MILWAUKEE — The Pfister Hotel is known for many things in Milwaukee. Primarily for being the spot where dignitaries like the president of the United States and professional athletes stay while in town. However, it's also known for having a supernatural guest - a ghost.
Over the years, many people, athletes, and musicians have cited some sort of supernatural occurrence happening at the hotel. With the Los Angeles Dodgers back in town for the NLCS, those talks are brought up again.
Dodgers player Mookie Betts has refused to stay at the hotel multiple times, instead booking an Airbnb from 2022-2025, according to NBC LA. His teammate, Teoscar Hernández did the same thing last year, too. It's unclear this year if Betts and Hernández are staying in the hotel or booked a room elsewhere.
According to Dodgers beat writer Bill Plunkett, Betts said he doesn't really believe in ghosts but doesn't want to find out he's wrong.
What the Experts Say
The Pfister was built in 1893. The origin of the ghost stories dates back to the death of Charles Pfister in 1927, according to Allison Jornlin, who runs American Ghost Walks, a ghost tour company in Milwaukee.
She discovered that there may have been sightings in the mid-20th century and even in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the supernatural occurrences began increasing in 2001 after former MLB player Adrián Beltré reported multiple disturbances throughout his multi-day stay at the hotel.
Jornlin has a book that will be published on Oct. 17 called 'Milwaukee Ghosts: In The Shadow Of City Hall'. The release party is at Kochanski's Concertina and Beer Hall during the annual Paracon event. It delves into Pfister Hotel hauntings, reveals room numbers where the haunts happened, and explores other ghost stories from across Milwaukee.
Other Ghost Sightings
Brent Rooker, a player for the Oakland Athletics, recently had a haunted experience while staying at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, according to MLB.com.
MLB reports that Rooker has previously stayed at the hotel, one time each with the Padres and Twins, and never had any unusual experiences. He said some of the lights flicker, but chalked it up to faulty wiring.
In 2016, Ji-Man Choi, who was the Anaheim Angels' first baseman at the time, claimed he had a supernatural experience at the hotel. He said a ghost lingered in his bed the first night he stayed at the Pfister.
In 2021, MLB published an article online detailing ghost sightings at the Pfister Hotel from several players, including Michael Young, Bryce Harper, and Mike Cameron. Their stories range from strange footsteps, objects moving by themselves, and hearing voices. In 2018 when the Cardinals came to Milwaukee, Carlos Martínez and Marcell Ozuna both claimed to have seen a ghost.
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