Haunted 307: The World Famous Wonder Bar in Casper

Today on Haunted 307, we look at a bar with a storied past, patrons who rode through on horseback and may never have settled their final tab in the afterlife. The World Famous Wonder Bar in Casper is said by some to be the most haunted bar in the Cowboy State, and with a past as storied as it sports, it's not surprising.

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The building that currently houses the Wonder Bar was built in 1914, and the Famouse watering hole went through many names in its time in Casper. It started life as a pool hall and later the Mint Bar. The name "Wonder Bar" came about shortly after prohibition ended in the 1930s. Since then it's gone back and forth from its old staple of a name to others like Tommyknockers, Bootleggers, Cattleman's Club, and Break Time, but in 2003 the building was purchased and restored to the Wonder Bar.

Back in the day, the saloon was known for allowing cowboys to ride through the bar itself on horseback, purchase a beer for themselves and their horse, and ride back out. The first drive-through liquor store? It also claims many other famous patrons than just horses, including John Wayne and Ernest Hemingway.

But the ghostly occurrences at the watering hole started early as well, with what is known as the "Wonder Bar Curse," beginning with a tragic death of a patron that fell down the steps. A shoot out occurred on the street directly in front of the Wonder Bar in the 1980s, and while it was the most recent, it certainly wasn't the only one.

Patrons and employees alike have reported hearing children laughing and running up and down the stairs, as well as a well-known little girl ghost who has tried to get children in the area to "play with her." Like something out of the shining, right? That's not all, there's also a woman in a white dress that can be seen out of the corner of your eye as you're focusing on your whiskey. Lights are said to turn on and off of their own accord seemingly at random

A famous legend tells the tale of a woman cleaning the bar after-hours who brought her cat to work with her. She and the cat both witnessed an apparition walk down the stairs, and the cat's hair stood on end afterwards.

The Wonder Bar has recently undergone renovation owing to its new owners with the goal of preserving the history of the bar while giving it a modern appearance to attract a younger crowd to the bustling saloon. But the real question is, how do the spirits feel about the renovations?