Independence Ghost Walk​

The Hauntings of Arena Sports Bar

 

Arena Sports Bar sits just steps away from the Willamette River, a place long believed to be a conduit for paranormal energy. Water holds memory, they say, and in this part of Downtown Independence, the past is never far behind.

​

Over the years, both customers and employees have whispered unsettling stories. These are just a few of them.

​

Many speak of a heavy feeling in the back storage and office areas. Not just a chill or a fleeting unease, but the distinct impression that someone is standing just behind you, watching. Sometimes the presence feels curious. Other times, it feels deeply wrong.

​

Night after night, people report hearing an old-timey phone ringing in the office. It rings through the space at all hours, its quiet tone cutting through the silence. But there is no phone in that room. There never has been.

​

Footsteps have been heard pacing across the roof late at night. When police were called, they searched the rooftop and surrounding buildings. No one was there. Nothing was disturbed.

​

During a citywide blackout, customers watched in wide-eyed silence as the bathroom doors slammed open and shut again and again. No one was near them. The area was empty. But the air had changed. Something was passing through.

​

Even on ordinary nights, strange things happen. Chairs scrape across the floor when no one is nearby. Bottles fall without warning. Lights flicker and switch off by themselves. Doors creak open and slowly shut, untouched by human hands.

​

Some of the most unsettling encounters happen after closing. A figure appears in the mirror, walking just behind the staff. When they turn around, there is no one there. On security cameras, shadowy figures sometimes move across the empty floor long after the last customer has left. The bar’s wolf statue - affectionately called Wolfie - has been seen turning its head ever so slightly, as if watching staff after hours, never blinking.

​

In 2014, a paranormal team conducted an EMF reading. The meters spiked in three key places: the back storage area, the walk-in cooler, and the recessed entryway near the front door. These locations share something else. Two confirmed deaths happened in those very spots. In total, there are three known deaths that took place inside these walls many decades ago.

​

Perhaps it is the spirits of those who passed here. Or perhaps these are travelers - wandering souls drifting between the closely packed buildings downtown. One ghost in particular is rumored to visit from down the street. They call her Lenora. She’s mischievous. Known to steal unattended drinks. Known to laugh when no one else is speaking.

​

So if you ever feel a chill run down your spine at Arena Sports Bar, if your drink moves slightly when your back is turned, or if you hear a phone that no longer exists… it may not be your imagination.

​

Some guests never leave.