Arnold’s Bar & Grill

Posted: 03.25.2025 | Updated: 03.25.2025

As the oldest tavern in Cincinnati, Arnold’s Bar & Grill has a certain charm to it that keeps drawing people to its doors after 150 years in operation. Is it the tasty brews? The friendly bartenders and staff? The live music performances? Or perhaps it’s because people are trying to catch a glimpse of something they can’t quite explain at one of the most haunted buildings in all of Ohio. 

Curious about what ghosts and specters linger around Cincinnati after the sun goes down? To see some of the most haunted landmarks in the city for yourself, book a ghost tour with Cincinnati Ghosts. 

Is Arnold’s Bar & Grill Haunted?

There are dozens of reports over the decades of otherworldly beings haunting Arnold’s Bar & Grill. Ghosts include former employees, a woman of the night, and a few phantoms with a special affinity for a certain bathtub. 

The History of Arnold’s Bar & Grill

Before the first floor was a bar, Arnold’s was originally two separate buildings. Built by Smith and Susan Fawcett in the 1830s, one was a barbershop while the other was a feed shop and stable.

Smith died a few years later, leading Susan to pivot her business strategy. Though the next few years of records are a little murky, many believe that during this time, Susan opened a brothel on the upper floor. 

By the 1860s, the building had transitioned into being a tavern — which it has been ever since. The place started becoming known around town, and a local family saw an opportunity to make the tavern even more of a staple in the community. The family’s name? Arnold.

The Arnold Legacy

Simon and Kate Arnold were the first Arnolds to own the tavern. They also lived above the bar and rented the top floors out as a boarding house, keeping them very busy. 

Their son, Hugo, took over the bar next, running it during the most difficult time to be a pub in America: Prohibition. Rather than close up, Hugo transitioned Arnold’s Bar & Grill into being a cafe/soft drink establishment. 

However, the partaking of alcoholic beverages didn’t seem to stop. A bathtub on the second floor was said to be used to make “bathtub gin,” a homemade (and likely disgusting) alcohol. A trapdoor under the tub was likely to help bottle/transport the liquid to the bar below.

Hugo wasn’t as sneaky as he thought with his illegal dealings, and he was arrested for bringing whiskey into his place of business in the early 1920s. While it remains unclear if Hugo did any prison time, his son, William, took over the family business shortly after. 

Just like his father before him, William moved in upstairs and ran the bar for many years. For 98 years, the landmark pub was run by a member of the Arnold family. Then, in the 1960s, Jim Christakos bought the beloved bar — and never left. 

Who Haunts Arnold’s Bar & Grill?

There are several distinct phantoms said to haunt Arnold’s Bar & Grill, as well as some very strange, unexplainable happenings. This includes glasses sliding on their own to the edge of the bar counter, sitting there for a moment, and then tipping forward and shattering on the floor. 

An empty wine bottle also kept showing up behind the bar every morning. No one would fess up to the prank, so the managers checked the security footage — and found that the tape would go blank when the bottle was placed there. 

There are some spirits, however, that are pretty darn identifiable in this haunted bar.

Jim Christakos, the former owner

Most people agree that one of the ghosts who haunts the bar is Christakos because the man had such a distinctive look. Back in the ‘30s, Christakos had decided to try out professional wrestling, and it turned out he was very good at it. 

He was driven out of the sport when it started to veer toward theatrics over sport. So, he shifted his career in a completely different direction: dealing blackjack for the criminals of Queen City. He obviously did pretty well in that profession as well, as he saved up enough to buy Arnold’s. 

Today, Christakos is seen by staff around the bar. Additionally, staff have heard “Chris” whispered by disembodied voices. 

Steve, the former employee

Another commonly spotted spirit is Steve. Sometime in the last few decades, Steve was a beloved cook at Arnold’s. Tall, thin, and Black, Steve’s laughter could often be heard emanating from the kitchen. 

Steve was also a fan of fashion and would come to work dressed in formal clothes, would change at work into his cook uniform, and then would change back into his nice garments to walk home. 

Steve died at a young age, and a few weeks after his death, one of the bartenders was locking up for the night. When she hailed a cab, the driver paused after she got in, asking, “Does your friend want a ride too?” When she looked back at the door, she didn’t see anyone, so she asked who he had seen. The cab driver perfectly described seeing her former coworker Steve. 

Steve is often seen walking between the kitchen and bar, enjoying himself with a smile. 

The prostitute

Remember how Arnold’s was said to be a brothel in its early days? Well, one of the women who was employed there is said to still be living on-site. She has long black hair and wears a 19th-century dark blue dress. She’s only spotted on the upper floors, where the bedrooms are. 

The bathers

The bathtub used for spirits is a particularly spectral-heavy spot in the building. Paranormal investigators have captured images of a few different ghosts hanging out by the bathtub. One couple seemed to be helping the other shampoo their hair, while another ghost appeared to be churning something next to the tub, perhaps carrying out a part of the illegal booze process. 

One staff member was standing next to the tub when he watched the faucet turn on by itself. Amazed, he turned it off… only for it to turn back on by itself. We can only imagine how quickly he hightailed it out of that bathroom. 

Ole’ Green Eyes

A bartender from the past was said to have piercing green eyes. Today, staff claim to spot him around the bar: his eyes now glowing an inhumanly iridescent color. 

Haunted Cincinnati 

Some of the most haunted parts of Cincinnati stem from the dark tales from beneath the surface of the city. For example, the Cincinnati Music Hall was built upon the graves of thousands of people, who have never been able to accept their final resting places being disturbed. 

Not far from there is 1313 Vine Street, where 4,000 square feet of basements are active with spirits who aren’t afraid to bump into you in the dark of the night. 

Do you want to see the spookier side of Cincinnati? To experience all the ghoulish tales that Queen City has to offer, book a ghost tour with Cincinnati Ghosts.  

If you want to learn about other haunted bars, grills, taverns, and pubs across the United States, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Or, if you want to continue reading about local Cincinnati frightening spots, check out our blog. 

Sources:

• http://arnoldsbarandgrill.com/history.htm
• https://cincinnatighosts.com/
• https://www.citybeat.com/food-drink/guest-commentary-the-story-behind-the-mostly-friendly-spirits-who-roam-arnolds-bar-and-grill-14051972
• https://www.boldcreationsbytj.com/post/exploring-the-haunted-history-of-cincinnati-s-oldest-bar