Shipwrecked Brew Pub
Can ghosts survive fire? This recently rebuilt and historically haunted pub suggests they do!
Ghostly Reports at
Shipwrecked Brew Pub
- The apparition of a boy has been seen on the roof
- The specter of a cranky older lumberjack has been encountered
- Disembodied baby cries have been heard in and around the pub
- An apparition of a woman with a suitcase has been seen around the front door
- The apparition of a former owner has been seen keeping watch over the restaurant
- Disembodied voices have been heard around the basement
- Shadowy figures are seen in the basement
A Shore-Side Speakeasy:
History of Shipwrecked Brew Pub
In the sleepy small town of Egg Harbor, Wisconsin, most visitors come to take in the bayside views and enjoy the Door Peninsula. But, like any Wisconsin town, plenty of people also come for the spirits.
And Egg Harbor has its share of watering holes, though none quite have the unique history of the dark blue building between Horseshoe Bay and Egg Harbor Roads.
Shipwrecked Brew Pub, under several names over the years, has been a popular bar and restaurant in Egg Harbor since the late 1800s.
Though a recent fire necessitated a new building be built, the pub’s history as well as its hauntings live on. Long considered the local haunted hotspot, it seems not even the heat of fire can keep the specters away from Shipwrecked Brew Pub.
Timeline of Shipwrecked Brew Pub's History
Swipe or use timeline points to see Shipwrecked Brew Pub through the years
1882
First built in 1882 by George Barringer, the small pub in Egg Harbor hoped to capitalize on the region’s growing population. In the late 1800s, the Door Peninsula of Wisconsin was in a boom, between the budding lumber industry and increased sailing traffic. And as more aspiring sailors and lumberjacks came through, they all needed a place to lodge, drink, and eat.
Barringer’s new saloon did great business early-on under the name Kewanee House. By 1904, the building expanded to offer more eating space and guest rooms upstairs.
1912
In 1912, the Kewanee House became Harbor Inn. Despite the name change, the function remained the same. Locals and travelers alike could come and find food, drink, and rooms at the little building just a short walk from the shoreline. In the 1920s, the little operation purportedly got the attention of Al Capone.
Capone especially enjoyed a tunnel system beneath the pub that he could use for his, quite literal, underground dealings. No one is quite sure what Capone’s gang did with Harbor Inn, but most figured it wasn’t anything good.
1997
After Al Capone’s arrest in the 1930s, Harbor Inn returned to normal life and operation in Door County. It went through several owners in the 20th century, most notably Verna and Maurice Moore. The couple ran it as Murphy’s Harbor Inn from 1945 to 1975, and made the pub a true cornerstone of the community.
After the Moores, Harbor Inn went through another list of owners until 1997, when it was bought and renamed once more, to Shipwrecked Brew Pub.
2017
With over a century of history behind Shipwrecked Brew Pub at that point, as well as a connection to Al Capone, the prevalence of ghostly stories grew the longer the pub operated. In 2017, Shipwrecked was gutted by a terrible fire that required the building’s remains to be torn down and rebuilt. The new Shipwrecked building opened in less than a year’s time.
Though the guest rooms are gone, much of Shipwrecked still remains just as before. But do the ghosts remain as well?
Is Shipwrecked Brew Pub Haunted?
Over the years, most of Shipwrecked Brew Pub’s supposed ghosts have been identified. Some have been noted as former owners or workers, while other pub phantoms are said to be relics from Al Capone’s mysterious era in Egg Harbor.
Three spirits in particular are closely tied to the rumors of Al Capone’s time around the bar: a mysterious young boy in the attic, and two shadowy figures down in the basement.
Shipwrecked’s Little Boy Ghost
Shipwrecked’s ghostly young boy is said to be the ghost of Al Capone’s illegitimate son, Jason. Allegedly, Al Capone had his son killed in fear that Jason would give him away to authorities.
Local lore says authorities found Jason’s body in the attic of Shipwrecked Brew Pub. Jason’s ghost is purportedly a big fan of the building’s attic, and sometimes even its roof.
Passersby have claimed to see the vivid image of a boy wandering around the pub’s roof. The boy apparently appeared in such detail that the passersby would call the police and report the child, only for police to arrive and find nothing.
Similar visions of the boy’s apparition have been seen in the attic as well, though less commonly since the building’s rebuild.
Great Verna’s Ghost!
Many other paranormal reports come from different eras of Shipwrecked’s long life, not just during Al Capone’s Another commonly encountered ghost is that of former owner Verna Moore.
Verna’s apparition has been seen wandering through the restaurant, like she’s still checking up on things and making sure they are up to her standards.
Apparently, she is most likely to appear right before something bad is about to happen or when things aren’t the way she wants them. Some people have also claimed to hear Verna’s voice still echoing through the bar and restaurant she cared so much for.
In one report, a worker headed down to the basement and swore they heard the voice of a female patron following them down. But when they turned back, they were all alone in the stairwell.
The New Bar’s Old Spirits
The oldest ghost lingering around Shipwrecked Brew Pub is likely a former lumberjack. While the early iterations of the pub were purportedly very popular with lumbermen, this specter apparently pre-dates the pub itself.
He was allegedly murdered on the bar’s property several years before it was built, and now his listless specter still roams around the property. Witnesses have described him as a bit mean and cantankerous when he appears. Luckily, his ghost has not been as commonly encountered as some of the other Shipwrecked spirits.
Spectral Traveler at Shipwrecked Brew Pub
While most ghosts around Shipwrecked Brew Pub have been well-identified after years of encounters and some background research from owners and staff, there are some that remain somewhat unknown. One such case is the spirit of a mysterious traveler.
A woman in Victorian-era clothes, her apparition has been seen around the pub, most often near the front doors. Witnesses have said that she often appears carrying a large bag or suitcase, and seems like she is watching or waiting for someone to come pick her up. Perhaps she’s waiting for a ghost train to take her to the afterlife?
Creepy Cries in the Egg Harbor Night
Another mysterious report at Shipwrecked Brew Pub is the sound of disembodied baby cries at night. Visitors have claimed to hear the cries inside the building at night, sounding like they are coming from the second floor.
Others have also supposedly heard the baby’s cries echoing through the night just outside Shipwrecked. To date, no one has found the source of these cries, or the ghostly baby they’re coming from. Stories and rumors abound about this spectral child, with some figuring it is yet another illegitimate child of Al Capone.
Spooky Good Times at
Shipwrecked Brew Pub
Shipwrecked Brew Pub today continues to do good business around Egg Harbor as a bar and restaurant, but they always seem to stick close to their ghost stories.
They keep dedicated space for the ghost tales on their website and were even featured on the Amazon Prime series, ‘Haunted State’ not long after their re-opening.
After Shipwrecked’s fire, some people wondered if the ghosts would stick around through it all. And it seems many of them have!
It just goes to show that sometimes even newer buildings can be haunted. Especially if they’re recreations of what those old ghosts knew in life. So, if you ever stop in for a brew, ask your bartender about the hauntings. You might get your drink with a side of a good ghost story!
