and then pushed down the stairs. This allowed the thieves to get away with murder as the fall looked like what killed the men and would disguise the killing blow. Therefore there would be no one to suspect foul play. After pushing the victim down the stairs, the thieves would run away into the darkness of the night.

Often the women at the brothels were accomplices to these murders, identifying particularly rich patrons to the criminals outside. After a rash of these deaths, the authorities finally started to catch on and patrolled the area around the stairs. Eventually, the jig was up. Although the stairs are no longer the location of robbery and muder, there is still a spooky atmosphere here, which seems to boil up with the spirits once killed on these stairs.

Black Friar Tombstone

At the top of the Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, head east along Prästgatan and turn north up Södra Benickebrinken until you reach Svartmangatan. Stockholm’s old Black Friars’ Monastery was once located on the west side of Svartmangatan. Look out for the black iron door along Benickebrinken street. This rather unassuming entrance leads to the ancient vaults of the old Black Friar Brotherhood Monastery. Visitors can still visit the catacombs by private guided tour with the Medieval Museum in Stockholm. 

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Svartbrödraklostret

The Black Friars’ Monastery or Svartbrödraklostret was built in 1336. They were named the “black friars” due to their attire, which featured black, hooded robes. Despite the order being funded by the previous King Magnus IV in 1337, the new Swedish King Gustav Vasa, who reigned in 1528, wanted them out. By order of the King, the monastery was demolished in 1547. 

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Hundreds of years later, in 1930, when the St. Nikolai school was being erected, construction workers unknowingly dug up the bones of the monks who had been buried here for over 500 years. The construction workers were so shocked when they uncovered this gruesome discovery that they hurriedly moved all the bones into one mass graves, without another thought. But shortly after doing so, the construction workers reported having terrible visions and hearing voices down in the vaults. When they would follow the cries, they found them to be echoing from the mass grave. Most workers were scared right off and didn’t return. Clearly, they wanted to be returned to their original resting place.

The one tombstone which marks the spot is engraved with the text, “Here are the remains of Swedish Dominican monks in the Old Town. They were found at the foundation excavation of the St. Nikolai school’s new building in 1932. Rest in peace.” But it doesn’t sound like they are at peace at all. Still to this day, people have been known to hear their sorrowful cries, echoing through the vaults.

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#23 Baggensgatan

Following in the footsteps of the Black Friars, make your way to Baggensgatan. The lower part of Baggensgatan leads to the Black Friars’ Monastery entrance, and many of the friars lived along this narrow street. Walk along Baggensgatan until you come to number 23. This house looks pretty unassuming, but the history behind these walls is rich with ghoulish tales. Building number 23 was located right about the vaults of the old Black Friars’ Monastery. After Gustav destroyed the monastery, legend had it that the friars had hidden all their earthly treasures inside the vaults. Before the destruction, they had hidden the entrance to these catacombs so no one except those in the brotherhood could find them. After hundreds of years, this was in the hopes that they could return to power and recover their riches.

Magnus Ahlström

In 1762 the building was bought by captain Magnus Ahlström. The house went by the name Ahlströms jungfrubur or “the Maiden Cage of Ahlström.” If the name didn’t give it away, it was indeed a brothel. He described the house as a “virtual temple of Venus with space for the priestesses on all three floors.” The brothel was such a popular spot on the street that the stone stairs leading into the house are more worn down from foot traffic than any others along the road.

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But Ahlström’s penchant for the darker side of the law didn’t stop here. He was obsessed with the rumours around the hidden treasure and brought this building for that very reason. Ahlström hired a group of miners to dig down and down into the foundations of his house to access the hidden friar tunnels. He placed armed guards at the entrances to tunnels to prevent the miners from escaping with the treasure for themselves.

Underground Excavations

After weeks of unsuccessful excavations, he came down to find the miners had disappeared even though the guards had never seen anyone leave the tunnels. They searched the tunnels for weeks, but no sign of the miner was found. Still, to this day, residences Baggensgatan say they can hear the sound of pick axes digging long into the night. Perhaps the Friars cursed the treasure. Any of those who weren’t worthy of retrieving it would be sentenced to forever searching for it, even in death.

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#14 Kindstugatan

In the medieval period in Stockholm, swordfights were among the most popular ways to resolve disagreements amongst the menfolk. Usually, these duels ended without too much bloodshed, but on the night of August 12th, 1674 poet Lasse Lucidor wasn’t that lucky. In fact, his nickname was “the unlucky one.” Lucidor had gotten into a fight with the bartender of the basement pub, which once resided here.

Lieutenant Storm

The bartender refused to serve the poet until he paid the rest of his tab, knowing all too well that he didn’t have the coin to afford even what he had already drunk. Hoping to break up the fighting, Lieutenant Storm approached the drunk poet in the hopes of simply asking him to leave without a skirmish. But thinking the Lieutenant meant to harm him, Lucidor drew his sword, not a smart move since he was a lover, not a fighter. Lucidor swung widely at the Lieutenant, but only managed to give him a scratch on the arm.

Now filled with rage at this seemingly mad writer, Storm stabbed him through the heart, a fitting end for a poet. He was buried in an unmarked grave in Maria Magdalena graveyard, a common practice for those too unfortunate to have a tombstone of their own. But those buried in unmarked graves are often unsatisfied with their existence being so poorly remembered. These unnamed spirits haunt the spots where they met their untimely end and walking along Kindstugatan see if you can hear the sorrowful poet’s death wails as he morns for his soul into eternity.

Stockholm Bloodbath

Walk west until you reach the main square in Gamla Stan, Stortorget. Stortorget in Swedish means “the Grand Square.” Surrounding the square are some of the most regal and colourful 17th and 18th-century buildings. In the middle ages, this intersection was the Times Square of the period. While the cobblestoned square is as charming as can be, this ancient part of town is also home to one of the most notorious bloody crimes of Stockholm’s history; the Stockholm Bloodbath of 1520. 

The Stockholm Bloodbath was the real-life inspiration for Game of Thrones “Red Wedding.” When Danish King Kristian II invaded Sweden and took the throne, he needed to cleanse the court of anyone who opposed him. 92 members of the nobility were brought to the main square in Gamla Stan. There, they were accused of treason and were beheaded and hanged one by one. Onlookers said there was so much blood it soaked the ground for months and flooded the entirety of Stortorget. The executions were such a long process, they occurred over three days from November 7th to November 9th, 1520. Now, in November, residences have reported seeing the blood still flowing in the square, lit by the moonlight, it disappears the second someone tries to touch it. 

#20 Stortorget

One of the buildings nearby, which is painted red, contains 92 white stones, surrounding the window panes. Each stone represents the soul of one of the Swedish nobles who perished during the Bloodbath. Legend says that if these stones are removed, that soul of that person will rise from the dead and haunts the streets of Stockholm.

Tjuvakällaren

Where the Nobel Musem now stands was once the spot where you’d find the old Rådstugan or Stockholm Town Hall. The town hall stood here from 1471 to 1772. Inside is where you would find the Siskeburen or detention centre and the Tjuvakällaren or thief’s cellar. The Tjuvakällaren was located in the depths of the medieval basement. The basement was a disgusting place, where the sewage from the rest of the city would collect and was never cleaned. Prisoners were chained to massive logs, beaten and tortured. Some would be pressed up against the walls, which were known to get so cold that the prisoners would freeze onto them.

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Siskeburen 

The Siskeburen was located on the first floor of the town hall and was a much less brutal place for prisoners who awaited their fate. The name comes from the Swedish word for “cage,” as the chambers used to keep the prisons looked like tiny cages. Often one of the more common people you’d find here were women waiting to receive their punishments for infidelity. The church at the time controlled who married who as a means for regulating their power, ensuring families were marrying “their own kind.” This resulted in many unhappy marriages, and therefore adultery was pretty common, but can you blame them? Women accused of cheating would be stripped naked and forced to walk with stones strapped to their backs to the gates of the city. There, they would be banished and could never return. 

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In front of the Siskeburen, you could find the Copper Matte or “pole of shame.” The pole was topped with a copper sculpture of a man wielding a large crop of rice. This statue was meant to warn citizens to follow the rules as disobeying would result in harsh punishments. It stood here from 1603 to 1776. The word “matte” comes from the name of the mayor at the time, Mathias Trost, who was a strict ruler and who the statue was also modelled after. You can now find the Copper Matte statue on display inside the Stockholm City Museum. 

#24 Västerlånggatan

Västerlånggatan, in the middle of the busy tourist neighbourhood of Gamla Stan, is home to the chic little shop Iris Hantverk located at #23 Västerlånggatan. But above the doorway into the store is an old stone frieze with a rather fascinating story behind it. The legend goes that one day a ship’s captain was lost at sea. The captain was tossed overboard when he was saved by a beautiful water sorceress. She brought the captain down to her castle under the waves where she nursed him back to health. In exchange for returning the captain to his ship and his safe return home, she gave the captain a letter to deliver immediately upon his return to Stockholm. The letter was addressed to Mr. Måns at #23 Västerlånggatan. 

Ghost Cat

But when the captain returned to Stockholm, he forgot all about the message. He spent the majority of his day focused selfishly on unloading his ship’s cargo. When he finally got around to posting the letter, the homeowners told him that the only person named Mr. Måns at that address was a cat. Puzzled but thinking he should still deliver the letter, he went to find the cat.

Once he placed the letter in front of Mr. Måns, the cat began to cry and then proceeded to scratch the captain to death. After attacking the man, the cat sorrowfully jumped out the window where onlookers saw him turn to stone. You can still see Mr. Måns on the frieze above the doorway at #23 Västerlånggatan. No one will ever know what was written in that letter since it was written in a language no one could understand, so we are only left to wonder what kind of sorcery cursed the poor cat.

Stockholm Royal Palace

Stockholm’s Royal Palace is home to more than one of the city’s famed ghosts. The first is the White Lady or Vita Frun. But unless you have some Swedish royal blood flowing through your veins, you probably won’t spot her. The White Lady is known to only appear to members of the royal family, warning them of a royal’s imminent death. She is said to wear a long white dress, a veil covering her face, wit dark gloves covering her ghoulish hands. In those hands, she clutches a large key ring which she uses to get into all 1,403 rooms inside the castle. She has appeared to both King Oscar II, Princess Eugenie, Princess Margaret and Queen Silvia. Even those not in the royal family have been known to hear that unforgettable ghostly clinking of keys as she glides throughout the hallways of the darkened castle.

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The other of the palace’s ghosts in the old Gray Man or Grå manner. The Grey man is reportedly the ghost of Stockholm’s founding father Birger Jarl. Birger Jarl is said to appear in front of the new rulers every time they take the throne. Birger Jarl originally built his fortress on the very same spot where the Palace is located today. One can only wonder if he haunts the castle, ensuring that the rulers of his kingdom are truly worthy.

Storkyrkobrinken

Storkyrkobrinken was once better known as Helvetesgränd or “Alley of Hell.” This area was located north of the main church and, therefore, “the northern side of the damned.” It was a street that frequently saw criminal activity and was rampant with suicides. The city’s executioners were known to live on this very street, ensuring it’s dark history for the ages. Swedish executioners were given their own apartments, but this luxury came at a high price. All executioners were men who were themselves condemned to death. In exchange for a period of freedom, they served as executioner, a job otherwise too gruesome to find willing applicants. The men were marked to guarantee everyone knew who they were. Both their ears were cut off, and they were branded with the city’s crest. 

Their employment would only end when another prisoner took their place. This new prisoner, also sentenced to death, would come to the executioner’s apartments and murder the previous executioner. But what a life to lead, knowing that your days were numbered and that death lurked in the very room you lived in. The apartment was destroyed in the 18th century, but the dark mark of their residence still resides in the area.

Bonde Palace

Just outside Bonde Palace is where Hans Axel von Fersen was beaten to death, in 1810. Hans Axel von Fersen had served both King Gustav III and his son King Gustav IV. But when Gustav III died, his son was exiled, and Christian August of Augustenburg was put on the throne. Fersen was frequently heard opposing this election as his support directly lay with Gustav IV. When Christian August died shortly after his coronation, Fersen was suspected of foul play. The 1800s weren’t a time for philosophical investigation, and Fersen was attacked by an angry mob and lynched outside Bond palace. Fersen was always loyal to the realm, and his ghost is still thought to haunt these streets in search of revenge.

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Riddarholmen

Riddarholmen Church is located on its own island just west of Gamla Stan. It was once a former medieval abbey built in the late-13th century for the Greyfriars. Since the church was always one the grandest in the city, it has long been the site for royal burials. One of these royal families was the Torstensson family, whose vault is known to be one of the most haunted spots in the city. 

At night, employees have been known to hear banging and knocking coming from inside the tombs. There also have been rumours of footsteps and heavy breathing coming from the other graves. Almost as if they are clamouring to get out.

Stockholm Cityterminalen

Head over to the Stockholm Cityterminalen, where you have access to a myriad of different train lines. Standing on these platforms, unusually late at night when there aren’t too many people on the platform, you might get the chance to spot the elusive “ghost train.” This silver-coloured train is known to stop at various stations along the track. But be warned, do not get on. This train isn’t headed anywhere the living wants to visit.

The train goes by the name the ‘Silver Arrow‘ or ‘Silverpilen’ due to the aluminum exterior. This ghost train is thought to carry the souls of the dead to an abandoned station in the middle of the forest. This station, known as Kymlinge, does, in fact, exist. It was built in the 70s to service rural parts of Stockholm, but construction was abandoned after it was deemed unnecessary. Today, residents warn visitors to be wary of getting on any train that looks like the silver arrow as the living will get stuck in an infinite loop as the train is meant only for those already dead.

Nya smedjegården

The Nya smedjegården, also known as the New Blacksmiths’ Yard, was one of Stockholms’ most notorious prisons. It operated between 1636 and 1896. The building once stood on the corner of Drottninggatan and Barnhusgatan, which is now a seemingly perfect residential area. But gaze into the past, behind every corner store and apartment building, and you’ll find a dark history.

The Nya smedjegården prison was built to contain the overflow from the dungeons of the old royal castle, Tre Kronor. Prisoners brought here were made to work in the smithy as part of their punishment. Back then, there was no distinction made between crimes, which meant that men, women, big thieves and first-time criminals were mixed. Making it an extraordinarily dangerous place to be for all those incarcerated.

Rosenkammaren

But the most shocking part of the Nya smedjegården was the Rosenkammaren or Rose Chamber. Despite the flowery name, this room was better known as the torture chamber. It was often filled knee-deep with freezing cold water. Prisoners were chained from the ceiling and suspended into the icy pools. It wasn’t until 1772 that torture was abolished by Gustav III, and the torture chamber was destroyed.

Stora Barnhuset 

But the dark nature of the building had been imprinted on the earth, and even after the prison changed hands, the wicked spirits which haunted location stayed on. In 1624 the prison also served as a children’s workhouse and orphanage called the Stora Barnhuset or “Great Children’s Home.” But it was anything but great for those poor souls trapped there. The workhouse was poorly run, and abuse was rampant. In 1770 there was a great scandal that revealed that staff kept the children half-starved and sold the food donated by the state. The mortality rate was extremely high, and hundreds of little children met their mournful end here. 

Gustav III was extremely sympathetic to the horrible conditions these children were living in. He decreed that children placed in the orphanage would only be there temporarily until a foster home could be found. From 1785 onward, children didn’t spend their entire lives within these haunted walls. Instead, they stayed there only for a couple of months before a permanent home could be found. The orphanage itself was finally closed in 1922, but the tormented spirits of both the prison and the orphanage remain.

Schefflerska Palace

Walking along Drottninggatan, you’ll reach Schefflerska Palace locked away from the public behind a set of tall, teal gates. Since the Palace is closed to visitors, this is the best way to get a look at this spooky manor. The palace has been so notorious haunted that it even goes by the name “Spökslottet,” which in Swedish means “haunted house.”

The Schefflerska Palace was built by a wealthy merchant in 1690. Almost as soon as it was made, it was proclaimed as being haunted. Guests who visited the house would report hearing strange music coming from unoccupied rooms. Windows and mirrors were also known to break no reason. People thought one of the reasons the house was so haunted was that owner Jacob von Balthasar Knigge, was reportedly a devil worshipper. Beneath the palace, they said he kept skeletons, buried treasure, and the victims of his devilish rituals. 

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The Death of Knigge

Although officially Knigge died in bed in 1796, legend has it that on that night neighbours saw him getting into a black carriage with flames which spurted forth when they took off. The carriage was being driven by a massive black creature with horns and a tail. It carried him into the night, never to be seen again. His body is said to be buried at the Adolf Fredrik cemetery, but until someone can dig it up to see if he’s really there, the legend lives on.

Gustaf Sandström

Long after his death, strange things continued to happen inside the palace. In 1879 Gustaf Sandström, a famous opera singer, was a guest in the home. That night, for reasons no one could comprehend, he committed suicide. Later a young couple was murdered in the same room and their bodies hidden behind a bricked-up wall. They were only discovered years later, too late to look for a suspect.

A priest was finally brought to the palace to investigate the strange occurrences. While trying to exorcist the demons, he felt an ominous, invisible presence enter the room. He was thrown out a glass window by the unseen entity. Although he survived, he never returned as the darkness which possessed the house was too strong. The area around the palace is known as Spökparken or ‘the Ghost Park.’ With the city seemingly getting on board with officially labelling the area as being “ghostly,” it’s hard to see this as just a legend.

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The Käpplinge Murders

In 1389 the tensions between the Germans (who supported Albert, King of Sweden) and the Swedes (who helped Margaret I of Denmark) were brought to a boiling point. On June 14th, 1389, German soldiers and merchants gathered in Gamla Stan and read a list of who they deemed traitors aloud in the square. Once the traitors were gathered up, they were put on a boat and sent over to Käpplingeholmen (now Blasieholmen). There, inside a large barn, they were burned alive. Walking along this street at night in the winter, you’ll often find fire barrels lit to keep the populace warm. However, the Käpplinge ghosts don’t take too kindly to this, and people have been known to still hear their angry screams on cold winter nights.

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Brunkebergstorg

Brunkebergstorg is a square in the Norrmalm district in Stockholm’s inner city. The square was once lined with fashionable shops in the 19th century, but early in the 20th century, it became Norrmalm’s commercial center. That being said, 500 years ago, this square served a much darker purpose. This was one of the central locations for public executions in Stockholm. One of the most gruesome ones was the murderer of King Eric XIV‘s secretary Martin Olai Helsingius. Martin Olai Helsingius had pleaded with the king to pardon his predecessor, Jöran Persson, who had been accused of the looting of Svartsjö Palace in 1597. Eric was appalled that his new secretary was trying to protect the acts of a known criminal and Martin was sentenced to death for treason.

But Martins’s punishment was more severe than even Persson’s (who had actually committed a crime). Martin’s ears were nailed to the gallows, and after he was hanged, he was taken down just in time to keep him alive. His body was then set upon the breaking wheel, where he was tortured. Finally, after hours of terrible suffering, he was beheaded. His body nailed to a stake in the square where the public could observe him as a horrendous warning for others who would oppose the king.

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van der Nootska Palace

In the middle of the hipster neighbourhood of Södermalm, you’ll find one of the most impressive event venues in the city, van der Nootska Palace. The palace was built in 1674 and is named after its builder, Dutchman Thomas van der Noot. The manor house served as a private residence for several wealthy families over the years and, throughout that time, gathered its fair share of ghosts. 

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Mermaid Melusina

The ghost of mermaid Melusina is known to take a bath here every single Sunday night. As the legend goes, Melusina was once the king’s daughter. When she was born, she was cursed by a wicked witch. The curse turned the beautiful princess into a mermaid once a week until she gave birth to eleven children. The princess married a noble duke and hid her transformation by hiding inside the bathroom every Sunday night. She gave birth to ten children before her husband discovered her terrible secret. 

Ashamed of her appearance and her husband’s disgust, she fled, threw the pipes under the bathtub, where she would remain a mermaid forever. Still, to this day, she emerges to the surface to bathe in the van der Nootska Palace. Evidence of this ghost can be found in the architecture of the house. On the exterior, you can see a series of carvings of mermaid’s faces. 

Jean Jahnsson

The other ghost who lives in the palace goes by the name “the jeweller’s wife.” Jean Jahnsson was a wealthy jeweller who owned the manor in the 20th century. But Jean Jahnsson was a torrid adulterer and kept several lovers on the side. It was only a matter of time until his wife discovered his immoral behaviour. When she died, she still carried that grief and anger with her into death, and her raging ghost latched itself to the palace. Her spirit is often spotted furiously, stomping around the castle in search of Jahnssonand with one of his dalliances.

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Stockholm’s Bysättningshäkte

One of the city’s most popular modern restaurants, Häktet, hides behind its slick bar and contemporary cuisine, a sinister secret. This building was once Stockholm’s Debtor’s Cottage, known as Stockholm’s Bysättningshäkte. The Bysättningshäkte operated from 1782-1872. Back in the 1700s, it was literally illegal to be unemployed. If you didn’t contribute to society, the authorities were allowed to throw you in jail. Orphans, anyone who was sick or disabled, were also thrown in these debtors cottages. Since they didn’t pay taxes, they were “in debt” to the city. 

These captives were forced into labour to repay their debt. Women were forced to spin thread from the moment they got up in the morning to the time they went to bed. Men were required to extract paint from the sap of trees, which was used to dye fabrics. There was little food to go around, and there was often violent misconduct, resulting in many inmates’ deaths. Still, since these people were seen as unfavourable by the city, their deaths were often overlooked. While you can dine on horse tartare and steamed cod here at Häktet, listen carefully to see if you can hear the shrieks of starving ghosts who are still heard rattling the bars of their cages.

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Kolerakyrkogården

We are now heading out of the city to explore remoter locations on the tour. If you’d prefer to end your walk inside the city center, you can do so now. But from Bysättningshäkte, its only a 21-minute train ride (on line 13,14,17 or 18) to the Kolerakyrkogården. The Kolerakyrkogården or the Cholera Cemetery is located in the southern part of Stockholm. This cemetery was the main burial ground for victims of the 19th-century cholera epidemic. Many residences of nearby Södermalm died of the easily transmittable disease. Horse-drawn carts piled high with corpses carried the dead from the inner city, up to the cemetery. Up to 16 coffins were then placed in each grave. In total 3,665 people died in the first outbreak from August 27th to October 17th, 1834. 

The city was hit again in 1853, which resulted in about 3,000 more deaths in just a few weeks. The Kolerakyrkogården was filled to bursting with these bodies, some of which weren’t even identified when placed into mass graves. Such a place of mass sorrow is bound to have its fair share of forlorn spirits. People who visit the graveyard today have been known to hear disembodied voices echoing across the otherwise quiet green fields.

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Galgbacken

Located just a 10-minute walk away from the Kolerakyrkogården, you can find the Galgbacken or Gallows hill. This spot, now marked by a historical sign, indicates the last public execution site in Stockholm was located. The gallows hill was used as early as 1689, and the last public hanging took place in 1818. After its destruction, the memories of the dark history were lost to the sands of time. It wasn’t until 1930 when new a block of houses was being built that construction workers uncovered a series of skeletal remains.

When it was in use, inmates from the nearby inner-city prisons would be brought here. What made this gallows different, was that the prisoners were brought here and allowed to enter the Källaren Hamburg cellar, for one last drink before they were hanged or beheaded. 

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Skogskyrkogården

The Skogskyrkogården or Woodland Cemetery is one of a few dozen cemeteries marked as UNESCO world heritage sites. Unlike some cemeteries created out of the need for mass burials, this cemetery was well planned, and some of the world’s best architects were employed to build an impressive design. An international competition was held in 1915 for the plan of the new cemetery in Enskede. The winning architects modelled the cemetery’s layout on German forest cemeteries. These ancient graveyards provided an extraordinary tranquil environment surrounded by the beauty of the natural world.

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Sculptures in the Park

Throughout the park, you’ll discover stunning sculptures by Carl Milles. These were created to be integrated into the rest cemetery’s layout of peaceful paths and gentle rolling hills. 

At one point, this old cemetery was a popular spot for those suffering from homelessness. They would come here to camp at night, but after some time, people noticed they had stopped camping here altogether. Many of them mentioned hearing voices at night, and seeing pale beings appear and then disappear as quickly as they could blink. See if you can spot one for yourself.

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Hopefully, you enjoyed the tour and aren’t took scared to go to bed tonight! Let me know the spookiest place you’ve ever been to while travelling or what you’re most looking forward to exploring in Stockholm!

Happy Travels Adventures!

References

Wikipedia | City of Stockholm Archives | Stockholm Gamla Stan

The post The Most Haunted and Spooky Places to Visit in Stockholm first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.

Table Of Contents

1. When to Visit
2. History
3. Where to Park
4. Old Jerome Cemetery
5. Ghost City Inn
6. House of Joy
7. Jerome's Sliding Jail
8. Cuban Queen Bordello 
9. Husband's Alley
10. Liberty Theatre & Gifts
11. Connor Hotel
12. The Spirit Room
13. Bartlett Hotel
14. Jerome Park
15. Mile High Inn
16. First Episcopal Church
17. The Haunted Hamburger
18. Surgeon's House
19. The Old Company Clinic
20. Asylum Restaurant
21. The Grand Hotel
22. United Verde Mine

When to Visit

Obviously, since this is a ghost tour, the best time for it is at dusk as it day turns to night. But even during the daytime, the abandoned streets and buildings still have an ominous feeling. Three of the locations on this tour are also hotels so for those brave enough to stay overnight, you’re in for an extra treat. Overnight stays allow you to experience the town without as many tourists, and the silence allows for keener ears and eyes to spot those spectres.

History

Jerome was founded in the late 19th century on Cleopatra Hill. It overlooks the scenic Verde Valley, which is 5,000 feet above sea level. During its heyday, it was home to more than 15,000 people. During the first world war, the price of copper soared, and American citizens came here in droves to mine the rich copper quarries that were abundant in this area of the west. Jerome was dubbed the “Wickedest Town in the West” by the New York Sun newspaper in 1903. It had a reputation for rampant gambling, an abundance of alcohol consumption, drug abuse, gunfights and other mayhem. With all of that debauchery came a series of unfortunate deaths, each one relating to the abandon that was felt throughout the town. It was lawless and rarely were crimes investigated to the full extent of the law.

Over the years the town seemed to be cursed. Jerome was subject to numerous fires, earthquakes and other natural disasters. The population continued to decrease and the copper mines dried up. Eventually, it became a ghost town with little to no sustainable source of income. In the late ’60s, the Arizonian Tourism board saw Jerome’s untouched architectural and cultural history to be valuable for visitors. And in 1967 Jerome was established as a Historical Landmark.

State Park and National Mine Museum

In the late 2000s, art galleries and trendy restaurants started popping up to drive more people into the town. The local State Park and National Mine Museum were established to help preserve the history of mining in this village and to educate travelling visitors on the history of Jerome. But what people come to Jerome for these days, are the ghosts! Even if you don’t believe in these spectres, the dark history of the town’s past is a fascinating way to explore its decrepit streets and abandoned buildings.

United Verde Mines

The United Verde Mines in Jerome were a dangerous place. In 1922, the quality of ore they had been mining began to degrade, and they had to switch to open-pit mining. This resulted in multiple fires which plagued the operations. Often, there was no way to control the flames which burned the ore under the ground. These ever-burning fires resulted in dense smoke on the skyline of Jerome for months, a haunting sight to see. The recklessness of the mine owners was in their quest for power and wealth is thought to have cursed the town. Fire after fire, earthquakes, landslides and rampant diseases seem like something more than just chance.

Dynamite and Explosions

If the fires and dynamite explosions didn’t kill the miners, brawls and shootouts would. In its heyday, it is estimated that there were four murders a day in Jerome! Since these men were poor miners there was no money for a funeral and burial. So they were disposed of in the cities smelting furnaces, and the bone fragments from the corpses are literally now still in the foundation of the city itself. It’s a living tomb. Today, the ghosts of these fallen miners are thought to haunt the town, in search of their final resting place.

So many ghosts died in the fires which tore through the camp in the early days of Jerome. At that time, most of the buildings were made from timber, and once something caught fire, it spread rapidly. Being high up on the hill meant that the winds would pick up any bits of burning embers can carry them past where the initial blaze started. In 1898 one of the most massive fires pretty much levelled the entire town to ash and took with it many lives.

Where to Park

After visiting the cemetery, which is on the outskirts of the town, there is a parking lot for anyone on a day trip marked on the map where you can easily leave your car and then head over to the next spot on tour. If you’re staying overnight, almost all the hotels have dedicated parking.

Old Jerome Cemetery

We’ll start our tour on the outskirts of town. Before you even enter the ghost town, you’re immediately met with a sign of its darkened past. The old cemetery once housed over 400 graves and markers, but today almost nothing remains. Because the ground was so tough, most of the time, the earth wasn’t dug too deep to bury the bodies. This meant that animals, such as coyotes, were able to dig up the corpses and drag them from their “eternal” resting place out to the mountains where they were never recovered. Today, the last of the stones and markers are protected with iron fences to ensure they don’t slide right off the cliffside. From this place, you have a panoramic view of the United Verde Mining Operations and the towering Cleopatra hill which rises up above the city.

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Ghost City Inn

This charming red and white painted two storey bed and breakfast seem anything but nefarious. But like everything in Jerome, it’s not what it seems. The Ghost City Inn was initially built in 1885 by the Garcia family as a lodging house for the managers of the various mines. In 1930, a miner staying in the house had constructed a bootleg still in his room. The poorly made machine exploded, causing an enormous fire which engulfed the entire second floor. In the 1950s and 70s, the house went through multiple renovations. This was in an attempt to keep relevant after the closure of the mines.

It became an art gallery, funeral home, spiritual retreat and restaurant. In 1994, it went through its latest transformation into a bed and breakfast where brave visitors stay the night to see if they can spot a ghost. The hotel’s most popular room, the Cleopatra Hill room, a female spirt it thought to be seen roaming the halls. In the Verde View Room, there is a male spirit seen outside the halls spying through keyholes on those people inside. People have seen doors slam on their own and whispering voices in the hallways when no one is there. Perhaps these are the ghosts of the people who perished in the fire, searching for a way out.

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Ladies of the Night

The ghosts of these ‘ladies of the night’ are thought to roam these streets, searching for redemption. High-class escorts worked in brothers where they had madams who took care of their health and safety. But if you were one of the lower class working women, you worked in what was called “the cribs”. These women saw upwards of 30-80 men a night and exposed themselves to harsh conditions, illness and violence.

Dozens of women died either by the hands of jealous clients or passed away from sexually transmitted diseases they weren’t even aware of. One such woman, who is seen wandering the street, was named Sammie Dean. Sammie Dean was murdered on Tuesday July 7th 1931 inside ‘Lil’s place’, a brothel apartment off Hull Ave. Her killer is a mystery but suspects include the Mayors Son, or Deputies Son. She is reportedly spotted in windows along the street, continually looking for her killer.

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House of Joy

The House of Joy on Hull Avenue is now an eclectic shop, but it was once one of the most famous brothels in town. In front of this house, people have said they feel like they are being watched by eyes in the window, despite no one being home. Often you’ll hear footsteps behind you, only to turn and nothing is there. People have even been said to be able to smell old fashioned perfume wafting from nowhere.

This red and black painted bordello was owned by the famous Madam, Nora “Butter” Brown. She was the very first madam to open a brothel in Jerome and taught Madam Jennie everything she knew. Jennie (who we will learn about late) went on to become much more success than Brown herself but learned everything from good ol’ Nora. During one of the many Jerome fires, Nora ran to the fire department and begged them to save her house over all the others. She went so far as to offer all the firefighters free “business” if they managed to save her property. With that kinda incentive its no surprise to hear, her house was saved.

Jerome’s Sliding Jail

Continue walking along Hull Avenue, and as you climb, on your right, down the hill (pathway marked), you’ll find the famous Sliding Jail. As the miners continued to dig and disrupt the steep hillside, many buildings were lost to landslides. And this jail is one of the remaining examples of this phenomenon. In 1936, the earth gave way under the jail, and it literally slid down the hill. It originally was located 200 feet from here, upon the main street.

The concrete cell block literally fell right out of the tin and wood building it was contained within. One can only imagine if someone had been inside this cell or not when it made a run for it. The cell is now reinforced by a few new walls and an iron fence to attempts to keep people out. Spirits have been drawn to this site for years, perhaps ghosts of old prisoners, searching for somewhere familiar.

Cuban Queen Bordello 

Just up from the sliding jail, is the remains of the Cuban Queen Bordello. This building was finally torn down in 2017 as it had been left to rot and eventually collapsed on itself. The once swanky Bordello was the site of one of the town’s most unlucky couple. After drinks in the bordello, two men had a quarrel in the streets, and one had killed the other. The murdered man’s wife, now left with no income became a prostitute at the Cuban Queen Bordello. There she was also shot to death by an estranged lover. Perhaps the angry spirits of the murdered couple brought down the building itself, but no doubt they still roam the area. But at least they are together again in death.

Husband’s Alley

Husbands Alley is the small alley behind what is now the Nellie Blie building. It had a false store front with access down to the Cribs. The Cribs District or ‘Husband’s Alley’ by the locals, as this was where the majority of Jerome’s prostitutes and ladies of the night would set up shop. Miners rarely brought their families with them when they took a position at a mine, and this meant prostitution was rampant. Although prostitution was technically legal, police would look the other way, and the trade was second only to copper in terms of the money brought into Jerome. At one point over 100 prostitutes were working in town.

Brothels and Saloons

These brothels were once located right on the main street, but when Jerome attempted to become a more “family-friendly” town, these establishments were moved to this new area, away from the saloons on the main drag. This meant men could head down to the main street to drink and gamble, and then walk out the back door, to access Husband’s alley. Then they would head back into the saloon once they were finished their “business” and walk out the front of the bar without knowing anyone knowing any the wiser what they had been up to.

Liberty Theatre & Gifts

Turning up Jerome avenue, we come upon the old Liberty Theatre, which now also acts as a gift shop. This was Jerome’s first silent movie theatre. Although the theatre closed in 1929, you can still explore the space it once resided in, and ghosts don’t just head off because of renovations. To this day, the spirit of a former patron haunts the building. Immigrants often came to mining towns as that kind of labour didn’t require too much legal paperwork.

A German-born immigrant woman to the city had struck up an affair with another one of the town’s immigrants. The two had a fight, and the woman fled to the movie theatre to clear her mind. But the man followed her there. He waited until the music got louder and then he strangled her to death, her screams masked by the tune. Today, people have been said to still hear screams coming from the second floor where the theatre once was.

Connor Hotel

Built in 1898 by David Connor, the Connor Hotel is one of Jerome precious jewels of the past. Formerly this hotel was built with over twenty rooms on the second floor to house all the different travelling miners, businessmen and contractors coming from all over the west to cash in on the natural resources to be found here Verde Valley. Rooms only cost $1.00 but back in that day that was a king’s ransom and the Connor Hotel didn’t disappoint. There were a bar, card room and even billiard tables on the first floor. Everything inside the Connor Hotel felt luxurious. It was the top of the line for hotels in the West, know all over Arizona. Just like the Bartlett hotel down the street, the Connor hotel also suffered at the hands of the flames and burned down in 1898.

Because there was so little land that could be built upon and all the buildings downtown were built do close together once a fire started, it spread very quickly, and there was no stopping it. But unlike many other shop owners, Connor had purchased insurance and was able to start construction on his new hotel very quickly. He made some lavish improvements on the previous hotel, including making this one in brick (much more fireproof) and was up and running right away.

Trouble at the Hotel

But as the mines began to run dry and the travelling miners went back home, the hotel started to run out of money. And by 1931 the hotel had to close its doors, for what they thought would be the last time. It still tried to rent out its first floor to different shops to make some money but the second floor remained dormant. It wasn’t until the late 60s with the tourist boom that it was transformed into a hotel once more. After a considerable renovation to update the hotel to modern safety codes and health standards, the hotel is inviting travellers back through its doors to experience a piece of history.

The Connor Hotel is haunted by an unnamed male spirit who loves to play with and manipulate electronics. He loves to turn on and off radios, TVs, telephones, and computers. This man’s presence can be sensed with cold spots in an otherwise warm room, or sometimes the echo of his voice can be heard calling from down the dark and creaky hallways.

Ms. Marie Gallagher

Another famous incident at the hotel involved a woman named Ann Hopkins. Ann’s husband was having an affair with a local school teacher, Ms. Marie Gallagher. In a jealous rage, Ann bought carbolic acid and waited till Gallagher was coming to the hotel to meet her husband. Ann caught her in the lobby and threw the acid in her face. The school teacher, Ms. Marie Gallagher, was not killed in the acid attack, but Ann was sent to jail for about 6 years, and came back to Jerome, living for a time inside the Connor Hotel room #1. Today, her spirit returns to haunt the hotel.

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The Spirit Room

On the lower level of the Connor Hotel, you’ll find the Spirit Room. Be sure to stop in here for a drink along your journey as the desert heat can leave any traveller mighty thirsty. This famous ghost sighting stop is a must-see building along your tour. Many people have seen a mysterious woman in red who comes into the Spirit Room to quench her ever-present thirst. She is a bit of a flirt and is thought to caresses the fingers, faces and necks of visitors. Whispering sweet nothings in their ears. If you take photos inside the spirit room, look for a red smudge, as this is her telltale lipstick stain. The lady in red has also been known to crawl right into bed with male guests who she takes a particular liking to.

Bartlett Hotel

The original building built on this spot was once called the Grandview Hotel and was constructed in 1895. It was a dancehall, a dining room and a high-society social club. In 1898 a great fire broke out throughout the city, and the hotel was destroyed. The Bartlett Hotel was rebuilt in 1901, this time using bricks, hoping this would help withstand another fire. It was a lavish hotel. Each room was decorated in a different colour, making every guest feel uniquely special.

The New Jerome’s Times, the longest-running newspaper, ran its offices out of the Bartlett hotel for 20 years until it had to shut its doors due to poor circulation. But in the late 1940s, the building became unstable and eventually abandoned. Now, all that’s left of it is the framing. The Jerome Historical Society has set up wooden ghosts for tourists to throw pennies into. The money collected is raised for future repairs and hopefully more preservation efforts throughout the city. 

Jerome Park

Across from the Bartlett, the hotel is the old Jerome Park. I hesitate to call it a park; it’s little more than a rusted swing set and an empty patch of land. But this is where one of the many deadly shootouts in Jerome took place. Alcohol and boredom fueled the fires of many a miner’s heads and after one too many, feuds between men, often over the love of a woman, would get heated enough to be taken outside and ended in a bloody shoot out. People often walking the streets at night have heard the sound of gunshots, but the shooter is never found and often thought to be echoes of the past.

Mile High Inn

Beside the park is the infamous Mile High Inn. This establishment was once owned by a woman named Madam Jennie Bauters. She was the wealthiest woman in northern Arizona. Jennie arrived in Jerome when it was nothing more than tents and shacks. There was no real main street to be heard of. But what there were was men. The original building which became the Mile High Inn was first the Clinkscales Building. It was built in 1899 by an insurance adjuster from Los Angeles. It was many things over the years, including a mortuary, one of Jennie’s Brothels, then a Hardware store when Jennie left Jerome in 1903.

The brothel was exceptionally well furnished, with a large front reception room and interior bedrooms dripping with luxurious velvet. These were for the elite of Jerome and Jennie made a pretty penny from these extravagances. The “sinful” business flourished, but despite her seemingly perfect life, Jennie had her fair share of troubles. One of her best girls, Maggie Shults, was murdered in the house by a rejected suitor. He shot her multiple times and then turned the gun on himself on the second floor.

Jennie’s Murderer

But Jennie didn’t let one measly murderer get her down. No, her business was booming, and she was buying up more and more property on Jerome’s main street. Jennie was killed in the small mining town called Acme Gold Road. The town changed its name to just ‘Gold Road’ in 1906. She was seen running down the street in her nightgown barefooted pleading for her life. Clement, her lover, was a gambler, heavy drinker, and always asked her for money. She turned him down one night for money, and he got angry and killed her.

After he realized what he had done he shot himself in the chest. The he lay down next to her dead body and covered his face with his hat, ready to die. He survived, was arrested and taken to jail, and was hung for Jennie’s murder in 1907. She was buried in Kingman at the old Pioneer cemetery. But has been seen still returning to Jerome to visit her old haunts.

Today’s Mile High Inn

Today, the Mile High Inn is much as it was in the 1940s, although remodelled to become a restaurant and hotel. The Madame herself is known to be seen roaming the halls of her institution, looking after the girls as she would have done in life. Jennie is pretty particular about how her home is kept and has been seen throwing dishes if they are not put away correctly or leaving fingerprints on the bed frames as she attempts to clean them. Visitors have come back to their room with the furniture moved around and doors locking and unlocking by themselves.

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First Episcopal Church

The First Episcopal Church was built in Jerome in 1900 but moved to its current building on Clark Street in 1927. Although the church closed its doors in 1953 when the mines closed, the Jerome Historical Society bought the property in 1953 to ensure it was not lost to the ages. Today they use this place for their archives and administration. If you come to her at twilight, you’ll get the chance to meet the church’s resident ghost. She is a woman, robed in white mist, who often stands in the doorway of the church, looking out at the town from this high vantage point.

The Haunted Hamburger

If you’re looking for a place to eat which serves up a side of the spooks, then you must head over to the Haunted Hamburger. While the menu is pretty standard diner fare, the ambience and stories from the locals you’ll learn while visiting are what you really come for. Chefs say that while in the kitchen, ghosts like to throw utensils around to tease them. Contractors swear that the ghosts have been known to steal their tools. A spirit by the name of Claire is thought to wander the second floor, and often you can head footsteps when they swear no one is up there.

Surgeon’s House

This old home, once the residence of the town’s surgeon, is haunted by many spirits. The surgeon was like a celebrity. He was often the richest man in Jerome who was old not a miner. He was a scholar and an educated man. Women were enthralled by these men from big cities. And miners were impressed by the stories they would tell of these lives, so different from the ones they knew. The Surgeons House was the site of many cocktail parties that would rage well into the late hours of the evening.

To this day, phantom music has been known to play, heard all across town. These days the old house is bed and breakfast. And guests have been known to see spectres dancing through the halls. These ghosts seem rather friendly and are just there to have a good time, as they did in life. A famous ghost dressed in a blue gown is frequently seen laughing through the halls. Often chasing a man seen carrying a leather doctors bag, perhaps the surgeon himself.

The Old Company Clinic

The Old Company Clinic was the second hospital to be built in Jerome. It was where, during the 1918 flu epidemic, hundreds of Jerome’s residents came to attempt to be treated. Unfortunately, hundreds of those people died, and their souls are thought to haunt this building. People claim to have said they’ve seen eyes in the windows and patients in turn of the century gowns walking around the 2nd floor. Doctors and nurses rush from room to room, as they would have done while they were alive, trying to cope with the hundreds of sick and dying people who came through their doors. The flu was genuinely horrific to behold and the imprint this terror wrought on the people who witnessed it made a lasting impression on the town, even years after the fateful events.

Crematory

When the third hospital was built, now the Grand Hotel, this one was left to rot. But not for long. The doctors and nurses began using it as a kind of social clubhouse in 1927, to retire in after a long day at work. It had a library, pool tables and lounge. But once the winter came, they found there was no heating in the building. Going on at the same time, the new hospital realized they did not have a working crematory to dispose of their dead bodies. Never to squander an opportunity, the doctors saw a solution to both their problems. They began using the crematory in the old hospital to burn bodies and heat their clubhouse all at once. Despite the ingenuity of the solution, this imbued the entire place with ghosts angry to be thought of as nothing more than coal for these doctors.

Ghost of the Little Girl

The last famous ghost to see if you can spot is that of a little girl. She is often seen sitting near the front door of the old hospital waiting for her mother. Her mother had come down with the flu and the little girl starved to death waiting for her mother to return home, although she never did as she died in hospital of the flu. The little girl often will only come out to maternal figures who she thinks might be her mother returning to her.

Asylum Restaurant

The Award-Winning Asylum Restaurant located at the Jerome Grand Hotel offers lunch and dinner services every day. The restaurant overlooks the entire Verde Valley and provides the diners one of the most amazing views. Although the name seems a bit cheesy, the decor inside is beautiful art deco from the period the building was constructed. The food is all classic dishes and is wonderfully prepared by some of the best chefs in the Valley. The select dishes include Pastrami Salad, Char-Broiled Chilean Grilled Salmon and Mesquite Bacon Wrapped Filet Mignon. If you’re looking for a spot to eat dinner, this is an excellent choice for something a little more luxurious!

The Grand Hotel

The new Jerome Grand Hotel was initially built in 1926 as the Verde County Hospital. The hospital was designed in the Spanish mission revival style of architecture which was so popular at the time. It was one of the last significant buildings to be constructed in Jerome. Since it was so far away from the city centre, it avoided a lot of the fires that broke out downtown and therefore remained its original facade. Also, because it was a hospital and contained so many expensive machines, it was made to be fireproof and withstand dynamite blasts of up to 260,000 pounds.

In 1926 it was the most modern and well-equipped hospitals in Arizona as the mining finances paid for the best services money could afford. But by the 50s, when the mining dried up, the hospital closed down. The building stood unused for 44 years until it was renovated by the Altherr family in 1994 and was turned into a hotel for tourists. The family made many efforts to keep the structure and design of the original hospital to maintain its historical memory. But this also kept within its walls, the ghosts who passed away inside these walls. It was thought that over 9,000 people lost their lives here in this very spot.

Ghosts of the Hotel

Even if you’re not staying in the hotel, venture inside the lobby where some of the most restless spirits are found. Sitting in the dimly lit waiting room, you might spot the old woman in elegant clothes who is thought to be waiting for her husband. Items have flown off the gift shop shelves, doors close on their own and the front desk phone often rings with calls from unoccupied rooms. Behind the front desk of the lobby is still in working 1920’s elevator.

Claude Harvey

The most famous ghost of them all who lives in the hotel is Claude Harvey. Claude was a maintenance worker in the hospital during the 1930s. Claude was well-liked by everyone in town, and when he was found dead at the bottom of the elevator shaft, pinned under the elevator, everyone was shocked. There was an official inquest into his death where they discovered that his neck had been broken before the fall, and there were several strange scratch marks on his body not caused by the fall. In the end, the death was ruled an accident, but many people in town thought otherwise.

Shortly after his death, strange occurrences began at the hospital, specifically around the elevator. Even when no one is inside the lights go on and off and it sounds like someone is walking around inside. The owners went so far as to think someone had been breaking into the hospital and living there unbeknownst to anyone else, but no one was ever found. To this day, any strange occurrences in the elevator are thought to be the ghost of Claude.

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The Old Hospital Ghosts

The 3rd floor was where the operating room was and where most patients lost their lives. For years people have reported hearing coughing, painful groans and cries of distress echoing through the halls. Despite replacing the old wooden floorboards with sound cancelling carpet, guests have been known to hear the rolling of old hospital gurneys on wood floors. The most famous spirit on the 3rd floor is that of an old bearded miner who has been seen turning the lights on and off in the hallways.

Strange occurrences have happened to the living inside the hotel as well. In-room number 32, a man in wheelchair mysteriously managed to fall off a balcony, reportedly committing suicide. In the same room, only a few years later, a businessman shot himself in the face. A caretaker was hanged, and there were multiple murders throughout the hotel. Although this could be due to the “wildness” of the town, the thought of these deaths being influenced by ghosts of the past is hard not to imagine.

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Maternity Ward

On the 4th floor, where the maternity ward once was, there is a ghost of a mother who lost her baby in childbirth. She still roams the halls, frantically searching for her little baby. People report smells coming from unoccupied rooms such as cigar smoke and whiskey, in the waiting room where expectant fathers would have once waited.

United Verde Mine

From the parking lot of the Grand Hotel, you have a beautiful view across Verde Valley, and the old United Verde Mines. Beneath the entire city of Jerome, there are old mine shafts and tunnels which are thought to be the resting place of hundreds of miners. One famous ghost is named “headless Charlie” who was decapitated in an accident years ago. His head was recovered but the rest of him, much like the headless horsemen, was never found. After his death, many other miners would report hearing groaning and shuffling as if it was the ghost of Charlie searching for his lost head.

Today, standing on the cliff of these mines, the wind can play tricks on you, and you might hear what sounds like the echos of men trapped beneath the earth for eternity. Cries in the distance are a common occurrence, and here in the uneasy quiet, there is almost always something which can trick your mind into thinking it heard something quite not of this earth…or many it was just that.

Jason S. Voss

A BIG thanks to Jason S. Voss, who helped clear up a few facts for us! Jason has worked for the Jerome Historical Society and works for Jerome’s oldest local tour company, Tours Of Jerome. He is also an amazing local artist. Feel free to contact him for a personal tour of the city! Jason was a contributor to the book “Haunted Jerome” which just came out 3 months ago written by Midge Stueber and Pat Jacobson. If you’re interested in learning more about Jerome I would highly recommend you pick up a copy!

I’ve been to Jerome multiple times, and the people who live here LOVE telling stories. In addition to taking this walking tour, make time to chat with the locals as everyone seems to have had their own personal ghost encounter which they are eager to share! If you’ve ever had your own haunted happening let me know in the comments!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN ADVENTURERS

The post Explore the eerily beautiful haunted streets of Jerome, Arizona, on a self-guided walking tour first appeared on The Creative Adventurer.