Jeff Fuentes Gleghorn

Whether it checking out shipwrecks or historic murders, Michigan is a common destination for paranormal investigators and ghost hunters hoping to find proof of their theories. People hoping for a bigger scare this Halloween season can visit some of the hot spots that have been identified by amateur and professional ghost hunters in the Mitten State.

The Whitefish Point Lighthouse is believed to be haunted by sailors who drowned in the many shipwrecks that have happened along the coast it guards. Among the most famous events is the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1975, resulting in the loss of the entire 29 person crew. Some visitors have also reported seeing the ghost of a young girl who is believed to have lived in the lighthouse with her grandparents in the past.

Another place to visit is the old state prison in Jackson, Michigan. Jackson was the site of Michigan’s first state prison, where many of the most violent criminals were held. The prison was notorious for abuse, and while it has been converted into an apartment complex and studio for local artists, many believe it is still haunted by former prisoners, and some artists have created works they say represent the spirits they have seen in the building. People can also contact Judy Krasnow, owner of Jackson Journeys, LLC to have a guided tour of the old prison complex.

Lastly for this list, the Doherty Hotel in Clare, Michigan is the site of a famous murder. The Doherty family has owned and operated the hotel since it opened in the 1920s. During prohibition, the hotel was a speakeasy, an illegal bar for alcohol and gambling. It was also a meeting place for the mafia and the Purple Gang, an organized crime group that terrorized portions of the midwest for decades. In 1938, Purple Gang lawyer and businessman Isaiah Leebove was shot and killed by his cousin and business partner Jack Livingston in the basement of the hotel. Many believe that Leebove continues to haunt the hotel to this day.