AMERICAN HAUNTINGS GHOST HUNTS
NIGHT AT THE MCINTEER VILLA
ATCHISON, KANSAS
NEXT AVAILABLE DATE: JULY 27, 2024
$56.00 PER PERSON
7:00 PM - 2:00 AM
CLICK HERE FOR RESERVATIONS!
Join American Hauntings as we take you behind the locked doors of the infamously haunted McInteer Villa in Atchison, Kansas! It’s a place of mystery, history, hauntings, and nine documented deaths, including one suicide. Is it any wonder that it’s considered one of the most haunted houses in the region? If you think you’re brave enough to join us, get signed up now because we have VERY limited spots for this event!
The mansion was constructed for John McInteer, a prominent businessman of Atchison. He was born in Ireland in 1827 and came to America alone when he was just a boy. He settled in Philadelphia and later, moved west to Indiana, where he learned the trade of harness-making. He grew restless and yearned to see the west, so he moved to Kansas in the 1860s. He started a small shop in Atchison, making saddles and harnesses, and he gained a solid reputation as a craftsman. With more and more settlers moving west, there was a steady parade of wagon trains moving through town, many of them needing John’s services. His business became so successful that he enlarged it several times, making it possible to manufacture his products on a large scale. He invested in real estate in Atchison and nearby St. Joseph, Missouri, and soon accumulated a fortune.
The mansion that bears his name was built in 1889-1890 and became one of the city’s most unique residences. It was constructed for the sum of about $14,000, which was a massive expenditure at the time. The villa has five bedrooms and four baths and features intricate woodwork throughout.
John’s first wife, Alice, died in the house in 1892, and three years later, he married Anna Conlon, a widow with three sons. After John passed away in 1902, Anna continued to live in the house until her death in 1916. During this time, the mansion was home to a large number of her relatives, including many children. After Anna’s death, her brother, prominent Judge Charles J. Conlon, and his family lived there until about 1925.
The massive home then became a rooming house for the next 25 years. In 1952, though, it was purchased by Isobel Altus and turned into a single-family dwelling again. Isobel was a retired professional violinist and an “eccentric” who lived there until 1969. She reportedly always dressed in black. Since the home was across from what was the Franklin school, the children saw her when they would walk to and from class. Rumors swirled about the “witch” who lived in the old mansion and the children were terrified of her.
Unfortunately, Isobel simply didn’t have the money to follow through with her grand plans to restore the house to its original splendor and she sold it to George Gerardy just before her death. The house has since been restored and is considered one of the most picturesque and unusual homes in the Midwest.
And, some say, one of the most haunted.
Visitors, volunteers, and ghost hunters have experienced a wide range of strange phenomena in the mansion, including lights that turn on and off by themselves in the tower – which, incidentally, does not have electricity. Figures have been seen in the windows when the house is empty, objects move about and disappear, and Isobel Altus’s favorite rocking chair has been seen to rock back and forth on its own. It’s no surprise that Isobel – spotted still wearing her usual black dress – is one of the spirits most connected to the house.
Sounds of slamming doors have been heard throughout the night and footsteps have been heard pacing the halls of the second floor, a part of the house where many guests feel they are being watched.
Disembodied footsteps, apparitions, turning doorknobs, cold spots, whispers, mysterious voices… all this is part of the paranormal experience at McInteer Villa. Are you brave enough to discover this house for yourself?