The nun in the tower (unverified) Our creepiness rating 💀💀💀💀💀
A legend says a nun was found dead in January 1900. Milwaukee Magazine notes it has "never been verified," and mentions a 1996 photo by David Schmickel said to show a figure. Source: Milwaukee Magazine, 2018.
Facts below are drawn from the linked sources.
Real history
The core is the Italianate mansion Senator Charles Durkee built in 1861. In 1865 it was donated to St. Matthew's Episcopal Church for a girls' boarding school, which opened in 1871 as Kemper Hall; the Sisters of St. Mary took charge in 1878. It was added to the National Register in 1976 and is now a 17.5-acre Kenosha County park (Wikipedia). Milwaukee Magazine gives 1865 as the start of its school years (Milwaukee Magazine, 2018).
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
Open to the public Milwaukee Magazine says the "grounds are open to the public" (Milwaukee Magazine, 2018); the Kemper Center lists events and historical tours on its official website. Last checked: Nov 1, 2026.
Explore more
- More places in Kenosha and Wisconsin
- More haunted & abandoned civic buildings
- Nearby: Forest Home Cemetery (Milwaukee, WI), The Pfister Hotel (Milwaukee, WI), Riverside Theater (Milwaukee, WI), Pabst Theater (Milwaukee, WI)
⚠️ Please read: This information may be outdated and conditions change.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.
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