Spooky Seattle Driving Tour

With a history as rich and storied as Seattle's, there's a wealth of spooky paranormal activity to observe. Seattle started as a logging town, with plenty of salons and brothels to keep the loggers entertained. The city developed quite the bad-boy reputation.

After the epic fire of 1889, there was the Klondike Gold Rush, and Seattle became the jumping-off point for miners looking to strike it rich. These Wild West shenanigans surely resulted in some spiritual unrest in the region, and we’ve rounded up the best of the paranormal pickings.

So grab a Gig, and take a driving tour of some of the creepiest, most haunted places in Seattle.

Make sure to call ahead to confirm hours and Covid restrictions.

Stanwood
The Stanwood Motel
This renovated historic motel features free Wi-Fi and a ghostly caretaker. Employees and visitors have reported seeing a woman in old-timey clothing pacing the halls, seemingly protecting the building.

Snohomish
The Oxford Saloon
Apparently at least 10 people have died in this saloon, fueling rumors of active spirits on the premises. Two of the deaths were murders — one of a police officer and one of a madam. Women have reported getting phantom pinches in the bathroom.

Downtown Seattle
The Owl N’ Thistle Pub
Many bars boast live music, but not as many boast dead music. Apparently, a ghosty comes out and plays piano on slow nights — and patrons of this Irish pub have reported feeling like someone is watching them.

Downtown Seattle
Pike Place Market
This public market is a well-known tourist attraction, but most folks don’t know its haunted status. Legend goes that the market was built on a former Native American burial ground, and many people have reported seeing Princess Angeline, the daughter of the chief of the Duwamish tribe. Princess Angeline lived in a cabin on the market grounds and, in 1855, her people were forced out of the area — but she refused to leave and her spirit stays to this day. 

There’s also a ghost of a barber who would sing to his clients before robbing them, he’s called the Fat-Lady Barber.

Puyallup
Meeker Mansion
Ezra and Eliza Jane Meeker forged the Oregon Trail and helped establish the town of Puyallup, eventually building the Meeker Mansion in the Victorian style. As we learned from the case worker in “Beetlejuice,” good haunted houses are hard to come by and the Meekers held on to theirs for more than 100 years. Visitors have reported lots of creepy happenings and a thick perfume scent, probably left by Ezra himself.   

Monte Cristo Ghost Town
Grab your hiking shoes and the trail mix for this one. Enjoy an eight-mile hike to an old mining town. Just a few relics remain from the booming mining era (please don’t tamper with anything to preserve the history). At its peak, Monte Cristo attracted thousands and miners and businessmen (including John D. Rockefeller). 

After the mining stalled and ceased in 1907, there were attempts to turn Monte Cristo into a resort town, but those also failed. The water isn’t potable, so be sure to bring enough for your trip.