You may have come to relax at the resort and spa, but in Excelsior Springs, there are plenty of strange happenings to keep you on your toes. Throughout the area, tourists have encountered several different legends that deal with a lap pool, middle school, and Tryst Falls.
One of the biggest draws for the Excelsior Springs area is The Elms, which is the shortened name of the Elms Resort and Spa. While there are numerous haunted tales attached to this establishment, it is the lap pool that seems to possess the most paranormal activity. Located in the basement, a more mature man is said to haunt the premises. Some believe he once lived in the days where speakeasies were thriving. Tales attached to his existence swirl with gambling, liquor, and the mob. It is said that the ghost who haunts the pool lost his life to the hands of mobsters who he was having an argument with.
On the third floor of the resort and spa, there is a woman who is said to haunt the hallways. During the 1920s, the woman worked on the grounds as a maid, which is the type of clothing she is seen wearing when she appears to visitors , 20s maid uniform. She has been spotted watching the activities of other maids. Rumor says she intently looks over their shoulder to make sure they are doing things properly. Another female ghosts is said to room the halls, where some believe she is looking for someone (perhaps her lost child, according to some accounts). When this ghost gets upset, she will pull at your hair or tosses something across the room.
Overall, the Elms is filled with plenty of weird noises that don’t make the strange feelings you may feel when inside. For some, they claim to feel the presence of something or someone who is constantly around them.
Schools in the area carry their own haunted tales. At the Excelsior Springs Middle School, young boy lost his life not too long ago when he suffered carbon monoxide poisoning. The child’s name was Donny and his funeral was held in the gym of the school. It is said that if you walk throughout the gym when the clock strikes 2:30pm, you might catch sight of the ghost playing on a guitar.
At the now closed down Roosevelt School, the auditorium stage is said haunted by a ghost by the name of Penny. At the same time of a school play, a cast member decided to take her own life because she found out she was pregnant. The school is still haunted, as is the locations that surround it.
When visiting the Odell Sports Center, some believe they will encounter the ghost of a man who often frequents the shower area. He is also known to slam lockers shut and emit an odd laugh when he is making his presence known.
Tryst Falls in the area carries a sad tale as a mother drowned her baby in the water so it would not have to endure the pain of slavery. When the sun sets and night falls, it is said that you can hear the baby crying, and sometimes spot the apparition of the tormented mother.