Head down to Pike Place Market, if you dare
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Do you believe in ghosts?
If you do, you're not alone.
A new poll says nearly one in four people say they've seen a ghost or felt its presence.
This is the time of year where things come out of the dark and into the light at Pike Place Market. In fact, lots of people insist it's here where they see ghosts.
We all know Pike Place Market is the heartbeat of Seattle, bustling with energy, fresh foods, flowers and according to some, ghosts.
"It's the time of year people report seeing a lot of ghosts in the market," said Mercedes Yaeger, a film researcher and self-described storyteller.
When the ghosts show up, Mercedes Yaeger goes to work.
Yaeger says people often see a man dancing high up in the air inside an atrium. That man is believed to be the ghost of Arthur Goodwin - he designed the Market's interior in 1909. His office was next to a dance hall.
"When people see him they see him dancing on thin air, they see an aberration of a man dancing with top hat. He's jolly and dancing where there is no floor today," she said.
There have been countless sightings of Goodwin, but even more sightings of children.
"He's very protective of the space," Yaegar said.
It's believed that a young boy lives in a bead shop in the underbelly of the Market. Store owners have named him "Jacob". They believe he worked in the stables that were adjacent to the building.
"For some reason he's attracted to these beads. I've seen with my own eyes these beads go flying across the room," insists Yaeger.
Yaeger admits she didn't believe at first.
But after hearing repeated ghosts sightings, she dug into history and the historical context of the sightings.
Now, Yaeger is not just a believer. Every day she gives ghost tours at the Market.
"There's no way to explain it," says Bonnie Kirby, owner of Grandma's Attic, a gift and collectibles store.
Kirby, also known as Grandma, says just two weeks ago two miniature mugs from a glass case mysteriously disappeared.
"There is no way those cups could leave here!" she said.
Or is there?
When she was dusting a shelf on the other side of her shop she found them. The mugs have names on them: Arney on one, Eileen on the other. Yaeger wonders if it was the work of children ghosts named Arney and Eileen.
There are other ghost stories at the Market. Yaeger believes the most haunted place in the state is the site of Seattle's first mortuary at First and Virginia.
"There was so much pain there," she said. 1,500 children died there from the pandemic flu."
Whether you're a non-believer, a ghost hunter or just like a good ghost story, the market is the place to be. Head down tonight for a ghost tour and see what appears or disappears.
Tours begin daily at 6 p.m. at Rachel the pig near Flying Fish inside the Pike Place Market and will continue through Nov. 3.
If you do, you're not alone.
A new poll says nearly one in four people say they've seen a ghost or felt its presence.
This is the time of year where things come out of the dark and into the light at Pike Place Market. In fact, lots of people insist it's here where they see ghosts.
We all know Pike Place Market is the heartbeat of Seattle, bustling with energy, fresh foods, flowers and according to some, ghosts.
"It's the time of year people report seeing a lot of ghosts in the market," said Mercedes Yaeger, a film researcher and self-described storyteller.
When the ghosts show up, Mercedes Yaeger goes to work.
Yaeger says people often see a man dancing high up in the air inside an atrium. That man is believed to be the ghost of Arthur Goodwin - he designed the Market's interior in 1909. His office was next to a dance hall.
"When people see him they see him dancing on thin air, they see an aberration of a man dancing with top hat. He's jolly and dancing where there is no floor today," she said.
There have been countless sightings of Goodwin, but even more sightings of children.
"He's very protective of the space," Yaegar said.
It's believed that a young boy lives in a bead shop in the underbelly of the Market. Store owners have named him "Jacob". They believe he worked in the stables that were adjacent to the building.
"For some reason he's attracted to these beads. I've seen with my own eyes these beads go flying across the room," insists Yaeger.
Yaeger admits she didn't believe at first.
But after hearing repeated ghosts sightings, she dug into history and the historical context of the sightings.
Now, Yaeger is not just a believer. Every day she gives ghost tours at the Market.
"There's no way to explain it," says Bonnie Kirby, owner of Grandma's Attic, a gift and collectibles store.
Kirby, also known as Grandma, says just two weeks ago two miniature mugs from a glass case mysteriously disappeared.
"There is no way those cups could leave here!" she said.
Or is there?
When she was dusting a shelf on the other side of her shop she found them. The mugs have names on them: Arney on one, Eileen on the other. Yaeger wonders if it was the work of children ghosts named Arney and Eileen.
There are other ghost stories at the Market. Yaeger believes the most haunted place in the state is the site of Seattle's first mortuary at First and Virginia.
"There was so much pain there," she said. 1,500 children died there from the pandemic flu."
Whether you're a non-believer, a ghost hunter or just like a good ghost story, the market is the place to be. Head down tonight for a ghost tour and see what appears or disappears.
Tours begin daily at 6 p.m. at Rachel the pig near Flying Fish inside the Pike Place Market and will continue through Nov. 3.
