Halloween is drawing near, and if you are like me, you love scary stuff and enjoy this time of year. We have already told you about a lot of places, both real and man-made (and some a little of both perhaps?), as well as some spooky haunted roads you might be brave enough to drive down. Here are a few more places in Missouri with some creepy histories and stories of things that go bump in the night.
1. Darlene's One Stop, f/k/a Mac's Cafe, Berger
Google Maps (Street View)
In the 80’s in one of the two upstairs apartments, a step-father was kicked out of his house for being abusive. He returned one night and shot out the windows and security entrance door to get in. When he opened the apartment door, his step-son was there waiting for him, and shot him point blank in the neck, nearly decapitating him. His ghost has appeared in what had been his bedroom and roaming the building watching people. Weeks after the incident, a pentagram sketch with the step-son’s mother’s face drawn in the middle was found outside the step-son’s bedroom door. He appears in hiking boots, jeans and a flannel shirt, and reports of weird noises, odd occurrences, and even live snakes are frequent. In one case, a 3-year-old begged his mom to "tell that man" to stop bothering him.
2. Shady Oak Theater, Clayton
This theater is said to be haunted by the ghost of a man who killed himself on the grounds before the theater was built. Film on the shelf unwinding by itself, the lobby speaker shooting 15 feet away and landing in the middle of the floor, cleaning crews feeling watched from behind the theater curtain, dimming and undimming lights, posters being turned around or taken off their hooks, and cold spots have all been reported. Even more creepy, a voice can be heard saying, "tsk, tsk, tsk", sneering and moaning.
3. Creve Coeur Park, Creve Coeur
Creve Coeur Park and the city of Creve Coeur are named after a French phrase "Creve Coeur," which translates to "burst heart" or "broken heart." Besides possibly being named for the lake being in the shape of a heart, there is an old legend that may bring more insight. The story is that a young Native American princess fell in love with a local French fur trader, but alas, that love was not returned by the trader. With a broken heart, she leapt from the cliffs overlooking the lake and as a result the lake reformed into the shape of a broken heart. Dripping Springs, the falls that trickle down a ledge in the park also resemble small drops said to be the tears of the young maiden. People have reported hearing sobbing or screams coming from the top of the cliff at Dripping Springs, and others say that if you go to the lake’s shore on a night when the moon is full, you can see her standing on the edge crying, and she has even been witnessed jumping. Some have even been approached by the princess, speaking in her own tongue. Upon not being understood, she becomes hysterical and runs away and jumps off the cliff.
4. The Elms Hotel, Excelsior Springs
Harry S. Truman spent election night here in 1948. This 1912 hotel, located at 401 Regent Street, once had a basement where the lap pool now stands. Many ghost sightings down there have been reported, including the ghost of a man from speakeasy days who had been killed by the mob there, and a frantic woman looking for her child who might even pull hair or throw things. The help seems to be well supervised as well. The ghost of a young woman in a maid outfit appears to make sure the work is done right.
5. Little Dixie Lake, Millersburg
On the north side of the lake where the parking lot is all gravel, there are two trails that eventually merge at a thick line of trees. There are then two continuing trails running parallel to one another and if you follow the lakeside trail it will take you to a huge tree just past a green pond on the side of the trail. At least two hundred years old, the tree was left intact when they dug the lake and marked the trails. One person reported that their dog went crazy around the tree, and when trying to calm him their flashlight died. Upon leaving the area, the flashlight turned back on again. Groaning noises and weird clanking, and visions of a man hanging from a rope swung over the limb have also been reported. The ghost is reportedly a male in dark slacks, a white, tattered, dirty shirt and barefooted.
6. Cottey College, Nevada
Cottey College, which was founded in 1884, has a piano-playing ghost said to be that of Vera Neitzert, a student from 1920 who perished when her clothes caught fire while she was cooking candy. Her ghost has been seen in Main Hall and the former Rosemary Hall. Another guess at who the piano player is, is a woman named Madame Blitz, a former department head from the turn-of-the-century who died in her home across the street by drinking carbolic acid.
7. Wilcox Road, Poplar Bluff
Google Maps (Street View)
In the early 1900s, a train derailed killing most of its passengers. Once they started investigating the wreck, strange things were discovered . For example, a woman had been pregnant when she was killed in the wreck but when they found her body, the baby was missing from her womb. Another man had become decapitated during the wreck but the police could never find his head. To find this location you start on Wilcox Road. About quarter of a mile down Wilcox Road it will fork. If you go left the road at first is curvy and paved, but eventually it turns into gravel. About a mile after it turns gravel you come to a railroad crossing. Once you get to the railroad track you pull onto the tracks and shut off your car. Your windows will start to fog up very quickly and you can hear a train whistle in the background, getting louder and then stopping. You might also see a light when you look down the train tracks. Other strange things that have been reported are tapping at the window and seeing a woman asking you where her baby is. If you decide to get out of your car, you might see a decapitated man in the ditch searching for his head. Most people do this at midnight, but people have reported seeing spirits as early as 10 pm.
8. Rickey Road, Raytown
Google Maps (Street View)
This twisty road has no street lights and woods on both sides lining the edge of the road. At one part there’s a crumbly brick wall along the side that looks like an old, overgrown cemetery. The cemetery has been seen at night on either side of the road with a woman wearing a wedding dress and veil, standing in the cemetery and stretching her arms out toward the road. However, during the day there is no cemetery, but a house under construction and a wide open field on one side and on the other some trees on a small cliff. Another witness described seeing a head with a terrified expression on its face roll out of the woods and under the front of the car. About half way down the road there is an old run down wood bridge with a series of chevron signs before it on which somebody has spray-painted with red paint a letter on each of the signs spelling M-U-R-D-E-R D-I-E and the last sign which is directly next to the beginning of the bridge says "Back & Here" (????). When going over the bridge you have to go extremely slow because the wood is so warped, and numerous people have said when they do this they notice lots of movement on both sides of the bridge and sounds of footsteps. Most reports have been at night but there was actually one during the day, and if you bring up Rickey Road to the locals you will get a strange reaction and most have their own stories to tell, although many seem hesitant to share them or ever return to the location.
Had you heard about these places before? Experienced something strange yourself? Are there others that we haven’t covered? Share in the comments below.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.