This Missouri House Is Among The Most Haunted Places In The Nation

The Epperson House is a historic residence located at 5200 Cherry Street in Kansas City (which is now part of the University of Missouri), Missouri. Long believed to be haunted, it has even been previously featured as being among the Top 5 U.S. Haunted Houses on TV’s smash-hit series Unsolved Mysteries. It could easily be one of the most haunted places in Missouri, and we can see why.

Built by a man named Uriah Spray Epperson and designed by French architect Horace LaPierre, construction began in 1919 and was completed in 1923.

The four-story, Tudor-Gothic structure contained a grand total of 54 rooms. Six bathrooms, elevators, a swimming pool, a billiard room, and a custom organ were just some of its features. They also built a tunnel linking the east and west wings, and it even had its own barbershop!

Sadly, Uriah Epperson died in 1927, just four years after the home’s completion.

The building was donated to the university in 1942 by Epperson's widow. It was used as a men's dormitory until 1956, but is currently vacant and awaiting renovations.

Harriet Evelyn Barse, adopted daughter of original owner Uriah Epperson and his wife, is the apparent resident ghost. She died from a perforated gallbladder at the age of 47. Her death occurred in the house, during the construction of the house’s large organ.

She had designed the custom instrument for the loft space of the 48-foot living room.

The organ, built by the Reuter Organ Company of Lawrence, Kansas, was finally dedicated to Harriet after a respectable mourning period, on Sunday, November 29, 1925.

Additional stories attached to the history of the house include one in which Uriah had a psychiatric breakdown after the death of his daughter. Rumor has it that he murdered his wife and then killed himself inside the house, which entrapped all of their souls together as a family in the afterlife. Obviously, this is not true, but we're sure it made for some great ghost stories over the years among the college students.

Over the years, students and security officers as well as employees have reported seeing Barse’s ghost wearing an evening gown as though dressed for a recital.

She is said to usually be accompanied by strange lights and unexplained organ music.

Some believe that Epperson himself walks the halls as well. On one occasion, two campus police officers were doing a regularly-scheduled patrol of the building. Typical of a walk-through, they turned the lights on and off as they scouted the various parts of the house.

One light remained lit, and one of the policeman saw a ghostly arm in a blue suit turn off a light. This was believed to be the ghost of Uriah Epperson.

Check out this video:

In 1978, campus police were called after witnesses heard footsteps in the empty building. When an officer arrived, he felt a great crash along, with the sound of shattering glass - as if a car had hit him from behind. When he got out to check it out, there was no other car and no damage. However, his car had moved 8 inches... based on skid marks beneath his tires.

Have you ever visited the Epperson House? Have you experienced the hauntings? Do you think it's one of the most haunted places in Missouri? Please share your experiences, comments, stories, and photos with us!

Craving more terrifying tales from Missouri? Check this article out for a selection of terrifying tales from around the state!

Address: 5200 Cherry Street, Kansas City, Missouri, 64110