Halloween is right around the corner, and what better time to discover some of Madison’s haunted mysteries. With Madison Ghost Walks, experience an hour and 40 minute guided tour around downtown Madison. Topics discussed include many frightful happenings from Madison’s past and the current paranormal activity going on in downtown Madison.
The first stop on the tour takes you to 16 N. Carroll St., the site of Madison’s first skyscraper built in 1915. A gory construction accident that resulted in the decapitation of a man’s head appears to have left the building haunted. Other workers reported becoming overwhelmed with an “uncomfortable” feeling from that day forward. Another instance was recorded when a young woman got in one of two elevators to go to a top floor. When she arrived, the second elevator had mysteriously moved up along with her, and when the doors opened, it was completely empty.
The next stop is the state capitol’s south wing, which unexpectedly collapsed during construction in 1883. Many were injured and killed. To this day, those who work in that wing experience unexplainable events. They hear things like footsteps walking from one wing to the other when no one in is in the hallway, and doors randomly slamming and shutting. Some even claim they feel like they’re being watched.
This tour also offers many fun facts about Madison. For instance, many Madisonians do not know that The Frequency, a local nightclub, was at one time a funeral home. Darwin Sampson, the current owner, described an occurrence when he was falling asleep in his office only to be woken by soft-toned voices questioning, “Do you think he can hear us?” Assuming that a few of his employees were still there, he went to open up one of the doors to the room. When he opened the door, he found that no one was there. Sampson shut the door and went back to his office, only to hear the voices once again. To this day it’s rumored that the club is haunted, with reports of increased paranormal activity in the early morning hours just after 4 a.m.
The popular tavern, The Tipsy Cow, was once a boarding house back in 1958. Rachael Lewis, a young waitress, rented a room for the purpose of spending time with her lover. In September one year, Lewis and her suitor were becoming intimate when the house caught fire. As they held each other, the boarding house burned to the ground. To this day, some can still see the couple locked in an embrace through the upstairs window.
One of the most terrifying stories is that of a young man named Joe, who hung himself in the greenroom at Majestic Theatre. After the event, people reported weird sensations in the balcony, like feeling a presence was there. Many others described that they saw someone, but when they looked closer, there was no one to be found. The worst of these occurrences is the “actual” sightings of Joe always in the same place. He leans over the balcony and waves until his arm separates from his body.
This tour would be a great way to literally get into the “spirit” of Halloween while finding out more about Madison’s interesting and spooky history. Tours cost $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12 and are held at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in downtown Madison. They occur every weekend through the end of October.
To get tickets or more information, call Ulysses Rongullo at 608-448-6453, or go online at www.madisonghostwalks.com.