The rest of the group is tired. Despite the frightening moments in their room the young man with the blonde woman heads off to their room. The couple from Milwaukee is right next door. Myself, Dylan and my friends retire to their room for a while. The Elsa Lemp Suite is very nice, cozy, mostly wood and has terrific views. I see only one thing and that is a quick shadow that seems to dash past the open door of the room. I get the impression it is something on four legs, perhaps a dog. Then my friend closes the door.

We hear other things, mostly chimes, brief noises. We look at pictures on the digital camera and see more orbs in some of the picture. Disturbingly most of them are on me or covering my chest.

We spend some more time down in the William Lemp Suite. Eventually my friend and his wife retire to their room. Dylan and I share the room. We turn on every light in the place. It is fast closing in on two in the morning and I have a long drive the next day. I turn on the television and we sleep with the TV on.

The next morning there is a prepared breakfast. We have a meal with the other couples save for the ones who never came out of their room. The waitress is almost as scary as the cook George was the night before. What is even more terrifying is the substance she insists is orange juice but looks disturbingly like coffee with cream and sugar added. I am not sure if haunted oranges turn brown but evidently haunted orange juice does.

Eventually we leave. In the days since I must say my affection for the place has grown. I cannot, not even remotely, convey to you how much I think you should visit the Lemp Mansion. If you have any plans to go to St. Louis you have to stop at this place. It is a restaurant during the day. They serve lunch and dinner. They have prime rib specials for lunch. There is a mystery dinner theater that performs the regularly as well. Every member of the staff has at least one story of something spooky happening to them. Whether it is slamming doors, whispered names, keys that fly out of their hands or mysterious people who disappear they all have a tale.

If you drive down to St. Louis you will find the Lemp on the south side of the city. It isn’t far from downtown. It is right across I-55 from the Anheuser-Busch factory. You will see a mural painted on the side of the mansion that shows a man pouring beer. Their motto is “Famous from Ghost to Ghost.”

It is a bed and breakfast, but if you can afford it, stay the night. I mention it is a bed and breakfast because that means it is more expensive than the Holiday Inn down the road. The rooms are beautiful. Once the staff leaves, you have the place to yourself. It is even possible you could have the entire place to just you and your significant other.

The Lemp Mansion is located at 3322 DeMenil Place. Their phone number is 314-664-8024. If you can manage it, I suggest you spend the night there on Monday night. It is worth the extra fifteen dollars to take the ghost tour with Betsy.

Betsy is a paranormal investigator and a lecturer. She conducts something called the St. Louis Spirit Search. They have a website at www.stlspiritsearch.com and their phone number is 314-776-4667. She is a very nice woman. She has great stories. She loves to talk.

Since my stay I can’t stop thinking about my visit there. I would love to tell you I slept well that night in the big comfy bed. I cannot say that. I found the blankets a little warm and, I confess, I had them pulled up right over my head. I slept a bit but it was not the most sound sleep I have ever experienced.

I didn’t go on any missions. I chickened out. Now that I think about it and have spent time back at work, I think I would rather be running missions than sitting in a cubicle. Dealing with ghosts somehow makes more sense than managers and corporate policies.

The beds are comfortable. The food was so-so. The people I spent time there with were fantastic. The house is strangely beautiful and yet also undeniably spooky. The history is so thick you can smell it.

Do I honestly think I saw ghosts? Do I honestly think I spoke to Billy and Charles Lemp with rods made out of copper? I don’t know. I still don’t think I have any better idea of whether or not ghosts actually exist. I just know that it was a lot more fun to think that it was possible. I think the world is a little more fun and interesting with the idea that ghosts are possible.

To the people who own and run the Lemp Mansion, should you ever read this, I loved your place. If you ever have a desire to have a reclusive, slightly insane, but hopefully famous writer to take up residence in the place permanently, give me a call. I can help with the tours. Who knows, if I’m famous enough maybe people will come to see me too. And if I die there, maybe I can wander the halls too.

So, the next time you make a trip to Missouri or if you have plans to visit the Midwest I suggest you make a stop in St. Louis. There are a lot of great things to do there. However, if you have an interest in ghosts or the paranormal then this is the place for you. Back in 1981 Life magazine even declared the Lemp Mansion one of the top five most haunted places in the country. Apparently the Travel Channel recently put the mansion at number two.
Call in plenty of time. If you try to get a room around Halloween I say good luck. The place is booked solid there. They have a Halloween party in the place, though. They also host a New Years Eve party.

Just remember, you can change your reservations but you cannot cancel them. Yes, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.

Well, not really, but it’s more fun to think so.

Bryan W. Alaspa’s new novel Dust is now available at his website www.bryanalaspa.com and www.amazon.com.