It’s that time of year. Pumpkin spice everything,. Halloween candy is on display in stores, and ghosts and haunted places draw our curiosity. For true “Spooky Season” enthusiasts, a trip inspired by ghostly legends might be the ultimate way to get into the spirit, literally. When we think about haunted destinations, visions of New Orleans or Salem, Massachusetts might come to mind, but Kansas probably isn’t at the top of your thoughts when considering a ghostly road trip.

If traveling for ghost lore piques your interest, don’t count the Sunflower State out. Stories of restless and even sinister spirits are woven into those plains.

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, one of the coolest things about exploring Kansas’s haunted sites isn’t the paranormal vibes, but rather the way local communities embrace their haunted histories. This welcoming atmosphere allows visitors to forge a deeper connection to these small towns and come away with a more profound sense of place.

Atchison

Atchison, located about 50 miles from Kansas City, is home to the Sallie House, considered one of the most haunted spots in the United States.

Named for a young girl who allegedly died in the house following a botched appendectomy in the early 1900s — the house was inhabited by a doctor who performed surgeries in his residence, or so the story goes — the Sallie House gained notoriety in 1993 when the residents began reporting and documenting paranormal activity. There have been reports of physical assaults by spirits (unexplained scratches or bruises), phone batteries suddenly draining, electronics not working, moving objects, and cold spots. The reported activity is strongest in the upstairs nursery and the basement. There’s also been some suggestion of other, more malevolent spirits besides the child Sallie.

Display in the kitchen of the Sallie House (Photo by Jill Robbins)

Want to see for yourself? You can book a self-guided daytime tour and explore the house at your leisure. The truly brave can reserve an overnight visit. We visited during the day, and while the house looks a bit shabby and unloved from the curb, it didn’t scream “haunted.” I didn’t catch any sort of vibe while exploring the downstairs area, but my friend and I both began to feel uneasy as soon as we got upstairs, and we mutually agreed to cut our exploration short and make a beeline for the door.

There’s no evidence that a child named Sallie died in the house or even existed, although record-keeping may have been scanty during that time. There are a few different theories about what makes the house haunted, such as Sallie sharing the house with other spirits and occult rituals being performed in the basement.

Other Haunted Happenings in Atchison

Atchison offers seasonal haunted trolley tours that allow visitors to drive by the city’s various haunted sites and hear ghost stories. In addition to the Sallie House, there’s the 1889 McInteer Villa, the Cray Historical Home, and the “Gargoyle House,” also known as the Waggener Home. From the exterior, all three check the box on what the average person thinks a haunted house should look like — dramatic turrets, peaked roofs, and other Gothic architectural details that tease the mind into believing there’s an apparition peeking at you from one of the upstairs windows.

McInteer Villa (left) and Cray Home (right) (Photos by Jill Robbins)

But the Sallie House is at the top of the heap when it comes to fear factor.

Visitors can book a day tour or an overnight stay at the 1889 McInteer Villa or take a tour of the Cray Historical Home. The Gargoyle House is a private residence but worth admiring from the curb.

Leavenworth

Leavenworth, about 34 miles from Kansas City, is best known for being home to the Army’s Fort Leavenworth and the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, the Department of War’s only maximum-security military prison. Fort Leavenworth is known to be one of the United States’ most haunted military installations: The ghost of General George Custer himself is reported to wander around the Rookery, and the spirit of Catherine Sutter, a mother searching for her lost children, is said to roam through the cemetery.

Not One but Two Cemeteries

Fort Leavenworth has two cemeteries: the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, which is similar to any military cemetery, and the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery, a separate resting place for military convicts who died while serving their time. The National Cemetery has pristine, manicured lawns and an air of dignity and care. You’re likely to see groundskeepers working on landscaping projects or family members paying their respects. The USDB Cemetery has an entirely different energy. It’s tucked in a less-trafficked part of the fort, and the grass, while not overgrown, lacks the attention given to the resting place of soldiers who served honorably. It gives the impression of being devoid of warmth and friendless, and while not exactly scary, I can see how your imagination could run away with you if you visited closer to darkness.

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There’s a piece of little-known World War II history at the USDB. Fourteen graves are placed separately from the rest of the headstones, along the back fence. These graves belong to German prisoners of war who were executed by hanging in 1945 for killing fellow German prisoners they believed to be collaborating with the Americans. The executions took place after the war had officially ended, to avoid reprisal.

The Frontier Army Museum, which is free to enter, has information on the history of the fort, including its ghost lore. They offer a Haunted Fort Leavenworth walking tour in October for anyone who wants a deeper dive or a more chilling experience. Overall, the community leans into its haunted history, especially during Spooky Season, when you can find pop-up events with an eerie theme.

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Accessing Fort Leavenworth

While Fort Leavenworth isn’t an open military installation, it’s easily accessible, even to those without a military ID. Register for a virtual visitor pass through the Visitor Control Center. Approved visitors will be notified by text and will use the driver’s license they registered with to access the installation.

Catholic High School Turned Hotel, But Is It Haunted?

The Leavenworth Local hotel was once Immaculata High School, a Catholic girls’ school. The hotel strikes a perfect blend between retaining its original architecture, both inside and out, and comfortable, modern accommodations. The lobby was once the front office, the auditorium is now a meeting space, and the gym serves as a recreational area where guests can shoot hoops or play cornhole. There’s even a blackboard with chalk where you can leave your mark with a little graffiti.

The Leavenworth Local Hotel (Photo by Jill Robbins)

Although the Leavenworth Local hotel has no documented hauntings, the desk clerk reported that she frequently heard unexplained footsteps and noises in the two-bedroom chapel suite on the second floor when the room was unoccupied.

Ellinwood

This small town in Central Kansas sits about 97 miles northwest of Wichita. The area was originally settled by German immigrants in the late 1800s, who built underground tunnels as a means of getting around town and concealing undesirable businesses, such as saloons and brothels. According to our tour guide in Ellinwood, these tunnels were once quite common across the state, but Ellinwood’s are the only surviving underground tunnels in Kansas.

The underground tunnels were a place for cowboys from the trail to bathe. (Photo by Jill Robbins)

The tour is more focused on obscure Kansas history than ghostly happenings. Exploring the tunnels is similar to being in a basement with a small window at the top that lets a little light through — they’re not very deep — and it isn’t a scary experience. However, the hotel across the street from the tunnels has a resident ghost.

The Historic Wolf Hotel

This historic hotel is rumored to be haunted by the ghost of Bernard Millit, who died in the Sunflower Dining Room on the first floor in 1927. Millit checked into the hotel before heading to dinner, where he shot himself in the head while lingering over his meal. The bullet entered the ceiling above his table, where it is still lodged.  A broken engagement is suspected to be the reason behind his suicide. Millet’s table is perpetually reserved, and the employees at the Wolf Hotel report that he’s a peaceful spirit.

The Wolf Hotel (Photo courtesy of Kansas Tourism)

Although the Wolf Hotel was an elegant, 30-room hotel in its heyday, today it operates like an Airbnb with five rooms/suites, rather than as a traditional hotel. There’s also a speakeasy in the basement tunnels under the hotel, aptly named “The Underground,” which is open on Friday and Saturday nights. The rooms are comfortable and decorated in a Victorian style, featuring numerous figurines, gilt, and old photographs. Although the guest book details some ghost sightings and unexplained phenomena, we didn’t witness any of this during our stay.

Nearby

If you want to explore another haunted hotel, the Midland Railroad Hotel is just a short drive away;  Wilson, Kansas is 35 miles north of Ellinwood, right along Interstate 70. The hotel was originally built in 1899 and was rebuilt after it was destroyed by a fire in 1902. Until the 1920s, it was considered one of the Midwest’s finest hotels back when Ellinwood was a bustling stop between Kansas City and Denver.

The lobby of the Midland Railroad Hotel (Photo by Jill Robbins)

The hotel has changed hands several times and was restored to its 1920s-era glory in 2003. The rooms are comfortable, breakfast is included, and there’s an on-site restaurant and social club, making this a great spot to hang out in an otherwise sleepy area of Kansas.

Several ghosts are rumored to reside at the Midland Railroad Hotel, many of whom are believed to be the spirits of people who perished in the 1902 fire. The most popular ghost is that of a playful little girl who is said to run up and down the hall on the third floor. There are also reports from guests of seeing a child jumping on the bed when no children are present at the hotel. The staff also reports unexplained occurrences, such as vacuum cleaners turning on randomly or guests claiming to smell smoke.

Wichita

Wichita’s many historic structures have spooky legends to go along with them. Hauntings aside, downtown Wichita is an interesting place to stroll and admire the architecture and public art.

Drury Plaza Broadview Hotel

This imposing structure occupies the corner of two city blocks overlooking the Arkansas River, and although it’s been fully updated and modernized, the Art Deco architecture stays true to the 1920s, when the hotel first opened for business. There are various stories about the source of haunted happenings at the hotel, but the most widely reported is that the property is haunted by the spirit of a man named Clarence, who caught his wife with another man in the hotel. He shot and killed his wife and then plunged to his death from an eighth-floor window.

The Drury Plaza Broadview Hotel (Photo courtesy of Kansas Tourism)

Guests report unsettling occurrences such as room telephones randomly ringing, lights flickering, and objects moving around. There are also many accounts of hearing voices or whispers in the hallway when no one is there. Despite Clarence’s tragic end, he is believed to be a happy-go-lucky ghost fond of tricks.

Wichita Ghost Tours

Wichita’s downtown is walkable and full of stately old buildings, many of which, like the Broadview, have their own ghost stories. One of the best ways to gain insight into Wichita’s haunted past is to take a ghost tour. Wichita Ghosts does a walking tour, the Orpheum Theater offers a dedicated ghost tour from time to time and the Old Cowtown Museum does seasonal ghost tours. October will yield more plentiful haunted happenings, but there’s paranormal fun year-round.

The Old Cowtown Museum (Photo courtesy of Kansas Tourism) Jordan Roemerman, Marketing Manager for Kansas Tourism – [email protected]

The Best Way to Explore These Haunted Sites

I flew into Kansas City and out of Wichita, although there are various ways you could plan your route if you want to arrive and depart from the same airport. You will need a car to explore Kansas, and it can often be more expensive to rent a car from one location and drop it off in another.

Although you can duplicate this trip any time of the year, I recommend early October. The weather is more pleasant than Kansas’s hot summers, and the cold winter winds haven’t yet made an appearance. Even though Halloween celebrations seem like they begin in August now, there’s just something about the calendar turning to October that sharpens the hair-raising factor when you’re venturing into scary territory.