Actually Haunted: A review of a haunted house and a spooky tarot card reading in Atchison, Kansas

For those who don’t know, the “Most Haunted Town in Kansas” is Atchison — just an hour from East. Besides being the birthplace of Amelia Earhart, this historic riverfront town is also known for spooky houses and ghostly legends. The town is so notorious that its haunted houses have been covered by TV channels like A&E and the Discovery Channel.

So naturally, I had to visit the spooky town to find out just how haunted it really is. I decided to visit a haunted house in Atchison — the Sallie House — and attend a Mysteries of the Afterlife event. 

The Sallie House is the most famous haunted house in Atchison, according to the Visit Atchison website. This two-story home is said to be haunted by a young girl who died in the house while undergoing surgery for appendicitis in the late 1800s.

The Sallie House offers a $20 one-hour self guided tour or a $150 overnight stay. The only tour time available was for 10 a.m., which isn’t exactly the spookiest time of day but I was still hopeful that I’d see a ghost or two. 

When I got there, I couldn’t pick out the Sallie House from the neighboring houses; they all looked the same. I nearly walked into an identical brick colonial-style house two doors down. Eventually, I saw a lackluster piece of paper on the door sharing how to book a house tour — which let me know I was in the right place.

I was expecting someone at the door to let me in, but instead I had to let myself in with a code that was emailed to me. As I walked inside, I felt like the house didn’t want my company. 

Throughout the house, I saw a bed covered in ragdolls, a table with ancient surgical tools and a portrait of a child. It was creepy, but it wasn’t enough to convince me that there were any ghosts lurking over my shoulder.

But my fear returned when one of the toys on the bed lit up… by itself. I was scared, but I quickly discovered that the toy was equipped with motion detection and would light up whenever I applied pressure to the bed. Disappointing. 

While the house had an intriguing history and some peculiar artifacts, the lack of any ghostly encounters was a letdown. It seemed that it was more of a historical oddity than a genuine paranormal hotspot. Maybe the house would’ve been scarier if I didn’t go at 10 a.m., but it still wasn’t worth the $20 I shelled out for a ticket.

With zero signs of a ghostly presence after the Sallie House, attending a Mysteries of the Afterlife tarot card reading has fully convinced me that ghosts are real.

The event took place on the second floor of an Atchison furniture store — I’m pretty sure I was in someone’s living room. The psychic started by sharing a backstory about Atchison. Apparently, the town is referred to as a “spiritual highway” — the surrounding rivers and brick roads make it an ideal ghost-traveling location. 

Then, the reading started when the psychic told the other attendees and me to write down questions we wanted answered and if we wanted to hear from anyone in our life who has passed away. I said I wanted to hear from my grandparents.

When she supposedly contacted my grandparents, the light flickered, affirming her connection with them. She told me they were proud of me, they were still together and that they were “super cute” — super vague, right?

But then she conveyed their advice to follow my heart, attend the college that felt right for me and not worry about what my family members would think. My jaw dropped — I hadn’t disclosed my high school status or that I’ve been panicking about where to go to college.

The psychic then started to describe my spirit guide — a being that exists in the spirit realm and offers guidance and support to individuals on their life path — claiming that it was a beautiful colorful angel and she couldn’t figure out its name. I was told I’d have to ask for the guide’s name the next time I got in the shower, and that it would just “come to me.” I tried this and the name I got was Angela, which seemed random.

I asked for some more advice, and she told me my spirit guide and ancestors said I need to dial down the overthinking and avoid talking myself out of understanding things, as it limits my ability to succeed. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This guidance felt specifically tailored to my personality, as that is something I do on a regular basis.

I went into the tarot card reading as a nonbeliever, but after a visit with my late grandparents, it’s safe to say I believe in the sixth sense.