Maxwell Mansion – Lake Geneva’s Haunted Original

A Mansion Built on Big Personality and Bigger Stories

Maxwell Mansion, originally named "The Oaks," was built in 1856 by Dr. Philip Maxwell, a towering figure in Chicago history, literally and figuratively. Standing over six feet tall and weighing 280 pounds, Maxwell was larger than life. A field surgeon for the U.S. Army, a key figure in Chicago’s early development, and a man known for hosting lavish soirées, he embodied the spirit of his age. He is even the namesake of Chicago’s famed Maxwell Street.

After retiring from medicine and politics, Maxwell settled in Lake Geneva to raise horses and enjoy country life. But the good doctor’s reputation for hard drinking and wild antics was legendary. Locals say he would ride his horse through the streets at night, drink in hand, yelling with joy after a long evening of entertaining guests.



The mansion saw some of the Midwest's most notable figures pass through its doors, including Ulysses S. Grant and a young Nancy Davis before she became Nancy Reagan. Yet, after Maxwell’s death in 1859 and his wife Jerusha’s passing years later, the house changed hands many times, eventually transforming into a boutique hotel and event space. Its original charm remains, but so does something else, a lingering presence from the past.

Ghosts in the Halls: Stories from Staff and Guests

Maxwell Mansion’s history is undeniably rich, but what makes it one of America’s Most Haunted Bars are the countless reports of paranormal activity. Guests, staff, and owners alike have had experiences that defy explanation.

Staff and guests alike have reported strange occurrences: doors opening and closing on their own, cold spots, and the inexplicable movement of objects. While many chalk it up to old pipes or creaky floors, others aren’t so sure.

The Butler’s Encounter with the Shadow Figure

The former head butler at Maxwell Mansion has one of the most gripping ghost stories from the property. He recalls staying overnight in what was then a small apartment above the kitchen while the mansion was under renovation:

“I was lying in bed watching TV when I saw the shadow of two feet stop right outside my door,” he said. “I got up, opened it, nothing. A few minutes later, I saw the feet again, plain as day, coming right up to the door. This time, I didn’t wait. I jumped up, threw the door open, still nothing there. That’s when I knew I had to get out.”

Panicked, he left the room, but what he saw next made his blood run cold.

“At the end of the hallway near the kitchen, there was a full-body shadow figure, completely black, darker than dark. I froze for a second, but the energy was so intense I just bolted out the side door and waited for a friend to come over. Even when she stayed the night, we kept hearing footsteps and movement, but no one was there.”

Since that night, the butler admitted he avoided spending time alone in the mansion whenever possible.

The Bartender’s Story: A Locked Room Mystery

While guests often report eerie happenings, the staff has no shortage of their own ghostly encounters. A bartender at the Apothecary Bar shared a particularly unsettling story about an unoccupied guest suite:

“One night, we heard a commotion upstairs, like someone was throwing furniture around. We thought a drunk guest had trashed the room, but when we checked, no one had booked it that night,” he recalled. “We went up, heard loud crashes and bangs, like the room was being torn apart. Then the key broke clean off in the lock while we tried to open it. When we finally got in, the place was spotless. No sign anything had happened.”

It wasn’t the last time the bartender would experience unexplainable events.

“There’s just a weird energy here, especially in the basement Speakeasy. Women sometimes say they feel dizzy or sick down there, and I’ve seen the heavy bookcase door swing open and closed on its own. Once, a cabinet full of glassware crashed down like it had been pushed. Stuff happens here you can’t explain.”

The Ghost Child of Maxwell Mansion

Among the mansion’s many spirits, one of the most talked about is a little boy known as Danny or sometimes Eddie. Staff say they’ve heard the sound of a ball rolling across the attic floor when no one is up there. Police officers responding to calls at the mansion have even felt small tugs on their pants as they walked the stairs.

One of the most chilling pieces of evidence came from a group of paranormal investigators:

“They were leaving around five in the morning,” a staff member recalled. “As they packed up, one said, ‘Goodnight, we’re leaving.’ On the recording, you hear a little boy’s voice cry out, ‘Don’t go.’”

Danny’s presence is felt throughout the mansion, from fleeting shadows to unexplained movements of objects in guest rooms. Some believe he died of scarlet fever in the house long ago, and now wanders its halls seeking companionship.

The Speakeasy: Drinks, Jazz, and Ghostly Encounters

Maxwell Mansion’s basement houses its most atmospheric bar, a 1920s-style Speakeasy hidden behind a secret bookcase door. Guests knock, give the password, and step into another era. But the glamour is sometimes overshadowed by strange happenings.



The butler recalls an incident that shook him:

“I was setting up the Speakeasy for a private party when a heavy glassware cabinet toppled toward me. The thing was solid, no reason it should have fallen. It felt like it had been shoved.”

Other guests have seen the bookcase door swing violently on its own or heard footsteps and whispers in the otherwise empty bar. Many believe this is connected to rumors of “unauthorized surgeries” Dr. Maxwell allegedly performed in the basement during the Victorian era, treating patients discreetly in an age when medical procedures were often gruesome and secretive.

Women, in particular, report feeling oppressive energy or sudden nausea while in the Speakeasy, as though they are tapping into the pain and fear of those who once underwent desperate treatments within these stone walls.

Phantom Figures, Faces in Mirrors, and Static on Cameras

The hauntings aren’t confined to specific rooms. Across the mansion, reports include:

• Furniture dragging noises in empty rooms.
• Faces appearing in the mirrors of the Apothecary Bar and basement.
• Cameras in the Cognac Room that constantly distort or fail to capture a clear image, as if something interferes with the feed.
• Apparitions of a woman and her child on the main staircase, vanishing when approached.

One staff member summed it up best:

“This house is alive. It’s like it remembers everything that’s ever happened here and sometimes it wants you to remember it, too.”

Music, Ghosts, and Modern Legends

I’ve been to the Maxwell Mansion many times and we even used reputation for paranormal activity is so strong that it even inspired a music video. In 2020, my rock band Sunspot shot their video for “I Don’t Wanna Be A Ghost” on location at the mansion, capturing its eerie ambiance and historic beauty on film. We thought the song’s themes of restless spirits and lingering energy found the perfect backdrop in the haunted halls of Lake Geneva’s original mansion.

Maxwell Mansion’s unique mix of history, hospitality, and hauntings has captured the attention of visitors far and wide. It was even featured in an episode of Discover Wisconsin (also featuring our Lake Geneva Ghost Walk), showcasing its vintage charm, luxurious guest rooms, and of course, its two legendary bars where guests can sip handcrafted cocktails while soaking in centuries of stories and supernatural whispers.

Why It’s One of America’s Most Haunted Bars

Maxwell Mansion stands as a testament to Lake Geneva’s opulent past, a place where Chicago’s elite once came to play and relax. But it’s also a portal to something beyond, a mansion layered with memories, tragedies, and perhaps unfinished business.

Today, guests can stay overnight, sip handcrafted cocktails in the Apothecary Bar, and descend into the Speakeasy for a true Prohibition-era experience. But be warned, not all the spirits at Maxwell Mansion come in a glass.

As the former butler put it:

“You can believe or not believe, but spend a night here alone, and you’ll feel it. This place has eyes. It’s watching, waiting. And sometimes, it lets you know you’re not the only one in the room.”

Would you dare to visit Maxwell Mansion for a drink or even stay the night? The cocktails are exquisite, the history is rich, and the ghosts are waiting.

Visit If You Dare

For those who want to dive deeper into these stories, you can hear all about Maxwell Mansion’s haunted history on our Lake Geneva Ghost Walk or read more in the Ghosts of Lake Geneva book that our amazing ghost hostess Rita Mae Moore wrote. Both offer even more chilling details and firsthand accounts that bring the mansion’s supernatural side to life.