Alleged to be a hotbed of paranormal activity, the lavish Grisso Mansion in Seminole, Oklahoma, was built in the 1920s by a pharmacist-turned-oilman. A magnificent local landmark that was once a hub of high society, a dark past lingers within its walls. As the current owners look to sell up for $1.8 million (£1.5m), click or scroll on to take a tour of the mansion, delve back through its chequered history and glimpse the eerie 'ghost' that was caught on camera in the ballroom. Feeling brave?

Approaching the grand 26-room mansion, it's clear this Italian-Renaissance-style residence didn't come cheap. Completed in 1928, it's reputed to have cost between $500,000 and $750,000, which translates to as much as $13 million (£10.6m) in today’s money. Flush with oil cash, the original owner, William Edward ‘Doc’ Grisso, could certainly afford to splurge on the palatial property.

Pictured here in 1938, Doc Grisso arrived in Seminole in 1904 to work as a missionary doctor, cutting short his education at medical school in Arkansas to take up the role. In 1907 he opened a drugstore and became the community's pharmacist. According to Judy Jones, manager of the Grisso Mansion and executive assistant to the Seminole Nation's chief and assistant chief, Grisso would sometimes trade tribal members land and mineral rights if they couldn't afford to pay their tab at the drugstore. This made Grisso an exceedingly wealthy man when oil was discovered in the area in 1926. Now, let's step inside the property.

For the mansion's interiors, Doc Grisso plumped for regal Old World splendour and each room was given a different theme, from Tuscany to medieval England, making for an eclectic vibe. The exquisite bannister gracing the sweeping staircase was crafted in Spain and artisans from the country were shipped in to install it together with other ironwork. English carpenters came to carve the walnut doors and other wooden pieces, while the tiles that adorn the property were hand-fired in Italy.

The beguiling artistry of the interior is evident from the get-go, with the tiled fountain and wrought-iron minstrel balconies of the mezzanine complementing the staircase. Doc Grisso actually built the home for his second wife, Maggie Rooker, who he married in 1909, two years after the death of his first wife, Olive Bell Dixon, at the age of 26.

It's unclear but ancestry records suggest that Olive may have died in childbirth along with her baby daughter. During his later marriage with Maggie, Doc Grisso went on to have many more children who no doubt grew up exploring this magnificent house. Needless to say, the mansion's glorious double-height living hall must have been a lively place way back when.

The lady of the house was quite the socialite by all accounts, and the Grissos entertained Oklahoman high society in the elegant living hall, including a string of state governors such as William H 'Alfalfa Bill' Murray. But parties at the mansion would have been more genteel than raucous because Maggie was a devout Christian and strict teetotaller, and alcohol was banned from the house. The house benefitted from some mod-cons of the age too, with each of the eight fireplaces fuelled by gas, so there was no need to haul firewood.  

Moving into the sitting room, this space but has a stunning ceiling of its own, which is resplendent with gilded vaulting. The marble fireplace and crystal chandeliers add to the luxurious ambiance. After making big bucks selling mineral rights and extracting oil from the land he had accumulated, Doc Grisso became a part of Oklahoma's elite and a pillar of the community, even serving as State Highway Commissioner for a time.

However, there was a darker side to the oil boom. The Seminole Nation's Assistant Chief, Brian Palmer, told The Oklahoman that during this lucrative period, many tribes were exploited to gain access to the resources on their land. "There was a lot of shady deals with either someone marrying someone in the tribe, or a judge awarding somebody custody of a minor, becoming their guardian, and being able to essentially steal their mineral rights," said Palmer. 

According to The Oklahoman, rumours have swirled for some time in the region, alleging that some of Grisso's land was inherited after a common-law marriage to a Seminole woman, known as Suda, who later died. While the tale was passed down orally by tribal members, there's no record to substantiate these claims and the Grisso family rejects the rumours. Back to our tour, we stumble upon another gorgeous fireplace surround, adorned with beautiful Italian tiles.

Whatever the case, Doc Grisso became one of the wealthiest people in the county and eventually headed his own successful oil company. The millionaire and his family never had to lift a finger in the kitchen or any other part of the mansion for that matter. The Grissos reportedly had servants catering to their every whim and there were specially designated quarters in the house for the workers. According to The Oklahoman, some were reportedly indentured servants from the Seminole Nation community who were working to pay off debts run up in Doc Grisso's drugstore.

Here's one of the mansion's most captivating spaces, the solarium, with its fabulous fountain. Doc Grisso died on Halloween 1955. Maggie remained in the property more or less until her death in 1977 at the age of 90. Maggie had purportedly intended to gift the historic property to the State of Oklahoma but the donation never happened. Now, let's look upstairs.

The upper landing is another work of art. The Grissos' daughter Pauline inherited the mansion and despite her attachment to the place, decided to sell up. In an interview with The Oklahoman in 1998, she spoke highly of her parents, praising her father's love of teaching and his apparent non-materialistic attitude, belying some of the rumours that have emerged about him over the years.

This is the former owner's study, which leads out to the mansion's spectacular front balcony. According to his daughter, Doc Grisso was an avid intellectual, who “loved books, loved education.” No doubt he would have spent a lot of time in this room, engrossed in his tomes and acquiring knowledge.

The study's fireplace contains one of the original 1920s gas radiator fires. The Oklahoma Cattlemen's Foundation reportedly owned the mansion from the late 1970s to 1998, when it was sold at auction for $415,000, which is $782,000 (£626k) in today's money, to Tom Chronister of Oklahoma City. In 2001, the property changed hands again. It's not known how much it sold for but The Oklahoman reports that the house was listed for just over $1.2 million, the equivalent of $2.1 million (£1.7m) in 2023.

The buyers, Kenneth and Rose Henderson, set about updating aspects of the mansion and restoring or simply maintaining other parts such as the master bedroom. Pretty in pink, the room boasts a carpet with a charming rose design – Maggie is said to have been especially fond of the flower and rose motifs are dotted throughout the home.

Everything in this mansion down to the last detail whispers quality and artisanship. One of the room's most enchanting features is this window nook. Note the carpet with the supersized rose design. The Grissos reportedly had the rugs hand-made in England, while the carpets were crafted in Oklahoma City. 

The carpenters the Grissos shipped over from England went to the town with this room, which may have served as Doc Grisso's separate bedroom or the primary guest room. A fine display of the expertise these professionals brought, it features walnut doors, custom furniture and a very handsome raised marquetry platform.

The room's ensuite bathroom may not appeal to more minimal tastes, but there's no denying the space is impressively decorated. The handmade Italian tiles are lovely enough but the real star of the show is that wonderful wallpaper frieze, which depicts what looks like a hunting or farming scene.

Here's one of the smaller bedrooms. As well as restoring the decorative elements of the property, the Hendersons replaced 180 windows, built tennis and basketball courts, planted a vineyard and turned the carriage house into guest accommodation. This added over 1,000 square feet of living space, taking the mansion's total to around 12,000 square feet.

Moving along, this is one of the children's bedrooms, complete with elaborate swagged curtains. In 2012, the Seminole Nation bought the property from the Hendersons for an undisclosed price, just before it was due to go to auction. The tribe converted the property into a venue for weddings and other events. Aside from commercial motivations, the mansion was bought to highlight the impact of the oil boom on the Seminole people, who saw little of the wealth generated from the windfall.

Tales of ghoulish goings-on in the mansion had been reported for years and in 2013, the Native American Paranormal Project descended on the property to investigate. The team subsequently posted a video of their probe on YouTube that focused on the basement ballroom, the alleged focus of paranormal activity in the house. According to local magazine ionOKLAHOMA, who spoke with the aforementioned manager of the mansion, Judy Jones, the body of a small Native American boy was discovered beneath the house when the Grissos were digging out the basement.

According to local legend, the ghost of the Native American boy has been frequently sighted in the basement and elsewhere in the mansion. The spectre is said to have even spoken to other children, telling them his name was “Mecco” or “Miko”. The name has also supposedly been captured on tape as “Kiko.” As for the ghostbusters, they recorded what appeared to be orbs and whispers, but the most chilling video was captured by a young member of the Seminole Nation during a family event in the ballroom some time prior.

The paranormal investigators are convinced the shadowy figure to the right of this screenshot is a ghost and very possibly the young Seminole boy many people have reportedly spotted. The image was captured in a split-second as a mobile phone was being moved, hence the blurriness. Whatever it is, it's certainly not something you'd want to encounter in your home or anywhere else.

The basement also accommodates a games room. The young boy isn't the only ghost said to roam the mansion. A spectral Native American girl has allegedly been seen walking the grounds, while a woman, believed to be the ghost of Mrs Grisso, is rumoured to haunt the master bedroom and is reportedly seen peering out of one of the room's windows.

Here's the games room from another angle. As well as the supposed ghostly apparitions, a variety of unexplained paranormal phenomena have been reported in the mansion. Voices, including children giggling, are said to be frequently heard. Cupboards and drawers are reportedly opened by unseen forces on occasion, while lights, alarms and radiators randomly turn on and off.

Now we come to the courtyard, one of the mansion's most alluring features, with its dazzling tiled fountain and Moorish arches. Other spooky encounters in the property have included pianos reportedly playing by themselves, the scent of Maggie's favourite perfume wafting around the house and the temperature in certain rooms dropping for no reason. Many visitors also say they have the feeling they're being watched in the mansion.

Viewed from this angle, the property looks particularly imposing. Whether or not it's down to the ghosts, the Seminole Nation has decided to sell the Grisso Mansion, which was put on the market in August via Carter Real Estate Company with an asking price of $1.8 million (£1.5m). This seems a snip at the price given the property's splendour and historical importance. The house has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.

During their tenure, previous owners Kenneth and Rose Henderson restored parts of the original 11-acre grounds and the Seminole Nation has meticulously maintained them, with the surroundings just as thoughtfully designed as the mansion itself. Here's one of the elaborate columned gazebos alongside a small bridge.

It's clear that a lot of work has been put into the acreage over the years. As well as giraffes, there are elephants and other animal statues on display outside. Other features of the grounds include the aforementioned vineyard and tennis and basketball courts, along with a 1,600-square-foot garage, an in-ground swimming pool and pool house, koi ponds and an arboretum. 

Genuine or not, the stories of paranormal activity and the mansion's dark past may put some buyers off. However, there's no denying the artistry and craftsmanship that abounds within this historic gem – it's rare that such a storied landmark comes to market. We wonder what the next chapter holds for this enigmatic estate and who will call it home next...

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