Hauntings: Zoos

Zoo Hauntings

People usually head to the zoo to see the exotic wildlife, but in some zoos, the ghosts are watching you!  Here are five US zoos that are reportedly haunted.

A Ghostly Lioness – Cincinnati Zoo
At the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio, it's said that visitors who stroll alone in isolated areas may find themselves stalked by a ghostly lioness.  People hear the sounds of footsteps and low growls, but turn around to find nothing behind them.  Glowing eyes shine from vacant sections of the zoo.

 The Zoo Director's Ghost – Alexandria Zoo
At the Alexandria Zoo in Louisiana, it seems the zoo director loved his job so much, even death couldn't keep him away.  Leslie “Les” Whitt died in 2008, but since then, his friends and staff have heard his voice and spotted his spirit in the zoo.

Apparitions – Philadelphia Zoo
The Philadelphia Zoo is home to a number ghosts according tho staff and visitors.  The apparitions make their presence known through flickering lights, strange thumps, and the sound of old-time music.

The Ghost of the Elephant Trainer – Fort Worth Zoo
An elephant trainer was accidentally crushed to death by an elephant in 1987.  Since then, the man's been seen by staff at the elephant and zebra areas.  The zoo is also reportedly home to a ghostly woman in white, who paces in front of the zoo’s café, carrying a parasol and looking forlorn.

The Aqua Ghost – Oklahoma City Zoo
Some people claim that  in the Oklahoma City Zoo's aquatic area lurks the ghostly figure of a woman with long pale locks.  Few have seen her, but those who have find her unforgettable.

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Hauntings: Yellow Jacket Mine

Yellow Jacket Mine (Nevada)

The Yellow Jacket Mine Disaster was the worst mining accident in Nevada history.  One April morning in 1869, a fire started at the 800-foot level and spread quickly.  Timber supports collapsed and poisonous methane flooded not only the Yellow Jacket Mine but also the neighboring Crown Point Mine.  Survivors described horrible scenes of miners burning or choking to death.  Firefighters entered the mines, but flames and smoke pushed them back.  Between 35 - 45 miners died.  They weren’t sure because many of the bodies couldn’t be recovered from the collapsed shafts.  The fires continued to burn in the depths of the mine for months afterward, but the demand for gold was so great, the men went back to work three weeks later.  Even though they sealed off the dangerous levels, they remained hot for several years thereafter.

Virtually nothing is left of the Yellow Jacket Mine physically -- but the ghosts of miners prowl the nearby town, especially the Gold Hill Hotel and Saloon, built in 1859 and the oldest hotel in Nevada.  When the miners weren’t working, many of them spent their free time in the hotel’s bar or with the “ladies” who worked there.  Since the fire, there have been myriad reports of paranormal activity in the hotel.

Ghostly happenings include:
~  Doors opening and closing by themselves, lights turning off and on, scratching on the doors, and beds shaking.
~  Sounds of furniture being moved or people talking, but no one’s there.
~  Room 4 is often permeated by the smell of roses.  The staff call it Rosie’s room, and believe she was a lady of the evening who worked out of the hotel in the 1800s.  She likes to move guest’s belongings around when they aren’t looking.
~  The ghost of William occupies Room 5, and he’s thought to be one of the dead miners.  When people enter the room, they smell tobacco.  Some guests report being locked out when they are sure they didn’t lock the door, and the key is still inside the room.  Apparently, William likes his privacy.

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Hauntings: Xenia, Ohio

Xenia (Ohio)

Xenia, Ohio, has a population of about 25,000 people—and plenty of ghosts, too!

Blue Jacket Amphitheater. This outdoor theater is named for Shawnee Chief Blue Jacket, who fought hard defending his tribe against the white settler incursion and assaults by the army.  Members of the audience as well as actors have reported seeing the ghosts of Indians in the woods around the amphitheater.

Crybaby Bridge. There are several bridges in the vicinity of Xenia that have the misfortune attached to them and have become known as Crybaby Bridge.  One is a bridge on Wilberforce Clifton Road where a father supposedly dropped his baby into the river below. When near the bridge, people have reported seeing apparitions, hearing strange sounds, and feeling as though they were being watched.  Also, according to the locals, a fisherman at the James Barber Road Bridge pulled a baby’s skeleton out of the river, and since then, many people have reportedly heard the sound of a baby crying.

Eden Hall. One of the most historical buildings in Xenia is Eden Hall.  Strange lights sometimes glow in unused portions of the house, and doors have been known to open and close by themselves.  Child-sized footprints have appeared in the dust, and mysterious music and voices commonly wake guests.  The family members who lived there are said to haunt the place along with an ill-tempered woman who haunts the third story and likes to knock objects onto the floor.

Old Veterans Children's Home. This orphanage was in operation from 1870 – 1997, and although it’s closed now, reports of spectral children laughing and playing are common.

Spring Hill Elementary. Xenia's Spring Hill Elementary School is said to be haunted by the ghost of a teacher murdered over 100 years ago.  A pale, barely discernable figure roams the grounds, and the locals believe it’s the teacher, looking for her murderer.

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