Spooky sites among must-visit places in Ohio

PUT-IN-BAY — Want another way to enjoy Halloween? The state tourism agency has released a list of 24 haunted must-visit locations in Ohio — and several of them are near Sandusky. To be clear, it's not a list of haunted attractions, such as HalloWeekends at Cedar Point, the Lake Eerie Fearfest in Sandusky or the Haunted Hydro in Fremont. Instead, TourismOhio has released a list of places across the state allegedly haunted by ghosts — including locations within an easy drive of Sandusky. Here are the local attractions in the "Haunted Ohio: 24 Must-Visit Places" list: • The Park Hotel in Put-in-Bay, built in the 1870s, is home to several ghosts, the tourism folks say. "Known for being one of the Ohio's most haunted hotels, the Park Hotel is haunted by several ghosts. Perhaps the most well-known is the spirit of a woman called 'The Governess.' She's been sighted throughout the hotel, but frequents Room 14 and is said to linger around children who are staying at the hotel. "Another ghost is reported to haunt the hotel's bar and he's been sighted looking out Room 17's window. Other spooky sights include a variety of ghosts in period clothing and eerie music coming from the ballroom. " • South Bass Island Lighthouse, on the southern end of the island, also is supposedly haunted. "Visitors to the lighthouse report creepy footsteps, slamming doors and unexplained noises coming from the lighthouse. Eerily, the origin of one notable ghost thought to haunt the building is a century-old mystery. "Prior to a smallpox outbreak in 1898, Sam Anderson had been hired to look after South Bass Island Lighthouse. When police went to check on Anderson — and to make sure he hadn't left the quarantined area — they discovered his body at the bottom of a cliff near the lighthouse. Samuel Anderson's death was ruled a suicide, yet rumors circulated of a more nefarious demise. Some believed he'd been pushed, and his restless soul was doomed to haunt the lighthouse." Other attractions not terribly far from Sandusky are the bridge over Muddy Creek in Elmore, reportedly haunted by an unfortunate motorcycle rider who left his body laying near the bridge, "near his severed head," and the supposedly haunted Franklin Castle, 4308 Franklin Blvd in Cleveland, where overnight stays may be booked. To read about the other places in Ohio reportedly haunted by ghosts, go to ohio.org/travel-inspiration and enter the search keyword "haunted." That will bring up the list of the 24 places, and articles about other Halloween attractions in Ohio.