Haunted by the “Harry Potter” Ghost of the Red Onion Saloon

“Who’s here for the ghosts?” our fun-loving madam polled our group before starting the tour.

Less than half joined me in raising their hands.

“Who’s here for the Goodtimes?” she asked. More hands went up than before.

“Well, that’s good because I’ll warn you right now, there are more good times than ghosts on this tour. But we’ll end with a tour of the saloon that combines them both.”

Skagway was one of the port destinations on our first Alaskan cruise in 2008. Among the excursions the ship offered was the Ghosts and Goodtime Girls Tour. In addition to a walking tour of the town, it also included a tour of the upstairs of the Red Onion Saloon, a former brothel.

I wanted to take it, but we either didn’t have the time or the money (likely both) for two excursions. Instead, we opted for the one that most first-time Alaskan cruisers pick: the White Pass Summit Railway. After all, we were there to see the scenery, and the train ride afforded us the chance to view more of it.

However, I always vowed that if I ever got back to Skagway, I’d take the Ghosts and Goodtime Girls tour. It took 10 years, but that day finally came. Was it worth the wait?

Yes. Except, I don’t know if ghosts can really follow you home or not, but I ended up haunted by the ghosts of the Red Onion Saloon. Well, not both of them. Just one.

The Red Onion Saloon’s “Nice” Ghost

The Red Onion is very open about being haunted. They call their resident ghost Lydia, but they admit they don’t know much about the woman she may have been while she was alive.

However, all versions of her tale agree on two things: she was a prostitute, and she died. But how did she die? An accident? Suicide? Murder?

The most prevalent theory is that she took her own life. The Skagway News reported Lydia killed herself when her “face was branded after she contracted a sexually transmitted infection.”

Branded

I don’t think they meant “branded” in the way most of us think of it, though. (ie. A piece of hot metal held over a fire and then pressed into flesh.) At least I hope not. Not that I’ve read every book about prostitutes from the late 1800s to early 1900s, but I’ve read a couple, including Soiled Doves: Prostitution in the Early West and Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush: Secret History of the Far North. Neither made any mention of such barbarism as branding ladies of the evening who had STIs.

Instead, I think they meant that whatever disease Lydia had contracted branded her, which was likely syphilis, as it causes sores that scar. Sexually transmitted diseases were certainly common amongst “soiled doves” back then. It was often a contributing factor for those who ended their own lives. That very well could’ve been Lydia’s fate.

Lydia’s Corner

Is she responsible for the footsteps people on the first-floor report hearing overhead when no one’s upstairs? (Or, at least when no one’s supposed to be up there.) Or for the invisible touches some report feeling?

Was her signature perfume really lilac-scented, as our guide said? Is she making her presence known when someone catches a whiff of it? And is she the female apparition some have seen so often in a certain area upstairs they call it Lydia’s Corner?

Perhaps. I was aching to catch a glimpse of her or experience her in some way, but I didn’t. Especially because she’s considered a friendly ghost. For the most part. She does seem to have a bit of a mischievous spirit. But she shares space with another ghost that is not so nice.

The Red Onion Saloon’s “Voldemort” Ghost

During the city walk portion of our Ghost and Goodtime Girls tour, one of our fellow tour-goers asked about the Red Onion’s male ghost. Much to the palpable relief of our guide.

Up until that point, she’d been everything you could want in someone dressed as a Goodtime Girl. She’d recounted Skagway’s history with alternating measures of sass and snark and easy-going frivolity, depending on the story. But as soon as the question about the Red Onion’s male ghost was posed, she tensed up, and her smile faded altogether.

“I won’t be talking about him. Especially once we’re inside the building.” (That explained her relief that the question hadn’t been asked there.) “Only Lydia.”

“Is he really as awful as they say?”

“He Who Must Not Be Named”

“I’ve never encountered him, and I hope I never do. It’s why we don’t talk about him, especially not by name. I don’t even want to give him this much power.”

“Like Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter?” someone else in our group asked. “He Who Must Not Be Named?”

“Exactly. So thanks for understanding that I’m now going to redirect your attention to…” And with that, she led us to another location on the walking portion of our tour.

Stuck

But my mind was stuck on the unnamed male ghost. What did he do that was so vile, so scary, so threatening it affected our guide like that?

Author J.A. Hernandez looked into the “malevolent male ghost that employees call ‘John.'” John’s a meanie with a violent streak. He’s been known to push people down the stairs. And on top of it, he’s a real stinker. Where Lydia exudes a pleasant floral smell, John oozes a “horrendous body odor.”

Luckily, I was not accosted by any shoving or maliferous smells, either while touring the saloon or back home. Once I satiated my curiosity and learned about the mean ghost, I was no longer haunted by wondering about him. Basically. One question remained, though.

Which stairs?

There were at least a couple of sets of stairs in the Red Onion Saloon that I remember traversing. One that led up to a bar area where we were served a complimentary cocktail after the walking tour and before the brothel tour. (A glass of champagne, if memory serves.)

Then there was a shorter flight where our guide indulged in some more storytelling theatrics before leading us to the “business” part of the saloon where the girls once worked.

After we toured the historic brothel area, we went down another set of stairs in the back. But which stairs should we have kept an eye out for the Voldemort ghost of the Red Onion Saloon? Does he prefer to push on one in particular, or has he done it on them all?

I ask because some, like the one our guide posed on, had a shorter fall than the other two. That’d be good information to know in advance. I would’ve planned my descent down the longer stairs differently if I’d known he favored pushing on those.

Boo-K It!

To learn more about the Ghosts and Goodtimes Girl tour in the Red Onion Saloon, visit https://www.redonion1898.com/skagway-alaska-excursions.

Check-In

Have you ever encountered a nice ghost? If so, where?