Halloween in the haunted Twin Cities

Break out of the crowd and experience some real terror this October. Some of the most infamously haunted buildings are here in Minneapolis. Why not see first hand if the rumors are true and also have a great time while doing it?

Welcome to Unhinged, a production by the Soap Factory where on a day-to-day basis operates as an art museum, but as the month of october rolls around, is turned into no place for the faint of heart. The only hope for salvation while descending into the basement is to cry out the safe word “Uncle”. As there is a legitimate safe word, take this as a hint for the weak to get ready to be terrified. The haunted basement production has consistently left people trembling from head to toe. The group of people attending the production are gathered in the basement, and asked to put on masks before plunging into the nightmare. This is an exciting, terrifying, fun time for anyone over the age of 18 who doesn’t mind a bit of fear. Also, participants should be aware that a waiver has to be signed so that the actors can touch people. Tickets vary from $25-$27 depending on the night and is open until November 2nd.

The beautiful structure of the Minneapolis town hall has been used for many different things throughout the years; it has served as a courthouse and city office as well as a police station, jail, and court system. Additionally, it was added to the national register of historic places in 1974–but the real attraction of the building is its’ paranormal activity. The history of the hauntings started in 1898 when John Moshik was convicted of murdering another man in a robbery. His sentence was death by hanging, but when the operation went down there were complications; instead of a quick and easy death, the rope didn’t snap his neck and he had to endure three harrowing minutes of struggling before he suffocated. Since then, John Moshik’s entity is allegedly still very much present on the 5th floor (where the hanging took place); guests have complained of hearing unexplainable footsteps and noises. Others say that he appears in the form of a man with only boxer shorts on, peering into cells and rooms.

One of the most notorious haunted houses in Minnesota is located in St. Paul’s Griggs Mansion. It is a huge, four-story victorian house with 24 rooms; plenty of space for lingering energy (ghosts) to play. The house was built in 1883 by Chauncey Griggs who left the house four years late in 1887. Since his departure, many different families and individuals have stayed in the house–but only for a few years. In 1939, the mansion was turned into an art school and maintained that occupation for 25 years until the new Arts and Sciences center was opened. Many said that the new center was made because the Griggs mansion wasn’t suitable for an art school but others said it was due to the students distaste of sharing the school with ghosts. The activity of the ghosts is most apparent on the fourth floor where multiple entities have been seen, heard and felt. Some of the main figures that have shown themselves to the guests are a gardener, a young maid, a child and a teenager. These are a few of the many accountable figures lingering around the house.