The Ellis House

Before the Ellise House rose from the Ozark stone, the land it now sits on was rumored to be part of a Native American trail system. Locals say the hillside, dense with trees and moss-covered boulders, was once a place of rest and spiritual ritual for tribes who believed in the healing powers of nearby Basin Spring.

When settlers came, this area was just outside the main business district, perfect for residential construction but close enough to the city center that wealthier families could build elaborate Victorian homes here—and still walk to the springs. The hillside was quiet, private, and, according to more than a few whispers, cursed.

Whether you believe in curses or not, there's no denying the land has a heavy history. Even before the Ellise House was built, people told stories of strange lights in the woods, voices that seemed to come from nowhere, and the feeling that you were being watched when you passed by at night.

The Ellise House was built in the late 1880s, during the peak of Eureka Springs' golden age. The population had exploded thanks to the so-called "miracle waters," and fortunes were being made on tourism, boarding houses, and "health retreats." Dr. Jonathan Ellise, a reclusive physician who arrived from St. Louis, was said to be fascinated with alternative healing. He purchased the plot with cash and began construction almost immediately.

Dr. Ellise wasn't interested in hosting patients at the Crescent or Basin Park Hotels—he believed in controlling the environment, and that meant keeping his practice small and close to home. Rumor has it the house doubled as a private sanatorium for the ill and dying, with rooms designed to treat everything from tuberculosis to melancholia. He saw patients by lamplight, even late into the night. Some say they were never seen again.

While official records of Dr. Ellise's work are scarce, his death in 1902 is well documented. He died suddenly of a "respiratory ailment," and the house passed briefly through the hands of other medical professionals before being sold off and used as a private residence. But according to longtime residents of Eureka Springs, the house never lost its strange energy.

Over the years, the Ellise House became known among locals as "the house with the cold windows." No matter the season, the glass always seemed to fog unnaturally, and visitors reported feeling sudden chills when walking past—even on hot summer days.

Tenants came and went, rarely staying more than a year. One family in the 1950s fled the home in the middle of the night, reportedly after their daughter began speaking to someone she called "the doctor in the walls." A later owner, who attempted to turn the home into a bed and breakfast in the early 1990s, abandoned the project after a series of unexplained electrical fires and reports of ghostly figures appearing in guest rooms.

And then there are the voices. Nearly everyone who has lived—or tried to live—in the Ellise House has spoken of disembodied whispers. Some claim the voices call out their names. Others say they've heard old-time music drifting through the rooms, even though no radios were playing.

The obvious answer is Dr. Ellise himself. Many believe he never left the home, still pacing its narrow hallways in search of patients—or secrets—he left behind. Paranormal investigators who have visited the property describe feeling a heavy pressure on their chests, the kind you'd associate with anxiety or panic. They also report EVPs that capture a stern male voice saying things like "Be still," "Not yet," and "She's mine."

But Dr. Ellise may not be alone.

There's also the "Woman in White," seen most often in the upstairs window that overlooks the street. She appears at dusk, as if watching for someone who never returned. Some speculate she was a nurse or a grieving relative of one of the doctor's patients. Others think she may have been one of the ill who died in the house—and perhaps not from natural causes.

Several children over the years have claimed to see "a little boy with no shoes" sitting on the stairs. Adults rarely see him, but he leaves behind muddy footprints that no one can explain.

While the Ellise House remains a private residence, it occasionally changes hands—often without explanation. Realtors have admitted that the home "sells itself but refuses to keep owners." Some have described the interior as feeling "claustrophobic, even when the windows are open," while others refuse to show the property at night.

Passersby often stop to snap a photo, especially after dark. And some of those photos? They've shown things that weren't visible in the moment—faces in the windows, glowing orbs, or pale outlines in the corners of rooms.

The Ellise House doesn't have a museum plaque or ghost tour signs out front. It doesn't sell tickets or host seances (at least not publicly). But ask anyone in Eureka Springs and they'll tell you—it's one of the town's most quietly haunted places. A place where the past clings to the wallpaper, and the air hums with energy.

If you find yourself walking by, do it slowly. Listen carefully. You might just hear the past whisper back.

And if you feel a chill down your spine on a warm Arkansas night—don't worry. It's probably just Dr. Ellise checking in on you.

The Ellise House is located just off one of Eureka Springs' steep and winding residential streets, not far from the downtown historic district. Tucked into the hillside and partially obscured by trees, it's easy to miss unless you know where to look.

The house is a private residence, so while curious visitors can walk or drive past to glimpse its eerie exterior, it's important to respect the property and observe from a distance. If you're joining a local ghost tour, your guide may point it out while sharing the house's chilling backstory—but don't expect to be invited in. The spirits seem to prefer their privacy.