The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, a reputedly haunted 1893 landmark, takes center stage in the Dodgers’ NLCS

In Milwaukee, the Los Angeles Dodgers are sleeping in an 1893 hotel that generations of players have called haunted, and Max Muncy has no problem with that. On the eve of the National League Championship Series against the Brewers, the third baseman said he would happily welcome the Pfister’s ghosts. A good moment to take a closer look at this grand 307-room Victorian address.

☰Contents

1. Max Muncy leaves the door open to ghosts
2. Beltre, Harper, Sandoval: restless nights
3. 1893, “The Grand Hotel of the West”
4. 307 rooms, including 82 suites
5. From Mason Street Grill to Blu on the 23rd floor
6. A spa and an indoor pool

Max Muncy leaves the door open to ghosts

Asked about the hotel’s reputation at a press conference on Saturday 10 October 2026, Max Muncy brushed the question aside. “If there’s a ghost there, come on in,” he said, before adding: “If the TV turns on, I know he’s friendly.” He welcomes them, he concluded, and if there is a ghost, they might as well have some fun with it.

The Dodgers are staying at the Pfister for the games played in Milwaukee in this series, the last step before the World Series. Game 1 was played on Sunday 11 October at American Family Field, with Game 2 on Monday 12 October. The hotel has no official status with the league: it is simply where most visiting teams stay in town.

Beltre, Harper, Sandoval: restless nights

The legend has grown through the accounts of visiting players. Adrian Beltre spoke of knocks at his door in 2001, Bryce Harper of clothes and a table being moved in 2012; Pablo Sandoval said an iPod had switched itself on, Michael Young heard footsteps in his locked room, and C.J. Wilson described lights and a television turning off. These stories span the regular season and the postseason alike, and none has ever been verified.

Some players would rather sleep elsewhere. Teoscar Hernández skipped the Pfister during the October 2025 NLCS at his wife’s request, while insisting he had stayed there before without seeing a thing. Mookie Betts, for his part, opted for a private rental from 2023, explaining that he does not believe in ghosts but has no wish to find out he is wrong. For more spine-tingling addresses, see our pick of the 25 most haunted hotels in the United States.

1893, “The Grand Hotel of the West”

The Pfister opened in 1893, founded by Guido Pfister and his son Charles, Milwaukee tanners. Architect Henry C. Koch gave it its Romanesque Revival façade, and on opening it was nicknamed “The Grand Hotel of the West”. It was the first American hotel to offer a thermostat in every room, thanks to its own power plant.

The hotel also claims the largest collection of American Victorian art of any hotel in the world, on display in the lobby and lounges. A member of Historic Hotels of America since 1994, it belongs to The Marcus Corporation, which runs it through Marcus Hotels. It sits in a family of great historic American houses that also includes The Plaza in New York and the Waldorf Astoria New York, which turned its ballroom into a tennis court.

307 rooms, including 82 suites

The Pfister has 307 rooms and suites, including 82 suites, split between the historic building and the tower. In the historic wing, the Legacy rooms have been renovated, as have the Heritage rooms. The Pfister Club Lounge rounds off the offer for guests on the upper floors.

From Mason Street Grill to Blu on the 23rd floor

Mason Street Grill celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2026. In the Lobby Lounge, afternoon tea is served beneath the painted ceiling, while the Café at The Pfister takes care of the daytime.

At the very top, the Blu bar occupies the 23rd floor of the tower, with views over Milwaukee and Lake Michigan, which settles the “thirteen-floor tower” still sometimes quoted.

A spa and an indoor pool

The WELL Spa + Salon offers treatments and hairdressing, alongside an indoor pool and a fitness room. November nights start at €209 for two in a Grand Tower room, enough to test the legend for yourself, far from the NLCS spotlight.