February 25, 2021
Ever wondered what kinds of ghosts and ghouls are hiding in our fair state? Our Driftwood staff profiles some of the most haunted locations in Wisconsin.
The Rave
The Rave is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It’s known for its inexpensive tickets for A-List shows including Mac Miller, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Not only is it notorious for being one of the best music venues in Wisconsin, but it’s known to be very haunted. I’m going to focus on The Pool Room, because there’s just so much to cover.
To start this story, we have to go back to about 1927. When The Rave was first built, it was meant to be a men’s shelter similar to the YMCA. It’s said by ghost-hunting enthusiasts that the original owner was an abusive man, and that he now lives his afterlife in the Rave. Ghost hunters have heard him talking and giving them haunting warnings to leave the venue.
Within The Rave is a room called the Pool Room. It’s called the Pool Room because it holds a giant pool. During The Rave’s time in operation as a shelter between 1927 and 1977, there were several cases of children drowning in the pool. Their spirits are supposedly still there, laughing, running around, and touching the hands of individuals who make it thereto visit them.
Rapper and singer Mac Miller loved playing at The Rave. The last time he played there was 2011, before his accidental overdose in 2018. He signed the pool wall with, “I am Mac Miller. I once lived, but now I am dead. My soul remains here. Enjoy. P.S. I sold this place out 3 times.” It’s an eerie message from the late Mac Miller that’s definitely noteworthy.
If you’re feeling daring, maybe take a trip to The Rave when it opens back up post-COVID. Who knows who you might run into?
—Aleida Toebe, Haunted WI Editor