Did you know that R.L. Stine, renowned author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street phenomenon, was born right here, in Columbus? And went to OSU? This Halloween season, we’re taking a cue from the Ohioan himself and seeking out places in and around Columbus that give us, well, goosebumps. Join us if you dare.
If you’ve never experienced #FallinCbus, you’re in for a treat – and maybe a trick. Along with family-friendly activities like apple-picking at Lynd Fruit Farm, harvest adventures and, of course, Ohio State football (#yesColumbus), Ohio’s capital has plenty of ways to get a taste, literally, of the occult life. From a goth-themed bakery that celebrates Halloween all year long to bars and restaurants in century-old buildings rumored to have ghostly guests, these Columbus haunts promise a spirit or snack with a little spook.
Image sourced from Bite This by Annie Instagram.
Bite This by Annie
Don’t expect Clintonville’s Bite This by Annie to have sparkly, rainbow-colored treats and pink walls. The brainchild of Annie Dickson, self-titled “The Alternative Baker,” Bite This is a goth bakery where Halloween vibes reign all year long. Think black walls, pumpkins and a gallery of skeleton and ghost art. Order not-so-standard sweets like mile-high chocolate layer cakes and “Skinny Boi” lemon sandwich cookies with tart lemon buttercream and blueberry lemon curd. Annie’s signature Bagel Bomb is meant to shock and awe – it stuffs a homemade bagel ball with unique cream cheeses like Ray Ray’s brisket, steak and ale pie, Reuben, smash burger and even Nashville hot chicken.
Image sourced from Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus website.
Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus
This Downtown Columbus microbrewery, craft bar and chef-driven restaurant sits in one of the most famously-haunted buildings in the city. The 1897-built Columbia building, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, has welcomed everything from a pool hall and a brothel to The Clock restaurant and more before becoming Elevator Brewery & Draught Haus in 2000. One snowy February night, a barefoot woman scorned by Colonel Pritchard stabbed him in front of The Clock and he later died on the restaurant floor. Visitors see her footprints in the snow on the anniversary of his death every year, and restaurant staff have witnessed doors opening and closing unexpectedly, pots and pans clanging together and clock hands moving backward on their own. It’s unclear whether Colonel Pritchard participates, too. It’s a haunted “whodunnit.”
Image sourced from House of High Spirits Facebook.
House of Spirits
Sure, the name might be a coincidence – who knows? – but House of Spirits, Marysville’s true Prohibition-era cocktail lounge, is both haute and haunted. Make yourself at home in one of its oversized leather chairs and order the house Old Fashioned, handcrafted by skilled mixologists who make their own syrups and juices and use big-name bourbons barreled exclusively for House of Spirits. Occupying a charming, 1884-built Victorian home, the bar’s red-brick exterior and idyllic white porch are the perfect welcome to what’s inside; think: crystal chandeliers, gilded gold mirrors, a baby grand piano, no televisions or clocks to distract you and a towering glass bar with 200+ bourbons and whiskeys. Oh, and a lady ghost in the attic who slams doors at will and can be heard walking down empty hallways and talking on the stairwell. House of Spirits has been everything from a family home and a doctor's office to a brothel and a restaurant, so there’s no telling how long she’s been there.
Image sourced from Experience Columbus.
Schmidt’s Sausage Haus
You may know Schmidt’s Sausage Haus for its giant crème puffs, lederhosen and live accordion players, but did you also know it’s haunted by a friendly grandpa? The general manager heard a loud noise in the banquet house one day and crept upstairs to find four chairs unusually sitting back-to-back in the middle of the room. The room was empty, but he looked at a wall mirror and saw the reflection of an old man smiling and waving. Staff have seen lights randomly turn on and off and felt “people” whizzing by, watching and touching them. Schmidt’s occupies one of the oldest buildings in Ohio (built in 1886!) and was a stable, a slaughterhouse, a packinghouse and a meat company before the restaurant opened in 1967. It’s safe to say one happy employee never wanted to leave.
Got goosebumps yet? As you explore the haunted side of the city, tag your photos with the hashtag #FallinCbus so we can follow the fear and fun. Before you go out, make sure you download the CBUS Rewards App, which lets you check in at places around Columbus and earn rewards.
