Hidden Gem: A St. Louis Lemp Style Halloween

Nothing screams "St. Louis Halloween Spooktacular"...

... like a haunted walking history tour of the Lemp complex and Cherokee Neighborhood at night?!  Last night, Steve and I gathered with some of my Coldwell Banker Gundaker coworkers for a little Halloween fun. Ack!

If you are from St. Louis, you likely know all about the legend of the Lemp family, the unfortunate Prohibition demise of one of the largest brewers in the country, and the string of "unfortunate incidents" that resulted in the old family mansion becoming one of the most notorious in the United States for alleged hauntings!

On this tour you get to hear all about the tragic history of the Lemp Family, learn the locations of the lost Lemp Neighborhood Cemeteries, and enjoy the gorgeous Cherokee Neighborhood architecture at night as they share other spooky tales of more haunted and historical locations along the tour route.

The St. Louis Paranormal Society is actually BASED in the old Lemp Brewery complex at the base of Antique Row and offer tours several nights per week.  Check out their website for more information at https://www.seeaghost.com/ or find them on Facebook HERE.

If you want to tour the Lemp mansion ITSELF, they actually offer guided tours every Monday, year round.  They also have a fabulous restaurant, offer fun mystery dinners, and have overnight accommodations for the brave at heart. Learn more at http://www.lempmansion.com/index.html

There is also an October haunted house in the complex and trust me, IT IS FRIGHTENING! 

It involves taking an old warehouse elevator down to the caverns and um, yeah. Been there, done that (thanks to the coaxing of my teenage boys) and not sure I will do it again?!  Ha ha.  Brave?  Learn more HERE.

TIP: 
Whatever you choose, make sure that you round out the evening at Ted Drewes for a "Great Pumpkin" concrete...

The best! 👻

See some of my other local "Hidden Gems" HERE.

St. Louis Ghost Story: the house that inspired "The Exorcist".

Who doesn't adore a handsome traditional two-story brick home...

Built in 1942, this lovely 3 bedroom, 3 bath property boasts hardwood floors, a wood-burning fireplace, almost 1,700 sqft, and an interesting reputation...

YIKES!!  Happy Halloween week, St. Louis.  Yes, the 1973 cult classic movie "The Exorcist" is rumored to be a St. Louis real life ghost story.

In real estate, a "stigmatized property" is one that buyers shun for reasons that are unrelated to its physical condition or features, most often related to death, murder, suicide, serious illness, or belief that a house is haunted.  Some of the most notorious?

The "Amityville Horror" house...

Jon Benet Ramsey's house...

Jeffrey Dahmer's house...

And yes, one of the most stigmatized properties on the planet...

"The Exorcist" house, located less than 15 minutes from the St. Louis Arch, is nestled in a quiet Bel-Nor neighborhood near the campus of UMSL.

Even though the current Homeowner has encouraged the property's wicked reputation by willingly hosting numerous spooky television shows over recent years like "The Ghost Hunters"  and "Exorcism: LIVE", I won't post the address out of respect to their privacy. That being said, the property is the backdrop of "selfies" from the around the world as spook-seekers have hunted down the address and ventured to this unassuming house to document their visit.

While the movie itself contradicts and embellishes much of the detailed 26 page diary accounts of a St. Louis priest who participated in the actual exorcism itself, most of the rumored locations have been verified by local historians.  THIS interesting NPR article gives the historical accounts of this real life St. Louis ghost story.

So the question is, locals:  would you be interested in attending a Open House or submitting an offer if this one were to hit the market again?  The last sale was in 2005.