The Haunted Bar In Indiana That’s Been Around Since The 1800s
By Tori Jane|Published March 24, 2022
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
The region that is now Indiana has been inhabited for a very, very long time. Long before colonizers came over from distant continents, Native people lived here and fought here, and the trade industry has been alive and well for almost as long. We go today back in time to 1850, when the building pictured below was first built. It was originally intended to be an upscale roadhouse and bar for travelers; instead, it went through many decades of salaciousness and controversy. It’s also got historic significance as part of the Underground Railroad. So, what’s the story behind the Slippery Noodle in Indianapolis? Is this haunted bar in Indiana really as spooky as they say?
Its history is dark. And there are plenty of folks who seem to have never left.
The Slippery Noodle was originally called Tremont House.
It underwent several name and ownership changes over the years. It didn't take long for the place to become a hot spot for criminals and ne'er do wells; soon enough, the building would be almost lawless.
Over the centuries, the building has been many things.
It's been a hotel, a brothel, a speakeasy, and a respite from the law. It's been site to many a shootout between outlaws (there are still slugs and shotgun blasts in the walls, put there by John Dillinger himself). People lived here and died here. Many of those folks, whether they were murdered or died by other means, are said to have never left.
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The whispers about the hauntings have been going around for decades.
The eerie, otherworldly encounters have been so frequent and so consistent that employees at the Noodle - now both an inn and an award-winning blues bar - quite literally knows "who" is who in terms of the ghosts.
He stays in the basement, they say, and he wears a pair of overalls. His name is George, and he's scared the living daylights out of unsuspecting keg delivery drivers who came down, flipped the light on, and found George to be directly in their faces. At least one said he would never be back. We get it. That's only mildly terrifying, after all.
Other ghosts said to be roaming the hallways include those of phantom sex workers killed in the line of duty here, alleged slaves who sought refuge here while escaping north to freedom, and even a cowboy who may or may not have been stabbed to death during a fight over a lady of the night.
Sidle up to the bar and ask the bartender about them. You're sure to be taken on a frightening journey where the dead don't stay dead and the living are forced to co-exist with them.
Recently, a beloved long-time owner of the Noodle passed on to the next world. He was a brilliant light who turned this bar into one of the world's best blues bars.
One thing is for sure about this bar: the ghosts who ARE around here have been around here for a good, long time, and they will stay long after the rest of us are gone.
Have you ever experienced anything strange at this haunted bar in Indiana? Did you know the hauntings have been going on for so long? What do you think is going on here? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
