Speaking with the Spirits Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
Chronicle Media reported 2025 tours at $33 for ages 12 and up, with the guide saying she has had "many haunting and enlightening experiences within her walls." Source: Chronicle Media, 2025.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
Architect Lucas Pfeiffenberger began the house in 1869 for Henry Guest McPike (1825–1910), a mayor of Alton. Paul A. Laichinger bought it in 1925 or 1936 and rented out rooms; after his death it stood abandoned for years (Wikipedia).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Then and now
Public access
Partly open Visitors may walk the grounds 10 AM–8 PM but may not enter the house; scheduled tours (including the cellar), group tours by appointment and investigations April–Nov. 1 are listed on the McPike Mansion site. The fall 2026 tours are listed as sold out. Last checked: Nov 1, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Alton and Illinois
- More haunted & abandoned mansions
- Nearby: Alton Military Prison (Alton, IL), Mineral Springs Hotel (Alton, IL), Lemp Mansion (St. Louis, MO), Zombie Road (Rock Hollow Trail) (Wildwood, MO)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change. Verify access with the owner or operator before you go. Spook Atlas does not encourage trespassing. Entering private, closed or condemned property can be illegal and dangerous. Report a correction.
Reader experiences
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