HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
Cape Girardeau's Irish pub occupies an 1880s opera house where staff report laughter, footsteps, and voices on the closed second floor
300 Broadway, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Restaurant and bar; food and drink purchases. Ghost tour tickets available seasonally.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Street-level restaurant; second floor (historic opera house) not regularly accessible to the public
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1880 · Historic opera house in downtown Cape Girardeau · Part of the 19th-century commercial corridor along Broadway · Featured stop on Cape Girardeau ghost tour circuit
The building at 300 Broadway dates to the late nineteenth century, part of the commercial corridor that made Cape Girardeau one of the most active river towns in southeastern Missouri. The upper level housed performance and gathering space — common dual-use construction in Midwest commercial blocks of the era — while street-level tenants rotated through retail and hospitality uses.
Katy O'Ferrell's Irish Pub and Restaurant moved into the space and built a following for its food, its Irish cultural programming, and the particular character of the building itself. The second floor, no longer in regular commercial use, has become the center of staff accounts about unexplained activity heard after the downstairs closes for the night.
The pub became a documented stop on Cape Girardeau's ghost-tour circuit. Seasonal events, including the 'Un-Happy Hour' tour led by Christy Mershon, combine access to the upper floor with Irish cultural content and beer tastings, drawing both local and regional visitors during the October season.
Sources
Staff accounts at Katy O'Ferrell's center on the second floor, the former performance space of the historic opera house. Workers describe hearing laughter, the sound of heavy footsteps, and on occasion distinct voices — none of which can be attributed to anyone present in the building at those hours.
The pub embraced the reputation rather than dismissing it. The 'Un-Happy Hour' tour takes guests into the abandoned upper level, where the atmosphere of the unrestored space does much of the work on its own. Tour guide Christy Mershon leads the seasonal programming, framing the activity within the building's history rather than as a theatrical haunted-house experience.
Katy O'Ferrell's figures on guided walking tours of Cape Girardeau's haunted downtown, where several historic commercial buildings along the Broadway and Spanish Street corridors carry similar accounts.
Media Appearances
Seasonal Halloween-period event pairing a behind-the-scenes visit to the historic abandoned second floor with Irish cultural programming and beer tastings. Led by tour guide Christy Mershon.
The pub operates daily as an Irish restaurant and bar in a downtown historic building. Staff can share accounts of the second-floor activity on request.
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