Jackson Antique Mall Haunted by Brothel Madame

Another of Jackson's most famous haunts is the Jackson Antique Mall, built around 1826. It was a livery stable (as you can tell if you visit the back room), an opera house, and an auto repair facility before becoming an antique shop.

I've been in there a few times, given a tour of the place and was told of particular corners of the establishment where apparitions have been seen...especially in the basement.

Evidently, one of the lost souls who haunt the place is a woman named Blanche, who was shot and killed in the area downstairs that was once a saloon. Another version states that Blanche was the madam of a brothel located on the top floor; she was killed while she was standing under the skylight when it caved in. The skylight has since been boarded up but Blanche is said to still haunt the top floor. Blanche - or possibly a different ghost - likes to play & ring little bells that are found on some of the antique dressers and activate "push for service" buttons.

Apparitions and sounds have been heard in corners of the basement. The basement is also open to customers...and anyone who goes down there gets a feeling of desolation & eeriness among the unnerving stillness. A couple of female customers were in the basement perusing the goods when they heard a woman scream from one of the corners...they immediately left the shop.

Supposedly, a murder took place in one of the doorways leading to an upper level.

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Among the string of windows along the south side facing Pearl Street, people have experienced cold spots...and no, not from cracks in the windows, which is what I thought...the windows were sealed with plexi-glass and the coldness was felt far enough away from the windows. Once you feel the coldness, it seems to follow you throughout the rest of your stay. In one of those windows, the figure of a woman has been seen by employees of neighboring businesses...even when the place was closed or no women were in the building. Glasses get turned upside-down, displays get re-arranged, candlesticks move on their own, burglar alarms get set off, and more.

Even people who haven't heard any haunted rumors ask employees if the place is haunted, claiming they've either seen or heard a ghost. A lady customer was trying on a bracelet that was hanging loose on her wrist when it tightened up, all on it's own, in front of her, her husband and a friend. She then turned to an employee and stated, "you have ghosts here."

Even police are skittish about going there at night; when burglar alarms go off in the middle of the night, they hesitate to go in, but they do...with loaded guns.

The great thing about this Haunted Michigan location is that it seems legit - plus, you can visit during business hours and check it out yourself. When you get upstairs, you'll understand what others felt, as you will get a certain air of uneasiness...and besides, they have cool stuff for sale.

Located at 201 N Jackson Street, Jackson.

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