Haunted locations in Cincinnati, Ohio
When visiting Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Museum Center (1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, 45203 - (513) 287-
7000) in Hamilton County, it is said that the ghost of a security guard named Shirley wanders about the halls of
the Union Terminal. Shirley foiled the plans of computer thieves and was shot and killed as she tried to stop them.
Her body was later recovered in the northern area of Kentucky, but her unsettled ghost returned to the place of
her death. In the early 1990s, the Museum Center was experiencing theft. Apparently, computers were being
stolen, and the only security guard to catch them was Shirley. Shirley caught them on the 4th floor, but was shot
dead on the spot. Her body was later dumped in Northern Kentucky. She still roams the halls of Union Terminal.
Many house keeping women will not walk alone after closing. Doors can be heard locking and footsteps are heard
in hallways, when no one is there. One piece of the collection in the Cincinnati History Museum is an airplane from
WWII. A pilot is seen inside the plane at night. People crying or welcoming back soldiers can also be heard on the
train tracks. (Since Union Terminal was a great railroad station during WWII)
Cincinnati - Buffalo Ridge - There are many reports of hauntings on this road. One is of a car that was doing a
gang initiation where you can here a car with stereo blasting, speeding up and down the hills. After a few times of
them going down the hill you can hear the screams and the crash of the car. There are also reports of a woman
who was killed while trying on her wedding dress, the reports state that she is seen walking around on Buffalo
Ridge and East Miami River Road on the anniversary of her death searching for her head that was never found.
Buffalo Ridge.
Buffalo Ridge is located in a heavily wooded area of western Colerain Township, Ohio, not far from where
Hamilton County meets Butler County. It is called Buffalo Ridge because it was once an old buffalo trail. As it was
with many game trails, it soon became an Indian trail and was eventually turned into a road for wagons and
automobiles. According to local urban legends posted at forgottenoh.com,
"The many legends associated with this creepy wooded road seem to center around an abandoned crematory
located somewhere far back on the Ridge, which may or may not have been the site of a cult sacrifice at some
point in the past. The ghosts occupy this building and sometimes wander across the road as well.
An abandoned house with dilapidated barns and junked cars on its lawn is also the site of some scary
happenings. Lights are seen there at night even though no one has lived there for years. If you go up the
driveway supposedly you will see a witch in one of the windows.
A park along the road is haunted by the ghost of a little boy who was killed in the road by a hit-and-run driver who
was never caught. The stain his mangled body left smeared on the asphalt has never gone away. Possibly
associated with this is the malevolent black van with tinted windows that is said to chase unlucky travelers on
Buffalo Ridge. Is it the vehicle that ran the little boy down years ago?"
More urban legends claim "There are many reports of hauntings on this road. One is of a car that was doing a
gang initiation where you can hear a car with stereo blasting, speeding up and down the hills. After a few times of
them going down the hill you can hear the screams and the crash of the car. There are also reports of a woman
who was killed while trying on her wedding dress, the reports state that she is seen walking around on Buffalo
Ridge and East Miami River Road on the anniversary of her death searching for her head that was never found."
"You may or may not have heard of this short connecting road, it's where the infamous Charles Manson used to
play as a kid. It's also the site of the ruins of one of the most used Crematories in Cincinnati. The road seems to
have a very strange feel to it as you drive along, the night seems blacker and sometimes as you near Zion Rd you
can almost see a shadowy smokestack, presumably from the old crematorium.
If you happen to believe that you can sense ghosts, then take a ride past the small farm pond nearest to where
the crematory used to be, the pond is never still and almost seems to be the source of the darkness.
To get there is just a short trip down Bridgetown Rd, or up Harrison Ave, to Wesselman, you'll find the narrow
road near Harrison, with a sign to lead you to the nearby park on Zion. People say things are in the woods there,
and at a friend of mine's old house nearby, some people say that things have come out of his woods and into his
small but deep pond. Always ghostly things, the funny thing is in all of his years there he never once seen
anything, or felt anything, and he believes in the supernatural himself.
Getting to the crematory itself is easy once you find Buffalo Ridge, I recommend you park on Zion (the closest you
can get since Buffalo Ridge is very narrow) and walk down Buffalo Ridge towards Wesselman, if you stay on the
right side coming from Zion road, you'll see a small "no dumping" sign, go straight back in the woods about 20
yards and you'll find yourself in the Crematorium."
So it sounds as if Buffalo Ridge is the source of just about every urban legend in Ohio! Wow, what an opportunity
for energetic paranormal investigators! I find it extremely difficult to believe that Charles Manson used to play
anywhere near Buffalo Ridge Road when he was a kid. Manson lived in Walnut Hills which is on the other side of
town, about as far away from Buffalo Ridge as you can get, but he lived on the streets much of this time so you
never know where he wandered off to.
Trying to find an "abandoned house" or a yard full of junk cars on Buffalo Ridge is like looking
for a needle in a stack of needles. Sections of this heavily wooded, curving roller coaster called Buffalo Ridge look
like Appalachia - scenes from the movie Deliverance come to mind. People on their front porches stare at you
suspiciously as you drive by.
The area is quite creepy at night. As soon as I get more time, I want to investigate the many urban legends
surrounding Buffalo Ridge. Hopefully I can determine if there is any fact behind these legends.
The park mentioned in the accounts here is a 1,336-acre park called Mitchell Memorial Forest and it is part of the
Hamilton County Park system. It's a nice little park with a few picnic areas, a walking trail, a large pond, and a
small playground for the kids.
To get to Mitchell Memorial Forest, you can travel from Harrison Avenue to Wesselman, turn onto Wesselman, go
about 1/4 mile to Buffalo Ridge, follow Buffalo Ridge to Zion Road, turn left onto Zion Road and the park entrance
is on the right. The park borders Buffalo Ridge. You can travel the complete length of Buffalo Ridge by starting at
Harrison Avenue and coming up Wesselman to Buffalo Ridge, turn right onto Buffalo Ridge and follow it to the
end, bear right and it will take you back down to Harrison Avenue. You could also reach Buffalo Ridge by coming
from Bridgetown Road, to the south, and following Zion Road north until it intersects with Buffalo Ridge.
Cincinnati - Anderson - Anderson high school – (7560 Forest Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255; phone # (513)
232-2772) voices are heard by janitors at night and students belongings are moved to different classrooms after
school hours.
Cincinnati - Cincinnati Museum of Art –
(953 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, 45202 - (513) 721-2787)
In the late nineteenth century, public art museums were still very much a new phenomenon, especially as far west
as Cincinnati. Following the success of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia, the Women’s Art
Museum Association was organized in Cincinnati with the intent of bringing such an institution to the region for the
benefit of all citizens. Enthusiasm for these goals grew steadily and by 1881 the Cincinnati Museum Association
was incorporated. Just five years later, in May 1886, a permanent art museum building was completed in Eden
Park and was heralded worldwide as “The Art Palace of the West.”
Original Building, 1886
The Cincinnati Art Museum enjoyed the support of the community from the beginning. Generous donations from a
number of prominent Cincinnatians grew the collection to number in the tens of thousands of objects, which soon
necessitated the addition of the first of several Art Museum expansions.
Schmidlapp Wing, 1907
In 1907 the Schmidlapp Wing opened, which was followed by a series of building projects. The addition of the
Emery, Hanna and French wings in the 1930s enclosed the courtyard and gave the Art Museum its current
rectangular shape and provided the space in which our American, European and Asian collections are currently
shown.
Renovations during the late 1940s and early 1950s divided the Great Hall into two floors and the present main
entrance to the Art Museum was established. The 1965 completion of the Adams-Emery wing increased our
facility resources yet further, adding space for the permanent collection, lecture halls and temporary exhibition
galleries.
Cincinnati Art Museum, 1952
In 1993, a $13 million project restored the grandeur of the Art Museum’s interior architecture and uncovered long-
hidden architectural details. This project included the renovation of one of the Art Museum’s signature spaces,
the Great Hall. In addition, new gallery space was created and lighting and climate control were improved. The Art
Museum’s temporary exhibition space was expanded to approximately 10,000 square feet to accommodate major
temporary exhibitions.
By the turn of the twenty-first century, the Art Museum’s collection numbered over 60,000 objects and, today, is
the largest in the state of Ohio. In 2003, the Cincinnati Art Museum deepened its ties with the Greater Cincinnati
community by opening the popular and expansive Cincinnati Wing, the first permanent display of a city’s art
history in the nation. In addition, on May 17, 2003, the Art Museum eliminated its general admission fee forever,
made possible by The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.
In 2006, the Art Museum marks its 125th anniversary, with 125 days of programs and events for the community to
celebrate. In addition, a Facilities Master Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in February 2006, provides a
plan for growth that will serve the Art Museum for the next two decades.
Security guards have reported seeing a 7-foot-tall specter that has no features and merely looks like a huge
black "blur" that rises up from a mummy sarcophagus exhibit straight through the ceiling. Another time when the
security guards would sneak and take their "catnaps" in the storage room, there was a glowing face hovering
inches away from them as the woke. They would proceed to try to evade the spirit but it would block their was as
they would maneuver around the room. It would then just simply disappear.
Cincinnati - Cincinnati Zoo – Believed to be haunted by a lioness, the sound of soft feet following you. You look
back and there is nothing. If you speed up your pace, so do the footsteps a pair of green eyes at the end of the
hallway. The Cincinnati Zoo is located at 3540 Beldare Ave, Cincinnati, 45220 - (513) 961-1870
Cincinnati - Cornell Place Apartments - footsteps and voices are observed here. The Stenton House
An 1850 Victorian mansion, now known as the Cornell Place Apartments, is in an old money area of Cincinnati.
Old Cincinnati was built on seven hills, just like Rome. Address: 3517 Cornell Place, Cincinnati, OH. 45220 These
are private apartments. Tours are not given. Photography is not encouraged. The privacy of the occupants, both
corporal and spiritual, should be respected. Dutch families were the principal founders of old Cincinnati. This
Victorian mansion was built in 1850, as a private dwelling. It turns out that in 1880 a young man committed suicide
in the house. When his family left, the house remained vacant for years. It later became Ealy School, a school for
girls, in 1900.
Legend has it that a young schoolgirl hung her self upstairs, and another girl, a daughter
of a doctor was found, murdered on the stairway. After World War 2, this Victorian mansion was subdivided into
apartments. Ghostly occurrences and incidents: At one time the Stenton family occupied one of the apartments in
the mansion. Soon after the Stenton's moved in, odd incidents began occurring. Phantom footsteps were heard
walking in the hall, but no one was there. Two weeks after they moved in, and at precisely 2:10 A.M., they heard
the heavy thump of something heavy hitting the floor. The incident repeated itself, always at 2:10 A.M. They found
out that the young man had killed himself in the room above their apartment. Other tenants have had their
supernatural experiences, including phantom footsteps following them around, disembodied voices heard in the
halls and the sounds of things hitting the floor. One of the tenant's dogs refused to go into rooms where spirit
presences were manifesting, baying in alarm! Apartment residents hear and experience various manifestations
still to this day.
Cincinnati - Country Hearth Hotel - strange occurrences have been noted in room 331. At night it gets ICY
cold even when heat is on full blast. Curtain opens and closes on its own and a loud pounding noise can be heard
against the wall on the outside of the building near that room and 431 above it. Also, personal items are moved
about the room without knowledge. Hotel personnel admit there have been some complaints by guests in the past.
Cincinnati's Abandoned Subway
Abandoned tunnels are often the objects of urban legend, but Cincinnati is in fact the site of the country's largest
abandoned subway tunnel. But "abandoned" is not quite the word, as construction slowed to a stop in 1925
before even half of the 16-mile line was completed. Seven miles between Cincinnati's central business district
and the industrial suburb of Norwood were tunneled, bridged, or graded, but no track was laid and no subway
cars were ordered. No passengers ever rode between the six stations that were built.
The incomplete Cincinnati line sat fallow through the Great Depression and WWII. Bridges, stations, and retaining
walls along the surface stretches deteriorated to such an extent that a few items actually collapsed. Nearly
everything above ground was bulldozed to make way for portions of I and the Norwood Lateral in the 1950's and
1970's, respectively. The mute two-mile tunnel that remains under Central Parkway is unknown to many Cincinnati
natives, and what most who do know of it know consists largely of hearsay and speculation. It is by far the most
popular subject on www.cincinnati-transit.net and tens of thousands have visited it since its appearance in 1999.
Subway F.A.Q.
1. Where is the subway?
The main subway tunnel runs under Central Parkway for two miles, between Walnut St. and an anonymous spot
north of the Western Hills Viaduct. Three underground stations were built and still exist at Race St., Liberty St.,
and Brighton's Corner. An extension of this tunnel under Walnut St. South through downtown with a station at
Fountain Square was planned but never built. Additionally, several miles of surface running line were graded and
three of roughly a dozen planned above ground stations were built. Significant portions of today's IIIIwood Lateral
follow the path of the line. A stretch of I-71 near the Dana Ave. Interchange was built where the subway loop's
eastern half was planned.
2. When was it constructed?
1920 through 1925. The $6 million bond issue in 1916 was exhausted in 1925, no further money was obtained,
and construction never resumed.
3. Can the tunnel still be used?
Yes. It has been continuously maintained and will likely be usable for the next hundred years, if not longer. The
2002 "Metro Moves" sales tax would have funded a rail transit network that planned to use the tunnel, but it was
defeated by a 2-1 public vote.
4. Can the subway be visited?
Yes. See http://www.cincinnatiadvance.com.
Cincinnati’s abandoned subway was built in the 1920's and in 1924 was put on hold due to budget problems. After
the great depression the project was scrapped due to high cost. The subway tunnels and platform are said to be
haunted by the many workers that where killed during construction of the tunnels.
The subway today.
Cincinnati - Eden Park - Apparition of a woman wearing a black silk dress has been witnessed standing by the
gazebo.
Located at 2610 Park Ave, Cincinnati, 45206 - (513) 475-5580 Located at Gilbert Avenue between Elsinore and
Morris and comprised of 186.29 acres, Eden Park was assembled by a series of purchases beginning in 1859.
The name came, naturally, from the Garden of Eden and was given by Nicholas Longworth who owned a large
tract that constitutes the main portion of the park. Eden Park is the home of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati
Art Academy, Playhouse in the Park, Murray Seasongood Pavilion, and the Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory. Krohn
Conservatory, one of Cincinnati's major tourist attractions, was opened to the public in 1933 and essentially
rebuilt after extensive storm damage in 1966. It is the third greenhouse in Eden Park. Krohn Conservatory, which
is owned and operated by the Park Board, features plant materials from all over the world exhibited in simulated
natural settings. Six special shows are presented annually in the Show House. The Conservatory, which is open
every day of the year, was named in honor of Irwin M. Krohn, Board of Park Commissioner from 1912 to 1948.
Just south of Krohn Conservatory is the Hinkle Magnolia Garden, named for Frederick A. Hinkle as a testimonial
to his many years on the Park Board. The area includes a picturesque gazebo dedicated to the memory of Martha
Rule Deupree and Richard Redwood Deupree in 1982. Near the gazebo is the John Rule Deupree Memorial
Fountain, given by his family and dedicated in 1987.
As you enter Eden Park from Victory Parkway, on your left is the Twin Lakes area, once an old stone quarry. Just
west of the lakes is the bronze replica of the Capitoline Wolf that was a gift from the Italian government and
presented by the Order of the Sons of Italy in 1931. Also in the area is the Galbraith Memorial that was erected in
1923 by the American Legion in honor of its first National Commander, Cincinnati's Frederick W. Galbraith. The
memorial seat was erected in 1925 by the 136th Field Artillery, A.E.F. A sixty-foot memorial flagpole located here
and dedicated in 1930, was relocated to the site of the Vietnam Memorial, just below the old Eden Park Water
Tower and rededicated at the time of the Vietnam Memorial dedication on April 8, 1984.
South of the 172-foot high Water tower, completed in 1894 and now used by the City of Cincinnati as a
communications facility, are five memorial tree plantings. The largest is Presidential Grove that was started in
1882 when the Forestry Congress met in Cincinnati. The grove contains a tree planted for each of the Presidents
of the United States. In 1982, the American Forestry Association held the opening ceremony of its National
Conference in Cincinnati at the grove to commemorate the centennial of its first national conference in 1882.
Beyond Presidential Grove is Heroes Grove with oak trees planted in 1876 in memory of the heroes of 1776 and
the patriots who suffered with Washington at Valley Forge. In 1976, in celebration of our nation's Bicentennial, the
U.S. Marine Corps planted three pin oak trees in this grove to replace three of the originals that had died. A
second Heroes Grove, located south of Eden Park Drive near the Gilbert Avenue entrance, was planted in 1919
by the Mothers of Democracy in memory of Cincinnati men and women who lost their lives in World War I. Located
in the same area as the 1876 Heroes Grove is Pioneers Grove which contains trees planted by the Forestry
Society in 1882 in honor of the pioneers of Cincinnati. Authors Grove is after you pass the Twin Lakes area into
Eden Park, you go under the Melan Arch Bridge built of concrete in 1894, a pioneer engineering feet that
attracted worldwide attention. Stone eagles from the old Chamber of Commerce Building that burned in 1911 flank
the bridge.
Just behind Krohn Conservatory, on the hillside overlooking the river is the Donald Spencer Overlook and Ohio
River Monument. President Herbert Hoover dedicated the Monument, a granite shaft 30 feet high with bronze
tablets, in 1929 to commemorate the canalization of the Ohio River. The overlook was dedicated in 2002 in honor
of Donald Spencer, founder of the Friends of Cincinnati Parks support group.
At the intersection of Eden Park and Fulton Avenue is the historic springhouse gazebo built in 1904 to replace a
straw shack springhouse. In early years, water from the spring was thought to have medicinal qualities. One
hundred barrels of water were carried away daily by the public until found to be contaminated in 1912 and sealed.
Nearby Mirror Lake covers the city's reservoir. The beauty of the lake was enhanced by a fountain that shoots
water 60 feet into the air, a gift in 1987 by Mrs. Eleanor Meacham and her son Standish Meacham Jr. Mrs.
Meacham served as a Park Board Commissioner from 1957 to 1963. Her husband was the architect for Krohn
Conservatory.
As you drive along Art Museum Drive toward Mt. Adams, on your left in a natural vale is the Murray Seasongood
Pavilion. The Pavilion was erected in 1959 to replace a former bandstand and was a gift of Martha S. Stern to
commemorate the services of her brother, former Mayor, Murray Seasongood.
South of Seasongood Pavilion are the ruins of the old reservoir begun in 1866. The massive walls were partially
demolished in 1962 for new underground storage beneath Mirror Lake.
Elsinore Tower, located at Gilbert Avenue and Elsinore Place, erected in 1883, was designed by Samuel
Hannaford to commemorate a Shakespeare Festival being held in Cincinnati at the same time. It now serves as a
valve house for the Cincinnati Water Works.
Historical Eden Park offers a great variety for every interest and age - free musical programs at Seasongood
Pavilion, visits to the cultural institutions, ice skating on Mirror Lake, strolling (or jogging), picnicking, or enjoying a
panoramic view of the city, Ohio River and Kentucky from four different overlooks. Be sure to include a springtime
visit to the Queen City's Garden of Eden for the breathtaking exhibit of flowering trees and magnificent displays of
over 50,000 daffodils.
Cincinnati - King's Island theme park - 6300 Kings Island Drive, Kings Island, OH 45034 - (513) 573-5700
A little girl's spirit is said to haunt King's Island along with several other ghosts. The girl has blond hair, blue eyes,
and wears a pretty blue dress. She has been seen playing around in Water Works and scares tram drivers by
playing hide-and-seek with them after the park is closed. She is thought to be buried in the cemetery that is
located between the parking lot and the campgrounds that is on King's Island property. Another ghost haunted
the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. This ghost is thought to be the spirit of a young man who in a drunken
stupor tried to climb the tower and fell to his death. It seems though that he has left. There is the ghost known as
"the Beast" which haunts the roller coaster with the same name. Several guests have seen this ghost. There is a
ghost that supposedly died on the ride "the Octopus". There are many other spirits that roam this Paramount
theme park.
Cincinnati - Lick Road - A ghost named Amy haunts Lick Road near Cincinnati. The story goes that her
boyfriend on Kemper Road murdered Amy at the age of 30. Her body was found at the end of Lick Road, just off
of Kemper. If you park at the end of Lick Road facing the woods, your windows will steam up and the word "HELP"
will be written in the condensation. Located just outside of Cincinnati, Lick Road is home to some mysterious
legends. There are many tales of exactly how Amy died, but the most popular is that her boyfriend murdered her
at the cul-de-sac or at a nearby bridge in the park. There are multiple legends surrounding Amy's death and her
afterlife. At the bridge (where Amy is said to have been murdered) is where some witnesses have reported
hearing footsteps following them in the woods, some even seeing a ghostly girl in all white walking the grounds.
One of the many legends is that if one flick their headlights at the sign as you turn onto Lick Road, you can see
"Amy" written on the sign. To reach this area, take I-275 west to the Colerain Avenue exit. Turn right at the light
and then right onto Kemper.
Cincinnati - Mother of Mercy High School – Located at 3036 Werk Road
Cincinnati, OH (513) 661-2740
This high school was built in the 1920's and is home to a ghost named Sister Mary Carlos. She has been known
to haunt the school's auditorium that is named after her. People have reported the lights flickering and things
being mysteriously moved about in the theater. Most of these strange occurrences seem to occur during a show.
It is now a tradition for the drama teacher to invite her to every performance. Otherwise, something will go wrong.
Cincinnati - Mount Notre Dame High School – Located at 711 E Columbia Avenue
Cincinnati, OH (513) 821-3044.
Mount Notre Dame opened its doors to 30 boarders on September 17, 1860. These young scholars were the
nucleus of a boarding school which soon became well-known for its excellence in education, attracting pupils from
many states. Included among these early students were Minnie and Rachel Sherman, daughters of General
William T. Sherman of Civil War fame. In 1897, the first day-scholars were accepted, and in 1929, boys were
admitted into the primary grades.
After the boarding school closed in 1935, Mount Notre Dame flourished and expanded as an academy to include
all grades from kindergarten through high school. In September 1956, upon the request of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, Mount Notre Dame became a diocesan high school. At that time, its name was changed from Mount
Notre Dame Academy to Mount Notre Dame High School.
The school quickly experienced rapid growth. In 1965, this expansion necessitated the move to a larger building,
the site of the current school. Mount Notre Dame has celebrated many anniversaries over the years -- its
centennial in 1960, its 125th anniversary in 1985, and the 140th year of educating young women was
commemorated in 2000.
In 1987, Mount Notre Dame opened a pre-school, the Early Learning Center. Due to increased enrollment in the
high school, the pre-school separated from MNDHS in 1996. In 1987, Mount Notre Dame High School was one of
271 schools named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 1990 Mount Notre Dame High School was placed under the direction of its first lay principal. In 2000 major
improvements were made: construction of a new athletic activities center and of a new chemistry lab and the
renovation of the chapel and of the family and consumer sciences lab. The existing gym was converted into a
library/media center and computer technology center in addition to a theater. Office areas were expanded, and
additional classrooms and computer labs were added.
In the spring of 2003, the Board of Trustees of Mount Notre Dame High School adopted a President/Principal
model of administration for the school, and Sister Rita Sturwold, was named the first President. Mount Notre
Dame High School is now in its 147th year of empowering young, Christian women through the ministry of Catholic
education.
A girl attending the school who killed herself in the early 40's has been known to haunt the 3rd floor of the school.
She opens up all the lockers on the 3rd floor. Also every light has been seen on in the building at night after the
school has been locked up.
Cincinnati - Music Hall – Located at 1241 Elm St Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 621-2787.
Built in 1878 with private money raised from what is believed to be the nation's first matching grant fund drive, this
Cincinnati showpiece has been renovated and updated and includes what is judged to be among the best and
most beautiful concert theaters in the world.
Springer Auditorium - The Springer Auditorium is known the world over for its extraordinary acoustics and its
lavish old world decor. With its plush seating for 3,516, it serves as home for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,
the Cincinnati Opera and the May Festival Chorus, among other local performing arts organizations. In addition,
throughout the year it hosts a large number of touring performances, conferences, concerts, and awards
ceremonies. The fully equipped stage with a complete lighting system, hydraulically operated orchestra pit and
roomy backstage area make any type of production or performance possible. The main foyer, where patrons
have gathered during intermission for over a century can accommodate 250 to 500 people for cocktail parties,
receptions, dinners and weddings.
Music Hall Ballroom - One of the most versatile spaces in Cincinnati, the Music Hall Ballroom is the second
largest meeting space in the city, encompassing nearly 20,000 square feet. It is frequently used for large
receptions, exhibitions, fashion shows, class reunions and breakfast, lunch and dinner gatherings. It can also be
used for stage performances and lectures. In October 1998, a $1.8 million renovation of the Ballroom was
completed.
The Ballroom can accommodate up to 1,300 based on your event requirements. The room is also equipped with
state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment. The large bar area makes the Ballroom a perfect place for parties,
according to the groups who come back year after year for annual functions.
Corbett Tower - This upstairs reception room is charming. The exquisite decor and sparkling chandeliers,
equally resplendent as the Auditorium, provide a unique setting for a wide variety of events, ranging from
weddings and receptions to grand dinners and parties. The stage, controlled sound and light systems, dance
floor, kitchen, bar facilities and seating for up to 300 make Corbett Tower as practical as it is elegant.
Critic's Club - The Critic's Club is an ideal gathering spot for intimate receptions, business meeting and private
dinners or lunches. The decor of the Club is modern, yet classic. Complete with an authentic antique bar and
seating for 50, the Critic's Club offers a cozy, luxurious atmosphere for various occasions.
Society for the Preservation of Music Hall - The purpose of The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall is
to provide ongoing financial and volunteer support toward maintaining and improving the Music Hall facilities,
internally and externally, and to provide this service to Music Hall through an organization of volunteers comprised
of individuals from all walks of life and from all over the Greater Cincinnati area who are dedicated to the
continuing preservation of Music Hall as a national historic monument and as one of the world's foremost
performing arts and entertainment facilities.
Many workers who clean the building at night have seen and heard many strange things. One maintenance man
was going in the maintenance elevator in the back of the building when he heard people whispering very angrily
at him. As a historical note I should tell you that Music Hall was built over a pauper's cemetery and in the 80's
when they were renovating they found many graves. Anyway one worker was in the building at night by himself
and he heard laughter coming from one of the ballrooms, when he investigated he saw several men and women
dressed in 1800's clothing. This next event took place during the day and several women witnessed it. Several
women were preparing for an event that was to be held there when they all heard a beautiful female voice. They
searched the whole building but they found nothing. None of them felt threatened because the voice was so
beautiful.
Cincinnati - Oak Hills High School – Located at 3200 Ebenezer Rd, Cincinnati, 45248 - (513) 922-2300. A
short woman haunts the auditorium. Rumor is it is the woman the auditorium is named after. She turns off lights,
shuts doors, appears up in the crow's nest, the cat walk above the stage, seated towards the back of the
auditorium and wandering around stage.
Cincinnati - Old Western Wood Mall - During renovation in 1998-99, a security guard reported to his
supervisor that when he passed through a doorway back to where fitting rooms used to be, the ambient air
temperature dropped about 20 degrees and there was a definite presence. The supervisor mentioned that she'd
noticed this herself and not to repeat this information to anyone. Being a practicing witch, the guard returned the
next night and attempted to contact the presence. Using a pendulum, he tracked the "source" to a sub-basement
containing a water heater and meters. SOMETHING had happened there, but he was unable to a certain exactly
what. Nicknaming the presence "Charlie", he became accustomed to being "escorted" on his rounds through that
section of the building.
Cincinnati - Rapid Run Middle School – Located at 6345 Rapid Run Rd Cincinnati, OH 45233. The Phone
number is (513) 467-0300. It is told that the guy who died in the auditorium while building it haunts the school. He
had fallen off a ladder. The lights have gone off, chairs were missing during the concert.
Cincinnati - Satan's Hollow - Located in Blue Ash, a suburb of Cincinnati, Satan's Hollow is and old sewer
system that used to house the infamous "alter room" in a mysteriously dry tunnel. This is where a group of
Satanists made animal sacrifices and opened a door into hell. Female screams can be heard at night and there
have been many sightings of various apparitions, including floating skulls and the demon YG, commonly known as
the Shadow Man.
Cincinnati - Spring Grove Cemetery - located on the outskirts of St. Bernard it has a nice history of weird and
unexplained stuff. In the 1830's and 1840's, Cincinnatians were saddened by the recurrence of the cholera
epidemic. The crowded and sometimes unkempt appearance of many of the small church cemeteries in the basin
area offered little comfort to bereaved families. Many of the leaders in the professional and industrial enterprises
of the city expressed their concern over the lack of proper interment facilities.
Resulting from this concern, members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society formed a cemetery association in
1844. They endeavored to find a location suitable for creating a picturesque park like institution, a rural cemetery,
contiguous to the city yet remote enough not to be disturbed by expansion. They sought to acquire enough land
to be used for funerary purposes into the indefinite future, which could be embellished with shrubbery, flowers,
trees, walks, and rural ornaments. These men traveled throughout the United States and Europe visiting
cemeteries of outstanding reputation and beauty as they planned a cemetery that would equal the famed beauty
of Pere-Lachaise in Paris, and various outstanding cemeteries on the East Coast of the United States.
On December 1, 1844 Salmon Chase and others prepared the Articles of Incorporation. Chase lobbied with
legislators, persuading them to grant a charter for a non-profit nondenominational corporation, which was granted
by a special act on January 21, 1845. At the consecration ceremony the founders publicly proclaimed their hope
that the natural setting would be a contemplative atmosphere conducive to consolation, commemoration, and
education. The first interment was made September 1, 1845.
In 1987, Spring Grove officially changed its name to "Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum" to include the
expansive collection of both native and exotic plan materials as well as its State and National Champion Trees and
its Centenarian Collection. Today, Spring Grove encompasses 733 acres of which 400 acres are beautifully
landscaped and maintained. The remaining undeveloped acres ensure the permanence of the cemetery for
hundreds of years.
Since it’s founding over 150 years ago, Spring Grove has remained a leader in cemetery design and
management. The landscape "lawn plan" concept was created here. Although it was considered a radical concept
of cemetery design at that time, it later became accepted almost universally as the model plan. Spring Grove
remains a masterwork of the landscaping art, studied by horticulturists and admired by thousands of visitors. The
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce lists it among the city's outstanding attractions proudly quoting the praise of an
artist who once said, "Only a place with a heart and soul could make for its dead a more magnificent park than
any which exists for the living."
Spring Grove continues to provide its services within the reach of persons of every income. Offering every type of
burial option, several styles of memorialization, an operating crematory, and the new Jon Deitloff Funeral Centre,
Spring Grove is proud to serve Cincinnati residents with care, consideration, and convenience.
One of the most unusual things there is at lot 100; it is a bronze face about 7 feet off the ground. When it is
raining the eyes do very weird things; rumor has it that it contains his real eyes. Witnesses claim that the head will
turn and look at you as you pass by the Mitchell memorial, a huge gothic style castle in the front of the cemetery
on the front lakes. If you sit on the porch high off the ground, it is claimed that two white dogs will run by;
sometimes they stop and look at you; they seem to shine. - WARNING - As with any of the places mentioned here,
it is best to see if you need permission to visit these places, but above all RESPECT these places. This particular
place seems to have a history of persons not respecting it & receiving streaks of bad luck.
Cincinnati - St. Xavier High School – Located at 600 W North Bend Rd Cincinnati, OH 45224 (513) 761-7600;
St. Xavier High School, as well as Xavier University, is the successor to the old Athenaeum, "a literary institute"
dedicated on October 17, 1831, under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier. Founded by the first bishop of
Cincinnati - Rev. Edward D. Fenwick, O.P. - the school was to occupy its original site on Sycamore Street for 129
years.
For nine years the school operated under auspices of the new diocese of Cincinnati as a "standard college with
the high school classes preparatory to it." At the invitation of Bishop Fenwick's successor, Rev. John B. Purcell,
the Society of Jesus assumed control of the school, and on November 3, 1840, the first Jesuit president, Rev.
John A. Elet, S.J., presided at the opening of the renamed Athenaeum, St. Xavier College. Two years later the
General Assembly of Ohio granted the school its first charter.
Epansion of the school to a branch boarding division, but the Walnut Hills campus was closed in 1846 after
operating for only two years. Financial depression, the cholera epidemic of 1849, and a serious decline in
enrollment nearly closed St. Xavier altogether, but the gallant efforts of a handful of Jesuits saved the school.
Following the Civil War, prosperity dawned on the Sycamore Street campus, and three major buildings - the Hill
Building (1867), the Moeller Building (1885), and Poland Memorial Hall (1891) were constructed adjacent to St.
Xavier Church. These buildings formed the quadrangle that echoed the voices of four generations of St. Xavier
students.
There is a ghost here that was once a janitor working for the high school when one night, unexpectedly, he hung
himself with a dishrag in a Men's bathroom stall. He reportedly haunts the hallways and Men's bathrooms
throughout the school to this day.
Cincinnati - Taft Museum – Located at 550 E 4th St, Cincinnati, 45202 - (513) 241-0343.
The Baum-Longworth-Taft House, a National Historic Landmark built about 1820 for Martin Baum, is the oldest
domestic wooden structure in situ locally and is considered one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in
the Palladian style in the country.
Other residents of this important villa included Nicholas Longworth, who extensively redecorated the interiors and
hired African American painter Robert S. Duncanson to paint landscape murals in the foyer, now considered as
one of the finest suites of domestic murals dating from before the Civil War.
After Longworth's residency, the villa with a copper roof was purchased by David Sinton, father of museum co-
founder, Anna Sinton Taft. Anna Taft lived in the mansion with her husband Charles Phelps Taft from 1873 to
their respective deaths in 1931 and 1929. The Tafts bequeathed their important home and private collection of
690 works of art to the people of Cincinnati in 1927. After extensive remodeling and updating, the Baum-
Longworth-Taft House opened as the Taft Museum in 1932.
Today, the Tafts' distinguished collections are displayed in the Federal villa, which stands as one of the finest
small art museums in the nation.
It is said that this ghost will lock a room that's filled with art works using a chair under the doorknob, especially if
you re-arrange it the night before.
Cincinnati - Taylor High School – Located at 36 E Harrison Ave North Bend, OH 45052. Taylor High School was
founded in North Bend, Ohio in 1926.
A while back a janitor was working in a small room between two science classrooms on a ladder. Alone. The man
suddenly had a heart attack and was found by the secretary the next morning when she called for him and no
reply she went up and found him; now during class there are doors opening and closing with no one nearby and
at night janitors recall doors all being opened perfectly at a 90 degree angle. Also when the schools pool was first
put in, a student wandered down there without even hearing about it, yet talking on the cell phone, tripped, and
fell right into the pool drowning. Now when you go into the boy’s locker rooms you can hear toilets flush by
themselves and splashing in the pool even when it’s not filled.
Cincinnati - Texas Roadhouse - People have said to have seen a man dressed in a cowboy uniform walking
around at night after the restaurant has closed. He is said to be looking for his lost love and his arm that was lost
in a cattle drive. There are three Texas Roadhouse’s in the Cincinnati area.
Cincinnati - Western Hills High School – Located at 2144 Ferguson Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238; Ph# (513)
244-1600; There are adjoining doors to the now-empty swimming pool from the boys and girls locker rooms. One
day, a foreign exchange student decided to skip gym class. He opened the first door, and the area was very dark.
He heard a noise, and began running, stumbling right into the swimming pool. A janitor heard screaming, opened
the door and turned on the light. The student was being pushed under water by something invisible. To this day it
is said that at 1:24 in the afternoon, you can hear screaming and splashing.
Cincinnati - The Westwood Town Hall - is located at 3018 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, 45211 - (513) 662-9109
and is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a former security guard who was employed there when Westwood
was an independent town before merging with others. He was relieved of his position and hanged himself in a
room close to the apartment that he lived in on the premises. He is known as "Willy". Several people have
reported stage sets, costumes and orderly things found is disarray that were used in performances.
When visiting Cincinnati, the Cincinnati Museum Center (1301 Western Ave, Cincinnati, 45203 - (513) 287-
7000) in Hamilton County, it is said that the ghost of a security guard named Shirley wanders about the halls of
the Union Terminal. Shirley foiled the plans of computer thieves and was shot and killed as she tried to stop them.
Her body was later recovered in the northern area of Kentucky, but her unsettled ghost returned to the place of
her death. In the early 1990s, the Museum Center was experiencing theft. Apparently, computers were being
stolen, and the only security guard to catch them was Shirley. Shirley caught them on the 4th floor, but was shot
dead on the spot. Her body was later dumped in Northern Kentucky. She still roams the halls of Union Terminal.
Many house keeping women will not walk alone after closing. Doors can be heard locking and footsteps are heard
in hallways, when no one is there. One piece of the collection in the Cincinnati History Museum is an airplane from
WWII. A pilot is seen inside the plane at night. People crying or welcoming back soldiers can also be heard on the
train tracks. (Since Union Terminal was a great railroad station during WWII)
Cincinnati - Buffalo Ridge - There are many reports of hauntings on this road. One is of a car that was doing a
gang initiation where you can here a car with stereo blasting, speeding up and down the hills. After a few times of
them going down the hill you can hear the screams and the crash of the car. There are also reports of a woman
who was killed while trying on her wedding dress, the reports state that she is seen walking around on Buffalo
Ridge and East Miami River Road on the anniversary of her death searching for her head that was never found.
Buffalo Ridge.
Buffalo Ridge is located in a heavily wooded area of western Colerain Township, Ohio, not far from where
Hamilton County meets Butler County. It is called Buffalo Ridge because it was once an old buffalo trail. As it was
with many game trails, it soon became an Indian trail and was eventually turned into a road for wagons and
automobiles. According to local urban legends posted at forgottenoh.com,
"The many legends associated with this creepy wooded road seem to center around an abandoned crematory
located somewhere far back on the Ridge, which may or may not have been the site of a cult sacrifice at some
point in the past. The ghosts occupy this building and sometimes wander across the road as well.
An abandoned house with dilapidated barns and junked cars on its lawn is also the site of some scary
happenings. Lights are seen there at night even though no one has lived there for years. If you go up the
driveway supposedly you will see a witch in one of the windows.
A park along the road is haunted by the ghost of a little boy who was killed in the road by a hit-and-run driver who
was never caught. The stain his mangled body left smeared on the asphalt has never gone away. Possibly
associated with this is the malevolent black van with tinted windows that is said to chase unlucky travelers on
Buffalo Ridge. Is it the vehicle that ran the little boy down years ago?"
More urban legends claim "There are many reports of hauntings on this road. One is of a car that was doing a
gang initiation where you can hear a car with stereo blasting, speeding up and down the hills. After a few times of
them going down the hill you can hear the screams and the crash of the car. There are also reports of a woman
who was killed while trying on her wedding dress, the reports state that she is seen walking around on Buffalo
Ridge and East Miami River Road on the anniversary of her death searching for her head that was never found."
"You may or may not have heard of this short connecting road, it's where the infamous Charles Manson used to
play as a kid. It's also the site of the ruins of one of the most used Crematories in Cincinnati. The road seems to
have a very strange feel to it as you drive along, the night seems blacker and sometimes as you near Zion Rd you
can almost see a shadowy smokestack, presumably from the old crematorium.
If you happen to believe that you can sense ghosts, then take a ride past the small farm pond nearest to where
the crematory used to be, the pond is never still and almost seems to be the source of the darkness.
To get there is just a short trip down Bridgetown Rd, or up Harrison Ave, to Wesselman, you'll find the narrow
road near Harrison, with a sign to lead you to the nearby park on Zion. People say things are in the woods there,
and at a friend of mine's old house nearby, some people say that things have come out of his woods and into his
small but deep pond. Always ghostly things, the funny thing is in all of his years there he never once seen
anything, or felt anything, and he believes in the supernatural himself.
Getting to the crematory itself is easy once you find Buffalo Ridge, I recommend you park on Zion (the closest you
can get since Buffalo Ridge is very narrow) and walk down Buffalo Ridge towards Wesselman, if you stay on the
right side coming from Zion road, you'll see a small "no dumping" sign, go straight back in the woods about 20
yards and you'll find yourself in the Crematorium."
So it sounds as if Buffalo Ridge is the source of just about every urban legend in Ohio! Wow, what an opportunity
for energetic paranormal investigators! I find it extremely difficult to believe that Charles Manson used to play
anywhere near Buffalo Ridge Road when he was a kid. Manson lived in Walnut Hills which is on the other side of
town, about as far away from Buffalo Ridge as you can get, but he lived on the streets much of this time so you
never know where he wandered off to.
Trying to find an "abandoned house" or a yard full of junk cars on Buffalo Ridge is like looking
for a needle in a stack of needles. Sections of this heavily wooded, curving roller coaster called Buffalo Ridge look
like Appalachia - scenes from the movie Deliverance come to mind. People on their front porches stare at you
suspiciously as you drive by.
The area is quite creepy at night. As soon as I get more time, I want to investigate the many urban legends
surrounding Buffalo Ridge. Hopefully I can determine if there is any fact behind these legends.
The park mentioned in the accounts here is a 1,336-acre park called Mitchell Memorial Forest and it is part of the
Hamilton County Park system. It's a nice little park with a few picnic areas, a walking trail, a large pond, and a
small playground for the kids.
To get to Mitchell Memorial Forest, you can travel from Harrison Avenue to Wesselman, turn onto Wesselman, go
about 1/4 mile to Buffalo Ridge, follow Buffalo Ridge to Zion Road, turn left onto Zion Road and the park entrance
is on the right. The park borders Buffalo Ridge. You can travel the complete length of Buffalo Ridge by starting at
Harrison Avenue and coming up Wesselman to Buffalo Ridge, turn right onto Buffalo Ridge and follow it to the
end, bear right and it will take you back down to Harrison Avenue. You could also reach Buffalo Ridge by coming
from Bridgetown Road, to the south, and following Zion Road north until it intersects with Buffalo Ridge.
Cincinnati - Anderson - Anderson high school – (7560 Forest Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45255; phone # (513)
232-2772) voices are heard by janitors at night and students belongings are moved to different classrooms after
school hours.
Cincinnati - Cincinnati Museum of Art –
(953 Eden Park Dr, Cincinnati, 45202 - (513) 721-2787)
In the late nineteenth century, public art museums were still very much a new phenomenon, especially as far west
as Cincinnati. Following the success of the 1876 Centennial Exhibition held in Philadelphia, the Women’s Art
Museum Association was organized in Cincinnati with the intent of bringing such an institution to the region for the
benefit of all citizens. Enthusiasm for these goals grew steadily and by 1881 the Cincinnati Museum Association
was incorporated. Just five years later, in May 1886, a permanent art museum building was completed in Eden
Park and was heralded worldwide as “The Art Palace of the West.”
Original Building, 1886
The Cincinnati Art Museum enjoyed the support of the community from the beginning. Generous donations from a
number of prominent Cincinnatians grew the collection to number in the tens of thousands of objects, which soon
necessitated the addition of the first of several Art Museum expansions.
Schmidlapp Wing, 1907
In 1907 the Schmidlapp Wing opened, which was followed by a series of building projects. The addition of the
Emery, Hanna and French wings in the 1930s enclosed the courtyard and gave the Art Museum its current
rectangular shape and provided the space in which our American, European and Asian collections are currently
shown.
Renovations during the late 1940s and early 1950s divided the Great Hall into two floors and the present main
entrance to the Art Museum was established. The 1965 completion of the Adams-Emery wing increased our
facility resources yet further, adding space for the permanent collection, lecture halls and temporary exhibition
galleries.
Cincinnati Art Museum, 1952
In 1993, a $13 million project restored the grandeur of the Art Museum’s interior architecture and uncovered long-
hidden architectural details. This project included the renovation of one of the Art Museum’s signature spaces,
the Great Hall. In addition, new gallery space was created and lighting and climate control were improved. The Art
Museum’s temporary exhibition space was expanded to approximately 10,000 square feet to accommodate major
temporary exhibitions.
By the turn of the twenty-first century, the Art Museum’s collection numbered over 60,000 objects and, today, is
the largest in the state of Ohio. In 2003, the Cincinnati Art Museum deepened its ties with the Greater Cincinnati
community by opening the popular and expansive Cincinnati Wing, the first permanent display of a city’s art
history in the nation. In addition, on May 17, 2003, the Art Museum eliminated its general admission fee forever,
made possible by The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation.
In 2006, the Art Museum marks its 125th anniversary, with 125 days of programs and events for the community to
celebrate. In addition, a Facilities Master Plan, approved by the Board of Trustees in February 2006, provides a
plan for growth that will serve the Art Museum for the next two decades.
Security guards have reported seeing a 7-foot-tall specter that has no features and merely looks like a huge
black "blur" that rises up from a mummy sarcophagus exhibit straight through the ceiling. Another time when the
security guards would sneak and take their "catnaps" in the storage room, there was a glowing face hovering
inches away from them as the woke. They would proceed to try to evade the spirit but it would block their was as
they would maneuver around the room. It would then just simply disappear.
Cincinnati - Cincinnati Zoo – Believed to be haunted by a lioness, the sound of soft feet following you. You look
back and there is nothing. If you speed up your pace, so do the footsteps a pair of green eyes at the end of the
hallway. The Cincinnati Zoo is located at 3540 Beldare Ave, Cincinnati, 45220 - (513) 961-1870
Cincinnati - Cornell Place Apartments - footsteps and voices are observed here. The Stenton House
An 1850 Victorian mansion, now known as the Cornell Place Apartments, is in an old money area of Cincinnati.
Old Cincinnati was built on seven hills, just like Rome. Address: 3517 Cornell Place, Cincinnati, OH. 45220 These
are private apartments. Tours are not given. Photography is not encouraged. The privacy of the occupants, both
corporal and spiritual, should be respected. Dutch families were the principal founders of old Cincinnati. This
Victorian mansion was built in 1850, as a private dwelling. It turns out that in 1880 a young man committed suicide
in the house. When his family left, the house remained vacant for years. It later became Ealy School, a school for
girls, in 1900.
Legend has it that a young schoolgirl hung her self upstairs, and another girl, a daughter
of a doctor was found, murdered on the stairway. After World War 2, this Victorian mansion was subdivided into
apartments. Ghostly occurrences and incidents: At one time the Stenton family occupied one of the apartments in
the mansion. Soon after the Stenton's moved in, odd incidents began occurring. Phantom footsteps were heard
walking in the hall, but no one was there. Two weeks after they moved in, and at precisely 2:10 A.M., they heard
the heavy thump of something heavy hitting the floor. The incident repeated itself, always at 2:10 A.M. They found
out that the young man had killed himself in the room above their apartment. Other tenants have had their
supernatural experiences, including phantom footsteps following them around, disembodied voices heard in the
halls and the sounds of things hitting the floor. One of the tenant's dogs refused to go into rooms where spirit
presences were manifesting, baying in alarm! Apartment residents hear and experience various manifestations
still to this day.
Cincinnati - Country Hearth Hotel - strange occurrences have been noted in room 331. At night it gets ICY
cold even when heat is on full blast. Curtain opens and closes on its own and a loud pounding noise can be heard
against the wall on the outside of the building near that room and 431 above it. Also, personal items are moved
about the room without knowledge. Hotel personnel admit there have been some complaints by guests in the past.
Cincinnati's Abandoned Subway
Abandoned tunnels are often the objects of urban legend, but Cincinnati is in fact the site of the country's largest
abandoned subway tunnel. But "abandoned" is not quite the word, as construction slowed to a stop in 1925
before even half of the 16-mile line was completed. Seven miles between Cincinnati's central business district
and the industrial suburb of Norwood were tunneled, bridged, or graded, but no track was laid and no subway
cars were ordered. No passengers ever rode between the six stations that were built.
The incomplete Cincinnati line sat fallow through the Great Depression and WWII. Bridges, stations, and retaining
walls along the surface stretches deteriorated to such an extent that a few items actually collapsed. Nearly
everything above ground was bulldozed to make way for portions of I and the Norwood Lateral in the 1950's and
1970's, respectively. The mute two-mile tunnel that remains under Central Parkway is unknown to many Cincinnati
natives, and what most who do know of it know consists largely of hearsay and speculation. It is by far the most
popular subject on www.cincinnati-transit.net and tens of thousands have visited it since its appearance in 1999.
Subway F.A.Q.
1. Where is the subway?
The main subway tunnel runs under Central Parkway for two miles, between Walnut St. and an anonymous spot
north of the Western Hills Viaduct. Three underground stations were built and still exist at Race St., Liberty St.,
and Brighton's Corner. An extension of this tunnel under Walnut St. South through downtown with a station at
Fountain Square was planned but never built. Additionally, several miles of surface running line were graded and
three of roughly a dozen planned above ground stations were built. Significant portions of today's IIIIwood Lateral
follow the path of the line. A stretch of I-71 near the Dana Ave. Interchange was built where the subway loop's
eastern half was planned.
2. When was it constructed?
1920 through 1925. The $6 million bond issue in 1916 was exhausted in 1925, no further money was obtained,
and construction never resumed.
3. Can the tunnel still be used?
Yes. It has been continuously maintained and will likely be usable for the next hundred years, if not longer. The
2002 "Metro Moves" sales tax would have funded a rail transit network that planned to use the tunnel, but it was
defeated by a 2-1 public vote.
4. Can the subway be visited?
Yes. See http://www.cincinnatiadvance.com.
Cincinnati’s abandoned subway was built in the 1920's and in 1924 was put on hold due to budget problems. After
the great depression the project was scrapped due to high cost. The subway tunnels and platform are said to be
haunted by the many workers that where killed during construction of the tunnels.
The subway today.
Cincinnati - Eden Park - Apparition of a woman wearing a black silk dress has been witnessed standing by the
gazebo.
Located at 2610 Park Ave, Cincinnati, 45206 - (513) 475-5580 Located at Gilbert Avenue between Elsinore and
Morris and comprised of 186.29 acres, Eden Park was assembled by a series of purchases beginning in 1859.
The name came, naturally, from the Garden of Eden and was given by Nicholas Longworth who owned a large
tract that constitutes the main portion of the park. Eden Park is the home of the Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati
Art Academy, Playhouse in the Park, Murray Seasongood Pavilion, and the Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory. Krohn
Conservatory, one of Cincinnati's major tourist attractions, was opened to the public in 1933 and essentially
rebuilt after extensive storm damage in 1966. It is the third greenhouse in Eden Park. Krohn Conservatory, which
is owned and operated by the Park Board, features plant materials from all over the world exhibited in simulated
natural settings. Six special shows are presented annually in the Show House. The Conservatory, which is open
every day of the year, was named in honor of Irwin M. Krohn, Board of Park Commissioner from 1912 to 1948.
Just south of Krohn Conservatory is the Hinkle Magnolia Garden, named for Frederick A. Hinkle as a testimonial
to his many years on the Park Board. The area includes a picturesque gazebo dedicated to the memory of Martha
Rule Deupree and Richard Redwood Deupree in 1982. Near the gazebo is the John Rule Deupree Memorial
Fountain, given by his family and dedicated in 1987.
As you enter Eden Park from Victory Parkway, on your left is the Twin Lakes area, once an old stone quarry. Just
west of the lakes is the bronze replica of the Capitoline Wolf that was a gift from the Italian government and
presented by the Order of the Sons of Italy in 1931. Also in the area is the Galbraith Memorial that was erected in
1923 by the American Legion in honor of its first National Commander, Cincinnati's Frederick W. Galbraith. The
memorial seat was erected in 1925 by the 136th Field Artillery, A.E.F. A sixty-foot memorial flagpole located here
and dedicated in 1930, was relocated to the site of the Vietnam Memorial, just below the old Eden Park Water
Tower and rededicated at the time of the Vietnam Memorial dedication on April 8, 1984.
South of the 172-foot high Water tower, completed in 1894 and now used by the City of Cincinnati as a
communications facility, are five memorial tree plantings. The largest is Presidential Grove that was started in
1882 when the Forestry Congress met in Cincinnati. The grove contains a tree planted for each of the Presidents
of the United States. In 1982, the American Forestry Association held the opening ceremony of its National
Conference in Cincinnati at the grove to commemorate the centennial of its first national conference in 1882.
Beyond Presidential Grove is Heroes Grove with oak trees planted in 1876 in memory of the heroes of 1776 and
the patriots who suffered with Washington at Valley Forge. In 1976, in celebration of our nation's Bicentennial, the
U.S. Marine Corps planted three pin oak trees in this grove to replace three of the originals that had died. A
second Heroes Grove, located south of Eden Park Drive near the Gilbert Avenue entrance, was planted in 1919
by the Mothers of Democracy in memory of Cincinnati men and women who lost their lives in World War I. Located
in the same area as the 1876 Heroes Grove is Pioneers Grove which contains trees planted by the Forestry
Society in 1882 in honor of the pioneers of Cincinnati. Authors Grove is after you pass the Twin Lakes area into
Eden Park, you go under the Melan Arch Bridge built of concrete in 1894, a pioneer engineering feet that
attracted worldwide attention. Stone eagles from the old Chamber of Commerce Building that burned in 1911 flank
the bridge.
Just behind Krohn Conservatory, on the hillside overlooking the river is the Donald Spencer Overlook and Ohio
River Monument. President Herbert Hoover dedicated the Monument, a granite shaft 30 feet high with bronze
tablets, in 1929 to commemorate the canalization of the Ohio River. The overlook was dedicated in 2002 in honor
of Donald Spencer, founder of the Friends of Cincinnati Parks support group.
At the intersection of Eden Park and Fulton Avenue is the historic springhouse gazebo built in 1904 to replace a
straw shack springhouse. In early years, water from the spring was thought to have medicinal qualities. One
hundred barrels of water were carried away daily by the public until found to be contaminated in 1912 and sealed.
Nearby Mirror Lake covers the city's reservoir. The beauty of the lake was enhanced by a fountain that shoots
water 60 feet into the air, a gift in 1987 by Mrs. Eleanor Meacham and her son Standish Meacham Jr. Mrs.
Meacham served as a Park Board Commissioner from 1957 to 1963. Her husband was the architect for Krohn
Conservatory.
As you drive along Art Museum Drive toward Mt. Adams, on your left in a natural vale is the Murray Seasongood
Pavilion. The Pavilion was erected in 1959 to replace a former bandstand and was a gift of Martha S. Stern to
commemorate the services of her brother, former Mayor, Murray Seasongood.
South of Seasongood Pavilion are the ruins of the old reservoir begun in 1866. The massive walls were partially
demolished in 1962 for new underground storage beneath Mirror Lake.
Elsinore Tower, located at Gilbert Avenue and Elsinore Place, erected in 1883, was designed by Samuel
Hannaford to commemorate a Shakespeare Festival being held in Cincinnati at the same time. It now serves as a
valve house for the Cincinnati Water Works.
Historical Eden Park offers a great variety for every interest and age - free musical programs at Seasongood
Pavilion, visits to the cultural institutions, ice skating on Mirror Lake, strolling (or jogging), picnicking, or enjoying a
panoramic view of the city, Ohio River and Kentucky from four different overlooks. Be sure to include a springtime
visit to the Queen City's Garden of Eden for the breathtaking exhibit of flowering trees and magnificent displays of
over 50,000 daffodils.
Cincinnati - King's Island theme park - 6300 Kings Island Drive, Kings Island, OH 45034 - (513) 573-5700
A little girl's spirit is said to haunt King's Island along with several other ghosts. The girl has blond hair, blue eyes,
and wears a pretty blue dress. She has been seen playing around in Water Works and scares tram drivers by
playing hide-and-seek with them after the park is closed. She is thought to be buried in the cemetery that is
located between the parking lot and the campgrounds that is on King's Island property. Another ghost haunted
the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower. This ghost is thought to be the spirit of a young man who in a drunken
stupor tried to climb the tower and fell to his death. It seems though that he has left. There is the ghost known as
"the Beast" which haunts the roller coaster with the same name. Several guests have seen this ghost. There is a
ghost that supposedly died on the ride "the Octopus". There are many other spirits that roam this Paramount
theme park.
Cincinnati - Lick Road - A ghost named Amy haunts Lick Road near Cincinnati. The story goes that her
boyfriend on Kemper Road murdered Amy at the age of 30. Her body was found at the end of Lick Road, just off
of Kemper. If you park at the end of Lick Road facing the woods, your windows will steam up and the word "HELP"
will be written in the condensation. Located just outside of Cincinnati, Lick Road is home to some mysterious
legends. There are many tales of exactly how Amy died, but the most popular is that her boyfriend murdered her
at the cul-de-sac or at a nearby bridge in the park. There are multiple legends surrounding Amy's death and her
afterlife. At the bridge (where Amy is said to have been murdered) is where some witnesses have reported
hearing footsteps following them in the woods, some even seeing a ghostly girl in all white walking the grounds.
One of the many legends is that if one flick their headlights at the sign as you turn onto Lick Road, you can see
"Amy" written on the sign. To reach this area, take I-275 west to the Colerain Avenue exit. Turn right at the light
and then right onto Kemper.
Cincinnati - Mother of Mercy High School – Located at 3036 Werk Road
Cincinnati, OH (513) 661-2740
This high school was built in the 1920's and is home to a ghost named Sister Mary Carlos. She has been known
to haunt the school's auditorium that is named after her. People have reported the lights flickering and things
being mysteriously moved about in the theater. Most of these strange occurrences seem to occur during a show.
It is now a tradition for the drama teacher to invite her to every performance. Otherwise, something will go wrong.
Cincinnati - Mount Notre Dame High School – Located at 711 E Columbia Avenue
Cincinnati, OH (513) 821-3044.
Mount Notre Dame opened its doors to 30 boarders on September 17, 1860. These young scholars were the
nucleus of a boarding school which soon became well-known for its excellence in education, attracting pupils from
many states. Included among these early students were Minnie and Rachel Sherman, daughters of General
William T. Sherman of Civil War fame. In 1897, the first day-scholars were accepted, and in 1929, boys were
admitted into the primary grades.
After the boarding school closed in 1935, Mount Notre Dame flourished and expanded as an academy to include
all grades from kindergarten through high school. In September 1956, upon the request of the Archdiocese of
Cincinnati, Mount Notre Dame became a diocesan high school. At that time, its name was changed from Mount
Notre Dame Academy to Mount Notre Dame High School.
The school quickly experienced rapid growth. In 1965, this expansion necessitated the move to a larger building,
the site of the current school. Mount Notre Dame has celebrated many anniversaries over the years -- its
centennial in 1960, its 125th anniversary in 1985, and the 140th year of educating young women was
commemorated in 2000.
In 1987, Mount Notre Dame opened a pre-school, the Early Learning Center. Due to increased enrollment in the
high school, the pre-school separated from MNDHS in 1996. In 1987, Mount Notre Dame High School was one of
271 schools named a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.
In 1990 Mount Notre Dame High School was placed under the direction of its first lay principal. In 2000 major
improvements were made: construction of a new athletic activities center and of a new chemistry lab and the
renovation of the chapel and of the family and consumer sciences lab. The existing gym was converted into a
library/media center and computer technology center in addition to a theater. Office areas were expanded, and
additional classrooms and computer labs were added.
In the spring of 2003, the Board of Trustees of Mount Notre Dame High School adopted a President/Principal
model of administration for the school, and Sister Rita Sturwold, was named the first President. Mount Notre
Dame High School is now in its 147th year of empowering young, Christian women through the ministry of Catholic
education.
A girl attending the school who killed herself in the early 40's has been known to haunt the 3rd floor of the school.
She opens up all the lockers on the 3rd floor. Also every light has been seen on in the building at night after the
school has been locked up.
Cincinnati - Music Hall – Located at 1241 Elm St Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 621-2787.
Built in 1878 with private money raised from what is believed to be the nation's first matching grant fund drive, this
Cincinnati showpiece has been renovated and updated and includes what is judged to be among the best and
most beautiful concert theaters in the world.
Springer Auditorium - The Springer Auditorium is known the world over for its extraordinary acoustics and its
lavish old world decor. With its plush seating for 3,516, it serves as home for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra,
the Cincinnati Opera and the May Festival Chorus, among other local performing arts organizations. In addition,
throughout the year it hosts a large number of touring performances, conferences, concerts, and awards
ceremonies. The fully equipped stage with a complete lighting system, hydraulically operated orchestra pit and
roomy backstage area make any type of production or performance possible. The main foyer, where patrons
have gathered during intermission for over a century can accommodate 250 to 500 people for cocktail parties,
receptions, dinners and weddings.
Music Hall Ballroom - One of the most versatile spaces in Cincinnati, the Music Hall Ballroom is the second
largest meeting space in the city, encompassing nearly 20,000 square feet. It is frequently used for large
receptions, exhibitions, fashion shows, class reunions and breakfast, lunch and dinner gatherings. It can also be
used for stage performances and lectures. In October 1998, a $1.8 million renovation of the Ballroom was
completed.
The Ballroom can accommodate up to 1,300 based on your event requirements. The room is also equipped with
state-of-the-art sound and lighting equipment. The large bar area makes the Ballroom a perfect place for parties,
according to the groups who come back year after year for annual functions.
Corbett Tower - This upstairs reception room is charming. The exquisite decor and sparkling chandeliers,
equally resplendent as the Auditorium, provide a unique setting for a wide variety of events, ranging from
weddings and receptions to grand dinners and parties. The stage, controlled sound and light systems, dance
floor, kitchen, bar facilities and seating for up to 300 make Corbett Tower as practical as it is elegant.
Critic's Club - The Critic's Club is an ideal gathering spot for intimate receptions, business meeting and private
dinners or lunches. The decor of the Club is modern, yet classic. Complete with an authentic antique bar and
seating for 50, the Critic's Club offers a cozy, luxurious atmosphere for various occasions.
Society for the Preservation of Music Hall - The purpose of The Society for the Preservation of Music Hall is
to provide ongoing financial and volunteer support toward maintaining and improving the Music Hall facilities,
internally and externally, and to provide this service to Music Hall through an organization of volunteers comprised
of individuals from all walks of life and from all over the Greater Cincinnati area who are dedicated to the
continuing preservation of Music Hall as a national historic monument and as one of the world's foremost
performing arts and entertainment facilities.
Many workers who clean the building at night have seen and heard many strange things. One maintenance man
was going in the maintenance elevator in the back of the building when he heard people whispering very angrily
at him. As a historical note I should tell you that Music Hall was built over a pauper's cemetery and in the 80's
when they were renovating they found many graves. Anyway one worker was in the building at night by himself
and he heard laughter coming from one of the ballrooms, when he investigated he saw several men and women
dressed in 1800's clothing. This next event took place during the day and several women witnessed it. Several
women were preparing for an event that was to be held there when they all heard a beautiful female voice. They
searched the whole building but they found nothing. None of them felt threatened because the voice was so
beautiful.
Cincinnati - Oak Hills High School – Located at 3200 Ebenezer Rd, Cincinnati, 45248 - (513) 922-2300. A
short woman haunts the auditorium. Rumor is it is the woman the auditorium is named after. She turns off lights,
shuts doors, appears up in the crow's nest, the cat walk above the stage, seated towards the back of the
auditorium and wandering around stage.
Cincinnati - Old Western Wood Mall - During renovation in 1998-99, a security guard reported to his
supervisor that when he passed through a doorway back to where fitting rooms used to be, the ambient air
temperature dropped about 20 degrees and there was a definite presence. The supervisor mentioned that she'd
noticed this herself and not to repeat this information to anyone. Being a practicing witch, the guard returned the
next night and attempted to contact the presence. Using a pendulum, he tracked the "source" to a sub-basement
containing a water heater and meters. SOMETHING had happened there, but he was unable to a certain exactly
what. Nicknaming the presence "Charlie", he became accustomed to being "escorted" on his rounds through that
section of the building.
Cincinnati - Rapid Run Middle School – Located at 6345 Rapid Run Rd Cincinnati, OH 45233. The Phone
number is (513) 467-0300. It is told that the guy who died in the auditorium while building it haunts the school. He
had fallen off a ladder. The lights have gone off, chairs were missing during the concert.
Cincinnati - Satan's Hollow - Located in Blue Ash, a suburb of Cincinnati, Satan's Hollow is and old sewer
system that used to house the infamous "alter room" in a mysteriously dry tunnel. This is where a group of
Satanists made animal sacrifices and opened a door into hell. Female screams can be heard at night and there
have been many sightings of various apparitions, including floating skulls and the demon YG, commonly known as
the Shadow Man.
Cincinnati - Spring Grove Cemetery - located on the outskirts of St. Bernard it has a nice history of weird and
unexplained stuff. In the 1830's and 1840's, Cincinnatians were saddened by the recurrence of the cholera
epidemic. The crowded and sometimes unkempt appearance of many of the small church cemeteries in the basin
area offered little comfort to bereaved families. Many of the leaders in the professional and industrial enterprises
of the city expressed their concern over the lack of proper interment facilities.
Resulting from this concern, members of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society formed a cemetery association in
1844. They endeavored to find a location suitable for creating a picturesque park like institution, a rural cemetery,
contiguous to the city yet remote enough not to be disturbed by expansion. They sought to acquire enough land
to be used for funerary purposes into the indefinite future, which could be embellished with shrubbery, flowers,
trees, walks, and rural ornaments. These men traveled throughout the United States and Europe visiting
cemeteries of outstanding reputation and beauty as they planned a cemetery that would equal the famed beauty
of Pere-Lachaise in Paris, and various outstanding cemeteries on the East Coast of the United States.
On December 1, 1844 Salmon Chase and others prepared the Articles of Incorporation. Chase lobbied with
legislators, persuading them to grant a charter for a non-profit nondenominational corporation, which was granted
by a special act on January 21, 1845. At the consecration ceremony the founders publicly proclaimed their hope
that the natural setting would be a contemplative atmosphere conducive to consolation, commemoration, and
education. The first interment was made September 1, 1845.
In 1987, Spring Grove officially changed its name to "Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum" to include the
expansive collection of both native and exotic plan materials as well as its State and National Champion Trees and
its Centenarian Collection. Today, Spring Grove encompasses 733 acres of which 400 acres are beautifully
landscaped and maintained. The remaining undeveloped acres ensure the permanence of the cemetery for
hundreds of years.
Since it’s founding over 150 years ago, Spring Grove has remained a leader in cemetery design and
management. The landscape "lawn plan" concept was created here. Although it was considered a radical concept
of cemetery design at that time, it later became accepted almost universally as the model plan. Spring Grove
remains a masterwork of the landscaping art, studied by horticulturists and admired by thousands of visitors. The
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce lists it among the city's outstanding attractions proudly quoting the praise of an
artist who once said, "Only a place with a heart and soul could make for its dead a more magnificent park than
any which exists for the living."
Spring Grove continues to provide its services within the reach of persons of every income. Offering every type of
burial option, several styles of memorialization, an operating crematory, and the new Jon Deitloff Funeral Centre,
Spring Grove is proud to serve Cincinnati residents with care, consideration, and convenience.
One of the most unusual things there is at lot 100; it is a bronze face about 7 feet off the ground. When it is
raining the eyes do very weird things; rumor has it that it contains his real eyes. Witnesses claim that the head will
turn and look at you as you pass by the Mitchell memorial, a huge gothic style castle in the front of the cemetery
on the front lakes. If you sit on the porch high off the ground, it is claimed that two white dogs will run by;
sometimes they stop and look at you; they seem to shine. - WARNING - As with any of the places mentioned here,
it is best to see if you need permission to visit these places, but above all RESPECT these places. This particular
place seems to have a history of persons not respecting it & receiving streaks of bad luck.
Cincinnati - St. Xavier High School – Located at 600 W North Bend Rd Cincinnati, OH 45224 (513) 761-7600;
St. Xavier High School, as well as Xavier University, is the successor to the old Athenaeum, "a literary institute"
dedicated on October 17, 1831, under the patronage of St. Francis Xavier. Founded by the first bishop of
Cincinnati - Rev. Edward D. Fenwick, O.P. - the school was to occupy its original site on Sycamore Street for 129
years.
For nine years the school operated under auspices of the new diocese of Cincinnati as a "standard college with
the high school classes preparatory to it." At the invitation of Bishop Fenwick's successor, Rev. John B. Purcell,
the Society of Jesus assumed control of the school, and on November 3, 1840, the first Jesuit president, Rev.
John A. Elet, S.J., presided at the opening of the renamed Athenaeum, St. Xavier College. Two years later the
General Assembly of Ohio granted the school its first charter.
Epansion of the school to a branch boarding division, but the Walnut Hills campus was closed in 1846 after
operating for only two years. Financial depression, the cholera epidemic of 1849, and a serious decline in
enrollment nearly closed St. Xavier altogether, but the gallant efforts of a handful of Jesuits saved the school.
Following the Civil War, prosperity dawned on the Sycamore Street campus, and three major buildings - the Hill
Building (1867), the Moeller Building (1885), and Poland Memorial Hall (1891) were constructed adjacent to St.
Xavier Church. These buildings formed the quadrangle that echoed the voices of four generations of St. Xavier
students.
There is a ghost here that was once a janitor working for the high school when one night, unexpectedly, he hung
himself with a dishrag in a Men's bathroom stall. He reportedly haunts the hallways and Men's bathrooms
throughout the school to this day.
Cincinnati - Taft Museum – Located at 550 E 4th St, Cincinnati, 45202 - (513) 241-0343.
The Baum-Longworth-Taft House, a National Historic Landmark built about 1820 for Martin Baum, is the oldest
domestic wooden structure in situ locally and is considered one of the finest examples of Federal architecture in
the Palladian style in the country.
Other residents of this important villa included Nicholas Longworth, who extensively redecorated the interiors and
hired African American painter Robert S. Duncanson to paint landscape murals in the foyer, now considered as
one of the finest suites of domestic murals dating from before the Civil War.
After Longworth's residency, the villa with a copper roof was purchased by David Sinton, father of museum co-
founder, Anna Sinton Taft. Anna Taft lived in the mansion with her husband Charles Phelps Taft from 1873 to
their respective deaths in 1931 and 1929. The Tafts bequeathed their important home and private collection of
690 works of art to the people of Cincinnati in 1927. After extensive remodeling and updating, the Baum-
Longworth-Taft House opened as the Taft Museum in 1932.
Today, the Tafts' distinguished collections are displayed in the Federal villa, which stands as one of the finest
small art museums in the nation.
It is said that this ghost will lock a room that's filled with art works using a chair under the doorknob, especially if
you re-arrange it the night before.
Cincinnati - Taylor High School – Located at 36 E Harrison Ave North Bend, OH 45052. Taylor High School was
founded in North Bend, Ohio in 1926.
A while back a janitor was working in a small room between two science classrooms on a ladder. Alone. The man
suddenly had a heart attack and was found by the secretary the next morning when she called for him and no
reply she went up and found him; now during class there are doors opening and closing with no one nearby and
at night janitors recall doors all being opened perfectly at a 90 degree angle. Also when the schools pool was first
put in, a student wandered down there without even hearing about it, yet talking on the cell phone, tripped, and
fell right into the pool drowning. Now when you go into the boy’s locker rooms you can hear toilets flush by
themselves and splashing in the pool even when it’s not filled.
Cincinnati - Texas Roadhouse - People have said to have seen a man dressed in a cowboy uniform walking
around at night after the restaurant has closed. He is said to be looking for his lost love and his arm that was lost
in a cattle drive. There are three Texas Roadhouse’s in the Cincinnati area.
Cincinnati - Western Hills High School – Located at 2144 Ferguson Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45238; Ph# (513)
244-1600; There are adjoining doors to the now-empty swimming pool from the boys and girls locker rooms. One
day, a foreign exchange student decided to skip gym class. He opened the first door, and the area was very dark.
He heard a noise, and began running, stumbling right into the swimming pool. A janitor heard screaming, opened
the door and turned on the light. The student was being pushed under water by something invisible. To this day it
is said that at 1:24 in the afternoon, you can hear screaming and splashing.
Cincinnati - The Westwood Town Hall - is located at 3018 Harrison Ave, Cincinnati, 45211 - (513) 662-9109
and is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a former security guard who was employed there when Westwood
was an independent town before merging with others. He was relieved of his position and hanged himself in a
room close to the apartment that he lived in on the premises. He is known as "Willy". Several people have
reported stage sets, costumes and orderly things found is disarray that were used in performances.
Information provided by Dave at http://tinyplace.net/passing/