An 1889 Queen Anne mansion in Port Gamble where paranormal investigations have been conducted since the 1950s and children's apparitions appear in upstairs windows.
32340 Rainier Ave NE, Port Gamble, WA 98364
Research updated June 2026
Age
16+
Cost
$$
Ghost Walk: $35 per person. Special Investigation (Walker-Ames House): $40 per person. Reservations required.
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story Queen Anne Victorian; stairs throughout; evening outdoor components.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1889 · Part of Port Gamble National Historic Landmark District (designated 1966) · Listed on the National Register of Historic Places (reference 66000746) · Former residence of mill resident manager Edwin G. Ames, Pope & Talbot
Port Gamble was established in 1853 by William Talbot, Andrew Pope, and Josiah Keller as a company town for their Puget Mill Company, later Pope & Talbot. The mill operated continuously for 142 years before closing in 1995, one of the longest-running sawmill operations in American history. The town survives as one of the best-preserved lumber company towns in the Pacific Northwest and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
The Walker-Ames House was built in 1888–1889 for William Walker, the mill's master mechanic. Walker lived in the four-story Queen Anne Victorian with his wife Emma and their daughter Maude. Maude later married Edwin G. Ames, who served as the mill's resident manager from 1883 to 1914, and the house took on the hyphenated name by which it is now known.
The National Register of Historic Places lists the building under reference number 66000746. After the mill's closure in 1995, the building was left unoccupied. It sits at 32340 Rainier Avenue NE, near the original mill site, and has served as a banqueting facility at various points, though it is not in regular commercial use.
Port Gamble Paranormal, founded by local investigator Peter Orbea, has operated structured paranormal investigations at the house for decades and organizes an annual Ghost Conference that draws investigators from around the region each November.
Sources
Documented paranormal investigation at the Walker-Ames House dates to the 1950s, making it one of the longer-standing investigation sites in Washington State. Port Gamble Paranormal considers it the most famously haunted residence in town.
The most consistently reported phenomenon is the appearance of three small children in the upstairs windows, seen by people walking along Rainier Avenue when the building is unoccupied. Additional accounts describe disembodied voices, shadow figures moving through rooms, unexplained footsteps, and locked doors opening on their own. During one investigation documented by the Kitsap Daily News, a crew member emerged from the basement with a dusty handprint on her leg and reported being grabbed in the dark.
The house was featured on A&E's My Ghost Story, which aired accounts from multiple investigators. An annual Ghost Conference organized by Port Gamble Paranormal draws researchers from across the Pacific Northwest each November, with the Walker-Ames House as the centerpiece investigation site.
The attic lights have been reported flickering on and off when no one is present in the building. The basement is considered by investigators to be the most active area of the house.
Media Appearances
A three-hour paranormal investigation inside the Walker-Ames House with Port Gamble Paranormal. Participants are encouraged to bring flashlights and recording equipment. Release of liability required. Minimum age 16.
A guided evening walk through Port Gamble visiting the most active buildings in town, including the Walker-Ames House, Morse Theater, and St. Paul's Church. Tours depart from the Port Gamble Historic Museum at 7:00 PM.
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