Historic White Horse Inn

The Oldest (Known to be Haunted) Restaurant in Michigan

Since Tim & Lisa Wilkins purchased the Historic White Horse Inn restaurant nine years ago, the restaurant has been full of activity, not only with business but also with the paranormal.  Tim Wilkins explains, "On the day of the closing eight years ago, just as I set my pen down signing my name on the dotted line, one of the owners said, "oh, by the way the White Horse has a ghost."  Soon after we took over the operation, local residents and staff kept asking me, "Have you met Lorenzo?"  I have to say for the first six months, I was skeptical.  I tried to explain occurrences away, because I have never been much of a supernatural believer.  At least, not until now."

Though, the restaurant has had the reputation for being haunted for a long time, it was in Wilkins' first year of ownership that Tim not only believed the White Horse was haunted, but also accepted it.  "Lorenzo is a friendly ghost.  He lives peacefully upstairs and visits when customers are the liveliest."   

The White Horse Inn is the oldest restaurant in Michigan and is celebrating it's 160^th birthday this year.  The upstairs level is home to Miss Lucy's Tearoom, Parlor and Gift Shop, private party rooms and offices.  The downstairs is the restaurant dining room and tavern.  A pair of riding boots that are rumored to be Lorenzo's, are always positioned at the top of the stairs.  It is believed that in the middle of the night, when most are asleep, Lorenzo puts on his riding boots every once in a while to walk the halls and roam the village.  Not only are the boots often found moved from their home position, but staff and guests also have reported hearing footsteps in empty rooms.  It is also common for upstairs doors that are shut at closing to be found open in the morning.

Last year, a customer took his young restless daughter upstairs to walk around during his family's dinner.   Soon after, the sound of someone running down the stairs made guests and staff take notice.  The guest, obviously shook up, said that while he and his daughter were exploring Miss Lucy's Tearoom he noticed what he thought was a window open, he set his daughter down walked towards the window to close and realized the window was not open.  Then turned around to see his daughter walking in the opposite direction, with arms stretched looking up saying "Grandma!"  There was no one there.

Also this year, another customer stopped in to report that he and his wife took a photo of the historic building and found orbs in the photo outside an upstairs window.  The photo can now be seen on the White Horse website www.historicwhitehorseinn.com

Lorenzo also turns up once in a while as an image in an antique mirror at the end of a long dark hallway.   At the end of this hallway is a storage room.  So as you are walking to the room, you see yourself walking towards the mirror.  It has been reported by staff to not only see a friendly image in the mirror standing behind them, but also the feeling that they are not alone.  

Lorenzo is known to have fun and play games.  At times, the lights will flicker for no apparent reason.  Tim explains, "This is a 160 year old building.  When we are hit with bad weather, our power is not affected.  But on a sunny day or calm starry evening our lights will flicker.  The dessert tray located in the tavern has jumped off it's table during dinner service, with no one even near it.  And a large 4 foot mirror that used to hang over the bar fell crashing into the lined liquor bottles while guests were dining.   How it happened is unexplained, since the wall and mirror hardware was left in tact.  None of it makes any sense to me, but we have fun with Lorenzo. Typically when unusual things happen around here staff and customers will welcome his presence with a friendly "Hey Lorenzo!"