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We want to thank US Ghost Adventures for sponsoring our tour. As always, all opinions are our own.
When fall and spooky season rolls around, I’m always in the mood for a good ghost tour. Honestly, I’m down for a ghost tour any time of year. Ever since we embarked on our first tour in St. Augustine, Florida, several summers ago, I was hooked.
Ghost tours are often part of our summer road trip itinerary; we’ve enjoyed experiencing various places in cooler evening temperatures as opposed to midday summer heat. Still, there’s something about a ghost tour in October that complements my desire to experience the unexplained and quite possibly, the paranormal.
US Ghost Adventures: Kansas City
For this tour, we headed a couple hours north to downtown Kansas City, Missouri. US Ghost Adventures provides tours all over the country, and we were excited to discover that a tour was available in one of our favorite cities: US Ghost Adventures Kansas City.
On our tour evening, we made our way downtown to the meeting place– the corner of West 9th and Central.
As we drove by the corner, we noticed a group was already forming. This was the place.
We found some parking nearby and headed to the rally point.
A Little Kansas City History
One of the best reasons to take a ghost tour is dipping your toe into the area’s history. Sure, some tours may add some rumor and lore, but after every tour I find myself reading up on the location. It’s good to verify what you heard on the tour, and there’s always so much more to learn. Kansas City is no different.
Jeff and I are no strangers to Kansas City, but neither one of us knew a lot about its origins and founders. We learned that you really can’t talk about the history of Kansas City without discussing its legendary mobster roots and Tom Pendergast.
Kansas City emerged in the 1830s, and during the American Civil War, the city became a railroad hub. By the late 1890s, Kansas City was booming with industry fueled by railroads. Construction in the downtown area also was booming, and Kansas City’s iconic downtown emerged over the early 1900s, with buildings showcasing Beaux Arts and Art Deco/Art Nouveau styles.
Of course, Kansas City was not immune to the influences of Prohibition. Political machine boss Tom Pendergast controlled law enforcement and political offices, guaranteeing him the ability to make money. At the same time, those police officers and city officials turned a blind eye to his illegal activities. He also forged relationships with gangsters from other cities to maintain power and profits. He was eventually convicted of tax evasion in 1939, but without him, Kansas City wouldn’t have had its infrastructure at the time, including Kansas City’s historic Union Station.
While other names get thrown around when discussing the history of Kansas City, like Country Club Plaza builder J. C. Nichols and barbecue entrepreneur Henry Perry, Pendergast is the man to associate with the development of Kansas City’s culture downtown. Let’s just say that during the tour, Pendergast comes up a lot.
Source:
“Kansas City History” prompt. ChatGDT, 29 Oct. version, OpenAI, 30 Oct. 2024, chatopenAI.com.
The Ghost Tour Begins
After everyone checked in, it was time to begin. Tours, and the tour guides, of course, may vary. I won’t give away all the legends and stories; I’ll just give you a bit of info on the buildings we encountered along the way. I’ll save the stories for the tour guide.
Below is a map of our tour.
21C Museum Hotel
Our particular tour started with the stories associated with the 21c Museum Hotel, Kansas City. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this example of Art Nouveau architecture is stunning. The hotel has occupied this space since 1888. However, in the 1890s, Coffee Kings John and Charles Arbuckle of the Arbuckle Coffee Company, launched the hotel as the Savoy after some remodeling and additions.
In 1903, The Savoy Grill opened, and the restaurant became a local favorite that hosted some famous folks, including John D. Rockefeller, Will Rogers, and Harry S. Truman, though it’s worth noting that Truman was a local before he won the presidency. Still, Truman and his wife dined at the restaurant even after he became president. The restaurant even has a booth, No. 4, known as the “Presidents’ Booth.” It’s plural because other U.S. presidents have been seated at the booth, such as Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.
Source:
“Historic Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri | 21c Museum Hotel Kansas City by MGallery.” Historic Hotels Worldwide, 2019, www.historichotels.org/us/hotels-resorts/21c-museum-hotel-kansas-city-by-mgallery/history.php. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Below is our view of the 21c Museum Hotel during our tour. Note the penguins. I’d love to stay here one day, especially to see if I would encounter any of their legendary ghosts!
The stories continued at the corner of 9th and Broadway. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of downtown and was certainly excited to share the information he knew. He also told great stories. I loved how he regularly discusses paranormal happenings with his sources so he can share that info with his tour groups.
The Majestic Restuarant and Jazz Club
Soon we happened upon The Majestic Restaurant and Jazz Club, an icon in the downtown area.
The building itself is gorgeous; I love the stained glass windows. Before it was the Majestic Restaurant, the building was known as Fitzpatrick’s Saloon. As the downtown area was being developed, it became known at the Quality Hill neighborhood. Before Prohibition, the first floor was home to the bar while the other floors housed a brothel and a home for the saloon’s owner, James A. Fitzpatrick. When alcohol became illegal, the booze moved to the basement, and Fitzpatrick’s speakeasy was born. This was made possible by, you guessed it, Tom Pendergast.
During this time, jazz music became popular in Kansas City. Speakeasy owners quickly realized that jazz could pull people in, which was good for liquor sales. Jazz musicians came to the city, and Kansas City’s jazz style was born.
After Prohibition ended, Quality Hill eventually became known as the Garment District as this area of Kansas City became a clothing manufacturing hub for the nation. Fitzpatrick’s Saloon was not an exception to the clothing boom; the location changed its business model to garment production, as well.
In the mid-1900s, downtown Kansas City faced challenges as businesses closed or relocated and many buildings were abandoned and left to decay. In 1983, Frank Sebree II and James B. Nutter, with their wives Mary Ann Sebree and Annabelle Nutter purchased the Fitzpatrick Saloon building and began restoration. After some other restaurants used the space, Doug Bernard opened a steakhouse and jazz club in 1992, calling it the New Majestic Steakhouse.
The Nutters and Sebrees sold the building to Frank III and Jolyn Sebree in 2009. To this day, you can have a great steak at The Majestic or have a cocktail in The Jazz Club.
Source:
“History of the Majestic | the Majestic Restaurant and Jazz Club.” Majestickc.com, 2024, majestickc.com/about-us/history-of-the-majestic/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
As we continued, we noted a historic building in the Garment District at the end of the block.
Seiden’s Furs
Built in 1874, the Seiden’s Furs building is probably the oldest building in Kansas City’s downtown business district. Though the building was originally a drugstore, Seiden’s Furs was in business for decades. The building became vacant in recent years until developer Chris Sally purchased the property and began renovations.
Our tour guide mentioned that the Seiden’s Furs building was set to be a museum about the business’s history and Kansas City’s Garment District. You can see some artifacts in the window. A museum would be amazing.
I also love the fox logo and the sign on the side of the building. You can just get a glimpse of part of it in the above photo.
Source:
“Developer Rescues Historic Seiden’s Fur Building; What’s Next?” Flatland – Kansas City PBS’ Nonprofit Journalism Source, 13 Oct. 2023, flatlandkc.org/news-issues/developer-rescues-historic-seidens-fur-building-whats-next/. Accessed 3 Nov. 2024.
Our Ghost Tour Rounds a Corner
The Folly Theater
As we walked on down the block, we came upon the Folly Theater. According to the Folly Theater website, this theater is the oldest in Kansas City and has hosted many acts over the years, including Vaudeville acts like the Marx Brothers and burlesque acts like Gypsy Rose Lee. In fact, if you’ve seen the musical, Gypsy, or you’re familiar with her story, you may be interested to know that the Folly Theater in Kansas City was Gypsy Rose Lee’s first burlesque performance location!
From 1941 to 1973, the theater only booked burlesque acts. At first, the theater served as an entertainment spot for wartime soldiers making a stop at Kansas City’s Union Station. In 1958, movies were shown between the stage acts, paving the way for the place to become an adult film theater. In 1973, the building closed and was about to be demolished when the Performing Arts Foundation stepped in to save it and make renovations.
The theater reopened in 1981 and has hosted traveling performers and local shows alike, including jazz performances. The theater closed in 2000 for repairs and upgrades; Gregory Hines performed for the re-opening and the theatre’s 100th anniversary. In 2006, Bob Newhart and Walter Cronkite were on hand for the 25th anniversary of the theater’s reopening. Through more renovations and Covid-19, the theater persevered to continue to bring live performances to downtown Kansas City.
Source:
“About – Folly Theater.” Folly Theater – the Folly Is Located in the Heart of the Kansas City Downtown Loop Where Locals and Visitors Come for Entertainment., 2 May 2018, follytheater.org/about/. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.
The Hotel Phillips
In 1920, a hotel known as the Glennon opened in the space where the Hotel Philips now sits. At the time, Harry S. Truman owned a men’s clothing shop called Truman and Jacobson Haberdashery. After ten years as the Glennon, the hotel was demolished; the Hotel Philips took its place. When the hotel opened in 1921, it was the tallest building in downtown Kansas City.
Nowadays, it’s part of the Hilton company. Our guide told us many ghost tales outside of this building. If you’re looking for a haunted place to stay in Kansas City, this may be your best bet.
Source:
“Haunted Hotel Phillips, Kansas City, Missouri | Haunted Rooms America.” Haunted Rooms America, 10 June 2021, www.hauntedrooms.com/missouri/haunted-places/haunted-hotels/hotel-phillips-kansas-city. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.
Rounding Another Corner
Hotel Muehlebach
We then crossed the street at Baltimore and 12th to get a better view of the Hotel Phillips and the next building on our list: the Hotel Muehlebach, which has become part of the hotel known as Marriot Kansas City Downtown. Built in 1915, this hotel surely has some ghostly residents.
In 1859, the first generation of Muehlebachs made their way from Switzerland to Kansas City, by way of some other stops along the way. George E. Muehlebach, Sr., and his brother, John Muehlebach, started a brewery in 1869 and eventually purchased the Main Street Brewery. Muehlebach Beer was born. The success of the brewery enabled George E. to try his hand as a realtor. When he died, he left behind a solid fortune and a legacy.
George E.’s son took over from there. He expanded the businesses enabling him to build the hotel in 1915. In 1923, Muehlebac, Jr., built a ballpark where several Kansas City teams played. Muehlebach, Jr., named the ballpark for his father; though it went through various names before finally becoming Municipal Stadium in 1955.
The Hotel Muehlebach was, and remains, a luxurious place to stay. Today, the hotel is managed by Marriot after undergoing several owners over the years. What’s most notable about the property is the long list of famous people who have stayed there. The hotel boasts that “every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Jimmy Carter” has stayed there, though not all were presidents at the time of their stays. Truman Capote and Ernest Hemingway both worked at the hotel while writing for the Kansas City Star. Capote is said to have written In Cold Blood in the lobby. Hemingway set part of the book, Across the River and Into the Trees, at the Muehlebach.
And is it really a historic downtown Kanas City building if Harry S. Truman is not associated with it? Apparently, he signed legislation in the Presidential Suite. It seems to have become almost a second White House during his presidency.
Sources:
“A Beer Baron Is Born | KC History.” Kchistory.org, 2018, kchistory.org/week-kansas-city-history/beer-baron-born. Accessed 11 Nov. 2024.
Tanzilo, Bobby. “Urban Spelunking: Kansas City’s Muehlebach Hotel, the “White House West.”” OnMilwaukee, 2021, onmilwaukee.com/articles/muehlebach-spelunking. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
The Midland Theatre
Our final stop on the ghost tour was a theater in the Power and Light District, The Midland. This theater, now known as the Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland, originally opened in 1927. Like the other buildings we visited in downtown Kansas City, The Midland is beautiful and ornate. They don’t build them like this anymore.
When it was built, it was one of the largest movie cinemas in the Midwest. Only two theaters in New York were larger, the Roxy and Capital Theaters. It was also the first movie theater to have air conditioning and heat. The Paul Newman and Jane Woodward film, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge, was filmed there. Jason Sudeikis was an extra in the film as a teenager, making it his first film appearance.
In 2008, the theater was renovated to become the live performance and banquet space it is today. Since the renovation, act like Jerry Seinfeld, John Mellencamp, and Smashing Pumpkins have played at The Midland.
Sources:
“Film History of Midland Theatre.” Visit KC, 28 Mar. 2017, www.visitkc.com/filmtourism/self-guided-tour/midland?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR0ZFgBDwRrakdoDOrU_57mZbIzTO20QbjEVuoNDm86vFg5wsskVoQAcxt8_aem_wHY0cDYKMuzlkl9tPmID_g. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Midland, The. “About | the Midland.” Midlandkc.com, 2018, www.midlandkc.com/about. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
The End of the Tour
We had a great tour, and we learned a lot. I found the history of Kansas City fascinating, and I was inspired to read more on the locations we visited and share the information I learned with you! US Ghost Adventures also offers a 30-minute add-on extended tour if you want a longer tour. We didn’t do that this time, but I would love to do an extended tour in the future.
US Ghost Adventures offers tours in many cities across the United States. No matter where you’re heading, there is probably a tour nearby or en route to your destination. If you’re interested in making US Ghost Adventures part of your family vacation, couples’ getaway, girl trip, or spooky outing, keep US Ghost Adventures in mind. Click here to get access to a list of available cities.
If you’d like, we have a link you can use to book your tour. Full disclosure: we do receive a commission for any tours booked through the link.
Click here to access the US Ghost Adventures Tour link.
Happy ghost hunting!
Check out some of our other Kansas City Adventures:
