Built in 1831 as the Bank of Genesee and occupied by a men's club for over a century—now an arts center where a 6-foot-2 man in 1860s clothing haunts the bar area and a white shadow crosses the second floor.
201 East Main Street, Batavia, NY 14020
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Guided ghost tours $25/person (October Fridays at 11 p.m., includes complimentary drink); group tours $60 for up to 5 people ($10 each additional); DIY investigation $300; team-led investigation $400
Access
Wheelchair OK
First floor only wheelchair accessible; second floor requires stairs
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1831 · Bank of Genesee 1831 — Hezekiah Eldredge · Batavia Club 1886–2000 · National Register of Historic Places · Donated to GO ART! 2002 · Named Seymour Place 2010
The building at 201 East Main Street in Batavia was constructed in 1831 by Hezekiah Eldredge as the Bank of Genesee, serving the young city of Batavia and the surrounding Holland Land Purchase territory. It is one of the oldest surviving commercial structures in Genesee County and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
In 1886 the Batavia Club, a fraternal men's organization, purchased the bank building and converted it to a private club. The club's century of occupancy added a dining room with commercial kitchen, an expanded bar area, and gathering spaces that transformed the building's interior while preserving its early 19th-century shell. The Batavia Club occupied Seymour Place until 2000.
In 2002, the Batavia Club donated the building to the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council, known as GO ART!, which has operated it since as an arts and cultural center. The facility houses a podcast studio, cabaret space, film studio, pottery studio, library, gallery rooms, and a working tavern called Tavern 2.O.1. The building was formally renamed Seymour Place in 2010 in memory of longtime benefactors.
The building's tavern and second-floor spaces have become the focus of ongoing paranormal tours, which began after GO ART! began receiving reports of unexplained activity from staff and visitors in the years following the acquisition.
Sources
Paranormal reports at Seymour Place center on the building's bar area, which occupies the former Batavia Club's main lounge. The most consistently described figure is a tall man—estimated at 6 feet 2 inches—dressed in 1860s period clothing who appears in the bar area, occasionally seeming to be accompanied by other male figures from the same era. The apparition has been reported by independent visitors and documented by paranormal investigation teams.
On the second floor, a white shadow has been observed crossing between rooms by two different visitors on separate occasions. The phenomenon has not been linked to any specific historical individual but is listed among the venue's recurring unexplained occurrences.
A medium who has worked at the venue reported detecting the energy of a young girl in a room to the left of the bar area. Audio evidence collected during investigations includes what is described as the sound of a man clearing his throat—consistent with the building's long history as a men's club—and reports of spectral cigar smoke in rooms where no smoking occurs.
Haunted History Tours run Friday nights in October. The venue also offers year-round private investigations for small groups, with equipment provided.
Notable Entities
One-hour guided tour of the 1831 Bank of Genesee building, covering its history as a bank and men's club and the documented paranormal activity. October Fridays at 11 p.m.; $25 per person with complimentary drink from the bar. Pre-registration required.
Self-directed investigation ($300) or team-led investigation with equipment and safety briefing ($400). Groups up to 5 for the guided rate, $10 per additional person. Available by appointment year-round.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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