Do you feel that sudden chill in the air? Perhaps a spectral whisper that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up? A ghoulish shriek from beyond the grave? No, dear reader, that’s just spooky season in the Chippewa Valley. Let this special feature be your guiding light through all of the Valley’s different haunts and frights this fall. Don’t worry about that shadowy figure in the corner ... that’s nothing ... or is it?
halloween hauntings
CR ACK A COLD ON E ... with a ghostly pal at these Supposedly Haunted Bars w o r d s by K a ly n C r o n k • p h o t o s by t i n a e c k e r ust imagine it: enjoying a Leinie’s Summer Shandy and making new friends from beyond the grave. That’s nothing new anyways, right?
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If you’re looking to make friends on the other side, there’s a handful of places in the Chippewa Valley that are rumored to be haunted. Goosebumps yet? Wait until we tell you their terrifying stories ...
the stone’s throw
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irvine ghost pub rvine Ghost Pub is said to be named after the ghost of the former owner that was supposedly murdered in that same building. When the new owners purchased the pub in 2008, they closed it down for a couple days for renovations.
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During the renovations, rumor has it that bar stools were knocked over, and electrical items were acting up for no logical reason. As the story goes, the ghost is still there.
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he Stone’s Throw in the Downtown Eau Claire area was originally built in the early 1890s. According to legend, there are two possibilities as to why this bar is haunted: either a man was murdered and dragged into the basement, or a man hanged himself in the building. The grim stories alone are enough to give you shivers ...
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he Ritz - also known as Amy’s Ritz – has rumors that visitors to this Chippewa Falls eatery (now known as Ritz on the River) can see small men wandering around the bar and throughout the building. When nobody’s looking, things mysteriously move, and doors are known to lock on their own. Legend has it that Amy herself had seen the ghost.
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It is said that you can hear voices and footsteps throughout the building with misplaced items and mysteriously broken and smashed beer bottles. Legend also has it that you can see the ghost’s reflection in the mirror behind the bar. The only way to know is to check for yourself ...
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the ritz
4 james sheeley house ames Sheeley and his wife Kate purchased the building in 1905. In 2001, the building was in the process of cleaning and renovations. Rumor has it that when someone tried to cover a floral mural in the foyer, the roses in the mural continued to shine bright red through the paint primer. When the stairs were being stained, owners found unexplained footprints on them the very next day. Either it’s a ghost, or a really annoying case someone terrorizing a poor owner’s renovation project. Imagine if it was your home ...
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halloween hauntings
PA RA N O R MA L I N V E ST IG AT O RS share their spookiest encounters compiled by kalyn cronk
terry fisk Terry Fisk is a paranormal investigator for Unexplained Research LLC as well as noted authority on death and the afterlife. He is also the coauthor of The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations and six other ghostly reads. After returning home from an investigative road trip, Terry’s wife accused him of bringing work home. “Throughout the house, we began finding doors that were mysteriously open or closed at times when they shouldn’t be,” Fisk said. Sometimes, they would find kitchen cabinets open for no reason. Throughout the next
three months, the problem only grew worse. One day, Terry and his wife were sitting on the couch peacefully watching TV, when they were startled by the sound of a doorknob from their french doors rattling. “We immediately jumped up and ran to investigate,” Fisk said, but nothing was there. On another day, Terry and his wife were talking in their living room. “While I was looking at her,” Terry said, “I noticed what appeared to be an orange, nebulous shape in my peripheral vision.” He quickly turned his head to look at it, but – at the same time – it vanished, and another door flung wide open. His wife saw it, too. It wasn’t until Terry went on another ghost investigation that the spirit left.
tina ecker Tina Ecker is a renowned local photographer by day (check out her photos throughout this section!), and a paranormal investigator by night. “The paranormal has been a part of my life since childhood,” Ecker said. The unexplainable became normal for her. One night when Ecker was asleep, she was suddenly awoken up by loud music coming from the living room in her grandmother’s house, and she walked toward it. “I stopped just short of that room as I watched my Grandmother’s empty rocking chair rocking back and forth as if someone were in it,” Ecker said. She
then watched in horror as the rocking chair slowly stopped rocking, as though someone had left when she entered the room. That same night around 3am, Ecker was awoken again by the phone ringing. After speaking briefly on the phone, she crawled back in bed, laying on her side. “As I laid there, I heard a loud sigh come from the foot of the bed,” Ecker said. Her eyes jolted open, and she glanced at the alarm clock, which read 3:19am. She knew she was definitely awake. She felt pressure lift from the foot of her bed, and heard footsteps walking alongside her. “I felt a hand on my shoulder and then pressure as I believed it was kneeling down beside me,” Ecker said. “The side of my bed was even pushed down.”
CHAD LEWIS: FOUR OF THE VALLEY’S SPOOKY SPOTS CITY OF EAU CLAIRE
IMGUR
PHOTO BY TINA ECKER
VISIT EAU CLAIRE
half moon lake
lakeview cemetery
devil’s punchbowl
lowes creek road
In the summer of 1886 a local fisherman witnessed a giant 7-foot monster lurking in the depths of the lake. Skeptics tried to explain that the monster was nothing more than an overgrown sturgeon, an immense turtle, or simply a fictional creation drummed up by over-imaginative anglers. Whatever the beast was, it was never captured, meaning you should think twice before dangling your toes in this Eau Claire lake.
It is in this Eau Claire cemetery that many unsuspecting visitors have noticed a dark shadowy figure lurking from gravestone to gravestone. Others have heard a mysterious rapping or knocking coming from one of the markers. It is said that if you are brave enough to visit the cemetery at night, and if you sit still and watch, you will catch glimpses out of the corner of your eye of spirits wandering the grounds.
Menomonie residents have reported strange balls of lights changing in size, shape, and color as they maneuver around the woods. Unusual apparitions, disembodied voices, and unexplained noises are also commonly reported. But many visitors report coming face-to-face with a creature they believe to be a gnome or goblin. Seemingly straight out of folklore these creatures are reported to be around 3 to 4 feet tall with pointed ears and a pointed cap.
In 1908, the Leader-Telegram reported three “steady” Eau Claire men had their evening horse ride home interrupted by a flashing light that raced after the trio, ensuring that they made it home in record time. Fast forward to a cold early morning in 2006, a young woman was driving into town when she noticed a strange looking dark-haired woman lurking on the side of the road wearing nothing more than a flimsy pink dress.
chad lewis is a chippewa valley
investigator in the of this piece
paranormal and writer
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CARVING A PUMPKIN? 6 TIPS TO SAVE YOUR FINGERS
PHOTO VIA UNSPLASH
1. CARVE YOUR PUMPKIN IN A CLEAN, DRY, WELL-LIT AREA. Make sure your tools are clean and dry, too: Moisture can lead to slips, which can lead to cutting things other than your pumpkin. 2. HAVE ADULT SUPERVISION. This one is common sense: Do you really trust your kiddos alone with sharp knives? 3. LEAVE THE CARVING TO THE GROWN-UPS. Let your kids be the creative ones, tracing or drawing their designs onto the pumpkin. But when it comes to the actual carving, let a grown-up take over. And really, carving isn’t all that fun. We all know the real excitement of making a jack-o’-lantern comes from scooping out the guts! 4. SHARPER ISN’T BETTER. Sharp knives can get lodged in the pumpkin’s thick skin, requiring more force to pull them out. Sharp knives may also pass all the way through a pumpkin, piercing your hand on the other side. 5. USE A CARVING KIT. Pumpkin carving kits are widely available and usually contain small, serrated saws that are designed to cut through pumpkins, not your fingers. 6. TREAT INJURIES AS SOON AS YOU CAN. If you do cut yourself, apply direct pressure with the help of a clean cloth. This should stop bleeding from minor cuts to the hand or finger within 15 minutes. If the bleeding continues after that, however, you may need to visit the emergency room.
TREATS ON THE TRAIL Saturday, October 23, 2021 at 1– 3 p.m.
Join us at the Lions Club Game Park in Menomonie’s Wakanda Park to enjoy the beautiful fall weather, hike the nature trail, and gather Halloween treats along the way! Enter at the pavilion near the bison pen. Cost is $3 per child ages 12 and younger — must be accompanied by an adult throughout the afternoon. If the weather is inclement, the event will be moved to them museum nearby. www.dunnhistory.org
Presented in cooperation with the Menomonie Lions Club
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LI S TI N GS + R E SO URCE S Feeling spooked yet? listings by james johonnott
SPOOKTACULAR EVENTS Schlegelmilch Escape Room Every Wednesday,
Friday, Saturday, Sunday until Oct. 30 • Schlegelmilch House Museum, 517 S. Farwell St., Eau Claire • $100 (2-4 players) +$25/person • 12+ • tacticalescape101.com/schlegelmilch%3A-ec-wi Tactical Escape 101 and the Chippewa Valley Museum host this escape room event in the basement of the historic Schlegelmilch House. $100 for 2-4 players, $25 for each additional player. Reservations must be made in advance.
Ski Sprites Haunted House Every Thursday,
Friday, Saturday from Oct. 14 to Oct. 30, 7-11pm • Ski Sprites Haunted House, 415 South Dewey, Eau Claire • $10 • skisprites.com/HauntedHouse. html The Ski Sprites haunted house is a local favorite haunted house. This year’s theme is “Fractured Fairy Tales”. Sponsored by Deborah Becker.
ECCT Presents “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Oct. 14, 7:30-8:45pm; Oct. 15, 7:30-8:45pm; Oct. 16, 1:30-2:45pm; Oct. 17, 1:30-2:45pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave., Eau Claire • $10 Youth/Student, $16 Senior/Adult • All Ages • (715) 839-8877 • info@ecct.org • ecct.org/tickets Washington Irving’s spooky classic comes to life in time for Halloween in this non-musical featuring Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman.
Twisted Tales of Horror Haunted Trail Every
Friday, Saturday until Oct. 30, 6-10pm • Govin’s Farm, N6134 670th St, Menomonie • $15 • All Ages (if you dare!) • facebook.com/twistedtaleofhorror Govin’s Farm hosts a haunted trail. Twisting corn field paths filled with witches, clowns, dolls, zombies, werewolves, and more.
Lake Holcombe Haunted Trail “Walk of Terror” Oct. 15, 7-9pm; Oct. 16, 7-9pm • Behind the Lake Holcombe School, Holcombe • $6 • Ages 12 and up Lake Holcombe Haunted Trail “Walk of Terror” behind the Lake Holcombe School, Holcombe.
Field of Screams Haunted Barn & Trail Every
of legendary macabre storyteller Edgar Allen Poe.
St. Mark Lutheran Trunk or Treat Oct. 22, 5-8pm
• St. Mark Lutheran Church, 3307 State Street, Eau Claire • FREE • All Ages • (715) 834-5782 • stmark-wels.org Bring the whole family for a fun, fall evening. Kids can trick or treat from decorated trunks, and everyone can enjoy popcorn, hot chocolate and cider.
Treats on the Trail Oct. 23, 1-3pm • Lions Club
Game Park Nature Trail, Wakanda Park, Menomonie • $3 /child • For Children Ages 12 and under • dunnhistory.org/upcoming-events Hike the trails of Lions Club Game Park and collect candy along the way.
Cadott Senior Class Haunted Trail Oct. 23, 6:3010pm • Cadott School Forest, 21998 80th Avenue, Cadott • $5 students, $10, $30 max per family • Everyone welcome, parental discretion advised • (715) 313-3028 • leaharel@yahoo.com Walk through the spooky trail that will fill your need for Halloween screams and grab some delicious snacks to support the senior class graduation lock-in.
Halloween Dinner Oct. 27, 6pm • Bye the Willow,
501 N. High St, Chippewa Falls • $50 • volumeonetickets.org A deliciously spooky four-course dinner to remember. Course 1: Carpaccio on a crustiniCourse 2: Roast pumpkin wedgesCourse 3: Grilled chicken with candy corn glaze over black pasta and red sauceCourse 4: Chocolate lava cake with strawberry filling
Campfire Stories: A Night of Fact, Fiction, + Fire Oct. 27, 8pm • The Lakely, 516 Galloway
Street, Eau Claire • FREE • All Ages • theoxbowhotel.com The Oxbow presents local writers, storytellers, and songwriters for an intimate taste of the local literary and music community. Get a craft drink and gather around the campfire, stories begin at 8pm.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday from Oct. 21 to Oct. 30, 7-10pm • Rockin T-R Ranch, 8020 Curvue Road, Eau Claire • $12 or $10 with nonperishable food item • All Ages • (715) 828-7221 Voted HauntedWisconsin.com best haunted house in Central Wisconsin in 2021! This unique haunted experience features a haunted trail, corn maze and barn. Come see for yourself and prepare to be scared. Portion of proceeds benefit Feed My People, Eau Claire County 4-H and Warehouse Warriors.
Wisconsin’s Most Haunted Locations w/ Chad Lewis Oct. 28, 6pm • Russell J. Rassbach Heri-
3rd Annual Troop 36 Haunted Trail Oct. 22,
Oct. 28-30, 7:30-9:30pm • The Oxford, 1814 Oxford Ave., Eau Claire • $14 Students, $20 Seniors, $24 Adults, $29 Splatter Zone • Rated R for mature audiences • ecct.org/tickets Five college students in an abandoned cabin in the woods unleash an evil force turning them into demons. Based on the 80’s cult classic movies.
7-10pm; Oct. 23, 7-10pm; Oct. 29, 7-10pm; Oct. 30, 7-10pm • Camp Davidson, W6618 Langdell Rd, Eau Claire • $5 • 12 and up A haunting walk on a well groomed trail through the woods. There will be a warming fire and concessions available as well. This is an annual fundraiser planned by and ran by the Boy Scouts in Troop 36. Proceeds go towards outings, gear, and membership dues.
“Poe” Original Stage Play Every Day from Oct.
21 to Oct. 23, 7:30-9pm • The Grand Theatre, 102 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire • $15 adults, $12 students • cvtg.org Poe is an original stage play by two Griffins Theatre based on the life and works
Fathom’s Fright Night at My Office Bar Oct.
30, 9pm • My Office Bar, 408 Galloway St., Eau Claire • facebook.com/events/626394745009920/ Hosted by MC Fathom and DJ Kramer. Costume contest at 10pm at 1am with cash prizes and giveaways.
EXA Sports Trunk Or Treat Oct. 30, noon-2pm
• EXA Sports, 800 Wisconsin St Suite 215, Eau Claire • FREE • All Ages • exa-sports.com/trunkor-treat
Fear at the Farm - Halloween at Farm to Fork
Oct. 30, 4-10pm • Farm to Fork Pizza, S193 County Road BB, Mondovi • $30 advance, $40 gate, FREE for 12 and under • volumeonetickets. org Concert featuring live music, food, beverages, vendors, costume contest with cash prizes, psychic readings, trick-or-treat trails, and more. Outdoor, rain or shine. Entertainment Lineup features: Dig Deep, The Woodland Spring, The Shorewood Mountaineers, Rock Creek Song Dogs, and the Torch Sisters.
Menomonie EXA Sports Trunk or Treat Oct. 30, 5-7pm • EXA Sports, 2920 59th St, Menomonie • FREE • All Ages • exa-sports.com/trunk-or-treat
Ghost in the Attic: Interactive Murder Mystery Dinner Oct. 30, 6:30pm • The Heyde Center
for the Arts, 3 South High St., Chippewa Falls • Adults $35, Seniors $34, Youth $27 • cvca.net A historical murder mystery dinner event featuring the history of the Heyde Center, McDonell Memorial High School, lumber barons, and more. Registration includes dinner and show.
Halloween Costume Contest at Schuetzy’s Tavern Oct. 30, 7pm • Schuetzy’s Tavern, 18985
County Hwy J, Chippewa Falls • FREE • 21+ • (715) 210-6624 • schuetzy@gmail.com • schuetzys.com Schuetzy’s Tavern Costume Contest at 8pm, Drink specials start at 7pm. 1st-3rd place win cash prizes.
2nd X-IT and Halloween Costume Contest Oct.
30, 8pm • Snout Saloon, 13 W. Central St., Chippewa Falls A 5-piece rock cover band delivering a no-nonsense rock and roll journey through the 70s and 80s of hard and heavy classic rock. Bands commonly covered are Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Guns & Roses, and more.
Halloween Costume Party at Brewery Nonic
Oct. 30, 6pm • Brewery Nonic, 621 4th St. W, Menomonie • facebook.com/brewerynonic The brewery and yard will be transformed into a haunted environment. There will be food from Chef Stacy, music from The Nunnery, and more.
TRICK OR TREAT Downtown Friday, Oct. 29 from 3-5pm downtowneauclaire.org chippewafallsmainst.org downtownmenomonie.com Downtown Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, and Menomonie businesses participate in an annual, earlier trick-or-treat event. Look for posters in participating business windows.
Residential Sunday, Oct. 31 from 5-7pm Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Altoona, and Menomonie residential neighborhoods participate in trick or treating on Halloween day.
tage Museum, 1820 Wakanda St. NW, Menomonie • $10adv, $15 door • dunnhistory.org Join paranormal author Chad Lewis as he discusses some of Wisconsin’s most haunted locations. Complete with photos, case histories, eyewitness accounts, ghost lore and directions, this unique presentation encourages you to visit these places for your own ghost story.
ECCT Presents “Evil Dead The Musical”
CVEMS Final Fridays: Halloween Costume Contest and Dance Party Oct. 29, 6pm • The Red
Mixer, 2526 Golf Rd, Eau Claire • FREE • 21+ • (715) 456-6140 • fb.me/e/duzPk6Pka An evening of electronic music and Halloween fun with free candy. Best costume competition with both a singles andcouples category with over $500 in prizes.
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