american hauntings ghost hunts
NIGHT AT THE GARDNER HOUSE
PALMYRA, MISSOURI
NEXT AVAILABLE DATE: OCTOBER 30, 2026
8:00pm TO 2:00 am
$48 PER PERSON
Join American Hauntings in historic Palmyra, Missouri, and delve into the unusual history of the Gardner House. Built in 1828, it was used as an inn and tavern, a stagecoach stop, a boarding house, a school, and a warehouse until it became a history museum -- and earned its reputation for its hauntings. See out the spirits that linger here on this chilling night!
The Gardner House was originally constructed by Samuel Morton, who built the first house on the land and obtained a license to open a tavern. Soon after, the house began to be used as a stagecoach stop for a line that ran between St. Louis and Des Moines, Iowa. It was next opened by John Deveraux, who ran it as a hotel until after the Civil War.
In the 1870s, Edward Gartner moved from Quincy, Illinois to Palmyra and took over the operation of the tavern in the building. It soon gained a reputation as the most popular place of entertainment in the city, while also being home to a beginning school for local children, operated by Miss Sally Pryor and Miss Julia McGuire. During this time, the building first became known as the “Gartner House” (the spelling was changed later), and the name remains today.
In 1889, the house was purchased by Mrs. Sarah Lauck, and members of the Lauck family occupied the house until 1959, after which it was turned into a historic site and added to the National Register of Historic Places.
THE HAUNTINGS
Over the years since the house was turned into a historic site, rumors have spread of a haunting in the building. Strange reports have become common among volunteers and guests, who describe doors that open and close, lights that turn on and off, strange smells that have no explanation, and a variety of different voices that may be linked to the building’s past.
There have been several reports of children’s voices – which may be linked to the beginning school that was open here – and there have been audible reenactments of laughter, singing, and loud voices that might date back to the days when the house was a busy and thriving tavern.
Are you willing to brave the strange happenings that have been reported at the Gardner House over the years? If so, this is a night at a little-known spot that few investigators have ever experienced!