Spooky Stevens Point Area

The Club Forest Bar in Plover has a long and mysterious history. According to previous owners, the bar's past is filled with colorful stories, including rumors that it once operated as a brothel and welcomed infamous visitors such as Al Capone and John Dillinger. While those days are long gone, many believe a piece of that era remains behind. Staff and patrons alike have reported unexplained experiences over the years, leading some to believe the building is still haunted by a spirit from its storied past.

They claim the bar is visited by a former caretaker named Melvin. Sadly, Melvin was shot defending a woman from an unruly customer, and that he may still be looking for the woman. Incidents like jukeboxes turning on and off, television volumes being turned all the way up, and bar stools flying across the room are most common when there is a man with a loud or forceful voice on the premise. Despite the spooky occurrences, they say Melvin is welcomed (and is even mentioned on their menu). 

Photo Credit: @clubforestbar

Perhaps the most haunted places in the Stevens Point Area are the haunted bridges: Red Bridge on Casimir Road, Black Bridge, and "Bloody Bride Bridge" on Highway 66 near Jordan Park. According to local legend, a bride was killed on her wedding night at this location, thus giving it its name. The first encounter of the ghostly woman was by a police officer, who thought that he had hit the woman, got out of his car to investigate, and found nothing...so he thought. As he re-entered his police vehicle, he locked eyes with the woman in his back seat! Since this encounter, the bride is said to haunt all three bridges, especially late at night and during the winter months. 

Since all three bridges are popular for fishing, fishermen on the waters late at night often have experiences with the bride, and many local residents have their own stories about the location. Passing through this location during the day will be encounter-free, but beware visiting at nighttime when she is on the prowl! 

The story of Boy Scout Lane is known by most locals, but its trustworthiness is questionable. Legend states that a group of boy scouts disappeared on the site many years ago. It is debated whether the boys were murdered by their bus driver, slowly disappeared one by one, or accidentally started a forest fire from a lantern they were carrying and perished. Despite the myths, there has never been a reported disappearance of the boys. The location actually gets its name because at one point the Boy Scouts of America purchased the land in hopes of it becoming a boy scout camp. This never happened, but the name stuck.

Today, people often report seeing lights like lanterns bobbing through the forest then disappearing, their car having children's handprints on it after driving in the area, and some even report seeing a bus in the area that eventually disappears. Do not go to Boy Scout Lane to investigate this for yourselves-- the property that the lane is on is privately owned, and the homeowners near the property have full rights to contact the police on unsolicited visitors. In this case, rely on the urban legends to scare you enough! 

Information gathered from here. 

The Cottage Cafe in Plover is one of the area's most well-known haunted locations, with a history as intriguing as the stories that surround it. Built in the 1850s, the building has had 12 previous owners and has served many purposes over the years, including a private residence, a hotel, and several restaurants. One of its former residents, the Sowiak family, never publicly discussed any paranormal activity, but one of the children later recalled being frightened by an upstairs bedroom. Before them, the Pierce family lived in the home. James Pierce, the family patriarch and a deacon at the local church, was outspoken about the evils of alcohol. Some believe his presence lingered after his death, as strange occurrences were reported when the building housed the Sherman Restaurant, including glasses mysteriously flying off the bar. Following renovations, activity reportedly intensified, with slamming doors, shattered windows, flying plates, and other unexplained disturbances becoming a regular occurrence throughout the restaurant.

Today, the building is for sale and the Cottage Cafe is no more. However, the past owners of the Cottage Cafe are sisters who are paranormal investigators and have said that the ghosts are friendly and always welcomed in the building. 

Want More?

Find more Halloween activities and spooky places to see. Or, explore Feltz Haunted Corn Maze, where you must navigate the corn field with ghosts, ghouls, and goblins hiding around every corner. Then, check out more seasonal events in the Stevens Point Area.