HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena — as catalogued
+ 1 further entry on record
A downtown Janesville bar featured in a published Wisconsin haunted-places book, where staff report sounds after closing and shadows near the basement stairs.
18 N Main St, Janesville, WI 53545
Research updated June 2026
Age
21+
Cost
$
Bar pricing; no cover charge for paranormal interest
Access
Limited Access
Historic downtown building; basement access via stairs
Equipment
Photos OK
Featured in published book '30 Haunted Nights in Wisconsin' · Historic downtown Janesville commercial district
The Looking Glass Bar sits on N Main Street in the core of downtown Janesville, in a building that predates the modern streetscape. The bar's inclusion in the published book '30 Haunted Nights in Wisconsin' brought broader attention to reports that had circulated among staff and regulars.
A Gazette Extra feature from 2023 reported that three Janesville buildings made the book's roster, with The Looking Glass among them. The article documented the bar's long-standing reputation among staff for after-hours activity — unexplained sounds when the building is closed, shadows in corners that don't track with light sources, disembodied voices, and footsteps from the direction of the basement staircase.
The bar's specific construction date and earlier occupancy history are not well-documented in public sources, which limits the historical grounding for the paranormal accounts. The phenomena are reported as ongoing rather than tied to a single incident or known death at the location.
Sources
The Looking Glass Bar's paranormal reputation rests almost entirely on staff and patron accounts accumulated over years of operation. The reports share a pattern: sounds that arrive after the building is supposed to be empty, shadows that appear in corners away from windows, voices without a source, and footsteps on the staircase when nobody is on it.
The basement connection recurs in multiple accounts — the lower level is described as a focal point of unease, with sounds seeming to travel upward even when the space is unoccupied. The book '30 Haunted Nights in Wisconsin' treated the bar as a credible entry alongside two other Janesville locations, suggesting the editors found the staff accounts sufficiently documented for inclusion.
Media Appearances
The Looking Glass Bar operates as a working downtown bar. Paranormal reports come from staff encounters after closing and patron observations near the back corners and staircase to the basement. No formal investigation tours are offered; this is a visit-and-see stop.
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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La Crosse, WI
Del's Bar is one of La Crosse's older operating saloons, with roots in the city's founding era. It sits in the downtown corridor that formed La Crosse's commercial and entertainment district along the Mississippi River waterfront.
La Crosse, WI
Built in 1880 by the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway as a freight depot, the building served La Crosse's commercial rail traffic for decades before being converted to a restaurant. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.