Western Washington has many haunted spots for you to check out. The most famous in my book is Western State Hospital in Lakewood, Washington. The hospital itself is built on the site of the old Fort Steilcoom. These buildings are plenty spooky but it is the tunnel that goes from the main hospital to the other side of Steilacoom Blvd. that is really spooky. On the other side of the road there is the old Mental Hospital that is in ruins.
In years past this has been a really interesting place to go and take pictures. The buildings have crumbled and there is graffiti everywhere on the walls and steps. I never went there alone and would not recommend it. Now the ruins are so broken down that rebar is sticking up so I would be careful. Just visiting the barns around it is a little spooky. The hospital apparently kept their own livestock so there are barns and silos down below the hospital site.
Also in the area of Lakewood is the famous Thornwood Castle. This was the castle that was totally refurbished to create the sets for Stephen King’s Television production of “Rose Red”. This is an actual castle that was brought over from Europe, brick by brick and rebuilt here. There website has pictures of ghosts that have been taken by guests staying at the Castle. The owners have created a very upscale Bed & Breakfast.
In downtown Tacoma there is the Old City Hall with its beautiful architecture and bell tower. This building was completely refurbished and has beautiful suites as well as a wonderful restaurant on the main floor called the “Tacoma Bar & Grill”. If you stop in and have a bite to eat they will tell about the their ghost whom they fondly refer to as Gus. Apparently even the security guard knows about Gus.
When you are in Seattle you have to visit the Pike’s Place Market and it has its ghosts. It is said that you can see an Indian woman walking around carrying baskets and those in the know believe that this is the daughter of Chief Seattle. Also in and around the market is Seattle’s Underground City. This is an area of activity although it is fussy about when its ghosts decide to appear. There is a good tour of the Underground City.
In the Olalla/Port Orchard area there is “Starvation Heights”. Linda Burfield Hazzard and her husband Sam ran a Sanatorium where they practiced her famous Fast therapy. Hazzard wrote a book called ” Fasting for the Cure of Disease” and this was the basis for her therapy to bring back your health and vitality.
Instead of accomplishing this Linda Hazzard managed to starve to death many unsuspecting person and also separating them from any money or property that they had in their possession. In many cases patients simply starved to death. When these deaths occurred she just buried them on her property and planted a tree over the graves. Today the original building is gone and the foundation remains. There is an eerie circle of trees around the foundation. You can guess the rest.
There are many other areas that are purported to have hauntings but there are also places that just seem like they should be haunted. Washington has many quaint countryside cemeteries that seem like they would be a little haunted when the sun goes down. There is also the replica of Stonehenge near the Maryhill Museum on the Washington side of the Columbia River. Whatever haunted site you decide to visit, look them up on the Internet to see what the latest is on these sites. Also there are many ghost hunting groups so check them out on the Internet as well. A word of caution; read up on these types of investigations and never attempt them alone.
