America’s Most Haunted Bars: The Cannon Club at The Gallery Inn, Old San Juan
Some haunted bars draw you in with a shiver. Others charm you with candlelight, classical music, and a ghost who just wants to keep an eye on things. Tucked into the 18th-century walls of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, the Cannon Club at The Gallery Inn isn’t just one of America’s most haunted bars. It’s also one of the most enchanting.
With sweeping ocean views, historic Spanish architecture, and nightly piano concerts, the Cannon Club offers an elegant, slightly eccentric cocktail of fine art, live music, and paranormal activity. And its story begins not with death, but with love.
An Artistic Haunt Built on Centuries of History
The Gallery Inn isn’t your average boutique hotel. Behind a nondescript facade overlooking San Juan’s north wall is a 23,000-square-foot maze of patios, gardens, studios, and staircases. The inn is made up of six 18th-century townhouses, originally built as Spanish military residences. One of these belonged to the artillery captain who once defended nearby Castillo San Felipe del Morro, a fortress guarding the city from pirates and foreign navies for nearly 500 years.
The transformation of this historic ruin into the Gallery Inn began in 1961 when Jan D’Esopo, a Yale-trained artist born in New York City, bought the derelict property with her husband, Manuco. Over the next 30 years, they restored and expanded the buildings into a vibrant hotel and gallery that hosted musicians, artists, and even Barack and Michelle Obama.
Even as the walls filled with art and music, some residents never left.
The Friendly Ghost of the Cannon Club
While you might expect a haunted San Juan hotel to be filled with tales of Spanish soldiers or colonial intrigue, the most frequent spirit at the Gallery Inn is someone far more recent and far more beloved.
Manuco Gandia, Jan’s husband and co-restorer of the property, passed away years ago. But according to multiple staff members at the Cannon Club, he still checks in regularly. His ashes are kept in his old office, and bartenders often see him sitting in his familiar chair. When they walk over to say hello or investigate, he vanishes.
Guests have reported hearing piano music drifting from the club when no one is playing, seeing shadows flitting through the corridors, and even feeling a light, watchful presence while enjoying a drink. One bartender told me, “It’s like he’s still just keeping an eye on the place. No one’s scared. He was a good man, and he still is.”
A Bar Where Spirits Flow, Literal and Otherwise
I’ve visited the Cannon Club multiple times. It’s the kind of bar where ghost stories and rum cocktails mix naturally. On my first visit, I sipped a local craft beer while enjoying a jazz performance. While the only spirits I saw that night were in bottles, the staff stories had me constantly peeking toward the office.
I spoke with other guests and even a former resident of the Inn who added fuel to the folklore. One patron told me, “This place is beautiful and bizarre, and no, you’re not the only one who’s had ghost visitors in the middle of the night.”
And then there was the time I got scared by a parrot.
At The Gallery Inn, the resident birds have full run of the place, like living mascots of the building’s layered weirdness. During one quiet moment between sets, I was standing alone near the grand piano when I suddenly heard a loud, gravelly voice bark “HELLO!” directly behind me. I jumped so hard I nearly knocked over my drink. I turned around to see Paulie a brightly colored bird, perched calmly and blinking at me like I was the weird one.
Turns out, the ghost wasn’t reaching out after all. It was just a talking bird with perfect comedic timing.
Haunted Hospitality, Guests Weigh In
Don’t just take our word for it. Guest reviews tell the same tale:
“My bed in the Ocean Suite was insanely soft and lovely, but I kept getting awakened by ‘visitors.’ The first one startled the heck out of me… it was like Grand Central Station for ghosts up there!” – TripAdvisor Review
While some reviews are skeptical or even critical of the hotel’s quirks and vintage rooms, others fully embrace the Gallery Inn’s strange charm:
“If you’re looking for generic luxury like a Hilton, move on. But if you’re an adventurer, this is where you want to stay. I ended up spending more time wandering the inn than seeing the rest of Old San Juan!”
More Than Just a Ghost Story
The Cannon Club isn’t just a haunted bar. It’s a working musical venue tied to the Steinway Society of Puerto Rico, hosting world-class pianists nearly every night. It’s a restaurant, a conversation hub, and a cultural salon, home to live music and wandering parrots like Campeche and Rembrandt.
Best of all, a portion of the proceeds supports the
Puerto Rico Charitable Trust for the Education of Young Musicians, proving that even haunted places can nurture the future.
Why It’s One of America’s Most Haunted Bars
The Cannon Club earns its place on our list not just because it’s haunted, but because it embodies what we love about haunted bars: character, atmosphere, and a palpable connection between the past and the present.
Where else can you enjoy world-class piano music while sipping a cocktail in a colonial ruin, surrounded by art, parrots, and maybe the occasional friendly ghost?
So if you ever find yourself in Old San Juan, wander through the winding halls of The Gallery Inn, order a drink at the Cannon Club, and raise a glass to Manuco. He poured his soul into this place, and maybe he never quite left.
