By: Amannda G. Maphies
The looming presence of the Pythian Castle has intrigued Springfield residents for decades. What an honor for the community to house such a glorious historic relic. The hundreds of residents over the years have such amazing stories to tell. Some, while no longer living, continue to share a piece of the past with a present audience.
The spirits of the Pythian welcome guests year-round for daytime history tours, evening haunted ghost tours, weddings, receptions, graduation parties, anniversary parties, proms, reunions, retirement parties, murder mystery dinner theaters, and two separate escape rooms, one with a 1920s theme. The hosts at Pythian, both living and…. not, welcome you to join them in celebration.
Halloween weddings are quite popular. The most recent was scheduled on Halloween 2025. Cindy Shipley, tour guide at the Pythian Castle, told of her favorite wedding of all time. The couple had a box of fake body parts near the bar, aptly named, ‘Dismembered Bar’. They housed a coffin near the front door where guest gift bags could be taken after the ceremony. The bride, groom, and all guests were invited to dress up. It was hard to tell if the celebration was a wedding or Halloween party. A true testament to the best of both worlds, if you are an October 31st enthusiast.
I had the pleasure of attending a haunted ghost tour at the Phythian Castle on Friday, October 24, 2025. Cindy Shipley was our tour guide. Shipley has been working at the castle for nearly 11 years. She was introduced to the Pythian by catering for a wedding in May 2015. Due to her sensitive nature, she felt a certain affinity for the castle and knew she wanted to spend more time there, not just behind the bar. While Shipley enjoyed serving spirits, the otherworldly spirits she felt provided far more intrigue.
Shipley feels that her sensitive nature, coupled with her Native American heritage, has invited paranormal experiences throughout her life. She spoke of the experience that invited her future with The Pythian Castle. On Halloween Day in 2014, Cindy awoke with the desire to engage in something slightly spooky. Perusing the internet, she stumbled upon the Pythian Castle and saw there were a handful of vacant spots remaining for the 10:00 p.m. ghost tour.
Shipley invited her brother, his friend, and a few cousins to join her on the late night tour. As she stood in what used to be a boy’s dormitory, she took a picture of what seemed an empty corner. In that very moment, she heard a young voice that sounded like a little boy, zealously say: ‘HI!’. She learned that a small child’s ghost, referred to as ‘Little Petey’, was known to inhabit this particular space. Shipley enthusiastically demanded a job application after the tour. The rest, as she says, is history.
As a personal aside, I have had my own experience with Little Petey. Or, rather a second-hand experience, through my youngest son, Waylan. My family took Waylan on a ghost tour for his 6th birthday. Being a ‘Halloween baby’, Waylan was no stranger to dress-up parties, spooky adventures, ghost tours, haunted hayrides, and the like. The Pythian Castle seemed right up his alley. The tour guides are family-friendly, withholding the truly spooky tales for adult-only audiences.
As we stood in what used to be the boy’s dormitory, listening to the guide spin tales of days long past, I noticed my son, with a huge grin upon his face. I had shared, with our small tour, that it was Waylan’s birthday. He was treated as a young prince on the tour. But it was not until after the tour, on our way home, that Waylan shared this fascinating tale.
‘Mom, the ghost of Little Petey sang Happy Birthday in my ear.’ I was quite shocked to hear my son’s admittance and laughingly chalked it up to a young child’s imagination, in the midst of so many ghost stories told in a rather large, spooky old castle. Only, this story has not changed over the seven years since that fateful night. Waylan, a very mature, responsible, down-to-earth young man, has never wavered on the fact that Little Petey spoke to him. Who am I to disbelieve my son? Just because I have not experienced anything similar, I do believe, in the same vein of the X-Files, Skully and Mulder, that ‘The Truth is Out There’. Cue the creepy whistling theme music of this 90s cult-classic, other-worldly-encounter TV show.
How can we begin to understand the deep layers of the present without first delving into the past? Shipley was happy to talk about the history of The Pythian Castle. “It was a big honor for Missouri to be selected for a Pythian home.”
The Knights of Pythias broke ground in 1911. They finished the massive construction undertaking in December 1913. Since it was too cold for a celebration in the midst of winter, they scheduled the opening ceremony for June 1914. The castle turned 111 years old this past June 2025. Shipley shared that there is typically a history or ghost tour each year on the birthday celebration. The members of the tour will hold large numbers, representing the birth year, and take group photos on the welcome front porch of the castle. Often there are cupcakes, drinks, and other festive treats for the employees and guests to enjoy.
In the early days of the castle, if a Knight of Pythias died, leaving a wife and children, the family of the deceased was invited to live in the castle. It was a sort-of care facility for elderly folks, before social security was enacted and nursing homes provided such care. The city of Springfield built a school across the street to help draw Pythian families with children to the home. While the school still stands, it no longer holds classes and is used as a storage and meeting facility for local city business.
With the introduction of social security in August 1935, the elderly no longer necessitated a local care facility. The Pythian was not empty but housed far fewer residents as it did prior to World War II. Thus, the military saw the Pythian as a prime location and incited an order of immediate possession of the large and lonely castle. The military provided money to the Pythians, who bought a smaller building for the remaining tenants on what is now South Campbell. The second floor housed military offices as well as a meeting room for the Red Cross.
While the Pythian plays on the dark, spooky basement for haunted ghost tours, it was once a light and airy site of welcome entertainment. The basement housed a three-lane bowling alley as well as ping pong and pool tables. The fancy ballroom, where many weddings and receptions are held today, was the site of USO Friday night dances. Those big band swing dances, deejayed by such greats as Benny Goodman, Frank Sinatra, The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey, and many others, were famous for revving up the wartime crowd.
In addition, the military proudly opened a theater room upstairs to show movies, as well as vaudeville comedy acts. Bob Hope, Groucho Marx, and Charlie Chaplin were invited to perform in the Pythian Castle Theater. During the Pythian years, the theater held weekly church services and many funerals. The Pythian housed one of the oldest theaters in Springfield, where black and white movies and silent films were open to the public. The cost was one nickel to purchase a ticket, which went to support the Pythians.
After WWII, the military leased the building to OACAC, who operated it for 13 years. Afterward, the military auctioned the castle and sold it to a private party. The family sold it after living there only a few years. The current owners, mother and daughter residents of California, interested in historic renovation and preservation, saw the castle online and felt an immediate interest. They traveled to Missouri to view the castle, fell in love, and purchased it around the turn of the century. The mother/daughter team updated the castle, while staying true to the original décor and historic design, and proudly opened it to the public.
Shipley spoke of a retired schoolteacher and librarian on one of her tours. The teacher was a skeptic that had never experienced anything paranormal. After the tour, she singled out Shipley and gave her a hug, explaining a moment from the tour that she physically smelled pipe tobacco, yet no one was smoking. She further stated that someone blew a mouthful of smoke in her face and then the presence, as quickly as it emerged, simply…vanished! This former non-believer was converted on the night of Shipley’s tour. “You have changed my life! I want to thank you for opening a whole new world that I didn’t previously think was possible.” shared the retired librarian.
Shipley has heard many similar stories over the years. “It is the tales that are repeated from guests that we pay close attention to. We figure if more than one person experiences a similar presence, is worth investigating.” said Shipley. Shipley has experienced the paranormal in every room of the castle. The stories she shares have been her first-hand experiences.
Shipley’s greatest joy is sharing the rich history of The Pythian Castle with the public. “The Pythians’ motto was friendship, benevolence and charity.” Shipley spoke of the early years of the castle’s history. “The intent was to offer assistance and put good into the world. The elderly had a comfortable place to live out their remaining years. The Pythian saw many funerals and burials.” “The paranormal is very real. There are millions of things in this world we don’t understand. If one has never experienced anything paranormal, that doesn’t mean it does not exist. It’s not about being spooky or concocting outlandish tales. It’s about having respect for people, both living and no longer with us. Respect is big part of this business.” says Cindy Shipley.
Whether you are a believer or a skeptic, most people can agree that the history of castle is worthy of exploring. Several books have been written on the Pythian Castle, as well as a wealth of newspaper articles going back to her origination in the early 1900s. There is a library of information found in the front side-room of the Pythian where tours gather before their candid exploration deep into the shaded hallways, dark basement, and numerous spooky rooms that make up The Pythian Castle. To book a tour or find out more about this historic gem located in the heart of Springfield, visit the website: https://pythiancastle.com/.