Dinner
Kells Irish Pub Meal
Dine in the lower-level Irish pub with live music, traditional Irish fare, and a noted ghost-themed reputation; the building's former embalming room is one of the pub's interior spaces.
- Duration:
- 2 hr
Photo coming soon
Haunted Dining / Bar
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub (Butterworth Building)
An Irish pub in the basement of the 1903 Butterworth Building, Seattle's first purpose-built mortuary, where staff perform a nightly holy-water tradition and report multiple spirits including a girl in red and a derby-hatted man named 'Charlie.'
1916 Post Alley, Seattle, WA 98101
Age
21+
Cost
$$
Standard pub-fare and full-bar pricing; live music most nights.
Access
Limited Access
Below-grade pub accessed by stairs; limited accessibility.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1903 · Seattle's first purpose-built mortuary (E.R. Butterworth & Sons) · Contained the first elevator on the U.S. West Coast (used to transport bodies) · Designed by John Graham, Sr. · Contributing structure in the Pike Place Market Historical District · Featured on Ghost Adventures (2010)
The Butterworth Building was completed October 1, 1903, designed by Seattle architect John Graham, Sr. for funeral director Edgar Ray Butterworth. Butterworth had operated a smaller funeral business since 1889 and commissioned the new building as the city's first purpose-built mortuary — a single structure designed from the ground up to handle embalming, viewing, and administrative functions of a funeral home, rather than a residence or general building adapted for the trade.
The building was notable for several technological firsts. It contained the first elevator on the U.S. West Coast, used specifically to transport bodies between the embalming floor, viewing rooms, and the ground-level chapel. The building also incorporated early refrigeration, internal slumber rooms, and a chapel with theater-style seating. E.R. Butterworth & Sons operated from the building from 1903 until 1923, when the firm relocated to a larger facility on Capitol Hill.
After Butterworth's departure, the building cycled through tenants including offices, a printing operation, and various retail. In 1983, the Mercer family (originating in County Antrim, Northern Ireland) opened Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub in the basement level, which had functioned as the embalming and slumber room floor during the Butterworth era. The pub deliberately preserved much of the period structure, including masonry walls, archways, and what staff identify as the former embalming-room footprint.
The Butterworth Building has a Post Alley entrance at 1916 used by Kells, while the building's primary First Avenue facade carries the 1921 First Avenue address. The building is a contributing structure within the Pike Place Market Historical District and has been featured on television's Ghost Adventures (2010) and multiple regional ghost-themed productions.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterworth_Building
- https://kellsirish.com/
- https://seattleterrors.com/kells-irish-restaurant-pub/
- https://ghostcitytours.com/seattle/haunted-seattle/haunted-butterworth-building/
Apparition of a young girl with red hair in a red/scarlet dressApparition of 'Charlie,' a middle-aged man in a derby hat, during live musicApparition of a man in suspenders and newsboy cap near the barGlasses sliding off tables and bars without contactMirrors spontaneously shatteringPlaster falling from wallsStaff nightly holy-water cleansing tradition
According to Seattle Terrors, Ghost City Tours, and Irish Star coverage, Kells's most-reported spirit is a young girl with red hair, often described in a red or scarlet dress, seen darting across the dining room and reportedly drawn to children visiting the pub during daytime hours. Ghost-tour accounts speculate she may be one of the children who died during the 1918 influenza pandemic, when the Butterworth firm handled significant pandemic volume; this attribution is speculative rather than documented.
A second reported spirit is 'Charlie,' described as a middle-aged man in a derby hat who appears during live music performances. According to Spookt and Sip Magazine coverage, Charlie is described as a happy presence who appears to dance briefly before disappearing when the music stops. A third reported figure is a man in suspenders and a newsboy cap, sometimes seen near the bar.
The pub has institutionalized its haunted reputation through a staff tradition of wiping the tables with holy water at the end of each night, performed quietly without fanfare. Reported phenomena include glasses sliding off tables and bars without contact, mirrors spontaneously shattering, and plaster falling from walls. The Mercer family ownership has neither sensationalized nor dismissed the stories, and the pub allows ghost-tour groups to visit during operating hours.
The Butterworth Building was featured on Travel Channel's Ghost Adventures in 2010, the most-cited paranormal investigation of the property to date.
Notable Entities
Unnamed young girl in red (ghost-tour speculation: 1918 flu pandemic victim)'Charlie,' middle-aged man in derby hatUnnamed man in suspenders and newsboy cap
Media Appearances
- Ghost Adventures (Travel Channel, 2010)
Plan Your Visit
2 ways to experience Walking Tour Booking Required
Pike Place Market Ghost Tour Stop
Kells and the Butterworth Building are featured on multiple Seattle ghost tours, including Seattle Terrors and Ghost City Tours Pike Place Market routes.
- Duration:
- 30 min
Sources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub (Butterworth Building) family-friendly?
21+ Irish pub environment in the evenings; building's mortuary history and below-grade space may not be suitable for younger children. Overall family fit: Low.
How much does it cost to visit Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub (Butterworth Building)?
Standard pub-fare and full-bar pricing; live music most nights.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub (Butterworth Building) wheelchair accessible?
Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub (Butterworth Building) has limited wheelchair accessibility. Terrain: Below-grade pub accessed by stairs; limited accessibility..