Portland History & Hauntings

Written By Meadowlark Collective PDX
portland oregon ghost hunting pearl district portfolio

Many of Portland's historical buildings have a fascinating ghost story.

Every city has its fair share of ghosts, and Portland has more than a few. In honor of Halloween, we've compiled a short list of Portland's haunts in a few of our favorite iconic locations. Some are well-known, while others may be more niche.

This October, visit some local historic haunts, and for a deeper dive into thrills and chills, we’ve also listed a few local ghost tours. Get into the spooky spirit of the season—give yourself the shivers while learning a little about Portland's sometimes dark and mysterious history.

Let's get started!

old town pizza ghosts portland oregon pearl district

OTB is home to one of Portland's most infamous and eerie apparitions: the unsettled spirit of "Nina," rumored to have haunted the restaurant’s dim recesses for more than a century.

The building began its long history in 1880 as the Merchant Hotel with a bar, brothel, and other notorious activities until the mid-1960s. It was remodeled in 1968 and housed offices, a furniture store, and other functions until 1974 when Old Town Pizzeria, now Old Town Brewing (OTB), moved in and remains. The building was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1977.

All that history gives the ghosts and ghouls plenty of time to take hold! As legend has it, Nina was employed by the Merchant Hotel and fell down an elevator shaft, one of the first hydraulic elevators in the modernizing city. Her spirit tenaciously clings to the location, and the reports of the "woman in black" continued after OTB became a tenant.

And there's more! OBT sits directly above the notorious Shangai Tunnels. The tunnels were used to move goods from ships to merchants in the 19th century, but they are known for tales of "shanghaiing" unwary individuals for unscrupulous purposes. Tours of the mysterious tunnels are available if you'd like a more hands-on experience.

So, if you're looking for a combo of ghost hunting, good pizza and beer, and a trip into the nefarious history and dark places below OTB, make reservations here.

 
Pittock Mansion haunted ghosts pearl district portfolio portland oregon 
Image A2001-045.996 : Pittock Mansion 1964

The colossal estate was built in 1914 for publisher Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana Burton Pittock and has a commanding seat above the city. The mansion is exceptionally luxurious for the time, chock-full of cutting-edge amenities, including electric lighting, an elevator, intercoms, a walk-in refrigerator, and a vacuum system. For reference, it wouldn't be until 1925 that half of all U.S. homes had electric lighting, and even later for hot water and flushing toilets. The Pittock mansion’s high-tech gadgets would have been shocking at the time, to say the least.

Unfortunately, Henry and Georgiana wouldn't get to enjoy their fabulous home for long; they died shortly after construction was finished. Some say they never left. Visitors and staff have reported portraits moving on the walls and hearing disembodied voices and footsteps when the house is supposed to be empty.

Tour guides even report the ghosts of Henry and Georgiana walking through the house in the morning, perhaps longingly wandering the beautiful home they created but lived in for only a few months. Book a tour of the Mansion - Website

 

Portland's iconic Benson Hotel isn't just haunted; it's haunted by the ghost of its namesake, Simon Benson!

The iconic and famously haunted Benson Hotel opened in 1913, as an annex to the Oregon Hotel (Depot/Railroad Hotel). Benson was a trailblazer in the booming turn-of-the-century logging industry. He's even credited with inventing the donkey steam engine, a type of logging raft that bears his name. Benson's larger-than-life presence has reportedly remained in the spirit world. His ghostly image has been seen walking down the main stairs dressed in a suit and tie, primarily on the 7th, 9th, and 12th floors.

He has also donned lumberjack garb, wandering the halls of his hotel in plaid and denim. Be careful if you order a drink, Benson was a staunch prohibitionist, and his spirit is known to knock over alcoholic beverages and tap people on the shoulder in the lounge.

And Benson's not alone: there are apparently the spirits of a three-year-old boy, a woman in a turquoise dress, and a mischievous nine-year-old! This last is sometimes considered Benson's son and is known to jump out at guests from under tables. 

 

Image: Hollywood Theatre

The Hollywood theatre opened in 1926 and is one of the oldest movie theatres in the U.S. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It's worth a visit not just for its age and historical significance but for the legend of the apparition of a man floating through the audience from time to time during screenings. Other incidents include employees reporting a woman sitting in the back of the theatre who disappears when approached, and the fascinating stories by paranormal investigators who visited the site are worth a read - Portland Ghosts

 

One of the most documented haunted locations in Portland is another building over a century old, the white Eagle Saloon & Hotel. Polish immigrants opened the establishment in 1905, and it became a hub for blue-collar working men.  

There are many reported supernatural occurrences at the White Eagle. Two apparitions have become so familiar that they have names, Sam and Rose. Sources disagree as to who Rose may have been - someone held captive in the basement? A worker murdered and discovered by her lover? The answer to Rose's identity is unclear, but her presence can be seen wandering the hotel's hall, a mysterious weeping shadow. 

The most familiar ghost is Sam, a harmless trickster who, according to the McMenamins’ website, was an orphan adopted by the owners and made his residence at the hotel. Regardless of your interest in local ghosts, the White Eagle is worth a visit for the great music, history, and ambiance.

For more McMenamins (all locations) spooktacular events, tours, and great fun, visit the event page! 

 

Lone Fir Cemetery: One of Portland’s most famous haunted places.

We would be remiss not to include the Lone Fir on our Halloween list!

Unsurprisingly, one of the city's largest graveyards and certainly one of the oldest, the Lone Fir Cemetery is well known for having myriad spooks creeping between the tombstones. More than 25,000 bodies have been interred since the first burial in 1846 (nine years before it was even officially a cemetery). Friends of Lone Fir Cemetery offers "haunted" tours that provide an insight into the cemetery's residents who lived on the seedier side of Portland's history: Shanghai captains, asylum patients, and "fancy ladies" all eternally sleep in the Lone Fir.

Slabtown Ghost Tours

Image: Slabtown Tours

Our favorite haunted tour guides, cloaked in shadows, glide through the winding streets, whispering tales of the restless spirits that haunt our newly risen neighborhoods. They lead the way through the eerie fog of history, where the past never truly sleeps... and neither do the ghosts.

Book your reservation today - this is a tour you will not want to miss! Reserve: Slabtown Ghost Tours

Looking for more Local Ghost Hunting Resouces?

The Ghosts of Downtown Portland - https://portlandghosts.com/

Getty Tour Guide of Ghosts & Vampires - https://www.getyourguide.com/portland-oregon-l1024/ghost-vampire-tours-tc23/

Haunted Pub Tours - https://beerquestpdx.com/

Travel Portland - https://www.travelportland.com/culture/haunted-portland/

Ghost Stories From Portland's 5 Most Haunted Restaurants - https://pdx.eater.com/2016/10/27/13440764/haunted-portland-restaurants-and-bars-oregon

Haunted Houses in Portland - https://www.thehotelzags.com/blog/2021/10/18/haunted-houses-in-portland/

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