Milwaukee’s Famous Haunted Hotel

The Pfister Hotel, which opened in 1893, is one of Milwaukee’s most historic and luxurious places to stay. The hotel has housed all kinds of people from prime ministers to celebrities to presidents. It is also the home of professional baseball and basketball teams whenever they are in town. If anyone special has visited Milwaukee, WI, they likely stayed at the Pfister. Adorned with gold trim and grand chandeliers, this historic landmark is known as the ‘Grand Hotel of the West.’

It is also supposedly haunted. 

There is a long list of baseball players that have reported mysterious behavior while staying in the hotel. In 2018, Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez reported a ghost encounter in his hotel room. According to former Pfister Narrator, Anna Lardinois, the Cardinal pitcher woke up in the middle of the night and jumped on Instagram saying that he had just been touched by the Pfister ghost. Martinez said he woke up to a “free-floating, full-torso, vaporous apparition.” The next day, the Brewers beat the Cardinals and Martinez blamed it on the Pfister ghost. The crowd cheered for the famous spirit’s love for the team. 

Another baseball player for the Minnesota Twins, Carlos Gomez, experienced something paranormal during his stay at the Pfister. According to hauntedrooms.com, Gomez reported that he heard disembodied voices, and saw his iPod switch on by itself. The iPod began vibrating wildly and almost fell to the floor. 

So who is the famous Pfister Ghost? All signs point to Charles Pfister himself. Staff and guests claim that the second floor is completely haunted by the original owner. Several guests have reported seeing the apparition of an elderly gentleman, thought to be the spirit of the hotel’s founder. Guests have also claimed they have witnessed mischievous activity and electrical malfunctions similar to the reports by Carlos Gomez. 

Whether it is haunted or not, the Pfister Hotel is one of Milwaukee’s most famous and loved landmarks. The hotel brings charm to the city, plus who doesn’t love a good ghost story?