Haunted Happenings: Paranormal Encounters Around St. Louis

In the immortal words of Ray Parker, Jr. (crooning the theme song from the movie Ghostbusters), "I ain't 'fraid of no ghost."

We may not confess to being afraid, but many people would admit to being fascinated by ghosts. 

To go along with our Halloween video, Patch provides this roundup of metro St. Louis ghost stories.

Creve Coeur

The story behind how Creve Coeur got its name is pretty haunting, although no one knows whether there's an actual ghost lurking around.

The city's website shares this tale:

Legend has it that an Indian princess fell in love with a French fur trapper, but the love was not returned. According to the story, she then jumped from a ledge overlooking ; the lake then formed itself into a broken heart.

Creve Coeur means broken heart in French.

Clayton

Oak Knoll Park has a ghost story tied to a mysterious shooting death. Legend has it a servant of the family that owned the property shot himself by accident, and his restless soul continues to inhabit the area.

The old Shady Oaks Theater, on Forsyth Boulevard, was said to be haunted. According to the Clayton History Society a man killed himself on the site before the theater was built in the 1930s.

The theater was demolished in 2008. No word on whether the ghost haunts the parking lot that replaced it.

Lake Saint Louis 

A anonymous poster added spooky suspicions about a house in her neighborhood to the Wentzville section of a website called Ghosts of America.

In 2010, the St. Louis Ghost Hunters investigated the paranormal possibilities at another home in Lake Saint Louis, as reported by The Riverfront Times.

St. Charles

In addition to the lady who may be haunting a dorm (see video), there are plenty of other paranormal possibilities haunting St. Charles--as befits a city dating back to the 1760s.

You can even take spine-tingling tours. Here are few, listed on the Haunted St. Charles website: 

• Will you see the lady in white?
• Little girl lost
• Who's been sleeping in my bed?
• A lost coven, perhaps

You can find more St. Charles ghost stories and haunted houses on the website MissouriGhosts.net.

Rock Hill

The Book House on Manchester Road, may house more than hardcovers and paperbacks. In addition to Blake, the resident cat, the owner of the store says her establishment may be haunted.

, there may be three ghosts residing at The Book House: a little girl, a pipe-smoking gent, and an ominous spirit dubbed the Dark Man. 

Got ghosts? Please share your stories in the comments section.