"The stones were moved, but ya left the bodies, didn't ya! DIDN'T YA!"
('Poltergeist', 1982)

There are two places named Oak Park, and they’re not too far apart from each other. And on top of that, both are rumored to be haunted.

It seems Michigan has an endless supply of hauntings, doesn’t it? It really does…but so does almost every part of the world. Why?

Think about it:
What causes hauntings?
Ghosts or spirits.
Where do ghosts and spirits come from?
They emanate from the deceased.
Where are the deceased?
Mostly buried in graveyards.

So if they’re buried in graveyards, how come houses, buildings, and other things are said to be haunted?

Because no matter where you are, there is probably a dead body beneath you. Humans have been around for thousands, millions of years. Even before there were cemeteries, there were wars, sickness, and people dropping down dead in their tracks. Most were properly buried, some in cemeteries that are long gone – overgrown and forgotten, with no stones to mark their resting places. Those who died in battle were left on the field for the buzzards, vermin, and other animals to eat. Over time, what was left of them was covered by the earth and not marked. So no matter where you are standing, sitting, or lying, you are probably on a spot where someone died or was buried.

So it makes sense that anything can be haunted: lakes, basements, golf courses, major highways…yes, even churches.

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Two more such places are both named Oak Park: one in Lansing, another in Charlotte.

The Oak Park in Charlotte sits on the land that was the town’s first cemetery, corner of Clinton and Seminary streets. By the late 1800s, they were running out of room and needed to re-locate. Bodies were dug up and moved to various other graveyards. It’s believed that in their haste, workers failed to remove all the bodies, leaving some behind. Now, visitors and passersby claim to see the swings in the park swinging on their own, with nobody in them, even on days with no wind.

At Lansing’s Oak Park, apparitions have been seen hanging around the grounds as well, but not much detail on these claims. So it seems that these ‘hauntings’ are not due to any murders, burnings, or anything extremely tragic-  just ghosts leftover from careless caretakers who failed to get all the bodies out before turning the areas into recreation parks.

Walk by the parks some dark night by yourself and see what happens…will your eyes and ears deceive you?

Haunted Oak Parks: Charlotte & Lansing

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