The Haunting at Old St. Andrews Inn

The alleged haunts of an old Scottish-themed pub that has been in existence since 1961. St. Andrews Inn is located on bustling North Broadway Avenue in Edgewater.

Prior to 1961, St. Andrews Inn was owned and operated by a Norwegian-American married couple named Frank and Edna Giff. Frank, who was a colorful character, passed away in 1959, and many incidents have been blamed on the presence of his Vodka-slugging ghost since then. Regardless if the many unexplainable and eerie accounts reported by eyewitnesses are a direct result of Frank's ghost, or some other entity, there seems to undoubtedly be a presence at St. Andrews Inn that makes itself known.

Current owner Julius J. Lamar and an employee took the time to discuss what they (or others) have experienced at this legendary bar. Julius has owned and operated St. Andrews Inn for several years now, and is careful to explain that he was once only a semi-believer in the supernatural, whereas now he has come to make peace with the entity(s) that reside there. Julius stated, "One night after closing the bar I sat all alone at a booth and said "look, I won't bother you, if you don't bother me. Let's just get along."

Some of the experiences that Julius has personally encountered have been: a disappearing/reappearing man in black and white that descends the stairs, constant electrical, plumbing, and gas malfunctions that seem to fix themselves, disappearing Vodka from the shelves of the bar, objects that move, slide, break or turn on/off by themselves, and customers that have sworn that they have either had bathroom door handles rattled, or been physically touched-especially of the female persuasion.

Legend has it that Frank Giff was fond of ladies with blonde or red hair, and that said, these are most often the types of women that seem to experience the naughtiness of Frank's hands.

One night long after the bar was closed and Julius was humoring a friend over why the downstairs door would not stay shut but would keep opening as if someone was joking around, Julius placed a bottle of Vodka (with stopper) as a gift for Frank or whoever's ghost was causing this right behind the door of the action. Needless to say the door stopped opening, and the bottle was discovered soon after, empty and tipped over onto its side. There was nobody else on the premises at this time, and no drafts or other causes for it could be explained away.

On one occasion, a redheaded woman was sitting at a table amongst her husband and another couple. The woman kept complaining to her husband to stop touching her under the table. The husband's hands by observers in the room were nowhere near his wife's body at this time.

On another occasion, the employee was heading back into the kitchen from the bar area, and was surprised to find all the burners on full blast. She ran out to the bar to inquire if anyone had left the burners on, but to no avail. When they went back into the kitchen seconds later, not only were all the burners now mysteriously off, but also the range was cool to the touch as if they were never on in the first place.

There are many other eyewitness accounts, and even very interesting photographs that have been taken at St. Andrews Inn for decades now. Regardless, this is a comfy neighborhood place that serves up an expanding menu, bar, and even karaoke in an interesting atmosphere. Even for the hardcore skeptic, St. Andrews Inn proves to be a great spot to explore. Try it out for yourself. You just might return home with a story! St. Andrews Inn is located at 5938 North Broadway in Chicago. It's phone number is 773-784-5540.