HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
An 1880 National Register freight depot converted to a restaurant where staff report a girl in white appearing at the restroom doorway calling for her father.
107 Vine St, La Crosse, WI 54601
Research updated June 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Restaurant dining; full menu service
Access
Wheelchair OK
Historic building; ground-floor dining accessible
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1880 · Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway freight depot · National Register of Historic Places · La Crosse railroad history
The building at 107 Vine St was constructed in 1880 to serve the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway — later the Milwaukee Road — as a freight handling depot on La Crosse's busy Mississippi River waterfront. La Crosse was a regional rail hub, and the depot processed commercial cargo moving between Chicago and the upper Midwest for nearly a century.
The structure is a substantial brick and timber building reflecting the utilitarian design standards of late-19th-century rail infrastructure. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its architectural integrity and its place in the city's transportation history. Conversion to a restaurant preserved the interior's original framing and industrial character.
The Freighthouse Restaurant has operated at this address for several decades, making it one of La Crosse's most recognizable historic dining venues. Its location near the riverfront placed it at the center of the city's 19th-century commercial life, a district that saw heavy freight and passenger traffic during the railroad era.
Sources
The Freighthouse's most-repeated account involves a young girl in a white dress who has appeared in the doorway of the upstairs restroom. According to reports documented by Spectrum News in 2020 and corroborated by the Footsteps of La Crosse ghost tour, the figure said 'Daddy' before vanishing; two staff members quit on the spot after encountering her.
The basement has generated its own cluster of reports. A stack of bricks collapsed and was found the following morning restored to a neat arrangement with no obvious explanation. The building is a featured stop on the Footsteps of La Crosse walking tour, which places the Freighthouse alongside other documented haunted sites in the downtown corridor.
No historical record has been located identifying a child's death specifically tied to this building. The identity of the apparition remains unknown, and the accounts rest on employee testimony rather than documented incident.
Dine in the restored 1880 Milwaukee Road freight depot. The building's original timber framing, exposed brick, and rail-era atmosphere are visible throughout. Staff have reported paranormal events including a child apparition and spontaneously restacked bricks in the basement.
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This La Crosse tour includes Freighthouse Restaurant (Milwaukee Road Freight Depot) on its route.
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