The Epperson House is a historic residence located at 5200 Cherry Street in Kansas City (which is now part of the University of Missouri), Missouri. Long believed to be haunted, it has even been previously featured as being among the Top 5 U.S. Haunted Houses on TV’s smash-hit series Unsolved Mysteries. It could easily be one of the most haunted places in Missouri, and we can see why.
Built by a man named Uriah Spray Epperson and designed by French architect Horace LaPierre, construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1923.
BlueGold73/Wikimedia The four-story, Tudor-Gothic structure contained a grand total of 54 rooms. Six bathrooms, elevators, a swimming pool, a billiard room, and a custom organ were just some of its features. They also built a tunnel linking the east and west wings, and it even had its own barbershop!
Sadly, Uriah Epperson died in 1927, just four years after the home’s completion.
The building was donated to the university in 1942 by Epperson’s widow. It was used as a men’s dormitory until 1956, but is currently vacant and awaiting renovations.
Carter the Gr8/YouTube Harriet Evelyn Barse, adopted daughter of original owner Uriah Epperson and his wife, is the apparent resident ghost. She died from a perforated gallbladder at the age of 47. Her death occurred in the house, during the construction of the house’s large organ.
She had designed the custom instrument for the loft space of the 48-foot living room.
YouTube/ Carter the Gr8 The organ, built by the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas, was finally dedicated to Harriet after a respectable mourning period, on Sunday, November 29, 1925.
Additional stories attached to the history of the house include one in which Uriah had a psychiatric breakdown after the death of his daughter. Rumor has it that he murdered his wife and then killed himself inside the house, which entrapped all of their souls together as a family in the afterlife. Obviously, this is not true, but we’re sure it made for some great ghost stories over the years among the college students.
Over the years, students and security officers as well as employees have reported seeing Barse’s ghost wearing an evening gown as though dressed for a recital.
YouTube/ Carter the Gr8 She is said to usually be accompanied by strange lights and unexplained organ music.
Some believe that Epperson himself walks the halls as well. On one occasion, two campus police officers were doing a regularly-scheduled patrol of the building. Typical of a walk-through, they turned the lights on and off as they scouted the various parts of the house.
One light remained lit, and one of the policeman saw a ghostly arm in a blue suit turn off a light. This was believed to be the ghost of Uriah Epperson.
UMKC.edu Check out this video:
In 1978, campus police were called after witnesses heard footsteps in the empty building. When an officer arrived, he felt a great crash along, with the sound of shattering glass - as if a car had hit him from behind. When he got out to check it out, there was no other car and no damage. However, his car had moved 8 inches… based on skid marks beneath his tires.
Have you ever visited the Epperson House? Have you experienced the hauntings? Do you think it’s one of the most haunted places in Missouri? Please share your experiences, comments, stories, and photos with us!
BlueGold73/Wikimedia
The four-story, Tudor-Gothic structure contained a grand total of 54 rooms. Six bathrooms, elevators, a swimming pool, a billiard room, and a custom organ were just some of its features. They also built a tunnel linking the east and west wings, and it even had its own barbershop!
Sadly, Uriah Epperson died in 1927, just four years after the home’s completion.
Carter the Gr8/YouTube
Harriet Evelyn Barse, adopted daughter of original owner Uriah Epperson and his wife, is the apparent resident ghost. She died from a perforated gallbladder at the age of 47. Her death occurred in the house, during the construction of the house’s large organ.
YouTube/ Carter the Gr8
The organ, built by the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas, was finally dedicated to Harriet after a respectable mourning period, on Sunday, November 29, 1925.
Additional stories attached to the history of the house include one in which Uriah had a psychiatric breakdown after the death of his daughter. Rumor has it that he murdered his wife and then killed himself inside the house, which entrapped all of their souls together as a family in the afterlife. Obviously, this is not true, but we’re sure it made for some great ghost stories over the years among the college students.
She is said to usually be accompanied by strange lights and unexplained organ music.
Some believe that Epperson himself walks the halls as well. On one occasion, two campus police officers were doing a regularly-scheduled patrol of the building. Typical of a walk-through, they turned the lights on and off as they scouted the various parts of the house.
UMKC.edu
Check out this video:
In 1978, campus police were called after witnesses heard footsteps in the empty building. When an officer arrived, he felt a great crash along, with the sound of shattering glass - as if a car had hit him from behind. When he got out to check it out, there was no other car and no damage. However, his car had moved 8 inches… based on skid marks beneath his tires.
Craving more terrifying tales from Missouri? Check this article out for a selection of terrifying tales from around the state!
Address: 5200 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64110
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Address: 5200 Cherry St, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center
Most Haunted Places in Missouri March 17, 2021 Tori Jane What’s the most haunted house in Missouri? The Lemp Mansion, in St. Louis, Missouri, is not just considered one of the most haunted houses in Missouri; it’s also one of the most haunted houses in the entire country. The history of the house, owned by the Lemp family in the 1800s, is riddled with darkness. Tragedy seemed to follow them, with numerous suicides and natural deaths taking place in the home. In the 1970s, it was converted to an inn, and from the beginning, bizarre and scary things happened. Cold spots, disembodied voices, and objects moving by themselves were (and allegedly still are) a common occurrence. Full-body apparitions of members of the Lemp family have also been commonly seen by staff and guests alike. For more coverage of the creepy Lemp Mansion, give this article a look. What are some legendary ghost stories in Missouri? Missouri, as one of the older states in the Union, is chock-full of dark and spooky history, which makes it great material for legendary ghost stories. From the allegedly-haunted Historic Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, to the ghosts of Bloody Hills, it seems like everywhere you turn, you’ll be able to find some scary local legends. The Missouri State Penitentiary, for example, was once known as “the bloodiest 47 acres in America”, and has the ghosts to match. Now, it’s one of the most legendarily haunted places in the state - and they even offer tours. What are the scariest places in Missouri? Missouri definitely has its fair share of eerie and even scary places. For example, in Jefferson County lies an old hotel whose haunting has been acknowledged for decades. The Morse Mill Hotel was once a place for A-list stars of days of old, and now its halls are filled with spooks. Voices, footsteps, and other eerie sounds are commonly reported, as well as full-body apparitions. Another truly scary place in Missouri is the Jefferson Barracks and Cemetery, where hundreds of souls are buried - and some still roam the grounds. The ghost of a little girl is commonly reported, as is the wandering spirit of a Confederate soldier.
The OIYS Visitor Center
Most Haunted Places in Missouri
March 17, 2021
Tori Jane
What’s the most haunted house in Missouri? The Lemp Mansion, in St. Louis, Missouri, is not just considered one of the most haunted houses in Missouri; it’s also one of the most haunted houses in the entire country. The history of the house, owned by the Lemp family in the 1800s, is riddled with darkness. Tragedy seemed to follow them, with numerous suicides and natural deaths taking place in the home. In the 1970s, it was converted to an inn, and from the beginning, bizarre and scary things happened. Cold spots, disembodied voices, and objects moving by themselves were (and allegedly still are) a common occurrence. Full-body apparitions of members of the Lemp family have also been commonly seen by staff and guests alike. For more coverage of the creepy Lemp Mansion, give this article a look. What are some legendary ghost stories in Missouri? Missouri, as one of the older states in the Union, is chock-full of dark and spooky history, which makes it great material for legendary ghost stories. From the allegedly-haunted Historic Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, to the ghosts of Bloody Hills, it seems like everywhere you turn, you’ll be able to find some scary local legends. The Missouri State Penitentiary, for example, was once known as “the bloodiest 47 acres in America”, and has the ghosts to match. Now, it’s one of the most legendarily haunted places in the state - and they even offer tours. What are the scariest places in Missouri? Missouri definitely has its fair share of eerie and even scary places. For example, in Jefferson County lies an old hotel whose haunting has been acknowledged for decades. The Morse Mill Hotel was once a place for A-list stars of days of old, and now its halls are filled with spooks. Voices, footsteps, and other eerie sounds are commonly reported, as well as full-body apparitions. Another truly scary place in Missouri is the Jefferson Barracks and Cemetery, where hundreds of souls are buried - and some still roam the grounds. The ghost of a little girl is commonly reported, as is the wandering spirit of a Confederate soldier.
The OIYS Visitor Center
The OIYS Visitor Center
The Lemp Mansion, in St. Louis, Missouri, is not just considered one of the most haunted houses in Missouri; it’s also one of the most haunted houses in the entire country. The history of the house, owned by the Lemp family in the 1800s, is riddled with darkness. Tragedy seemed to follow them, with numerous suicides and natural deaths taking place in the home. In the 1970s, it was converted to an inn, and from the beginning, bizarre and scary things happened. Cold spots, disembodied voices, and objects moving by themselves were (and allegedly still are) a common occurrence. Full-body apparitions of members of the Lemp family have also been commonly seen by staff and guests alike. For more coverage of the creepy Lemp Mansion, give this article a look.
What are some legendary ghost stories in Missouri?
Missouri, as one of the older states in the Union, is chock-full of dark and spooky history, which makes it great material for legendary ghost stories. From the allegedly-haunted Historic Elms Hotel in Excelsior Springs, to the ghosts of Bloody Hills, it seems like everywhere you turn, you’ll be able to find some scary local legends. The Missouri State Penitentiary, for example, was once known as “the bloodiest 47 acres in America”, and has the ghosts to match. Now, it’s one of the most legendarily haunted places in the state - and they even offer tours.
What are the scariest places in Missouri?
Missouri definitely has its fair share of eerie and even scary places. For example, in Jefferson County lies an old hotel whose haunting has been acknowledged for decades. The Morse Mill Hotel was once a place for A-list stars of days of old, and now its halls are filled with spooks. Voices, footsteps, and other eerie sounds are commonly reported, as well as full-body apparitions. Another truly scary place in Missouri is the Jefferson Barracks and Cemetery, where hundreds of souls are buried - and some still roam the grounds. The ghost of a little girl is commonly reported, as is the wandering spirit of a Confederate soldier.
