The Old Washington Military Museum With A Truly Haunted Past
By Jessica Wick|Published August 07, 2019
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Jessica Wick
Author
Jessica Wick is a writer and travel enthusiast who loves exploring new places, meeting new people and, of course, beautiful Big Sky Country and every part of Washington State.
The beautiful Lewis Army Museum is dedicated to preserving and displaying the history of Fort Lewis, the Army component of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It’s fascinating to see so much of our local military history so perfectly displayed, but what’s even more interesting is the paranormal activity that has been common in the building for years.
But once you hear its sordid history, you may understand why there are still active spirits here, despite a fairly recent exorcism… yes, an exorcism.
It's housed in the historic former Red Shield Inn, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. You may have seen this brilliant building from I-5 before.
The museum's displays tell the history of Camp Lewis, Fort Lewis, and Army component of Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The Red Shield Inn is one of two surviving Fort Lewis buildings that date back to the World War I era, back when this area was known as Camp Lewis. The building was constructed in 1918, and it didn't become the Lewis Army Museum until 1973.
In 1927, the movie The Patent Leather Kid was filmed at the Red Shield Inn. Rumor has it that during that time, an actor was tragically murdered on the second floor.
One night in 1999, post military policemen responded to an alarm at the museum. Upon their arrival, they found the building locked, and no alarms had been tripped. But when they got back to the MP station, the alarm went off again. And ask anyone who has worked at the museum for awhile and you're sure to hear a few strange stories.
Of course, haunted or not, this is still a fantastic place to visit for anyone interested in our local military history.
