Arnold's Bar and Grill, the tavern on East Eighth Street that claims the title of Cincinnati's oldest bar, is once again opening its doors after hours for anyone brave enough to spend the night hunting ghosts. The bar's owners have announced another round of overnight public paranormal investigations, running on eight dates this October, with each group allowed up to 10 people to roam the historic building, basement included.
The overnight investigations are scheduled for October 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26, held on Sundays and Mondays when Arnold's is normally closed to the public, according to WLWT. Each session costs $600 per group, and the station reports the bar closes the books on the promotion October 31. Employees and customers have reported hearing mysterious bumps, knocks and clanks after hours, along with sightings of shadowy figures, and stories about the tavern have circulated around downtown Cincinnati for decades, the station notes.
A Building That Has Seen Almost Two Centuries
The structure at 210 E. Eighth St. was built around 1838 and, before the Arnold family took over, operated as a brothel run by a woman named Susan Fawcett, according to Cincinnati Magazine. Local historians note the multi-building property also served as a barbershop and feed store; the Webers operated a saloon there before Simon Arnold purchased it and turned it into the tavern that still bears his name.
Arnold's long history is reflected in the building, whose uses have shifted over more than 160 years.
Prohibition, Bathtub Gin and a Ghostly Hot Spot
After Prohibition, the second floor was opened for dining, while the Arnold family had moved its living quarters to the third floor, according to Ohio Magazine. The second-floor bathtub was reportedly used to brew bathtub gin. That bathtub still sits on display in the upstairs dining room today, and staff consider it one of the bar's most active spots for paranormal activity.
Specific reported phenomena inside the tavern include activity in the second-floor bathtub room, while Local 12 has featured the bar's ghost stories. Longtime employee lore also includes reports of post-hours phenomena, including flying glassware and moving shadow figures.
From Civic Landmark to Ghost-Tourism Draw
Arnold's supernatural reputation has been featured in local paranormal coverage and a television production. The television series My Haunted Hometown filmed an episode on location at the bar, featuring co-owner Bethany Breeden and staff acting out reenactments of local ghost stories, according to a post from Arnold's Bar & Grill announcing the episode was slated for distribution on Hulu and Apple TV.
The interest reflects Arnold's longstanding place in Cincinnati. The bar's historic setting remains central to its identity.
Still Rooted in Cincinnati Civic History
The ghost hunts are a seasonal sideline for a bar whose identity runs deeper than Halloween marketing. Today, Arnold's is a dining and live-entertainment venue.
Arnold's place in Cincinnati's cultural life extends beyond the ghost stories. Its historic character and neighborhood setting remain central to the bar's identity.
Whether the bumps, knocks and shadowy figures inside Arnold's amount to anything otherworldly remains, as ever, up to whoever books the overnight slot. What is certain is that the building at East Eighth Street has been part of downtown Cincinnati's story since long before the ghost stories started, and it plans to keep collecting both this October.
