DETROIT (WWJ) -- If you’ve walked up and down Woodward Avenue in Midtown, there’s a chance you've passed right by one of Detroit’s spookiest places…and not even realized it.
Many are familiar with The Whitney mansion and its myriad of ghost stories, but fewer know about the building’s equally (if not more) haunted carriage house.
Tucked away in the overgrown ivy, the creepy carriage house is hiding in plain sight, as it sits slightly behind the main building but is still visible and accessible from Woodward.
The dilapidated structure is eerie enough in its own right, amassing a whopping 6,000-square-feet and filled only with sparse pieces of mismatched furniture, old toys, and a chalk board that's been used by some as a makeshift Ouija Board over the years.
While speaking with The Whitney’s General Manager Tony Muzzi on a Spooky episode of The Daily J podcast last October, WWJ’s Zach Clark and Annie Scaramuzzino learned the carriage house has had more spirit activity than any other place on the grounds.
Children’s voices and disembodied knocks on the walls have been heard by visitors and staff members alike, and Muzzi says ghost hunters that have visited the mansion have gotten the most significant readings in the building.
But the focal point of the carriage house comes in the form of an old tea set that sits on a table by the window, overlooking The Whitney’s yard.
The story goes that David Whitney’s daughter Grace enjoyed having tea in front of that window so she could view polo matches happening on the grounds.
Whitney insisted that the tea set stay in place at all times, as he wanted to ensure Grace could always have her tea while visiting, even if he was out of town.
When Whitney died in 1900, Grace was in Europe and didn’t make it home in time to say goodbye.
As ownership of the mansion has changed hands over the decades, the tea set has sometimes been put away. When that happens, an influx of paranormal activity has been reported in the mansion, particularly pertaining to china falling off the shelves and breaking.
When the tea set is returned, the activity stops, and many believe the strange incidents are a reflection of Whitney’s anger, as he insisted the set stay put.
To avoid the issue, the tea set remains firmly in place in front of the window, perfectly prepared just in case Grace decides to visit.
And if you want to visit, The Whitney does offer ghost tours, which include access to the carriage house.
Learn more about the history of the Whitney Mansion here, and check out our features on the hauntings of Mackinac Island, Detroit's Two Way Inn, Eloise Asylum and Royal Oak's Orson Starr House.