These figures, though long gone, have left a lasting impact that feels like their ‘ghosts’ are still with us, shaping modern culture and thought.
1. Walt Disney
It should be no surprise that Walt Disney continues to haunt Disney World. Walt famously loved trains, and allegedly a rogue train with a whistle would regularly appear on the board in the train command center. “The old guys used to say ‘That’s Walt’s train,” former cast member Darrold Wagnersaid said. A smoker, Walt would also sneak out back to have a cigarette away from the kids. “After Walt died, my security supervisor used to smell cigarette smoke back there almost every night,” Wagner reported. But mysteriously, no used cigarettes.
2. Marilyn Monroe
Along with her poodle Marilyn Monroe is believed to haunt the Brentwood home she was found dead in. The dog’s cries can be heard from the courtyard, and she has been spotted around the property. She has also been spotted in room 1200 of The Roosevelt Hotel, and the Hippodrome on the Santa Monica Pier. It is said if you watch the mirrors of the carousel, you can see her sitting on her favorite bench.
3. Willie Lincoln
Presidents are historically very haunted, and the White House is full of alleged ghost sightings. Abraham Lincoln reported receiving regular visits from his son Willie, who passed away at 11 years old.
4. Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln himself has also been reported many times as a ghost. “They say Lincoln always comes back whenever he feels the country is in need or in peril,” ghost researcher Jared Broach once wrote. Winston Churchill once allegedly saw Lincoln immediately after stepping out of the bath and remarked, “Good evening, Mr. President, you seem to have me at a disadvantage.”
5. Harry Houdini
The master of all escape artists, it stands to reason Houdini could escape death as well. Dying on Halloween night of 1926 Harry told his wife he would contact her from the afterlife. A few years later their house burned down, and since its reconstruction people claim to have spotted him walking around.
6. Al Capone
The iconic gangster has allegedly been sighted around the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, where he ran his criminal organization for many years. He also has been rumored to return to Alcatraz where he spent over four years, but apparently enjoyed his time. Banjo music can sometimes be heard from his former cell.
7. Thomas Jefferson
The iconic gangster has allegedly been sighted around the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago, where he ran his criminal organization for many years. He also has been rumored to return to Alcatraz where he spent over four years, but apparently enjoyed his time. Banjo music can sometimes be heard from his former cell.
7. Thomas Jefferson
And Andrew Jackson can be heard swearing.
9. Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley spent seven years performing at the Las Vegas Hilton before his death, and rumor has it you can still see him backstage from time to time.
10. Lucille Ball
Lucille Ball passed away in her Beverly Hills Mansion, and the home’s subsequent owners seem to think it’s haunted. Moving furniture, and voices in the attic are common reports. People have also reported suspicious activity at the Hart building on the Paramount Studios backlot where “I Love Lucy” was produced, and the Jamestown Cemetery in New York where she is buried.