Spending a Night at Milwaukee’s Brumder Mansion

Arriving at Milwaukee’s Brumder Mansion

Out of all of the places to stay in Milwaukee, one of the most interesting is the Brumder Mansion. Those old, historic homes from around the turn of the twentieth century that are in most every town in the United States interest me beyond my comprehension. They’re always so beautiful, and with such character; I just love to be able to walk through, tour them, and learn about the past residents. And that’s exactly the case with the Brumder, only with some people who haven’t left.

The Brumder Mansion is supposedly haunted. I say “supposedly,” since I didn’t have any of my own experiences; I was out too late on another investigation during my Visit Milwaukee trip, and so didn’t have the opportunity to do any snooping. Lots of stories persist, though, and if you’re interested all you have to do is ask owner Julie Carr. She was kind enough to sit down with me during my stay to tell me all about some of her favorite permanent guests.

I’ll discuss some of the entities here briefly, but will go into more detail in a book I’m currently writing on ghost investigations. The Brumder is not open for such groups, but is friendly to the individual who wishes to ask some questions in a respectful manner – no provoking! As it is, you shouldn’t need to do any; if the spirits like you, then they’ll interact with you. They’re all quite friendly, according to Julie, even the more protective ones in the basement.

The Brumder Mansion’s grand staircase

Long ago, when the Brumders sold the mansion, businessman Sam Pick turned it into a speakeasy. Two of the bouncers – men by the names of Joe and Mike – apparently got to a point where the mob thought they knew too much. Because of this, they were murdered. They haven’t forgotten, though, and still work to maintain the peace in the basement of the Brumder Mansion.

Julie took me on a short tour of the basement to introduce me to the guys. I agreed not to take any photographs, since the spirits down there don’t appreciate that interaction and thus tend to hide. Instead of hiding, though, I felt like they were right on me the whole time – so close I felt they were constantly touching me because of the goosebumps – likely because, as Julie said, they didn’t know me and wanted to make sure she was safe. I was able to respect that, and in turn write about them here and in my book in the hopes that they can find some peace.

While several spirits are said to reside in the basement, it is also the home of a small neighborhood playhouse. Like the rest of the mansion, the area is restored and decorated much like it was in the early part of the last century. There’s even a bar like the ones from back in the 1920s, which is probably all the more reason for Joe and Mike to hang around from their speakeasy days.

Marion’s Suite

All of the guest rooms are on the top two floors of the house. My room, Marion’s Suite, was on the third floor of the mansion. Like most of the rooms, spirits are said to frequent the room. Some of them, to let guests know they’re around, may bang on the hot tubs, which are in most of the rooms. Each suite, just like the rest of the mansion, is tastefully decorated to the time period.

Gyneth’s Suite

These decorations made my stay that much more exciting. After touring such homes for years, I had so badly wanted to stay in one. And finally, at the Brumder Mansion in Milwaukee, I was able to do so. I slept soundly all night, too, without a single disturbance from any of the spirits. They were all quite welcoming, and understanding of me coming in late when I spent the night.

George’s Suite

The Brumder Mansion isn’t simply a room to rent. In addition to the playhouse and finely decorated rooms, there’s also breakfast offered each morning. And oh is it something to taste. If ever you need a reason to stay at the Brumder, it’s the strawberry French toast. Yum. Simply, yum. Other options are available, and can be requested for a time that works best for you.

The amazing strawberry French toast at the Brumder Mansion

My stay at the Brumder Mansion was everything I had hoped. The rooms were elegant, the ownership and other guests I met were friendly – as well as the spirits who I felt nearby – and it’s close to a lot of things to do in Milwaukee, including the Pabst Mansion. Did you know that, too, is haunted? Yep. There are stories about haunting there. Just stop in and ask.