Prohibition-Era Speakeasy Now Vacant — Ghost Named Russell
1226 NE 63rd St, Oklahoma City, OK 73111
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Building is vacant and not open to the public
Access
Limited Access
No public access; view from exterior only
Equipment
Photos OK
The building at 1226 NE 63rd Street in Oklahoma City was established around 1938 as the Kentucky Club, designed to take advantage of its location outside the city's immediate law enforcement jurisdiction. The structure served as a speakeasy during the final years of Prohibition, and following repeal continued as a dance hall, gambling establishment, and bordello. Oklahoma City history records the building as a known location for outlaw and gangster activity; notorious Depression-era criminal Charles 'Pretty Boy' Floyd is documented as a regular patron.
The building passed through multiple commercial uses before The County Line Barbeque established itself there. The Oklahoman newspaper documented The County Line's closure in 2010. Gabriella's Italian Grill subsequently reopened in the space, operating until the building again became vacant. Commercial real estate listings as of 2024 confirm the building is currently empty and available for lease through Livingston Properties.
The building's structural history as a multi-use entertainment venue — speakeasy, dance hall, bordello — gives the upper floor its designation as the 'old bordello area' in paranormal accounts. The fireplace in the main room is identified as the specific location where the murder attributed to the ghost 'Russell' allegedly occurred.
Sources
The ghost associated with 1226 NE 63rd Street goes by the name Russell. According to accounts documented in the 405 Magazine feature on central Oklahoma paranormal sites, Russell was a man known for his romantic pursuits who was shot in front of the main fireplace by a jealous husband — the account specifying that his conduct involved a woman likely connected to gangster clientele. Russell's death in the building's main room is the origin point of subsequent paranormal reports.
Staff at The County Line and later Gabriella's Italian Grill described consistent phenomena associated with Russell's presence: cups jumping from drain racks and flying through the air; the wine glass rack shaking without anyone nearby; disembodied voices heard throughout the dining rooms and back service areas; and unexplained sounds from the attic, identified in accounts as the portion of the building that served as a bordello during the Kentucky Club era.
Russell is characterized in the accounts as the most active spirit in the building. Additional reports mention disembodied voices heard on the late shift, particularly from the attic area.
Notable Entities
View the exterior of 1226 NE 63rd Street, the Prohibition-era Kentucky Club building where Pretty Boy Floyd drank and a man named Russell was reportedly shot by a jealous husband near the fireplace. The building has been vacant since at least 2024 and is listed for commercial lease. Do not enter — private property.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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