Mystery Manor in Omaha, Nebraska first opened its doors in 1887. Like many large buildings on the American frontier, it started out its existence as a bordello to service the locals, many of whom were recent transplants. The building shed its seedy reputation very quickly and became a home for the Hall family, William and Greta. William Hall was a prominent member of Omaha’s upper crust, but this blessing became the biggest curse of all in 1929, when the stock market crashed.
William Hall lost a fortune, and driven to madness, he took a woodsman’s ax and murdered his wife, hacking her body into bits and pieces. With a cooler head the following day, he buried her in the grounds of Mystery Manor, but the suffering didn’t end there. John Martin, who was Greta Hall’s brother, found out about what happened and paid her husband back by killing him with the same ax that was used to kill Greta. John then buried William alongside his wife in the grave that he himself had dug. The final mystery came on Halloween night, when John Martin was found dead at the grave of his beloved sister and her murderous husband, killed with the very same ax that had been used to kill both of them. The murder of John Martin remains unsolved. Mystery Manor is currently operated as a commercial haunted house, so not only is it open to visitors, but you can even enjoy a more intense experience as provided by the staff. With that said, the hauntings stretch beyond tricks and gimmicks, and the spirits of William Hall, his unfortunate wife Greta, and her avenging brother John, all remain, tied to the old house forever. How much of the whispers you here are from the ghosts and how much are from the staff will have to remain your own personal mystery if you visit.
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