Spooked in Seattle. Ross Allison

      SEATTLE UNDERGROUND

      Oriental Hotel: This was once a popular hosting spot to the ladies working the streets—also known in Seattle as “the seamstresses.” Tourists have seen the glimmering outline of women walking along the old sidewalks. Women on the tours say they can feel their depression. On one late night, ghost investigators experienced strange sounds. In response they asked, “If that’s you, please give us a better sign.” Right after that, there was a very loud bang that startled everyone present. Right afterwards, an investigator asked, “Was that you?” When it came time to review the recordings, it was discovered that a voice replies in response to the question, “I kicked the can!” Oddly enough, the sound that was heard by the witnesses was that of a garbage can being kicked.

      Schwabacher’s Basement: Built in 1892 as a hardware company, this site had been used for many things, but at some time in the 70s it was used as a homeless camp, providing shelter on those cold and wet nights for the homeless of Seattle. In the far back corner is a bathroom, and it is believed that a homeless man was killed back there. Some say they have seen him walking around in the basement area. Others can feel him standing above them. Ghost investigators have captured a cloudy substance, known as ectoplasm. Odd noises can be heard, noises that will respond when questions are asked. Also, the sound of children singing has been picked up on recorders. Some tourists have even reported seeing a child in blue jeans and a T-shirt standing alone in the underground.

      The Vault: Here, just a few feet away from the popular purple glass skylight, you will see a wooden sign that hangs over a bank teller’s cage. For years, this location has been documented in media around the world as one of Seattle’s most haunted sites, and it may very well be true.

      Story has it that during the gold rush, miners were returning to Seattle with gold in their possession. As more and more gold started to come to Seattle, the town became a more violent city. People would do whatever they could to get hold of the gold. So banks like the Scandinavian-American Bank that once stood here offered a late-night drop-off service. A miner could get his gold to safety even if he missed regular banking hours. This service allowed the bank to convert its underground section into an outside vault.

      It is believed that during some of the robberies (and many happened around this time), the teller on duty was killed, along with the miner who was jumped and stabbed to death for his gold. Tour guides and tourists have seen these two dead men in the vault area on many occasions. One story goes that a tour guide in the 1980s ran into the suspected apparition of the bank teller. She described seeing a tall man in a white dress shirt with thick cuff and collar. He was also sporting black suspenders and a handlebar mustache. Not common attire for the 1980s. On one investigation, when asked, “What is your name?” a response was captured on tape saying “Edward.” The interesting thing is, on a different investigation with a different group, they also captured a similar recording. When asked the same question, they received the reply: “Eddy.” Could one of the gentlemen haunting this spot be named Edward?

      Old Theater: This location, which is no longer part of the underground tour but serves as a warehouse for Utilikilts (a kilt shop in Pioneer Square), was once a burlesque theater. While filming a show for Discovery Channel’s America’s Ghost Hunters, local ghost hunters (AGHOST) discovered a very negative presence here. In fact, psychics and sensitives would not venture into the room. Surveillance equipment was set up to monitor during a two-hour period. There was a motion-sensitive camera, a tape recorder, and Scrabble tiles in case any spirits wanted to make contact. This was all done in a controlled environment, which meant all doors were locked. Two hours later, when reentering the locked room, the camera went off, taking the investigators’ picture. The investigators then made their way across the room to find that Scrabble tiles had been moved. Three were moved to the top, which spelled C, A, T. The recorder and film were reviewed to find that during the surveillance, the audio recorder picked up what sounded like someone walking up to the recorder, then nothing. The film showed that the camera was working correctly due to the fact that only two pictures appeared: one was the test shot when setting up the camera; the other was the group entering the room at the end of two hours. This shows no one could have entered the room without their knowing it, at least no one of the living sort.

      Public Baths: Lots of local hotels didn’t offer baths in the room, so public baths became popular for those who wanted to keep clean. It cost twenty-five cents for a nice hot bath to be drawn and half if you came in after 2 p.m. when they recycled the water. Connected to the baths is the Underground gift shop where employees have seen a figure in the window that looks out into the Underground. Books have flown from selves and toilets have flushed on their own. On an investigation, a recording was captured that stated, “Turn on the fan.” At that time, the investigators had turned off a fan to produce a more quiet and controlled investigation. They didn’t know there was someone of another world who wanted it on.

ARCTIC CLUB

      700 Third Avenue

      In 1916 veterans of the Yukon Gold Rush decided to come together and form a gentlemen’s club called “The Arctic Club.” The members commissioned to have their personal headquarters, designed by Seattle architect A. Warren Gould, known as the Arctic Building. This eight-story structure, which features twenty-seven walrus heads adorning the third floor, was completed in 1917. However, the original walrus-tusked ivories were replaced with plastic for fear of skewering pedestrians below. The club’s elegant interior included a ladies’ tearoom, private dining rooms, billiard and card rooms, a bowling alley, barber shop, and private roof garden. Plus, the Dome Room topped by a Rococo gilt-and-stained-glass skylight remains one of the grandest interiors in downtown Seattle. You may be familiar with the Dome Room if you happen to have seen the Stephen King movie Rose Red, as it was featured as the library in the film.

      In 1971, the club disbanded and the building was sold to the city of Seattle in 1988. However, as early as 1921 the Arctic Club leased office space to the city, and in 2006 it was purchased by Arctic Club Hotel LLC, restored to its amazing beauty, and reopened in 2008. Now it’s a luxurious 120-room hotel operated by the Double Tree. This historic treasure carries a tragic past that may never leave and is still talked about today.