Got a ghost story? Experience something you just can’t explain? We’d love to hear about it.
Ghost stories aren’t just for telling in the dark of night around a crackling campfire -- they’re also for sharing with strangers on the internet. Though I wouldn’t say no to a good story around a campfire (or a s’more) right now.
Unfortunately, the best I can do is a virtual campfire. So, this is it. Tell us about your ghost story (or otherwise unexplained experience) using the form below and we’ll share the best ones with the group. Don’t forget to mention where and when it happened!
Share your ghost story in the form below
(Can’t see the form? Click here.)
---> These 10 Michigan towns have most ghost sightings in the state
Here are some of the stories submitted in 2023
The blurry woman in the basement
This story comes from Tonya Sisler out of Lake Orion: My home in Detroit was haunted by a young woman. My family spent four years having experiences. She liked to hang out in the basement and call our names when no one was home. She always looked the same, long dark hair, red v neck t-shirt, black skirt. But you could never make out her facial features, those were always blurred. She was around the age of myself and my siblings at the time and I think our presence made her comfortable because we were never afraid having these experiences. She was always just there.
The ‘lady in black’ and ‘little girl’
This story comes from Jess Hoerr out of New Haven: When my kids were little (2 and 3 years of age) they used to talk about ‘the lady in black’ and ‘little girl’ and I chalked it up to imaginary friends due to their age. However, I started to find things moving in the house (i.e. the brand new pack of diapers would go from the cabinet to the living room table and there was no chance the kids could reach the cabinet).
I also, on occasion, would hear a child’s voice saying, ‘do you want to play?’ It only happened when my children were at a sitters or outside the home. This went on for a few months and I just kept thinking I had moved things and didn’t remember.
Well, one night my son (2 years old) had been asleep for a few hours when suddenly I heard him screaming and crying. I rushed into his and his sisters room and found him in the middle of the room with a giant red hand print on his back (larger than my own in size). With his size compared to the size of the room there was no chance he had just fallen out of bed, he had to have been pushed. I hid how freaked I was, regarding the hand print, and soothed him and brought him and his sister to my room for the remainder of the night.
The next day I talked to them about the ‘lady in black’ and the ‘little girl’. Come to find out that the ‘lady in black’ would not let the little girl play and would often scare my daughter to ‘keep her away.’ Taking their ages into consideration and that the only TV they watched at the time was ‘Mickey Mouse’ I knew they weren’t making any of these events up.
Over the next one to two months I made trips from Virginia (where we lived) to Michigan (where my parents lived) because I refused to live in the house. I’d come down on weekends to meet with local paranormal investigators.
During one particular investigation, I had a friend join me, and she had joined one of the other investigators in my childrens’ room to ask questions and communicate. I was in the kitchen downstairs with another investigator (one more was outside monitoring the video cameras they had setup). About an hour into the investigation, my friend started to scream, as did the investigator with her.
We ran upstairs and found her on the ground grabbing her throat and visibly choking. After rushing everyone outside we found two large hand prints around her throat as if she had been choked by something. At that point I had had my fill and walked into the house, screamed at whatever was in the home that this was my house, and if it wanted to mess with someone to come and get me but to understand that if it came after my kids or friends again I’d figure out a way to kick it’s (expletive). I was livid.
Nothing ever happened again in the house. Kids and I moved back down a couple weeks later, and my now ex-husband continued to live in the home for another 10 years with no repeat of the incidents.
Haunted county buildings
This story comes from an anonymous person from Macomb County: So many times the unexplained has happened to me while working in Macomb County. Many of the county buildings are definitely inhabited by souls that have passed on. The Jail, Vic Wertz, the Court House and Verkuilen buildings have the most activity.
I have witnessed fire alarms and lights go on, watched stock items fly across the floor, watched a standard door that was lock just open and close, disembodied voices throughout hallways, observed items move across a room and much more. Many of these incidents weren’t visible by just me, but others, too. Their experiences even involved toilet paper rolls unfurling and stacking up on the floor by themselves. Going to work was always an interesting experience.
The case of the missing olive oil
This story comes from Julia Zeller out of Capac: We bought a 100+ year old farmhouse 20+ years ago. Went on vacation, came back and our 5-gallon olive oil jug was gone no where to be found!!! I thought maybe the person watching our dogs took it (he was 15). He said no. I go and buy another three weeks later -- go to use it and it’s gone! My husband swore he never took it! It happened a couple more times and then stopped! We never found any of the bottles or cans! So we figured we had Italian cook who needed it more! I just wish whatever they were cooking they would of left us some! This is a true story! It never happened again.
Haunted while babysitting
This story comes from Melissa Macdonald out of Grosse Pointe Farms: When I was around 12 years old my best friend and I were babysitting for a family down the street. Now, mind you, this took place in the late 70s. There had been many unexplainable things that had happened over the few years that myself, my sister, and my friend had experience -- but nothing like what I’m about to tell you that happened that one night.
I was sitting on a couch and my friend was sitting on the other couch and there was a small, couch height, wood table sitting in between the two couches in the corner. We had a glass bottle of coke sitting on this table. We were watching ‘Saturday Night Live’ when suddenly the wood table started shaking rather quickly and the bottle was moving as well but it never toppled over.
My friend and I just stared at each other like, “What in the Hell is happening!?” Not three seconds after that stopped we both heard what sounded like a ring being scraped against the wall all the way down a long hall that led to the bedrooms. We were both screaming in hysteria and ran outside.
My friend’s mom came down and waited until the parents came home. I refused to ever step foot back in that house. I’m 58 now and this event has never been forgotten. I can still remember the entire event like it happened yesterday. This took place in Clinton Township, Michigan.
Floating baby, standing chip, and the narrow mirror
This story comes from an anonymous person out of Detroit: This happened in an old home in Southwest Detroit known for a basement where a doctor used to perform abortions illegally a long time ago. My baby floated off the table and set gently down on ground. Another time we threw away bag of chips in the trash, one chip popped out and landed standing up on the ground on its own! And there was a long narrow mirror that my little dog used to always approach cautiously and bark at. There were other mirrors that she didn’t mind but this one for some reason spooked her. Never saw any apparitions or heard any ghostly wailings or anything -- but the stuff I have described happened in the 1980′s. Absolute fact.
Broken cuckoo clock
This story comes from an anonymous viewer: When my father, this is a true story believe it or not, passed away in 1996 October we did not know what to do with his ashes so I kept them on a book shelf tucked away in the corner of the book shelf until it was figured out.
But the first incident upon bringing his ashes into the house was as my husband holding the ashes started walking down the hallway to the study a cuckoo clock that has never worked ever started cuckooing. Six times. Then a sampler I crossed stitched fell to the floor. Nail was fine and picture was fine. Then after that weird things happened in the house. Cigarette smoke when no one smoked in the house. Foot steps above us as we watched television especially in our daughters room and our daughter said she was seeing things as well.
This went on until my mother passed away 3 years ago last April. We buried him with my mothers permission together. When we got home after the funeral service the house was quiet as a mouse. Nothing after that. So, we think he was waiting for his spouse to join him. True story? Oh, yeah. Can ask the members of my family some of the crazy things we heard during the years.
‘Get the heck out of my house!’
This story comes from an anonymous viewer: When I lived in Walled Lake I would hear someone walking, when there was no one there. Things had been moved, of course you can just explain those things away, even that cold breeze or what felt like someone brushing against you. One day a bread pan went flying across my kitchen, right in front of me “I yelled “Herbert (what I called it jokingly) get the heck out of my house!”, guess what it all stopped -- he left.
Haunted block in Detroit
This story comes from Carmen Burney out of Detroit: My grandmother had a house on 1969 Pierce Street off of St. Aubin in Detroit just off Gratiot around the corner from the Eastern Market.
We were kids in 1980s one particular night. My uncle went to work he worked at Chrysler as soon as he left the house went crazy we heard walking, we heard stomping, loud noises. How it started was, when I was sleeping in my grandmother’s room -- we were all sleeping in her room. We always slept in her room. This particular night I do remember I was sleep and I’ve always been a light sleeper. It kept flicking the light switch and she had one of those old school lights switches -- the house was old -- that when you turned on the light it would makes a loud clicking noise. Not like today’s light switches, but this one woke me up.
That thing came in there and kept clicking that light. I finally woke up scared that’s when all the noise started and continued on until the sun came up. We were in the kitchen, holding hands, praying and it got even louder. We prayed as we tried to go back to sleep. I heard scratching very loud under the floorboards in the walls.
I was terrified. My grandmother tried to say it was nothing, but it definitely was something. We all heard it. I’ll never ever forget. There are more horror stories The street is now abandoned and now has a school on the street now. The whole block was haunted. There are so many stories. I never liked her house. I’m sure there is probably still activity going on to this day.
A strange, but pleasant experience
This story comes from an anonymous viewer: I visited my parent’s neighbor in Shelby Township a few year’s back who recently lost her dear husband. She and I were the only ones there that day and we were talking in her dining room.
I thought I heard someone walking up her staircase towards the bedrooms on the second floor. I didn’t mention it to her at the time, but a short time later, I heard what sounded like heavy books being dropped on the second floor bedroom. Still, I didn’t say anything, but within a few minutes, more books were purposely being dropped on the floor.
The dining room was directly below this upstairs bedroom, so the noise was very loud. I looked at her and said, ‘are those noises, the footsteps, the book dropping sounds coming from your husband?’ She looked at me, smiled, and said ‘yes, that is him.’
She assured me that he means no harm. I asked if this kind of thing happens often and she said, ‘every day and night.’ A minute later, I heard another noise coming from the kitchen. A drawer had opened and the silverware was rustling around. I heard the drawer close and again, I looked at her and she said, ‘he is trying to get our attention.’ I told her he has succeeded.
After 15 minutes, I mentioned her that maybe I should go, because he seemed to wanted to be alone with her. As I was getting ready to leave, I saw a figure move through the kitchen to the utility room. Normally, I would run out of any place that was haunted, but for some reason, I felt no fear. The energy was actually light and uplifting. This visit was a strange but pleasant experience with my parent’s neighbor.
‘You got more riding to do’
This story comes from an anonymous viewer: “I was in a motorcycle accident years ago and was headed headfirst into a telephone post, thought of a deceased friend wondering if this was how he felt during his accident. I felt someone grab the back of my jacket inches from me hitting the pole and hearing a laugh and whisper ‘you got more riding to do.’
Little boy watching TV
This story comes from an anonymous viewer: I was a student at EMU in the 90′s living in an old house. My roommates had gone home for Thanksgiving but I had not left yet because I had to work. I fell asleep while watching TV. When I woke up after midnight I looked in the direction of the TV and there was a little boy in short pants sitting cross legged on the floor watching the TV. He disappeared after about 10 seconds and I got up, called my BF and waited outside for him to pick me up.
Visits from grandfather
This story comes from an anonymous viewer: The house I grew up in wasn’t haunted, just visited by spirit. My grandfather died in 1984. The Tigers were in the world series and towards the end of a game with our friends waiting to go out, we heard shuffling of feet in our empty kitchen.
Now my grandfather had an accident that caused him to shuffle when he walked, he lived with us and passed away in our dining room. Our friends ran out of that house so fast -- which is funny now, but then not so much. And grandfather came frequently, I guess, because one morning my dad was playing solitary and I heard the Lord’s prayer being said.
I said, ‘Dad, you’re praying to win at cards?’ He said, ‘no, that’s your grandfather.’ My grandfather was very religious at the end of his life. I just grabbed my purse and left the house. There were a couple more incidents but he moved on eventually.
Haunted home in Clarkston
This story comes from Amanda Hayes from Grand Blanc: This took place in a home in Clarkston, Michigan. I was 17 at the time and on the phone with a friend. Everyone was out of the house except for myself and our two dogs.
It was during the evening hours and I heard the front door open and close. My two dogs went running to the door and were very excited as if someone had just come home. I told my friend that my parents had just got home and I’d call him back.
After a few moments, I realized I hadn’t heard anyone in the house. I went to check and the door was closed and locked but the dogs were both sitting in front of it, wagging their tails and looking very happy like there was someone there. I freaked out, turned every light on in the house and called my parents telling them they needed to come home immediately.
Many other things happened in the house before and after that incident. I would hear a man and woman having some type of argument in the kitchen all the time. Bedroom doors would open and close right in front of you. Orbs of lights were seen in the basement. My dad had actually heard the front door open in the middle of the night and when he went to check, the door was actually open.
The home remained in our family for over 20 years until my dad recently sold it a few years back. I never did find answers for anything that happened.
Don’t make the ghosts feel unappreciated
This story comes from an anonymous viewer from Detroit: I lived in an apartment where a couple that had been killed in a car accident used to live. One night while a friend of mine was visiting I was boiling water in a pot on the stove (cooking) and heard a noise in the kitchen.
Got up and checked . . . nothing! My friend joked that it was probably the people that used to live there helping us cook. Not even 30 seconds later the whole pot of water flew off the stove onto the floor!
There’s no real explanation how that could have happened so I chalked it up to the ghost of the lady was trying to help cook until my friend made her feel unappreciated so she ruined dinner for everyone and moved on. There was never another incident.