October’s Haunted Establishments
with “Spirits” Series
The Slippery Noodle - Indianapolis, Indiana
The
wind is rising, the leaves are changing and it’s time for our annual trek to
check out some haunted restaurants and libation locations around the country. Today
we’ll discover a place that began as an upscale inn for train travelers and is now one of the
best places to hear live Blues (and witness otherworldly phenomena) in the Midwest.
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| Slippery Noodle Inn |
Today,
The Slippery Noodle Inn is the oldest continually operated bar in its original
building in the state of Indiana, and the oldest commercial building still standing
in Indianapolis. With a history of over 150 years, this bar has a rich history, not only as a tavern and inn but also a bordello and gangster hangout.
Founded
in 1850 as the Tremont House, the building is listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. The Tremont House began as an inn offering lodging to train travelers
passing through Indianapolis. Painted remains of a sign for the Tremont House can still be seen on
the north side of the building. |
| Union Station |
In
the 1860s the name was changed to the Concordia House and the building was used
as a way station on the Underground Railroad. There are rumors that tunnels
connected the inn to the Union Station train depot.
Around
the turn of the century, the business was renamed The Germania House and became
the home of one of the first German clubs in Indy. But with the start of WWI
and anti-German sentiments, the name was changed to Beck’s Saloon after owner,
Louis Beck.
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| Moore's Restaurant |
When
Beck sold the bar to Walter Moore, he changed the name to Moore’s Beer Tavern, but the name was short-lived due to Prohibition. Moore quickly renamed it
Moore’s Restaurant, but that didn't stop bootleg beer from being brewed in the basement and pumped
upstairs to be served to select customers. As a ploy to cover the location of
the brewery, a slaughterhouse also operated in the basement.  |
| Al Brady |
 |
| John Dillinger |
Moore’s
Restaurant became a favored hang out for several gangsters including John Dillinger and Al Brady. Moore allowed the gangsters to use the old brick stable
for target practice. Today, this room is
used as one of the stage areas, and slugs can still be found embedded in the
walls. After the repeal of Prohibition, Moore went back to the bar’s original
name of Moore’s Beer Bar.
Moore
decided to offer gang members a bit of entertainment and soon the upstairs became
a bordello. What had once been luxurious lodging rooms were subdivided into 23
rooms, without heat, for the “girls” and their customers.
Moore
was making a “killing” on his bar and bordello until, in 1953, two johns got
into a fight over one of the girls. Fists flew, words were said and one of the
johns ended up dead - stabbed with a knife. The bordello was immediately
closed; the bar kept a low profile.
In
1963, Harold and Lorean Yeagy bought the place and turned it into a lunch counter, naming it The Slippery Noodle Inn. In 1985, the Yeagy’s son, Hal took over the
business and expanded it, creating one of the premier blues clubs in the
Midwest offering “Good Food, Booze and
Blues.” 
Today,
the Noodle is a magnet for locals, music lovers, and Hollywood stars that enjoy
the Blues. Visitors to the Inn have included The Blues Brothers Band, Billy
Joel, Harrison Ford and Spike Lee.
But
the Slippery Noodle Inn also attracts some otherworldly visitors. The basement, now home to one of the performance stages, was
once where slaves were hidden on their journey north to Canada. Not all of them made it out of
the Tremont House alive and those who died were buried under the dirt floor in the cellar. (Human remains were discovered during an excavation.)
 |
| Basement Area Today |
Reports
of shadowy apparitions downstairs have been numerous. People tell of hearing
someone whisper to them when no one is near. Cold spots occur throughout the
basement, even on warm nights with cool Blues playing. Employees have reported seeing a tall black
man, dressed in overalls, working in the basement. It is believed that he
was a former janitor for one of the inns, and is apparently still on the job.
He has been seen and heard in the basement still trying to keep things in
operational order.
 |
| Main Bar |
The
main floor of the building doesn’t have many tales to tell, but the
second floor is another “hot spot” for paranormal activity. Now used for storage, this floor once contained the lodging house, and years later, the bordello. This
area is alive with activity. Employees have seen a man dressed as a cowboy
wandering along the second floor; maybe he was a stranger passing through on a train to the west ...
A
few of the “girls” have also remained behind. Customers tell of seeing a woman
standing on the second floor balcony looking out. People have been touched by
unseen hands and heard sounds that no one can offer explanations for. Cold
spots are also found up here. Bottles of alcohol stored on the second floor have
been opened when no one has been in the building. (The girls enjoying a nightcap, perhaps?) An employee who went up
for supplies saw a door open onto the hallway and then close as if someone had
entered or left the room, then a cold spot wisked past her ...
If
you’re looking for “good food, booze and Blues” then head to the Slippery
Noodle Inn, 372 South Meridian Street in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Enjoy an evening of live blues and jazz from two stages, with music available seven nights a
week. For more information visit
And
if you happen to glance up and see one of the ”girls” surveying
the crowd, rest assured she’s just looking for a little company to spend a long night with …
~
Joy
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