Walk Portland's most haunted locations. 21 stops, self-guided. 3 stops free. No guide, no schedule — just you and the dark.
Portland's darkest history runs underground. The Shanghai Tunnels — a network of basement passages used from the 1850s through the early 1900s to kidnap men and sell them to ship captains — still connect buildings beneath Old Town. On August 5, 1949, fifteen-year-old Thelma Anne Taylor vanished near Cathedral Park; her body was found weeks later under the St. Johns Bridge. The White Eagle Saloon, open since 1905, harbors a restless barmaid who never clocked out. McMenamins Edgefield operated as a county poor farm from 1911 to 1962, where hundreds of destitute residents died and were buried on the grounds. This self-guided tour hits 13 free stops through Portland's most haunted corridors — above and below street level.
You stand beneath the Gothic arches of the St. Johns Bridge, where the Willamette River whispers against the shore. On August 5, 1949, fifteen-year-ol...
Beneath the towering Gothic arches of the St. Johns Bridge lies Cathedral Park, one of Portland's most beautiful—and most disturbing—public spaces. In...
When the Bagdad Theater opened in 1927, it was the jewel of Southeast Portland—a Mediterranean Revival palace built by Universal Pictures as a showcas...
You stand inside what was once the Merchant Hotel, built in 1879. The basement — accessible to diners today — connects to Portland's Shanghai Tunnels....
You stand before the ornate marquee of the Bagdad Theater, opened in 1927 as a vaudeville palace and movie house. Over the decades, several people die...
The Heathman Hotel has anchored downtown Portland's cultural district since 1927, hosting presidents, celebrities, and at least one permanent guest wh...
You stand before moss-covered stone ruins deep in Forest Park. This isn't a castle — it's the remains of a 1950s restroom facility. But the land remem...
Deep in the old-growth canopy of Lower Macleay Park stands a crumbling stone structure known locally as the Witch's Castle. Built in 1930 as a restroo...
You stand in the marble-and-walnut lobby of Portland's grande dame, opened in 1913 by lumber baron Simon Benson. He built it as a temperance hotel — n...
Simon Benson built his eponymous hotel in 1913 as a monument to Portland's timber wealth, importing Russian walnut paneling and Italian marble to crea...
The Crystal Ballroom has hosted Portland's dancers since 1914, its mechanical "floating" floor—built on ball bearings and rocker arms—giving every ste...
You descend into Kells' basement cigar room, where exposed brick walls reveal entrances to the Shanghai Tunnels. The building dates to 1882, surviving...
Originally the Portland Publix Theatre, the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall opened in 1928 as a vaudeville and movie palace, its Italian Rococo Revival ...
You stand on 74 acres that operated as Multnomah County Poor Farm from 1911 to 1962. Hundreds of destitute, elderly, mentally ill, and physically disa...
You stand before what opened in 1911 as the Crystal Hotel — a flophouse for transient workers, drifters, and people with nowhere else to go. By the 19...
The Old Church stands at the corner of SW 11th and Clay as Portland's finest surviving example of Carpenter Gothic architecture. Built in 1883 as Calv...
The Portland ghost tour includes 21 documented haunted locations.
The first 3 stops are completely free — no account required. To unlock all 21 stops, a History Nearby premium subscription is $4.99/month or $49.99/year.
No. This is a self-guided walking tour. Each stop includes the address, a map pin, and the full haunting story. Walk at your own pace, start anytime, and take any route you like.
Plan for approximately 4 hours. This accounts for walking between stops and reading each haunting story. You can also split it across multiple evenings.
The most visited stop on our Portland tour is Cathedral Park at N Edison St & Pittsburg Ave, Portland, OR 97203.
3 stops free in Portland. No guide, no schedule — walk at your own pace after dark.
Last updated February 22, 2026. Researched by the History Nearby editorial team.