Stoughton, Wisconsin's THE GRAND HOTEL LEGACY

Elsing's Secondhand Shop looks like any other store on Main Street in Stoughton. The place is even decorated for Halloween. The owners here, though, say their building offers a fright year-round. "I don't like coming down here at night alone," said co-owner Vicky Elsing, who added she's not overly scared by working there. "I told her stories when she bought the place, I told her, you know, you're buying a haunted building," said Elsing's best friend Pam Buckley, a life long Stoughton resident. That building dates to 1891. It was called the Grand Hotel, which doubled as a saloon and brothel. In the 1970's, it became a teen center. In the '80's and '90's it was a pizza joint. When the Elsing's took over in 2004, they say they realized how accurate the stories might be. Vicky Elsing said she hears pots and pans falling off shelves. When she walks in to check on the commotion, everything appears fine. She recounted one story where a customer claimed to have seen a cup floating off a shelf and landing on an aisle floor. Then there were sightings of a young girl. A medium (one of 11 different mediums or paranormal groups who have visited the building) claims the girl's name is Mary. One story is that Mary is the daughter of a hotel worker, who died from appendicitis. Buckley said she also saw the image of a woman or a girl back in the 1970's when she visited the teen center on the site, though it's unclear if that's the same ghost as 'Mary.' Buckey described that figure as wearing a long white dress and curly hair. The supposed hauntings at the store are now a hobby of the Elsing's, who post their findings on display near the cash register. That includes audio recordings called electronic voice phenomena, or EVP. In one audio file, they claim two ghosts can be heard; a man speaks while the other, likely that of Mary, cries. In the other recording, a medium asks if anyone else is in the room. A garbled noise is recorded seconds later. Elsing believes that is the voice of Mary answering, "Just me." There's also a blurry black and white photo that she believes shows the ghostly outline of a woman. Elsing can point out the figure's hair, head, eyes, shoulders, and arms. If that's not enough, then try explaining her dog Otis. We were told Otis doesn't like going into a back room where other ghostly events have taken place, including stories of doors that keep opening, and books that are pulled from shelves. Even with some coaxing, as Vicky walked toward that room, Otis refused to go anywhere near her. After about a ten second pause... he slowly walked down the hall and into that room. For the Elsing's, it all adds up to proof that their secondhand shop, on the edge of historic downtown Stoughton, is haunted.