Haunting Histories: A Tour of Milwaukee‘s Wicked Westown

(13 reviews)

Milwaukee, Wisconsin audio tour: Haunting Histories: A Tour of Milwaukee‘s Wicked Westown

This is a 2.4mi walking tour

It takes an average of 60 mins to complete.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The United States

$8.99

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About the Tour

Get to know one of Milwaukee‘s most haunted neighborhoods, Westown, and discover why Marquette University is considered one of the nation‘s most haunted schools. On this walking tour, you‘ll visit eleven haunted locations and hear some of Milwaukee‘s most spook-tacular tales!

Starting in front of the Milwaukee Public Museum, you‘ll stroll around Marquette Campus and along Wisconsin Ave to Straz Tower, where our tour ends. Along the way, you‘ll meet some of Milwaukee‘s most famous ghosts, including a professor who continues to report to work, and a home-proud beer baron. You‘ll also see the site of one of the city‘s most notorious murders. I‘ll show you Marquette Campus’ Humphrey Hall, once a children‘s hospital, and the area‘s two haunted theaters.

On this haunted history tour, you‘ll have a chance to:

Discover how a lion cub spent a few months living on the roof of Milwaukee Public Library
See some of Marquette University‘s most haunted buildings
Hear about Pabst Mansion‘s most famous former resident, Captain Frederick Pabst
Find out about the Ambassador Hotel‘s gruesome past and how Jeffery Dahmer earned the name ‘the Milwaukee Monster’
Pop by legendary music venue, the Rave / Eagles Club, an establishment with a reputation for ghostly sightings
Take in Milwaukee‘s oldest building, the mystical St Joan of Arc Chapel
Pass by a few haunted buildings designed by famed Milwaukee architect, Henry Koch, including the Church of the Gesu and the Calvary Presbyterian Church

Lace up your shoes and join me in discovering the haunted side of this historic neighborhood.

This family-friendly hour-long walk does contain content that may be disturbing, including details of murders, mentions of suicide and accidental deaths. Please use caution when selecting this tour for very young or sensitive audiences.

Tour Producer

Anna Lardinois

3 tours

Hi! I am Anna Lardinois, Milwaukee tour guide and writer. If you love history, walking and Milwaukee, take a walk with me!

I am the author of Milwaukee Ghosts and Legends, Storied and Scandalous Wisconsin, Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes and many other titles. I am also the owner of Gothic Milwaukee, the award-winning haunted historical walking tour company.

Preview Location

Location 11

Forest Home Cemetery

Keep walking. Our next spooky spot is on the next block.

As an aside, you might know that Wisconsin Avenue was once known as Grand Avenue and it was one of the toniest streets in the city. Many of the owners of the mansions that formerly lined this street are buried in the... Read More

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Major Landmarks

Marquette University
Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee Public Library Central Library
Carpenter Tower
Marquette University Varsity Theatre
Humphrey Hall
Pabst Mansion
Ambassador Hotel Milwaukee
The Rave / Eagles Club
Marquette Campus
St Joan of Arc Chapel
Church of the Gesu
Marquette University Diederich College of Communication
Calvary Presbyterian Church
Marquette University Rec Plex
Straz Tower

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Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
Total distance

4km
Final location
915 W Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53233, USA
Distance back to start location

307.13m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins in from of the Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53233, United States.

Walk toward the big clock in front of the doors on 8th Street and your audio will begin.

Show Directions

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

You can step inside the Milwaukee Public Library every day of the week during regular business hours. It is a magnificent building and worth a look inside If you would like to visit the Pabst Mansion, advanced tickets are needed. More information can be found on the mansion's website. If you love art deco styling, step into the lobby of the Ambassador Hotel and stop for a drink or a coffee. If you go inside, be sure to take a look at the stunning elevator.

Best time of day

This tour can be done at any time of the day or night.

Precautions

Please know that this tour is in an urban area. Use the same caution you would use in any other major-metropolitan city in the United States. Wisconsin Avenue is a busy street, please heed all traffic signs and be careful when crossing at the lighted intersections.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”