Ghosts and goblins and ghouls, oh my! Halloween is fast approaching once again as frightful fun takes over. Thankfully, the monster under the bed isn’t real, but there are some hauntings out there that have transformed beyond a bedtime story to real-life encounters of the paranormal kind. To kick off the spooky season, here’s a comprehensive list of places to expect haunted encounters here in Snohomish County. Remember to beware, and only visit if you dare!
Oxford Saloon
913 1st Street, Snohomish
360.243.3060
Would you like a side of ghost sighting with your burger? Well stop on in to Oxford Saloon and you may just get such service! The building has a rich history in Snohomish, having opened in 1900 as Blackman’s Dry Goods store before transforming into a saloon which it has been operating as for the last century. In that time, it has accumulated what seems to be numerous hauntings, mostly due to the experienced violence within the men’s card room, basement, and bar over the years. In total 10 deaths have been recorded on the property.
One well-documented demise at the saloon was that of policeman Henry who doubled as a moonlighted bouncer for the Oxford. One night during his shift, there was a fight that he attempted to break up but in the scuffle, he was stabbed by the assailant and died in the melee. He seems to have stuck around though, mostly lingering by the stairs and bothering women in the ladies’ restroom with unwelcomed pinching. The second floor is believed to be the home of at least three other ghosts. One is a man in a bowler hat, the other two are women that patrons believe are Kathleen, who rumor has it, once ran a bordello at the location, and Amelia, one of Kathleen’s girls who was mysteriously found dead in her closet, the case having never been solved.
Edmonds Theatre
415 Main Street, Edmonds
425.778.4554
Next time you find yourself enjoying a show at the Edmonds Theatre, keep your eyes peeled for a shadowy figure. Witnesses say they’ve frequently seen the figure in the building that was built in the early 1900s. Some say there’s even a glowing aura accompanying the shadow as it makes its way down the aisle.
Cabbage Patch Restaurant
111 Avenue A, Snohomish
360.568.9091
The Cabbage Patch Restaurant in Snohomish has been serving up some tasty treats since its dining transformation back in 1975, along with some spooky haunts for patrons. The legend goes that before it was a restaurant, the building was a home for a family with a young girl, Sybill Sibley, in the early 1900s. Allegedly Sybil fell down the stairs one day and broke her neck, being left to wander the halls and disturb the living. Many restaurant-goers have reported seeing a young, dark-haired girl on the property, while others have experienced being tripped on the last stair proceeding down the staircase.
In recent years, the owner of the restaurant had psychics come to visit to communicate with Sybill. During their investigation, they were able to ask Sybill a series of questions which she responded to on an EMF meter by making the meter spike. They also picked up the presence of Sybill’s collie dog in the kitchen that frequently brushes against employees’ legs, as well as a male entity that they believed to be Sybill’s uncle that she was afraid of, giving the readers the impression that her falling down the stairs had been no accident.
Rucker Mansion
412 Laurel Drive, Everett
Extravagance is haunted at the Rucker Mansion in Everett. The mansion was built in 1901 for the famous Rucker family that made a fortune acquiring, developing, and selling thousands of acres of land through the Everett Land Company during the city’s early history in the 1890s. Eventually, they had this 10,000-square-foot home built for the family and it’s definitely managed to stay in the family as legend has it Mrs. Rucker herself haunts the property.
Reportedly Mrs. Jane Morris Rucker died by suicide just two years after moving into the home by jumping from her bedroom window. To this day the case remains a mystery as nobody knows exactly what would have caused Jane to commit such an act. Historians still debate on whether or not it was truly an act of Jane or if foul play was involved. Most residents who lived in the mansion after the Rucker family have reported seeing Jane floating around the house in her bedroom gown or looking at the believed window she jumped from, almost lost in thought. Other times Jane has been caught giving people quite the scare by playing the grand piano in the dead of night.
Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, Snohomish County is home to some eerie places just waiting to give you a genuine fright not just during Halloween, but all year long! So proceed with caution if you dare visit these real haunts this spooky season.
