Photo: Photo by McGhiever, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Haunted Hotel / Inn

The Thayer

1895 Annandale Hotel, Ghost Tours and Dining

60 Elm St W, Annandale, MN 55302

Age

All Ages

Cost

$$

Dinner menu with standard pricing. Ghost tours $25/person; $10 discount with dinner receipt.

Access

Limited Access

Historic multi-story hotel with stairs

Equipment

Photos OK

ApparitionsPhantom soundsPhantom footstepsLights flickeringObject movement

The Thayer's reported spirits fall into three categories that have remained consistent across decades of guest and staff accounts.

The little girl — unnamed in available sources — is detected most often on the upper floors. Guests have described a child's voice in an empty hallway and the sense of small footsteps in the corridor outside occupied rooms during the night.

The spirit bride appears in a wedding dress. She has been seen on the staircase, in the hall, and occasionally in rooms where wedding parties are booked. Her connection to the building's history is undocumented; no records of a death at the hotel during a wedding event have surfaced in publicly accessible archives.

The ghost cats — two of them, in most accounts — are felt rather than seen: the weight of a small animal settling on a bed, movement along the foot of the mattress, the sound of a cat in a room where the door was left ajar but no cat is present.

Guests also report pennies appearing in unexpected locations — in the center of a made bed, in a cleared hallway, on a bathroom counter — a detail attributed in local tradition to the spirits of long-departed guests named Gus and Caroline.

Search 4 Spirits, the investigation group that leads the monthly tours, has conducted multiple sessions at the property and publishes accounts of their findings on their platform.

Notable Entities

Little girlSpirit brideGhost cats

Plan Your Visit

2 ways to experience
Dinner

Dinner at The Thayer

The Thayer restaurant serves steaks, ribs, and chicken in the ground floor of the historic 1895 hotel. The building's paranormal reputation makes it a destination in central Minnesota, drawing visitors who combine dinner with the monthly ghost tour. Daily except Monday.

Duration:
2 hr
Days:
Tuesday through Sunday
Times:
Tue-Thu 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat 11am-10pm; Sun 11am-9pm
Guided Tour Booking Required

Monthly Ghost Tour by Search 4 Spirits

A guided paranormal investigation tour held the last Wednesday of every month, led by Search 4 Spirits. The 1895 hotel's documented spirits include a little girl, a spirit bride in a wedding dress, and two ghost cats. Tours run at 6 PM and 8 PM. A $10 discount applies with a dinner receipt from the same evening.

Duration:
1.5 hr
Cost:
$25/person
Days:
Last Wednesday of every month
Times:
6:00pm and 8:00pm
Book this experience

More Photos

Sources & Further Reading

Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.

  1. 1.thethayer.com
  2. 2.minnesotasnewcountry.com/stay-overnight-at-this-124-year-old-haunted-annandale-hotel
  3. 3.minnesotasnewcountry.com/ghost-tours-being-offered-of-alleged-haunted-hotel-in-annandale

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Thayer family-friendly?
Ghost tours are atmospheric and investigative rather than theatrical. Younger children may find the evening format unsettling. The dinner experience is family-friendly. Teens and adults will get the most from the tour. Overall family fit: Moderate.
How much does it cost to visit The Thayer?
Dinner menu with standard pricing. Ghost tours $25/person; $10 discount with dinner receipt.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is The Thayer wheelchair accessible?
The Thayer has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Historic multi-story hotel with stairs.