One Of The Most Historic Small Towns In Indiana Is Also Among The Most Haunted
By Tori Jane|Published September 19, 2023
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
Madison, Indiana is one of the oldest towns in the entire state. Originally platted in 1810, its position right along the Ohio River ensured trade would forever be excellent and that the town would survive. And wouldn’t you know: it did. By 1850, it was the third-largest city in Indiana. That being said, however, it’s got another side to it: its spooky side, which, for us, is a side worth exploring. This lengthy history ensures one thing: that Madison might just be the single most haunted town in Indiana.
There's no doubt that Madison is a cute little place with the most adorably charming Main Street in the Midwest.
Madison, Indiana is said to be outrageously haunted, especially by passionate ghost hunters who know their stuff. Countless investigations from numerous outfits have proven the area to be buzzing with high strangeness.
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Madison is beautiful, but it seems like no matter where you turn, you'll find something eerie.
Even mundane places have creepy pasts; the old Ohio Theatre doesn't look like much, but it's said to be home to many a restless ghost. Floating lights are a commonly-spotted phenomena, and it's rumored that if you stay in the theatre until midnight, you'll hear an eerie, piercing scream that's absolutely non-human in origin. Nope.
The old Broadway Historic Hotel & Tavern is the oldest tavern in the state, and of course, it's crawling with ghosts (or so they say).
Even public buildings aren't immune from the legends. Don't go to the old Jackson County Public Library by yourself, lest you run into something spooky in the stacks.
There are numerous abandoned and decaying buildings in and around town, all of which provide a strangely appropriate backdrop to... well, everything else that makes Madison so creepy.
Don't get us wrong - there's always a kind of charm and elegance to these old towns - but this charm doesn't do well in terms of covering up the eerie goings-on reported by thousands over the centuries.
The hauntings of Madison are so prevalent and well-known that each and every autumn, you can book a wonderfully informative ghost tour from a couple different agencies.
For one, the old Lanier Mansion State Historic Site hosts Ghost Walks every October for the brave souls who long to explore the spooky underbelly of an otherwise charming town.
You'll also find that a local guide group by the name of Unseen Press offers ghost tours of many towns, so if you can't get enough in Madison, you know where to go.
If you need somewhere to stay while exploring Madison, our friends at Booking.com have got you covered. What would you say the most haunted town in Indiana is? Let us know!
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