Spokane's 39-Acre Park With Phantom Childhood Laughter
4000 E Frederick Ave, Spokane, WA
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Free public park operated by the City of Spokane.
Access
Limited Access
Paved paths and soft surface trails
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1909 · Historic Park · Early Film History · Immigrant Community Heritage
Edgar J. Webster arrived in Spokane in 1882 and accumulated wealth through real estate and mining investments. He acquired the land in the northeast of the city, developed a mineral water spa around a spring on the property, and built his personal residence there — the stone building that still stands at the center of the park today.
The City of Spokane purchased the property in stages between 1909 and 1913 for approximately $30,000, but formal park development did not begin until 1924. In the intervening years, from 1918 to 1924, several motion picture companies leased portions of the grounds and erected an expansive studio around what had been a dance hall, beer garden, and bowling alley. The 1923 silent film The Grub-Stake was among the productions filmed on site.
Minnehaha's surrounding neighborhood earned an informal identity as the Little Italy of Spokane in the early 20th century, when recent immigrants settled the streets near the park. The neighborhood retained its Italian character well into the latter half of the century.
As of 2025, the park is in declining condition. A renovation proposal before Spokane voters calls for reconstruction of up to ten acres, including a new playground, restroom upgrades, splash pad, and ADA pathway improvements.
Sources
The folklore of Minnehaha Park has circulated for decades in Spokane, centered on the claim that children murdered at an on-site orphanage still linger near the playground equipment. Their laughter, faint and sourceless, is said to be audible after dark — which, by one account, explains the park's name: mini-haha, the sound of small, phantom voices.
Spokane Historical and Wikipedia both document the problem with this story: there was no orphanage at Minnehaha Park. The building at the center of the grounds was the private home of spa developer Edgar J. Webster, not an institutional facility for children. No historical record of child fatalities on the property has been found.
What the park does have is a distinctive after-hours atmosphere that has encouraged the legend. The grounds were, as late as 2025, in poor condition — rundown playground equipment and graffiti contributing to a decayed aesthetic that lends itself to paranormal speculation.
The phantom laughter reports belong to a recognizable category of urban folklore: a physical setting (abandoned-looking playground, old stone building) generates a narrative explanation that gets more specific and more violent with each retelling. The reported phenomenon — disembodied laughter near playground equipment — is consistent across accounts even as the backstory has been demonstrated to be invention.
Explore the 39-acre public park at Euclid Avenue and Havana Street. The stone building at the center of the park dates to the late 1890s, originally the home of spa developer Edgar J. Webster. The playground where phantom laughter is most frequently reported sits near the old building.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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