Edward the bank teller Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
The most-told story is of "Edward," a teller said to have been shot at the old bank's teller cage. A tall man in suspenders with a handlebar mustache was reportedly seen by a tour guide in the 1980s. One writer notes they could not confirm any record of this shooting. Sources: The Ghost in My Machine, The Paranormal.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
The Seattle Underground is the name for the areaways, old sidewalks and basements beneath Pioneer Square. Many were created when the streets were raised after the Great Seattle Fire of June 6, 1889, which destroyed much of the business district (Wikipedia).
When streets were rebuilt higher, retaining walls went up along the new roadways, leaving open spaces between the walls and the buildings. Old ground floors became basements. Glass vault lights set into the new sidewalks lit the passages below, and some are still visible (Wikipedia, History).
In 1907 the city condemned the Underground over fears of bubonic plague. The spaces were left to decay or used for storage, and some became flophouses, gambling halls, speakeasies and opium dens (Wikipedia). Only a small part has been restored for guided tours. Bill Speidel's Underground Tour began in 1965, and a second company, Beneath the Streets, started in 2013 (Wikipedia, Tours).
Ghost stories
These are reported legends, not verified events. The creepiness score (1–5) is Spook Atlas's own editorial rating, not a measurement.
Shadows at the Oriental Hotel Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
Shadowy figures of women are reported near the former Oriental Hotel. Source: The Ghost in My Machine.
Shadowy figures of women are reported near the former Oriental Hotel. Source: The Ghost in My Machine.
Then and now
Public access
Open to the public The restored sections can be seen on paid guided tours, according to the tour operator's official website. The rest of the Underground is not open to the public. Last checked: Oct 31, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Seattle and Washington
- More haunted & abandoned underground places
- Nearby: Hotel Sorrento (Seattle, WA), Pike Place Market (Seattle, WA), Harvard Exit Theatre (Seattle, WA), Comet Lodge Cemetery (Seattle, WA)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change.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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