The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis is often mentioned on lists of America’s Most Haunted Places. The former home of the Lemp family is now a restaurant and bed & breakfast. Diners and overnight guests can experience ghostly events inside the mansion.
Why is haunted
The sad history of the Lemp family makes it easy to see why many believe the mansion is haunted. The Lemps once ruled over the second largest brewery in the US, and the family home is everything you would expect from such a dynasty. But the mansion is also the place where three family members committed suicide and their ghosts are still said to roam the halls.
The fall of the Lemp brewing dynasty began in 1901 when Frederick Lemp died under mysterious circumstances. Frederick was the heir to the beer empire and his father’s favorite son, William. Three years later, a still grieving William shot himself in the head in a room at the Lemp mansion. In a span of two generations, four members of the Lemp family committed suicide.
Daughter Elsa committed suicide at her husband’s home in 1920 after suffering a difficult marriage. His son William Jr. shot himself inside the Lemp mansion in 1922. He had previously been divorced and lost custody of his only son. The final suicide at the mansion was in 1949 when son Charles shot and killed his dog and then himself. It is this tragic family history, combined with hundreds of tales of ghostly encounters, that gives Lemp Mansion a place among the most haunted houses in the nation.
The most exclusive Bed & Breakfast in St. Louis
Today, the house’s reputation makes it one of the most interesting guesthouses in St. Louis. The thirty-three-room mansion still has original furnishings and distinctive Victorian and Art Deco decor. Overnight guests can choose to stay in one of four different suites: the Lavender Suite, the William Lemp Suite, the Elsa Lemp Suite, or the Frederick and Louis Lemp Suite. The Lavender and William Lemp Suites are decorated with period furniture, while the Elsa and Frederick and Louis Suites offer more modern accommodations.
The Lemp Mansion is located at 3322 DeMenil Place in South St. Louis and can be reached at (314) 664-8024. The restaurant is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner is served from Thursday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. (January to August), and Tuesday to Saturday from 5:30 p.m. pm to 10 pm (September-December). Every Sunday the restaurant serves an all you can eat family style chicken dinner from 11:30 am to 8 pm
Haunted events
The Lemp Mansion plays on its spooky reputation by offering haunted events throughout the year. Local ghost hunters also offer private groups through the mansion looking for signs of paranormal activity. And every Halloween, the Lemp mansion hosts a costume party and dance. For more information on these and other haunted events, visit the Lemp Mansion website.
For more spooky deals in St. Louis, check out The Real Haunted Places of St. Louis and the best Halloween haunted houses.
