Point Defiance Park
A beautiful, peaceful park may not be the first thing to come to mind when you think of haunted spots in America. But despite the gorgeous ocean views and the lovely forest trails, Point Defiance Park in Tacoma, Washington, has had its fair share of spooky history.
People say some of that history has stayed within the park grounds in the form of ghosts.
WHO HAUNTS POINT DEFIANCE PARK?
Over the years, Point Defiance Park has been the site of several tragic events. While it’s a safe and family-friendly place during the day, now and again, rumors pop up of several ghostly apparitions lurking in the park grounds.
And who are these mysterious phantoms? These apparitions are no hulking demons or deadly murderers. No, the ghosts that haunt Point Defiance Park are said to be a young girl and a grieving husband.
Keep reading to learn more about who these two are and the history behind the park.
As always, be sure to book a ghost tour with Seattle Terrors to explore the haunting history of Seattle’s beautiful and, yes, sometimes terrifying locations.
Early Tragedies
At first glance, Point Defiance Park is the very picture of serenity. With over 700 acres of parkland, lush walking trails, a seaside view, and even a zoo, it’s the last place you’d expect anything bad to happen. And yet, this little slice of Tacoma heaven is known to be one of the most haunted areas in Seattle and the entire state of Washington.
Originally used as a military reserve, the park as we know it today was first established by President Grover Cleveland in 1888. President Cleveland wanted to turn the former military grounds into a place for the public to enjoy. The state of Washington agreed and got to work getting the place ready to be a park. By 1890, a streetcar system was already in place to take visitors to and from the park grounds, and by 1895, space had been leased for a boathouse, docks, and restaurants.
However, the smooth sailing of the early days was not to last. Once the 20th century came around, things had a habit of going wrong at Point Defiance. In 1974, a fire burned through the original pavilion. In 1984, the original boathouse was destroyed by a fire. Despite being located in the dampness of Washington, fires have a habit of popping up at Point Defiance.
In 1964, Point Defiance Park unveiled its Never Never Land. A wonderland of imagination and fairy tale characters, Never Never Land had, among other attractions, a giant Humpty Dumpty statue, Peter Pumpkin Eater’s Pumpkin House, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears’ house, and more.
However, the statues began to crack, fade, and break over time. What was left of them was torn apart and marked up by local vandals.
The Pagoda
The surviving pieces of Never Never Land were moved to the park’s Pagoda, Point Defiance’s most haunted location. Designed to reflect the Shinto philosophy of harmony, the Pagoda was inspired by 17th-century Japanese architecture. Integrating Shinto concepts of harmony with nature and balance made for a pretty picture next to the cherry trees and waterfalls.
However, that pretty picture turned tragic when, in 2011, another fire burned through Point Defiance Park, destroying the Pagoda and the fairy tale creatures within it. It also ruined the wedding day of a bride who was set to walk down the aisle that evening at the Pagoda.
That isn’t the only tragic incident in or near the Pagoda. Garbage cans have a habit of bursting into flames. In the 1990s, a homeless man who enjoyed sleeping near the Pagoda died mysteriously on its lower-level patio, where his ghost is still seen.
The most common report describes the ghost of a man believed to have taken his life after his wife drowned in the lake. Many people have reported feeling a strange, chilling sensation in the Pagoda, like a “cold spot.”
There are reports of unexplained sounds emanating from the Pagoda, persisting even after it was rebuilt in 2013. Some say they hear the sound of someone sighing deeply. Others say they hear disembodied footsteps.
The Haunting of Five Mile Drive
In the 1980s, tragedy struck Tacoma when a man abducted and murdered a 13-year-old girl in Point Defiance. She was riding her bike through the park when a man grabbed and strangled her, leaving her body near Five Mile Drive. Joggers discovered her body three weeks later, but her case remained cold for many years.
While DNA evidence was a new concept in the 1980s, by 2018, forensic science was well-established. Using DNA evidence from the scene of the crime, local authorities were able to track the killer down and bring him to justice. The killer confessed to the crime and, in 2019, was sentenced to 27 years in prison at the age of 61.
The road has since garnered a reputation for being unsettling to drive. Drivers claim to see the ghost of a young girl riding her bike on the road whenever the sun sets. Sometimes, she’ll stop and talk. But when people look back at the girl they spoke to, she’ll have vanished. Witnesses have also reported always seeing an eerie smile on this specter’s face whenever she’s encountered.
Haunted Seattle
You may be able to hear or see some of these ghosts when you visit Point Defiance Park. But don’t just take our word for it – book a ghost tour with Seattle Terrors and experience haunted Seattle for yourself. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and keep reading our blog for more real Washington hauntings.
Sources:
https://hauntedhouses.com/washington/the-pagoda-on-five-mile-drive/
https://www.metroparkstacoma.org/point-defiance-marina-history
https://www.travelchannel.com/interests/haunted/articles/ghosts-in-tacoma-washington
https://www.historylink.org/file/23005
https://www.wahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/point-defiance-park.html
