Private Ghost Investigations
Thurber House permits a limited number of groups per year to conduct private investigations at Thurber House. Please read the investigation FAQ below for more information and answers to common questions.
Photo courtesy of Columbus Ghost Tours
Thurber House is a nonprofit arts organization; all investigation fees are used to support our programs.
The cost to investigate is $95 per person, with a $300 minimum.
You will be allotted six hours to use however you want. You can book more time if you choose (subject to availability).
Request a Ghost Investigation
About Thurber House
Our Nonprofit Organization
Founded in 1984, Thurber House is a nonprofit literary arts organization, James Thurber museum, historic landmark, and gathering place for readers, writers, and artists of all ages. We are based in the restored 1873 home of humorist, cartoonist, author, playwright, and journalist James Thurber, widely considered one of the foremost American humorists of the 20th century.
Thurber House programs include author events with nationally known and local authors, social events for book lovers, creative workshops for all ages, writer residencies, and the Thurber Prize for American Humor (one of the highest recognitions of humor writing and cartooning in the United States).
THE HISTORIC HOME: 77 Jefferson Avenue
Thurber House, located at 77 Jefferson Avenue, was built in 1873. James Thurber and his family lived in the home from 1913–1917, while young Thurber was a student at The Ohio State University. In the decades after the Thurbers moved out, the home changed hands many times, becoming a music school, beauty shop, and boarding house.
The home gradually fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition in the 1970’s. Before the home could be torn down, a group of preservationists stepped in and saved it. After extensive renovations to restore it to its early 1900’s grandeur, Thurber House opened as a museum in 1984.
Haunted History
HISTORICAL EVENTS
A quick Internet search will tell you that Thurber House is reputed to be haunted. Not everything reported online is factual. However, we know these things to be true:
1868: The land where Thurber House sits is the former site of the Central Ohio Lunatic Asylum, which burned down in 1868, killing six women in the fire and fatally injuring another. Many people believe that the victims never left.
1904: A few years before the Thurber family moved in, a prominent jeweler named Thomas Tracy Tress was living at 77 Jefferson Avenue. One evening, while in his bedroom getting ready for supper, he picked up a gun he thought was not loaded, and accidentally shot and killed himself in the home. Several days later, Mt. Vernon Commandery, No. 1, Knights Templars, held his funeral service at 77 Jefferson Avenue.
1915: James Thurber himself claims to have heard a ghost in the House on November 17, 1915, an experience he fictionalized to humorous effect in his short story “The Night the Ghost Got In.” Thurber believed to his dying day that the home was haunted. He even changed the address in his later writings so he wouldn’t scare the people who were living at 77 Jefferson Avenue.
Modern Day GhostLY ENCOUNTERS
Thurber House staff, visiting authors, and others have experienced unusual phenomena over the years, including:
A clock chiming, despite not being operational
The glass in a picture frame inexplicably shattering all over the floor
Glowing orbs
Phantom footsteps
Camera equipment moving on its own
Disembodied sounds of moving objects and voices
The sensation of being touched/poked
A mantel clock face opening by itself
A black opaque veil blocking all light in a bedroom
Multiple residents’ pets growling at something only they can sense
A spiderweb/Jell-O-like force blocking access through a doorway
Music streamed from a phone inexplicably slowing down and skipping
Investigation FAQ
How long do investigations last? You will be allotted six hours to use however you want. You can book more time if you choose (subject to availability).
When can I schedule an investigation? Most investigations are scheduled on Friday and Saturday nights from 7 pm-1 am, but this is not set in stone.
How many people can I bring? You can have a max of eight people per group, but we recommend four to six people.
What’s the cost? Investigations are $95 per person, with a $300 minimum.
Will my group be locked in the building alone for the night? No. Your group will have private access to the building, but a Thurber House staff member will be on site for the duration of your investigation. Your time is yours to use as you choose. After your initial orientation, the staff member will stay in a back room unless you would like them to be involved in the investigation.
Do you have Wi-Fi? Yes.
Do you allow livestreaming? Yes, as long as all policies outlined in the waiver are followed.
Are there restrooms on site? Yes, we have three restrooms with running water.
Do you have working outlets to charge equipment? Yes, we’ve got you covered.
Does the building have heating/air conditioning? Yes, both. Thurber House is a fully functional house with modern amenities.
Do you allow food/drinks? Yes, as long as all policies outlined in the waiver are followed.
Do you have a refrigerator/microwave available for use? Yes, we have both.
Are any areas off limits? Yes. You will have access to all three main floors in the building, but not the basement (unless otherwise arranged).
Does James Thurber haunt Thurber House? This is neither substantiated nor disproven. We’ve had no definitive evidence of James Thurber’s presence at Thurber House.
Do you require groups to send you the evidence they collect? No, but we greatly appreciate it when you share your evidence with us.
Is Thurber House more active at night? Thurber House is active at all times of day. Some of the most compelling incidents that have been reported have occurred in broad daylight as well as late at night.
Do you have any tips? We recommend spending some time in the parlor, Robert’s bedroom, and the third floor apartment especially. Our spirits seem to like music—playing early 1900s music and/or our vintage piano sometimes produces interesting results. Also, try asking some questions that aren’t focused on the asylum fire or Thomas’s death (e.g. Where were you born? Did you have children? What were their names?).
Photos of Thurber House
