Washington DC

We couldn't be DCMAG without mentioning some of the haunted places in DC Itself. Everyone has heard the many stories, but we try to delve into the legends to get the facts whenever we can. To find out more about the ghosts of Washington DC, Check out Lawana's website.

Omni Shoreham EVP

Recent Investigation:

DCMAG officially investigated the 5 room Executive "ghost"Suite at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Woodley Park on June 16th. The suite is believed to be haunted by Juliette the former housekeeper who died in the suite under mysterious circumstances. Special thanks to Eric Nuzum for the invitation and such a rare opportunity! Take a look at Eric's blog for updates!

The Stephen Decatur House:

A house of slavery and death, the Stephen Decatur House is one of the most haunted places in Washington DC. It's right by the White House on Lafayette Square, there for nearly 200 years. Frank led up a group lecture at the house last October and Al performed two investigations there. Take a look at our investigation results.

The Supreme Court

The area that is now the Supreme Court has a sordid history long before the nation's highest court took residnce there. That corner was the home of an Large brick building that was well known to be haunted. The Building was known as the Old Capitol Building, bcause it temporarily housed the employees of the Capitol while the current building was being repaired from a fire. When the workers moved out of the old building it was used as a prison for Confederate soldiers. These soldiers would scream, swear, bang and plead their innocence while awaiting Trial. The most famous of these prisoners was the well known female confederate spy Belle Boyd.
The building was taken over the pioneers of the Woman's Suffrage Movement, and meetings were held here while women were fighting for the right to vote. Many of these women heard screams, swearing and banging while they were holding their meetings, some were terrified.
The building was demolished in the 1920s to make way for the Supreme Court. Although the Old Capitol Building is gone, many a Washingtonian will tell you on some early mornings before the sun rises and the feds arrive to work... the sceams, rattles and pleads for justice can be heard.

The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is a lesser known haunted building on Capitol Hill. It does has its share of ghosts however. The most told ghost story is the police officer who resides in the stacks. He has been seen in both his uniform as well as his casual clothes. He has helped several people exit the stacks when they have become lost in the miles and miles of books. Accordning to the description of the man (and his name, as he tells people) he was a sargeant who dies several years ago. This occurrance is well known among many Library employees.
Other occurrances in the Library's main building include doors opening by themselves, constant banging in the steps, and a mysterious dark haired man.
One of the strangest recent events happened about three years ago when some painters were doing some work in the north corridor on the second floor. The area was closed to the public, and the wrokers needed get a cart by two heavy curator cases. One case moved about a foot, all by itself, allowing the workers to get the cart through.

The Capitol Building

Many ghost stories surround the U.S. Capitol Building. The building has a very violent history. Constructed by slave labor, experiencing two major fires, along with several men being shot and killed have left this building filled with several ghosts.

The Founder has spoke with several people who have worked in this building, and many people have little known stories to tell. Instead of writing about all the many well know stories about the Capitol (recurring blood stains, dancing statues, and running assassins), let's hear from the regular people and what they have to say: About five years ago, a police woman was working third shift. She went into the lounge to take a nap on her lunch hour. She was shoved by useen hnds off the sofa and onto the floor. Some artisons in the Capitol were observing a new dummy put into a large exhibit tank containing a desk and chair. The dummy was hunched over the desk sitting in the chair. Suddenly the figure simply vanished. There never was a dummy. Many people in the Capitol Building feel an omnious presence follow them around to the point they are almost running from certain hallways. The see nothing, however. These are interesting stories, but nothing compared to the most notorious figure on Capitol Hill, the infamous Demon Cat.

The Myth of the Demon Cat

No ghostly tour of Capitol Hill could be completed without mention of the Demon Cat. This mysterious beast is known for being the most popular, unusual and dangerous "creature" in the city.

Scenario: a police officer is walking his rounds in the basement of the Capitol, he sees a small black cat. The policeman is puzzled. As the cat approaches him it grows, and had glowing eyes. The man is frozen in fear, and as the growing cat approaches him it lunges at him, and the victim passes out in fright. The next day a president gets assassinated. This is a SCENARIO of what happens with the demon cat. No event happened EXACTLY this way, but there are some common traits of this beast:

It chooses its victims wisely, often late workers and night watchmen, but now always.

It hangs around Congress. The director interviewed a man who saw and heard a black cat grow behind a Congressional building. When he got too close to the building, the cat was gone, and two police officer nearly arrested him for getting to close to a building occupied by Congress. This building was NOT the Capitol.

The sightings tend to follow a national tragedy or change of office. If this is the case, this beast should be very active right now. Of course, snooping around the Capitol is not an option. However, we do have some leads on this case, and will post whatever data we find.

It is NOT recommended to call the Capitol building and ask the staff about the Demon Cat. Most staff know nothing about it, or refuse to talk about it. In addition, the Capitol is under very tight security.

Did the Demon cat appear on 9/10? Maybe, maybe not. Witnesses tend not to speak about these things for fear of being considered insane, especially in security backgrounds. DCMAG will do our best to find out if this cat is still seen.

Food for thought, Is the cat really bad? Yes, it terrifies people, but it also warns of impending disasters as well. It's almost like the Banshee or Black Angus. Regardless, its terrifying to see. Chances are this is a myth, as it did not appear before the last presidential election, 911, or the shootings.

We'll keep you posted!