Drive-By
Exterior View
View the municipal building from outside. The second-floor window facing the parking lot is where witnesses report seeing a child's face late at night. The building is locked to the public after hours.
- Duration:
- 15 min
Aerial survey · USDA NAIP · public domain Other Dark Tourism Site
McCandless Town Hall
Municipal Hall on Haunted Farmland
9955 Grubbs Rd, McCandless, PA 15090
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 4 sources
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Public municipal building; no admission fee
Access
Wheelchair OK
Paved
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1960 · Municipal History · Allegheny County
McCandless Township was founded in 1851 as Taylor Township, named after a surveyor who first platted the area. In 1857, the Pennsylvania legislature renamed it after Wilson McCandless, a judge of the United States District Court of Western Pennsylvania whose family had deep roots in the region.
For much of the 19th and early 20th centuries, the land now occupied by the municipal complex was agricultural, divided into family farms. Local oral accounts hold that a child fell into a well on the property sometime in the early 1900s, though no documented record of this event has been located through available historical sources. The township's first dedicated Town Hall was constructed in 1960, replacing earlier administrative arrangements.
The building operates today as a functioning government facility, housing planning, zoning, and municipal departments. It is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours.
The Town of McCandless traces its formation to 1851, when local government was established as 'Taylor Township' under proceedings presided over by Daniel Vogel. The area was incorporated in 1857 as a second-class township and renamed in honor of District Judge Wilson McCandless. The first European settler in the area was James Duff, who purchased 400 acres in 1796. The municipality formally became the Town of McCandless on January 1, 1975, operating as a home rule municipality under charter, and borders Pine Township to the north, Hampton Township to the east, Ross Township to the south, and the borough of Franklin Park to the west.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCandless,_Pennsylvania
- https://www.townofmccandless.org/287/About-McCandless
- https://www.northlandlocalhistory.org/town-of-mccandless/
- https://townofmccandless.org/441/McCandless-175
ApparitionsPhantom footstepsPhantom soundsLights flickeringDoors opening/closing
The reports from McCandless Town Hall are consistent in their source: law enforcement personnel assigned to overnight shifts. Officers and dispatchers have described footsteps moving through empty stairwells, creaking that suggests doors opening without apparent cause, and lights switching on in unoccupied rooms. The accounts are routine in character — not dramatic confrontations, but accumulated small disturbances over years of overnight duty.
The face at the window stands apart. Multiple officers have separately reported seeing what appears to be a child's face looking out from a second-floor window late at night. The building is locked and secured at those hours; post-incident checks found no one present. The accounts are consistent in identifying the window location but not in the specific age or appearance of the figure.
Local lore attributes the activity to a young child who reportedly fell into a well on the original farmland, predating the 1960 construction. No historical record corroborating this death has surfaced in accessible archives. The connection between the pre-existing land and the building's reported activity remains, as with most residual folklore, unverifiable.
Notable Entities
Child apparition
Plan Your Visit
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is McCandless Town Hall family-friendly?
The building is a functioning municipal office. No organized paranormal access exists. The reported lore involves a child falling into a well, which is mild in tone. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit McCandless Town Hall?
Public municipal building; no admission fee This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is McCandless Town Hall wheelchair accessible?
Yes, McCandless Town Hall is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Paved.