Following are the most haunted places in Omaha, Nebraska, where the echoes of tragic deaths and forgotten souls linger in the darkness. These haunted spots have witnessed centuries of sorrow, and some say the spirits of the departed are not yet ready to rest.
Alpha School
: "The building can be empty except for you and the floor will creek and footsteps can be heard. Doors will close for no reason. Strange noises are always heard."
Brother Sebastian's
: ""The Regular" Bill Wolcott was an older gentleman who, for years, dined at Brother Sebastian''s almost every evening. Wolcott had his peculiarities: he often dressed in a formal smoking jacket complete with an ascot tie; he always dined in the lounge, always at the same seat. Unfortunately, Wolcott was stricken with cancer. Although treatments were painful he continued to dine at Brother Sebastian''s, even while he was hospitalized. When Wolcott became so ill that he could no longer swallow solid food, the kitchen staff pureed his meals for him. At some point during this time Wolcott began draping a towel over his head while he was in public; but for some reason he was drawn to his favorite dining spot. Wolcott, it appears, felt so comfortable at Brother Sebastian''s that he continues to frequent the restaurant even after his death. The last report of Wolcott''s ghost occurred on the night of the restaurant''s grand re-opening. A woman seated in one of the back dining rooms complained that someone was staring at her and making her uncomfortable. The "Someone" to whom she referred was the face of an old man that the woman claimed was in the stones that make up the wall of the room. Two of the staff also witnessed, late one night after the restaurant was closed and all the doors were locked. They were the only people inside, they saw a swinging door at the rear of the bar open fully, stopped moving as if someone were walking through the threshold, and closed. Anyone who has been inside the building knows that a random wind breezing through to swing doors open and closed is unlikely: Just like the original building (before the 1995 fire), the new structure has no windows. Sometimes in restaurants an employee closes the establishment one night and opens the business the following morning. More than one server has stated that a candle that they knew was snuffed out the previous night was burning the next morning."
Downtown
: "Central High - on the main floor when you walk the hallways by the deans office on weekends or nights, drop temperature even when the heater is on. keep walking down and if you brought someone you will here "I know your here" and if you brought three or more people you will here "I know your all here." then you will see a white blur fly past you down the hallway near the deans office. if you look in the window you might see a shadowy figure wave to you. It is possible this was a former dean or janitor. The ghost sounds like a janitor because you might here broom sweeps in the hallway, but it seems like a dean because it waves in the dean''s office when the door was locked. Be patient, they are sure to show up. Also heard creaking at a distance and wheels moving on wooden floors."
Hummel Park
: "In Omaha, there is a city park on the northern outskirts named Hummel Park. The background of this park is very macabre to begin with. In the early 1900''s, Lynch mobs would ride through town and hang or otherwise mutilate any black people that happened to be in sight. They hung so many black people that the trees still bow over the road leading to Hummel Park. The weird part is that young trees and even the grass lean toward the road outside the park and even inside the park. Apparitions, mists, Indian drums playing at night, wolves howling. Supposed old Indian burial grounds on sight. Also, reports of the morphing stairs. It is a staircase which is roughly 200 stairs long. The word, "roughly" is used because every time you go up and or down it you will count a different number of stairs. There is a staircase at Hummel Park that if you walk up to the top and count the stairs going up, it will be less than the number of stairs going down, it is called the stairway to hell because of this. There have been many reports of animal sacrificing in the park. There is also a cult of albinos that live in the park, supposedly. But be careful of crazy people out there if you decide to go. - October 2007 Update: Parts of the steps are missing and falling apart so your count will always be different. Be careful."
Lynch Park
: "You go there and you can hear footsteps of people running and the crying of a baby. One witness heard a man screaming saying,€ It''s so cold, help me," and you could swear that you felt a man grab your leg."
Millard North High
: "There is a hallway by the south doors where the janitors had a smoking room downstairs. One-day student snuck down there to smoke a cigarette. He smoked his cigarette and was on his way out. There was told to be a puddle of water by the door and he slipped and hit his head. He died instantly. It''s shut off to students and personal now but if you walk down that hallway you''ll smell stale cigarette smoke and hear a crashing sound underneath you."
Mystery Manor
: "This commercial haunted house is supposed to be actually haunted by several spirits. Visitors to the Halloween events have reported a ''lady in a blue dress'' near the end of the tour who is not a staff member. The owners also mention other phenomena happening during the rest of the year. Their website is - www.mysterymanoromaha.org and they discuss these events there."
O'Hanlon house
: "footsteps and pounding on the front door are the main events here."
Omaha South High School
: "At Omaha South High School, there is a ghost. The ghost''s name is Gus. About 20-25 years ago there was a tornado drill. So everyone had to go to the "Catacombs" as we call them. This was a part of the building that was built when the performing arts part of the building was built. It was the 50''s so it was built, to be a nuclear fallout shelter. Well during this tornado drill everyone went down to the catacombs. Gus, a janitor for the Performing Arts part of the building, thought that they would be there for a while. So he went to the "Rat Room" to get some provisions for everyone. He closed the door behind him, went to get a barrel of food, when it fell on him, and crushed his head. He was not found until he had been dead for a while. Now Gus still roams the Performing Arts section of the building, even after it was remolded about 10 years ago. The strange thing is that if you are in a play there and you don''t believe in Gus he will mess you up. As in you mess up your lines, cues, entrances, etc. He also likes to be in the Green Room, which is right next to the Catacombs; he leaves lights on and open doors."
The White House Apartments
: "These apartments used to be an old hospital. It is said that some of the tenents who lived on the main floor has seen a lady in a long white gown walking the hallway."