Alton, Illinois was ranked as one of the country's most haunted towns.
So, I had to pay a visit to one of their spookiest landmarks.
The McPike Mansion.
And I had one question. Can you show me the spirits?
In the summer of 1994, Sharyn Luedke came across an auction for McPike mansion.
But she quickly learned what seems like a beautiful house on the exterior... Well, better hang on tight, because it could just give you a fright.
"I had no paranormal experiences before this. And like I said, I used to go in and say, listen, you guys, you want this house fixed up? You better not scare me, because if you scare me, I'm out of here," said Sharyn Luedke, the owner of the estate.
Sharyn soon learned she was restoring the home of Henry McPike. One that had rumors of being haunted. It all started after entering the real estate business. McPike began buying this exact property in 1863. By 1869, the McPike mansion was built, and with its stunning interior came Henry's family.
"He married Mary, a woman named Melanie Burns. They had five children together. She actually never lived in this house because she passed away in 1867. But we do believe she is one of the spirits of the house," Sharyn explained.
Henry lived in the mansion until he died in 1910. Next, his son took over the property. But after his years in the mansion, the story ends. It is unclear how long it was abandoned, but in those moments of emptiness, something else lurked, their spirits.
They believe 12 spirits are present in the mansion, and now the community has a chance to take part in the ghostly fun. Visitors can pay a visit to the cellars where the spirits themselves join the experience.
It was quickly made clear to us. Henry decided to stop by our interview.
This interaction with Henry was just one insight into what Luedke says she encounters year after year.
"I tripped down some board, some bricks in this one room, and I felt a tug on the side of my warmup jacket. So that wasn't really scary. It was like, what was that? So I think really they were trying to keep me from falling. It's really not my house. It's Henry's house," she said.
For further information, visit mcpikemansion.com.