The 13 Most Haunted Places in Washington State

Washington is one of the most beautiful states in North America, thanks to abundant natural lakes, lush forests, and historical landmarks. However, lurking behind that beauty is a much darker side involving some particularly creepy paranormal hotspots!

Let’s look a bit closer at the most haunted places in Washington State…

Campbell House is one of Washington’s most well-known historical landmarks. It was designed and built by Kirtland K Cutter in 1898 and was first owned by Amasa Basaliel Campbell.

There is a very sad history attached to the house. In the early 1900s, 3 of the Campbell children were murdered by a burglar who also kidnapped the fourth child.

The child was never returned. With such a tragic past, it is hardly surprising that the Campbell House is one of the most haunted houses in Washington.

Related: The Most Haunted Places in Spokane, WA

Visitors describe feeling a very unsettling feeling on entering the house and are often overcome with dread.

A portrait of Amasa Basaliel Campbell in the house is said to follow visitors with its eyes as they wander the house – perhaps looking to see if the kidnapper ever returns.

The fact that Black Diamond Cemetery is a burial ground makes it a little creepy. Still, when you add that this is one of the most haunted locations in Washington, it kicks the spook factor up a few notches!

Related: The Most Haunted Cemeteries in America

It has been said that visitors have heard whistling and voices when nobody else is around. There have also been reports of the swinging lanterns of dead coal miners seen on foggy nights.

University Heights in  Seattle was once a school but has since been converted into a community center. It is also considered one of the most haunted buildings in Washington, thanks to the spirit of a little boy inhabiting it.

The youngster is believed to have been a student at University Heights when it was still operating as a school, and it seems like she never left.

He is often seen and heard playing in the halls. However, he certainly does not seem to be alone in the building since many visitors, staff, and paranormal investigators have all said they have heard a small group of children laughing and playing in the building.

At least the little boy doesn’t seem to be lonely!

Tacoma Old City Hall has been at the center of various reports of hauntings since the mid-seventies.

According to local town records, the police were called to the old building on many occasions starting in 1974 to investigate a variety of different disturbances, including lights going on and off, noises coming from inside, fire alarms sounding, and even the intruder alarms being triggered.

Those reporting the disturbances believed that someone was breaking in, but on each occasion, the police could find no evidence that anyone had even been inside.

There were no signs of forced entry, nothing had been disturbed, and there was no logical explanation for the disturbances!

Fort Vancouver dates back to the 19^th century, but before that, it served as a fur-trading outpost. It stands on the Columbia River and is located partly in Washington and partly in Oregon.

Like so many other old and ruined buildings, Fort Vancouver has its fair share of secrets hidden within its wall.

One of the most active buildings is said to be the Grant House Art Center, which sits among the houses in Officers’ Row.

Some of the strange phenomena reported there include phones ringing when they are completely unplugged and doors opening or closing by themselves.

There is one particular ghost whom staff members have nicknamed ‘Sully’ who likes to sit in the cafe drinking coffee!

Mount Baker Theatre opened in Bellingham in 1927, and ever since it opened its doors, the building seems to have been plagued by ghosts!

Some of the reports recorded here include unexplained noises, cold spots, strange disembodied voices, balls of light, and even the odd apparition.

There is a resident ghost of a young woman named Judy, and for years, the theatre has had reports of her “developing crushes” on male projectionists and ushers at the theatre. When she picks a crush, they’ll hear their names called across the stage, or they’ll feel ghostly touches on their backs and shoulders.

And she’s just one of 4 ghosts that paranormal investigators have discovered there!

With all of this strange paranormal activity going on, it is not difficult to see why Mount Baker Theatre is considered to be one of the most haunted places in Washington State!

The Oxford Saloon in Snohomish is considered one of the most haunted places in Washington state.

Many different paranormal investigators have investigated it, and many of them have picked up some clear examples of electronic voice phenomena.

The saloon was built in 1900 but has been modified considerably. It has seen more than its fair share of violence over the years – especially down in the basement and the men’s card room.

One of the most documented murders here is the death of a Policeman named Henry, who was a regular at the saloon and who may even have worked as a bouncer on his days off.

He is believed to be one of the many spirits haunting the Oxford Saloon today. He most often appears on the basement stairs but is also known to pinch women in the ladies’ restroom!

On the upper floors, there are said to be three more ghosts – a man in a bowler hat and two female spirits.

One of these ladies is a madam known as Kathleen, and she is described as an older woman dressed in purple with matching purple bows.

The other lady is a girl named Amelia, who was forced into prostitution by Kathleen and who was found dead in a closet on the property.

Once known as the Butterworth Building, this former mortuary is now a popular bar called Kell’s Irish Pub.

It is not only one of the most haunted locations in Seattle, it’s considered to be the most haunted pub in North America and has even been the focus of a couple of different paranormal television shows.

A large number of bodies have passed through the mortuary thanks to disease epidemics, mining accidents, and violent crime, and that has certainly left its mark on the property.

Some unexplained activity documented here includes mirrors spontaneously shattering for no apparent reason, plaster falling from the walls, glasses being swiped off of surfaces by unseen hands, and disembodied voices.

The owner also claims to have seen an apparition sitting at the end of the bar, which he described as a mixed-race man with very thin hands and wearing a suit jacket.

Interestingly, some of the bodies that passed through the mortuary here would have been the victims of our next haunted location – Starvation Heights Sanatarium.

Starvation Heights Sanitarium was operated by Dr. Linda Hazzard and her husband Sam, but the doctor used a very strange treatment method – starvation!

Needless to say, this was not an effective treatment, and a large number of her patients died.

These bodies were incinerated within the sanitarium to cover up the mistreatment while Dr. Hazzard maintained her public image as a strong female leader.

However, behind the scenes, she was evil and greedy.  Today, the foundation of the building and the incinerator are all that remains.

Well, apart from the spirits of former patients that are said to be roaming the ruins, that is!

At one time, as many as 2000 patients lived in the Northern State Mental Hospital. A large percentage of those patients would also have died in the building due to a variety of different causes.

Some would have passed from natural causes, but far more died as a direct result of strenuous physical labor, electroshock therapy treatments gone too far, botched lobotomies, complications during forced sterilization, and some were just straight out murdered.

It is no great surprise that with so much death and despair linked to the property, it has become one of the most haunted places in the state.

There have been various reports of paranormal activity, including one of the most common sightings – an apparition of a nurse pushing a male patient in a wheelchair.

Other common reports include shadow figures, disembodied screams, and cold spots.

Located in the historic mill town of Everett, just 25 miles north of Seattle, lies the Historic Everett Theatre. Opening in 1901, then known as the Everett Opera House, it hosted many of the biggest names in early 20th-century entertainment, such as the Marx Brothers, Fatty Arbuckle, and George Cohan.

With over 120 years of history, it wasn’t until 1993, during renovations, that supernatural reports started to ramp up.

While the work was going on, people would often experience the feeling of being watched, and doors would mysteriously not shut.

In one instance, a staff member was on his way out of the projection room when the door wouldn’t close. The more force he used, the more resistance there was then suddenly, the door burst open, hitting him in the chest and knocking him to the floor.

Whoever haunts here certainly seems to like the projection room, as on another occasion, an employee witnessed a sweater lift off the floor and float before being thrown back down. In another instance, an employee was working on the film projector when he suddenly felt he was being watched. Looking up he saw what he described as a man from his waist up looking at him through the projection window, disappearing moments later.

In the heart of Seattle, the Hotel Sorrento stands as an architectural enigma. Opened in 1909, its distinct Italian design and eerie ambiance have made it a landmark, not just for its luxury but for its otherworldly resident, Alice B. Toklas.

Despite its financial tumults and ownership changes, the hotel, adorned with Rookwood tiles and grand fireplaces, has survived over a century, thanks to the Malone family’s 1980s restoration efforts.

Related: Haunted Hotels in Washington State

However, it’s the spectral presence of Alice B. Toklas that truly sets the Hotel Sorrento apart, marking it as one of the most haunted locations in Seattle and, indeed, the nation.

Known for her pioneering role in cannabis cuisine, Toklas’ ghostly figure, dressed in monochrome, is often sighted roaming near room 408 or unsettling the Dunbar Room, where drinks mysteriously stir themselves.

See also: The Most Haunted Hotels in Seattle

While the reasons behind her haunting remain a mystery, the hotel embraces her spirit, even celebrating her legacy with themed dinners and tours, making the Hotel Sorrento a haven for those who seek a brush with history and the paranormal.

Founded in 1893 by the Sisters of Charity, St. Ignatius Hospital in Colfax was once a beacon of healthcare, its walls echoing with the bustle of nursing students and patients. Yet, as the years wore on and modernity outpaced its facilities, the hospital closed its doors, leaving behind a shell of memories—perhaps something more.

Today, St. Ignatius is not just an edifice needing preservation; it’s a hotbed for paranormal intrigue. Witnesses recount unsettling encounters with the spectral remnants of its past, like the tormented spirit of a railroad worker, crushed and forever bound to the site of his untimely demise.

Over 15,000 visitors, armed with scientific equipment, have sought to pierce the veil of the afterlife here, often leaving with stories of inexplicable voices and ghostly caresses in the dead of night. As St. Ignatius sits, its future uncertain, the echoes of its storied past continue to resonate, inviting the brave to explore the mysteries locked within its aging walls.