Pabst Mansion
This famous Milwaukee brewing family’s mansion may be haunted by a paranormal patriarch
Paranormal Mysteries
at Pabst Mansion
- Frederick Pabst’s apparition is sometimes spotted
- Ghostly bell ringing can be heard around the mansion
- Candles have been seen moving and falling from their placements
- A chandelier in the mansion purportedly sways for no known reason
Manor of a Master Brewer:
History of Pabst Mansion
Milwaukee, Wisconsin is no stranger to historic, and possibly haunted, mansions.
But of all the old, spacious manors dotting the historic city, there is undeniably one that stands out from the crowd. The Pabst Mansion is a manor that lives up to the stature of its famous original family.
Opulent inside and out, the stone and woodwork both hearken back to the lost Gilded Age era.
Along with its historic brilliance, the steep roof gables and stony exterior leave the mansion looking like a classic ‘haunted mansion.’ And more than just looking the part, some people say the Pabst Mansion has the hauntings to back up its appearance.
Timeline of Pabst Mansion's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Pabst Mansion through the years
1864
The Pabst Brewing Company got its start in the mid-1800s as the Best and Company Brewery. Founded under brewer Jacob Best, the company remained a family enterprise for generations. In 1864, local ship captain Frederick Pabst married into the Best family, and soon invested in the family brewery. Pabst slowly but surely took over the brewing business. He also helped it grow quite rapidly through the 1870s and 1880s. And finally, in 1889, the enterprise took in the name: Pabst Brewing Company.
1892
With all his business success, Frederick Pabst needed a mansion fitting his place in society. Completed in 1892, Frederick’s massive estate cost an estimated $254,000 at the time to build, furnish, and decorate. Both Frederick and his wife, Maria, were art connoisseurs and spent the next few years filling the mansion with the finest pieces they could find. They also took to hosting numerous large parties and other exclusive soirees at the house throughout the 1890s.
1904
In time, the mansion also hosted a wedding, as well as both Frederick and Maria Pabst’s funerals. Frederick died in early 1904 after long deteriorating health. Maria died two years later after contracting pneumonia while in the hospital for a separate injury. In 1908, the remaining Pabst family members sold Frederick and Maria’s massive mansion to the Arch Diocese of Milwaukee. The Diocese refitted the mansion for both office space and residential space for the local archbishop.
1978
The church operations outgrew the expansive mansion in the 1970s, and for a time it seemed possible the home would be demolished. But, a years-long local drive for preservation prevailed in 1978, when the home was opened to the public as a museum. The mansion remains a public museum to this day. But though the Pabst family has long since left their spacious mansion behind, a few of their phantoms may remain inside. And as countless visitors have come and gone, tales have spread of paranormal encounters to be had at the Pabst Mansion.
Is Pabst Mansion Haunted?
The Pabst Mansion is purportedly haunted by the family patriarch, Frederick Pabst. In a way, this might make sense.
Not only did Frederick build the massive mansion for himself and his family, but he is one of only two people to actually die within its walls. The other was the elderly father of an archdiocese. But regardless of the reason his specter sticks around, plenty of people report experiences Frederick’s presence at the mansion.
A Haunting in the Halls
Visitors and volunteers report the apparition of Frederick Pabst still floating through the rooms of his old house. His figure is best identified by the beard and mustache, which match portraits of Frederick found around the house.
While he is mostly known for wandering, there are times when some workers say Frederick will pause and watch them intently. Most often, this happens when someone is doing renovation work on the house.
Don’t Forget This Ghost’s Birthday
Another well-known ghostly happening at the mansion could also be the work of Frederick’s phantom. The story goes that one day, workers and volunteers were going about their business setting up for an event.
Then suddenly, candles placed in a candelabra began popping out of their placements and falling to the floor. Workers replaced them, and they would get tossed out again. Not long after, a possible cause was found for this strange activity: That day was Frederick Pabst’s birthday.
Bell Ringers & Chandelier Swingers
Though many of Pabst Mansion’s spooky claims are pinned on Frederick, other reports are shrouded in mystery. A chandelier in the mansion is known for swaying for unknown reasons.
Could it really be Frederick Pabst swinging his own chandelier just for fun? Based on how he watches renovation work, that seems highly unlikely.
Similarly, visitors and staff alike have noted odd bell ringing sounds around the mansion at times.
Some chalk it up to the sounds of the mystery chandelier’s pieces tingling together. But others say it’s from a different source entirely. And what is that source? To date, no one is sure, but one suggestion is that it’s still just Frederick, ringing a servant’s bell.
Tour Pabst Mansion’s Creepy Corridors
The Pabst Mansion remains a busy Milwaukee museum still today, so you’re unlikely to find many ghostly programs in their schedule.
To some, it’s an open question whether the house is even haunted at all. And though that question remains unanswered, few can deny the intrigue of the mansion’s ghost stories.
The museum, while not suggesting the home is haunted, does offer ‘Illuminating the Dark’ after-hours tours. These types of tours explore unseen areas of the mansion, and discuss more eerie chapters of the mansion’s past. Not quite a paranormal tour, but quite possibly inspired by the mansion’s long-standing ghost stories.
So while questions remain about the house’s hauntings, most people who know the Pabst Mansion will probably say the stories at least ring a bell.
