Described as the first non-classical building in Europe, St George’s Hall was designed by Harvey Lonsdale Elmes and opened to the public of Liverpool in September 1854.
St George’s Hall was frequently visited by Charles Dickens. Only 25% of the building was open during Dickens time and the hall fell into a state of disrepair. In April 2007 it reopened after a £23,000,000 refurbishment. The refurbished Hall allows access to many more areas and Visitors to St George’s today can visit the cells.
Harvey Lonsdale Elmes was only able to work on the building of the Hall until 1847. Due to illness, he gave the project to city surveyor John Wightman and structural engineer Robert Rawlinson. Lonsdale Elmes died of consumption in 1847.
Hauntings
St George’s Hall is believed to be haunted. There are reports of a ghostly man sitting with his head in his hands in the concert room. The courts have sentenced many people to death in their time and some guests to the refurbished building continue to report that cold hands have pushed their backs.
The basement is another haunted area and there have been many reports of a tall man shouting into the darkness. The basement is suspected of being a key area of poltergeist activity.
In January 2009 the Hall was the venue for Most Haunted Live‘s the Search for Evil.
In Pure Spirit
Have you seen any of the ghosts of Liverpool’s St George’s Hall? Have you been to the public building?
St Georges Hall is probably the most haunted location in Liverpool. I've not heard tale of the ghosts that you mention but have first hand knowledge of plenty of other encounters
i was in the court room a few months ago and the next thing a little boy who was in there said to his dad he's over there he's watching us and pointed to an empty area of the room. it went freezing cold and me and my friend became uncomfortable and decided to leave
I just returned from visiting St George's hall and had a particulary strange experience, i was in the basement, where the prisoners were kept when i suddenly felt a very heavy atmousphere fill the room. i felt like someone was watching me and even followed me into the court room. I'm not sure if i heard anything due to the sound effects within the chambers but i was filled with fear and all i could think about was that i was not wanted here and to leave.
Many years ago when St.Georges Hall was being rewired and refurbished, several men had be hired to put fix cables by the old female cells down below the courts. I had met these men and talked to them about their strange experiance. Where they went was so black you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. One man went down the stairs to the old cells to rewire, but while he was down there it became freezing cold. He saw an old woman wearing a leather apron who was pushing a wheelbarrow
full of coal. He had asked her a question and she pointed the way out. The man came back upstairs and said he saw this old woman downstairs. Who was she? Other men told him that no one was downstairs at this time. He was very upset to hear this news. A person familiar to the hall told him that the woman fits the description of 'Black Annie'. She had worked during the Victorian era deliverying coal at the hall, but was hung for a crime. Needless to say, the man worked on other parts of the building and no where near downstairs again.
i have experienced paranormal activity in this hall in 2014 my best friend alisa was raped and murdered she was no where to be seen after this accident. After this we have seen her head hanging down from the ceiling of the hall and since then we have not entered st George’s hall.