Forepaugh’s Restaurant
Have dinner at Forepaugh’s Restaurant, and you might get a side of specters with your food
Paranormal Activity at
Forepaugh’s Restaurant
- A man’s apparition is seen inside
- Cold spots are frequently reported
- Unexplained noises can be heard in the restaurant’s basement
- Lights flip on and off by themselves
- The figure of a former servant is often spotted
- Disembodied voices are heard at times
- Cups on tables will be moved by unseen forces
The Phantoms of Fine Dining:
History of Forepaugh’s Restaurant
When it comes to fine dining, atmosphere is a big part of the experience. And in St. Paul, Minnesota, few restaurants curate an atmosphere as exquisite as Forepaugh’s Restaurant.
The restaurant is built into an expansive mansion in the heart of one of the city’s most historic neighborhoods.
Forepaugh’s matches top-of-the-line dinner fare with a truly one-of-a-kind environment. And there may well be more than just white tablecloths and Victorian-era design shaping Forepaugh’s atmosphere. Local lore says that when you dine at Forepaugh’s, you dine amongst ghosts.
And what fine meal doesn’t pair well with spirits?
Timeline of Forepaugh’s Restaurant's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Forepaugh’s Restaurant through the years
1858
In 1858, Joseph Forepaugh stepped off a riverboat and into Minnesota. The young, enterprising businessman had already found success as an apprentice to a dry goods seller in Pennsylvania. But Forepaugh hoped a trip further west could allow him to stake his own claim in the dry goods business. Forepaugh soon started a dry goods distribution business around the Twin Cities area. In just a few short years, it grew to one of the largest such businesses in the Midwest, and made Forepaugh incredibly wealthy.
1870
Joseph Forepaugh started work on his family’s mansion in 1870. The expansive St. Paul home would offer more than enough space for Forepaugh’s growing family. And it would allow him a life of comfort and exclusivity as he continued expanding his business. For almost two decades, Forepaugh took in the luxuries of his home and the surrounding neighborhood. His neighbors included some influential names of the day, including Minnesota Governor and US Senator Alexander Ramsey. But by the late 1880s, Forepaugh hoped to retire and leave Minnesota behind.
1886
In 1886, Forepaugh sold his mansion to General John Henry Hammond, a decorated veteran of the American Civil War. Hammond did well to maintain the mansion after the Forepaugh family departed. But, the passage of time soon took its toll on both the property and the neighborhood. Streetcars and public transportation made other areas of the city more accessible and desirable. As a result, the wealthy Twin Cities families soon moved away from the area. By the early 1900s, the mansion had been converted into a multi-unit boarding house.
1973
For much of the 1900s, the former Forepaugh mansion continued to operate as a boarding house. All the while, age continued battering the home’s old frame. Ownership could hardly keep up with maintenance, and by the early 1970s, the former mansion had fallen into total disrepair. In 1973, the local housing authority forced the boarding house into closure. For a short while, the home’s future seemed uncertain. But, the dilapidated mansion was bought in 1975 and renovated into a restaurant. It opened to the public the following year in 1976.
2024
After being updated into a restaurant, Forepaugh’s evolved and developed as the Twin Cities, and the tastes of its citizens, changed. Through the early 2000s, Forepaugh’s Restaurant stayed at the forefront of fine dining. But the restaurant suddenly closed in 2019 after the death of their head chef. Following renovations, Forepaugh’s reopened in 2024, continuing its legacy of great food and atmosphere. And along with its reputation as an eatery, Forepaugh’s has built an eerie reputation recently as one of St. Paul’s most haunted places.
Is Forepaugh’s Restaurant Haunted?
Numerous ghost stories float through Forepaugh’s Restaurant today. Many of the tales focus on one ghost in particular: the spirit of Molly.
The story goes that Molly was once a servant in the Forepaugh family’s mansion. Joseph purportedly began an affair with her shortly after she started working for him. It wasn’t long before their secret became known, and the Forepaugh family fired Molly from the home.
In a fit of despair, Molly supposedly hung herself out of an upstairs window. In doing so, she ensured that the whole community would see what had happened at Forepaugh’s mansion.
Now, her spirit may remain entombed in the house for eternity.
Molly Makes Herself Known
Many visitors to Forepaugh’s report seeing Molly’s vivid apparition lingering through the restaurant. She is said to appear most often to new brides who are hosting events at the restaurant. It’s as if she is living vicariously through them in their happiest and most loving moments.
In at least one instance, Molly’s spectral visage has purportedly appeared in wedding photos taken at Forepaugh’s.
Along with visible manifestations, Molly is said to cause mild mischief on the upper floors of the mansion. The area where Molly supposedly hung herself, a windowed corner of the third floor, is said to be one of the home’s hotspots.
Tables in that area have had their settings switched around and empty glasses turned upside down, all with no explanation. Workers often blame it on Molly, simply making herself known through the third floor.
Meet The Forepaugh Phantoms
Molly’s ghost is not the only mysterious entity at Forepaugh’s. Some say Joseph Forepaugh himself still haunts the mansion as well. Similar to Molly’s ghost, Joseph’s phantom is said to frequently wander through the home as an apparition. He is best identified by the dark, formal clothes he often wears around the house.
While Joseph’s figure is said to wander all through the restaurant, he is best seen around the basement steps. Workers who have to go to the restaurant’s basement also say Joseph’s ghost causes trouble down there. His spirit is known to flip lights on and off and cause unexplained shuffling and dragging noises.
Cold Spots & Ghostly Voices
Forepaugh’s two well-known specters purportedly cause a lot of paranormal activity. But some reports at the restaurant have uncertain sources. Cold spots are frequently noted in the mansion. While these temperature shifts happen around the third floor where Molly is known to linger, no one is sure that it’s her doing.
Additionally, visitors and workers report hearing disembodied voices from empty rooms and halls. Often, these voices are nothing more than soft whispers, impossible to identify. Reports of ghostly voices at Forepaugh’s are rather rare, likely due to how busy the restaurant usually is. Though that begs the question, how many ghostly voices are lost in the shuffle of everyday life at Forepaugh’s Restaurant?
St. Paul’s Most Haunted Restaurant?
Much in the same way it has for the last fifty years, Forepaugh’s remains a busy and popular fine dining establishment in St. Paul. Tourists and locals alike often crowd into the historic mansion to enjoy some of the finest dishes and drinks the Twin Cities have to offer.
But, some folks stop in just for the ghost stories, and the possibility of encountering Molly or Joseph for themselves.
And while Forepaugh’s always has plenty of spirits on their drink menu, they never lose track of their ghosts. The owners of Forepaugh’s today are quite open about their ghost stories and claims of paranormal activity. Their busy schedule doesn’t allow for spooky tours or ghost hunts, though.
But they still do all they can to make Forepaugh’s accommodating, for both their patrons and their phantoms.
