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11 of St. Louis' Creepiest Places, Legends and Lore

By Riverfront Times Staff on Thu, Oct 22, 2015 at 5:17 pm

St. Louis is an old city, full of lore, mystery and restless spirits. From urban legends (Zombie Road) to the world's most famous exorcism (holy crap), here's a roundup of the area's most unsettling tales, just in time for Halloween.

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Many people believe this "Devil's wine box" is the cause of strange maladies and terrible misfortune. And it's hidden somewhere in northeast Missouri so it won't be disturbed. Read more here.

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Is north St. Louis County home to the Bubbleheads, a family who took experimental drugs and, as a result, have grotesque physical deformities? Read more here. Photo courtesy Flickr/Montel G.

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Bizarre and gruesome deaths along Zombie Road — including getting struck by unseen trains and falling from cliff sides — are said to occur near Ellisville. Read more here. Photo courtesy Flickr/derek raugh

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Legend says Molly Crenshaw was voodoo practitioner who cast spells on neighbors, and warned that anyone who touched her grave in St. Charles County would drop dead. Read more here. Photo courtesy Flickr/David Stanley

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The Exorcist house. The friggin' EXORCIST HOUSE. Read more here.

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Was "Lazy Sam," Mark Twain's ghost, channeled through an Ouija board? And what to make of Jap Herron? Read more here. Photo courtesy Flickr/felinebird

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Three out of four suicides in the Lemp family took place at the Lemp Mansion, and some say the ghosts have never left. Photo courtesy Flickr/Paul Sableman

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A spirit named Patience Worth was contacted via Ouija board, and she had plenty to say. Read more here. Illustration by Jeff Drew.

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Legend says that a tech died in a fall at the Loretto-Hilton center. But he's reportedly a friendly, helpful presence there. Photo courtesy Flickr/Virtual Farm Boy

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Spirits are said to roam the Fox Theatre -- and this time of year, ghost tours are offered. They're almost always sold out. Photo courtesy Flickr/Philip Leara

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Though it's now demolished, the abandoned Forest Park Hospital was a world of creepy. Click here for the full slideshow. Photo courtesy of Nick Zulauf.

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