Lemp Mansion: Where History And Hauntings Come Alive

A Haunted Mansion You Can Actually Stay In

I’ve been to St. Louis plenty of times, but somehow, I just now stumbled across The Lemp Mansion; a place you can actually spend the night if you’re brave enough. Me? I’m not exactly ghost-hunting material. The idea of sleeping in a mansion that proudly calls itself haunted? Hard pass. But would I stroll the grounds in the daylight just to see if the air feels a little heavier? Absolutely.

Death Equals Spooky

It doesn’t take much digging to see why the Lemp Mansion made CNN Travel’s list of the “10 Spookiest Buildings in the World.” The history alone is chilling. This was once home to the wealthy Lemp family, who built their fortune brewing beer. But behind the success was heartbreak. Over the years, three members of the Lemp family died by suicide inside the mansion, and in one particularly grim moment, one man even took his dog with him. With that kind of tragic past, it’s no wonder many believe the spirits of the Lemp family still linger.

Ghost hunters often report shadowy figures, cold spots, and even the faint sound of footsteps in empty rooms. It’s the kind of story that makes you glance over your shoulder, even if you’re just reading about it.

A Haunted Restaurant

Here’s where things get extra creepy: you can eat dinner in this haunted house. The Lemp Mansion Restaurant is famous for its fried chicken and Sunday family-style dinners, but it’s equally famous for its paranormal activity.

The Huffington Post even named it one of the “Haunted Restaurants Where You Can Have a Spooky Dinner.” Imagine cutting into your steak while a glass slides mysteriously across the table, or hearing whispers when no one’s standing nearby. Diners have reported cold drafts, flickering lights, and even ghostly figures passing through the dining room. It’s dinner and a ghost show all in one.

Sleep If You Dare

For the ultimate thrill, you can actually book a room and stay overnight at the Lemp Mansion. Each guest room has its own unique style, like the Lavender Room or the Elsa Lemp Suite, and plenty of guests claim they’ve had paranormal experiences. From doors opening on their own to phantom knocks in the middle of the night, the reviews read like ghost stories.
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If you’re brave enough, it’s the kind of trip you’ll never forget. But if you’re like me, maybe just stick to the restaurant. At least you can leave once you’ve had your fill of fried chicken and goosebumps.

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Ghost Tours and Murder Mystery Dinners

If sleeping in a haunted room feels like too much, there are still ways to experience the mansion’s spooky side. The Lemp Mansion offers ghost tours where guides share stories about the family’s tragic past and the paranormal activity guests have reported over the years. You’ll walk through dark hallways, peek into eerie corners, and maybe even catch something you can’t explain.

3322 Demenil Pl, St. Louis, MO 63118

Even more fun? The Murder Mystery Dinners. These interactive events let guests dress up, play detective, and solve a whodunit, all while enjoying a multi-course meal inside the mansion. It’s part theater, part dinner party, and part ghost story. You never know who might be lurking behind you: a suspect…or something from beyond.