"Is This One Haunted?"
How does one go about buying an abandoned building in St. Louis? Believe it or not, it starts with a car accident. Or more specifically, a car defect that ends with two broken legs and settlement money. And who wants a retirement account when you can start your dream project and invest in a crazy future! Thus, the humbled beginnings of St. Louis Haunted Mansion.
When now owner, Nicole, was recovering from the explosion of her car's engine and looking at the settlement check delivered by her lawyer, the gears in her brain began turning. It had been her dream for years now to own a piece of St. Louis history and to make it a place not unlike the City Museum. She dreamed of a place where stories could be made and shared, art could be inspired and created, and where history could be explored and restored. And now she had the means to do that.
Step one, find the right place to start those dreams. Nicole sought out an agent to help and they began scouring all old and abandoned properties doting St. Louis that had been over looked and forgotten. High on the list of priorities was that it had to be potentially haunted (and what building in St. Louis isn’t at least a little haunted). Unfortunately, the real estate agent didn’t have that criteria marked on all their properties, so old was the first box that was ticked. They toured long forgotten churches, empty homes, since dead business fronts, before peeling back the layers and entering the old Chariton restaurant off of Broadway and Chariton.
The place, while mostly gutted, still held the echoes of what it once was. The inviting and lively ballroom that would once again welcome guests in. The VIP upstairs that had the air of walking in mid conversation and everyone would turn to look at you. The basement with its many secrets to be left alone… for now. This was the place. This was the future home of St. Louis Haunted Mansion. And it has been our home ever since.
Nicole has since dug into the history of the people who once owned this corner of St. Louis as well as found scraps and pieces of when it was a functioning restaurant. But those are stories for another time. For now, we hope you follow along and join our story as we explore this unique place and we invite you to leave your mark on St. Louis with us.
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