Kansas

Haunted Kansas: An Unexpected Road Trip Through America’s Heartland | The Saturday Evening Post

Published

8 months ago

October 20, 2025

Haunted Kansas: An Unexpected Road Trip Through America’s Heartland | The Saturday Evening Post

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.

The Sallie House (Photo by Jill Robbins)

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.

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.

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.

The Fort Leavenworth Disciplinary Barracks Cemetery (Office of Army Cemeteries)

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.

The Frontier Army Museum (U.S. Army Center of Military History)

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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Kansas

Salina Stars Unite for Final High School Stage at Kansas Shrine Bowl

Published

2 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Press Room

Salina Stars Unite for Final High School Stage at Kansas Shrine Bowl

HUTCHINSON — Throughout their formative years, they grew up playing side-by-side, on rival teams or simply admired each other’s success from afar.

Now that their high school football careers are over, Salina Central’s Cooper Reves and Jesus Delgado, Salina South’s Jaxon Myers and Brody Chambers from Southeast of Saline, share the honor of playing for the West team in this weekend’s Kansas Shrine Bowl.

Perhaps just as important in their minds, they get to represent Salina for either the first or the last time wearing identical uniforms.

Jesus Delgado

“Us Salina guys are kind of sticking together, I like to say,” Delgado, an all-state linebacker on Central’s 2025 Class 5A state championship team, said Tuesday during the West training camp Tuesday at Hutchinson Community.

On Thursday, the East and West teams convened in Emporia, site of the 53rd annual Shrine Bowl, set for 7 p.m. Saturday at Emporia State’s Welch Stadium. But not before four days of intense practice at their respective camps in Hutch and Ottawa.

For the Salina contingent, the free time between workouts and meetings was an opportunity to connect, reconnect and reminisce.

Jaxon Myers

“We’re all from near each other, so we kind of know each other, or we’ve heard of each other,” said Myers, a standout wide receiver at South. “We’ve got some pretty good dudes in Salina.

“It’s not just us, but there’s a lot more that could have been here.”

While Reves, an all-state running back, and Delgado helped lead Central to a 12-1 record and its first state title since 2005, Myers was part of a struggling South team that suddenly caught fire in the playoffs after a 1-7 regular season. Road victories in the first two rounds led to the Cougars’ first postseason showdown with their crosstown rivals since 2004.

“That was one of the craziest football games I’ve been a part of in my entire life, just from the fan bases to everything building up to it,” Delgado said of Central’s 49-24 victory after trailing 17-14 at halftime. “But as of right now, it’s really just trying to soak everything in, going to college, and we’re all going on to different opportunities.”

“Some people are playing ball, some people are doing other things, but we’re really all just trying to get to know each other, build some connections and embrace it.”

While Myers’ memories of the playoff game aren’t as fond as those of his rivals, he said it spoke to the mutual respect the teams shared amid all the hoopla.

“It was fun, but not fun at the same time,” said Myers, who did catch a touchdown pass in the game. “You want to win those types of games and you want to keep the Cinderella story going, but they’re a tough team and they won state, so it’s not much you can do about that.”

“You’ve got to eat it from time to time, but this is a part of the game, and it’s all respect. We all respect each other.”

Myers, a Class 5A all-state selection by KSHSAA Covered, caught 45 passes for 871 yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games for South as a senior. He will play at Garden City Community College this fall.

“Jaxon’s been killing it,” Reves said of Myers’ early West camp practices.

Cooper Reves

Reves, a KSHSAA Covered Top 11 selection and first team 5A pick, knows a little about killing it. As a senior, he rushed for 2,814 yards and 32 touchdowns, including 243 with four scores in the Mustangs’ 51-34 state championship victory over Basehor-Linwood.

Reves also caught 28 passes for 256 yards and another touchdown to finish with 3,070 total yards for the season.

Reves is not the only KSHSAA Covered Top 11 pick representing Salina. Chambers, a 6-foot-1, 285-pound lineman, helped Southeast of Saline to a Class 2A runner-up finish, one game shy of a second straight state championship. While also starting on the offensive line, he had 85 tackles, including 17 for loss, for the 12-1 Trojans.

And then there’s Delgado, the heart of Central’s defense, a first team 5A all-state selection, who had 145 tackles, 21.5 for loss, a sack and an interception in the Mustangs’ championship run.

Among the Salina players, there are several unique connections.

Cooper Reves and Jesus Delgado: One last game together

Delgado, who has signed with Butler Community College in El Dorado, will play his final game alongside Reves, who is headed to Northern Iowa on a wrestling scholarship after winning two state titles at Central.

“Having that state championship, there’s not really much like it,” Reves said. “I feel like me and Jesus were leaders, and we kind of felt like we’d take that role on this year.”

“Just having someone like that next to you the whole way and being able to bring each other up and be there for each other has been great.”

Good memories, indeed, Delgado agreed.

“Early on, when we got (to camp), we were kind of chatting about what it’s going to be like in a different environment,” he said. “We’ve been looking back on old memories, videos and things like that with the guys.

Jesus Delgado and Jaxon Myers: Teammates for just one game

For Delgado and Myers, their history as rivals also represents the future. After teaming up in the Shrine Bowl, they are headed back to rival camps in the Jayhawk Conference.

“He’s like, ‘Some things just never change.’ But right now, for one week, we’ll just let it slide,” Delgado said with a smile. “What some of the guys are doing is putting some of the other team’s decals on their helmets. It might be the only time I agree to put some of the other guys’ decals on.”

Myers, for his part, isn’t too worried about future rivalries.

“It’s fun not having to go against them just because of how good they are and seeing how hard they work,” he said. “It’s a lot different, but it’s fun watching them play.”

Appreciating success at different levels

While South and Central were doing their thing, including the historic playoff clash, they were not too busy to appreciate what Chambers, all-state running back Grady Gebhardt and Southeast of Saline were accomplishing just 15 miles away near Gypsum.

“They’ve been successful, and I think Brody’s been a big part of that,” Reves said. “He’s a good dude and amazing athlete.”

Chambers has something else in common with Reves as a two-time state wrestling champion, and he played both football and baseball with Delgado growing up.

Like his South and Central counterparts, Chambers kept an eye on their postseason successes.

Brody Chambers

“It was definitely fun to watch Central’s run to the state championship and winning it,” said Chambers, who will continue his football career at Grand View University, a high-level NAIA school. “We kind of came up short, unfortunately, but it was really cool that we had two Salina teams I the state championship.”

“We didn’t watch any of the games because we were still focused on us, but I did see a whole bunch of Facebook stuff about (the South-Central playoff game), and we were excited for them. We root for each other since we’re not in the same division.”

Proud to represent Salina in Shrine Bowl

When the final whistle blows at the Shrine Bowl on Saturday, Delgado, Reves, Myers and Chambers all will go their separate ways.

But not before proudly representing their hometown.

“It’s awesome to say that we have four guys from Salina be on this team when there’s only 40 guys from around the state,” Reves said. “So, that’s 10% of the team just from Salina.

“It says we have the right people doing the right things, and I think that’s pretty special.”

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Kansas

Chicken chain expanding to Kansas and five other Midwest states

Published

12 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Chicken chain expanding to Kansas and five other Midwest states

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Colorado-based chicken restaurant Birdcall is expanding into Kansas.

The company announced Friday its plans to expand into Kansas and five other Midwestern states over the next five years. Birdcall plans to add six to eight fast-casual restaurants in Wichita and Topeka.

“The Midwest represents a tremendous opportunity for Birdcall,” CEO Mark Lohmann said. “From our award-winning chicken sandwiches and other handcrafted menu offerings to our commitment to innovation and community, we believe Birdcall offers an experience that resonates with today’s guests and is a natural fit for the region.”

Other locations announced are:

Indiana – 10 to 15 restaurants across Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville and Fort Wayne
Missouri – Up to 18 restaurants across St. Louis, Columbia, and Kansas City
Nebraska – Seven to 10 restaurants across Omaha and Lincoln
Ohio – Up to 20 restaurants across Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo
Wisconsin – 10 to 15 restaurants across Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton

Birdcall’s menu features a variety of chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers and nuggets, salads, tater tots, fries, and more. The restaurant also makes its own in-house sauces and serves up draft beer and house-made margaritas, with happy hour specials.

The company said each restaurant will use self-service kiosks and occupy about 2,300 square feet, with indoor and outdoor seating that can serve up to 150 people.

Birdcall currently operates 17 restaurants across Colorado, Arizona and Texas.

For more Kansas news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news by downloading our mobile app and signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track 3 Weather app by clicking here. To watch our shows live on our website, click here.

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Video shows disruption during Osawatomie City Council meeting with data center developer

Published

22 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Video shows disruption during Osawatomie City Council meeting with data center developer

KSHB 41 reporter Ryan Gamboa covers Miami County in Kansas and Cass County in Missouri. He also covers agricultural topics. Share your story idea with Ryan.

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A video shared by a viewer, shows a resident speaking at the Osawatomie, Kansas City Council meeting being escorted out by police on Thursday evening.

The video shows a man holding a “Hell No Alcove” sign, while commenting about a blighted property, which according to public records is owned by Pacific Apartments, LLC, operating out of the same address as Alcove Development in Lawrence, Kansas.

KSHB 41

A video submitted by a viewers shows a resident being escorted out of a city of Osawatomie, Kansas council meeting that included an appearance from a data center developer.

Alcove Development is behind the effort to build a $1 billion, 283-acre data center development in Osawatomie’s northland property.

The video, shared by a viewer, goes on the show two law enforcement officers approaching the individual, who is Lee Brewer, at the podium, after he begins to yell, while the crowd joins in behind him. Lee Brewer reached out to KSHB 41 late Thursday night, identifying himself as the person who was escorted out.

Osawatomie, Kansas Police Chief Dave Stutteville is seen in the video also approaching the man.

KSHB 41 Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa reached out to the Police Chief, City Manager, and Mayor Nick Hampson for comment late on Thursday night and is waiting on a response.

Residents in contact with Gamboa attending the meeting shared the meeting was still in session after 9:30 p.m.

Thursday night’s meeting was the city and Alcove Development’s attempt at sharing potential benefits of a data center for the community.

Gamboa has long covered the data center project in Osawatomie, Kansas — and neighbors to the project have voiced their opposition to the proposed development.

This is the first time Alcove Development has approached the public, but not the first time it has worked with the city of Osawatomie.

In late 2025, Alcove Development approached the city with the project and weeks later, a pre-development agreement was signed giving Alcove exclusive rights to the development for three years.

But city council meeting records from 2023 show, the city of Osawatomie entered into a pre-development agreement with Alcove Development to redevelop a property known as Old Swenson School.

Alcove Development had six months to asses the condition of the property and determine a course of action for redevelopment, and the overall agreement would last 18 months, according to public records.

The pre-development agreements states, Alcove would consider asking for tax breaks on the project, including utilizing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit.

At the time, the property had sat in disrepair since 2016, according to the records, and was frequently found in violation of city code.

If the re-development were to fall through, the city would be on the hook to purchase the property from the developer for $25,000, with unclear total costs for infrastructure improvements.

KSHB 41 will follow up on the status on this project at a later date.

Earlier this week, Miami County Reporter Ryan Gamboa, sat down with Donna Ingram who doesn’t live far from the data center site.

Ingram expressed her concerns about the amount of infrastructure that would be built to operate a data center, and how it might overtake the land around her home.

She expressed concerns because the City of Osawtomie changed the public comment guidelines of a promise town hall with the developer.

“Watching this process play out is disheartening,” Ingram said in an interview on Monday. “A town hall was promised that didn’t come to fruition… I don’t believe it’s the definition. This is a city council meeting. We’re the ones that are gonna live next to it. We’re the ones that live in the path of the infrastructure.”

The city told KSHB 41 on Monday in a statement, they changed the format to prioritize the voices of city taxpayers, as county taxpayers have dominated the public comment periods over the past couple of months.

Mayor Nick Hampson also told Gamboa in an earlier interview he was hoping to have a productive “town hall” — instead, the first meeting with the public and the developer of the project was during a formal and regularly scheduled city council meeting.

The city also required residents to submit questions ahead of time, and the city would filter questions to the developer, while limiting public comment to three minutes.

“We have been and will continue to hear from the residents that are in the county and closest to this project,” Hampson told KSHB 41 in an email on Monday.

Alcove Development owned Property — A former school house in Osawatomie, Kansas, owned by a company operating out of Alcove Development’s address.

Residents shared a record to KSHB 41, submitted to the city for a formal investigation into 1009 Pacific Avenue in Osawatomie, which is owned by a company operating out of Alcove Development’s address.

The dilapidated property is the a former school house, that sits with broken windows, and other parts of the building breaking down.

The Miami County Republic reporting on Thursday, the city launched an investigation into the building.

Residents cite the buildings deteriorating condition and potential danger to the public, and lack of property maintenance.

Lee Brewer issued a comment regarding the incident at Thursday night’s meeting, stating he was escorted out after the Mayor closed public comment, and he was not on the list.

Brewer told KSHB 41, he has a time -stamped email of pre-submitted questions ahead of the meeting. KSHB 41 asked Brewer to review the email, and is waiting for an answer.

I am severely disappointed in our Mayor and the city council. They told us we were required to send in an email with our questions and our address to prove we were citizens of the town by Wednesday the 24th at noon. I have my email which is timestamped at 10:26 a.m. Wednesday the 24th. They shut me down and first told me I didn’t put the email in and then once I was kicked out of there I was told by people coming out that they were told I turned in my email too late. I’m not a math teacher but last time I looked at my clock 10:26 a.m. falls just over an hour and a half before noon. I mean correct me if I’m wrong. I thought because the mayor and I were having decent conversations on Facebook Messenger, whereas I would ask him questions and he would answer to the best of his ability. And I would thank him I thought we were pretty cordial. So to basically call me a liar in front of the entire town on video recording, take away my freedom of speech My first amendment right, and have me removed from a public building was completely wrong I am very disappointed in our city council and mayor. When I approached the podium all I was trying to do was point out that resolution number 1169 in Osawatomie Kansas refers to Alcove development LLC being the owner of the old Swenson School at 1009 Pacific. As I pointed out in these earlier messages to you Alcove has left this building dilapidated in ruins and a danger to our community. Our great city council and mayor seem to have other plans for me being able to speak though.

Lee Brew, via Facebook to KSHB 41 News

KSHB 41 reached out to Alcove Development late on Thursday night, and is waiting on a response.

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