As October finally begins the greater Seattle area has many options for those looking to get thrilled as the spooky season is upon us and everyone is wanting to get into the spirit.
To enjoy the turning of the seasons, some like to sit inside, watch movies and be all around cozy, some enjoy walks and outings in the crisp autumn air, while others enjoy horror (albeit, a lot of us enjoy a mix of them). But for those who are willing to step out of their comfort zone here is a short list of Seattle locals’ favorite “happy haunts”, as well as some reviews, how far away they are from campus, and general information about what you’re getting yourself into.
The Georgetown Morgue
The, arguably, most popular haunt in Seattle during this time of year is The Georgetown Morgue, where you can find haunted mazes and a wide variety of escape rooms.
“It lived up to my expectations. Some haunted houses aren’t that scary so I was pleasantly surprised at how thrilling, exciting and terrifying it was,” said Felix Wilhite, a Redondo local of his experience. “The costumes were absolutely amazing along with the makeup. The actors really got into their roles and did an excellent job. The special effects were the cherry on top. Five stars would definitely recommend it if you love a good bone chillingly good haunted house.”
With a WILD history dating back to 1928 when it was built as “Kolling Mortuary Services of Seattle”. The morgue changed owners in 1939 to the Broughton brothers, Henry and Charles and they transferred it into the “Broughton Brothers Funeral Services”.
Tragically on April 29, 1965, a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit the greater Seattle area and it brought down the smoke stack named “Tower 1” attached to the building, directly onto the west side, collapsing the upper floor on top of Charles Broughton, who did not survive the incident. Henry Broughton continued the business, renovating the building and removing the third floor, Tower 1 was rebuilt in 1967.
The now funeral service changed owners once more in 1969 to the City of Seattle and they gave it the name it now has, “The Georgetown Morgue”. In 1989 however, the Richland Processing Corporation bought the morgue from the city and their INTENTION was to turn it into a meatpacking transfer station but they never made it that far.
There’s more information about the history and ownership, as well as information about a confusing and unsolved dismembering, as well as a fiery massacre just 6 days from Halloween in 1968 that took the life of the last Broughton brother. Their website is linked here.
Important Information:
General admittance to the morgue is $35 and the ticket prices vary all the way up to $260 for the “ultimate experience”, there are also discounts for groups.
It generally takes around 30 minutes to commute here from the college, but times may very based on traffic. They open at 7 p.m.
The address is: Georgetown Morgue Haunted House, 5000 E Marginal Way S, Seattle, WA 98134.
Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour and Underground Paranormal Experience
The next few haunts are a little different then the story of the Georgetown Morgue, and are all tours around Seattle. Moving on to “Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour”. The Underground Tour leads you through some of the ruins that lie beneath the city and there is a haunted option that is called the “Underground Paranormal Experience” that is equally as funny and interesting as the regular one.
Rory Sellers/THUNDERWORD
The city of Seattle burned down over a hundred years ago and the city decided to just build right over what was left. Who can say what secrets this place still holds?
“The tour was exciting! The guide made you feel like you were on an adventure, taking you through the tunnels, passageways and ‘streets’ of what used to be Downtown Seattle,” said Seattleite Yvonne Nutting, giving her thoughts on her experience.
This is a classic Seattle tour, and a handful of people know that the current Seattle we have, and now know, was built on top of the old Seattle that was burnt to the ground on June 6, 1889.
“I loved how much in detailed history they knew about the city and how it connected to the seedy underground past,” continued Nutting. “From bootlegging to brothels to the connections with Chief Seattle and the Seattle School District. The entire tour was full of fascinating tidbits! I would highly recommend and rate it five stars.”
This is all of the information you will be receiving now, as to not spoil the tour but the haunted tour does have a Halloween tour for all who are interested.
Important information:
Ticket prices vary from $10 to $50 for the regular tour and ticket prices for the haunted tour depends on which option you choose. Those options and their prices are linked here.
The commute to the tour is around 30 minutes from the college and the regular tour opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. The time once again varies on the option you choose and those are linked here.
The address is: Bill Speidel’s Underground Tour, 614 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours and Haunted History Ghost Tours of Seattle
Rory Sellers/THUNDERWORD
Smith Tower, once the largest building in Seattle, now the pinnacle landmark of Pioneer Square. Who knows how many unsolved mysteries this lonely tower has seen?
The next two tours are very similar, “Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours” and “Haunted History Ghost Tours of Seattle”. These tours are NOT underground tours, they stay above ground so if you do plan on going, please dress for the respective weather conditions. Both include the history of Seattle and mainly focus on Pioneer Square as it is the oldest part of Seattle, next to Georgetown, and was established in 1852.
The tours will lead you around a small section of Seattle and you will be able to visit locations and businesses that have reported paranormal activity many times and that are a part of some of the oldest buildings in the city, your guide will fill you in on some history for each location as well as an overall history of the area.
The “Spooked in Seattle” tour lasts approximately 90 minutes whereas the “Haunted History” tour lasts around 120 minutes.
Important information:
Spooked in Seattle tour schedule is Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at 7 p.m. and you can schedule here.
The Haunted History tour schedule is 7 – 9 p.m. on select nights which they have on their website linked here.
Ticket prices for both tours are $15 but you must be 16 or older! If you are under 18 you must be accompanied by an adult. Both tours are about 30 minutes from campus.
Spooked in Seattle address: Spooked In Seattle Ghost Tours, 1001 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98104
Haunted History address: Haunted History Ghost Tours of Seattle, 508 2nd Ave, Seattle, WA 98104
So no matter how you choose to spend this time of year, if you want to experience some close up fright, or collect some spooky history about the area, there are a multitude of options waiting for you. But above all else, Happy Halloween.