Beneath the streets of Portland, Oregon, lies a network of dark passageways known as the Shanghai Tunnels or Old Portland Underground.
These eerie corridors once connected basements of hotels, saloons, and businesses to the waterfront during the late 1800s and early 1900s. According to local legends, terrible crimes happened in these tunnels, leaving behind restless spirits that still wander the cold, damp passages today.
1. The Dark History of Shanghaiing
Portland’s most infamous legend centers on the brutal practice of shanghaiing. Unsuspecting men would visit waterfront saloons for a drink, only to be drugged and dropped through hidden trapdoors into the tunnels below.
Once underground, these victims were held captive until they could be sold to ship captains desperate for crew members. Many never saw their families again, forced into years of dangerous labor at sea.
The pain and betrayal of thousands of kidnapped souls is believed to have soaked into the very walls. Their anguished spirits supposedly remain trapped in the darkness where their freedom was stolen.
2. Women Sold Into Slavery
Beyond the shanghaiing of sailors, folklore tells an even darker story about women. Young women were allegedly captured and held in these underground passages before being sold into prostitution rings.
Some were kept in Portland’s brothels, while others were shipped to distant ports. The tunnels served as holding cells where these victims waited in terror, not knowing what fate awaited them above.
This history of abuse creates a heavy atmosphere of sorrow that visitors can still feel today. The despair of these trapped women is said to linger in the cold air, making the tunnels feel unbearably sad and oppressive.
3. Deaths and Murders Underground
Not everyone who entered the Shanghai Tunnels made it out alive. Stories describe captives who were beaten by their captors or left to starve in the darkness when they became too sick or weak to be useful.
During Prohibition in the 1920s, the tunnels became hideouts for bootleggers and criminals. Gang violence erupted underground, leading to shootouts and massacres that left bodies hidden in the maze-like passages.
Many believe these tortured souls never found peace. Their violent deaths created spiritual energy that refuses to fade, making the tunnels a repository for angry, confused ghosts seeking justice or release.
4. Nina, the Lady in Black
Among all the spirits, Nina stands out as the most famous resident ghost. According to legend, she was a young woman forced into prostitution who worked in the former Merchant Hotel, now home to Old Town Pizza.
Nina tried to expose the criminal operation that held her captive, but her bravery cost her life. She was murdered to keep her silent, and her spirit never left the building.
Witnesses report seeing a woman in a flowing black dress wandering the restaurant and basement areas. She appears sad and lost, as if still searching for the freedom she was denied in life.
5. Ghostly Sailors and Wet Hands
Tour guides and visitors frequently report a chilling experience: the sensation of a cold, wet hand touching their shoulder or arm. Nobody is there when they turn around, but the damp feeling remains on their skin.
These encounters are attributed to the spirits of shanghaied sailors. Some of these men were forced onto ships that later sank in the Willamette River, drowning everyone aboard.
Their ghosts apparently returned to the place where their nightmare began. The wet touch serves as a reminder of their watery graves and the terrible fate that awaited them after being kidnapped from Portland’s underground.
6. Disembodied Voices and Growling
Silence rarely fills the Shanghai Tunnels. People working in basements connected to the old passages report hearing strange sounds that have no logical source.
Disembodied voices echo through the corridors, sometimes whispering and other times speaking clearly enough to make out words. Soft whimpering sounds like someone crying in pain have been recorded during tours.
Most unsettling are the reports of loud, aggressive growling that seems to come from nowhere. This threatening sound has startled even skeptical visitors, sending them running for the exits. Whatever makes these noises doesn’t want company in its domain.
7. The Trickster Spirits
Not all the tunnel ghosts simply watch from the shadows. Some spirits actively interact with the living in mischievous and frightening ways that leave visitors shaken.
People report feeling tugs on their clothes when nobody is near them. Others have had their hair pulled by invisible hands or felt something try to trip them on the uneven floors.
These “trickster” ghosts seem to enjoy harassing tourists, perhaps angry about intruders in their space. The physical contact makes the haunting feel very real and personal, transforming a spooky story into a genuine encounter with something unexplainable and potentially dangerous.
8. The Shadow Man Named Sam
Among the many spirits, one particular ghost has earned his own nickname. Sam is described as the shadow of an Asian man who moves quickly through the tunnels, always seeming to be in a hurry.
Explorers catch glimpses of him walking past doorways or down corridors. When they turn to get a better look, he vanishes completely as if he was never there.
Sam isn’t just a passive apparition, though. He’s blamed for moving objects when people aren’t looking and mysteriously turning off lights in the tunnels. His constant presence and active behavior make him one of the most frequently encountered spirits underground.
9. Overwhelming Sense of Dread
Before seeing or hearing anything supernatural, many visitors feel something is terribly wrong. An overwhelming sense of dread washes over them the moment they enter certain sections of the tunnels.
This oppressive feeling makes people want to leave immediately. Their hearts race, their breathing becomes shallow, and they feel constantly watched by something hostile and unwelcoming.
Even skeptics who don’t believe in ghosts report this uncomfortable sensation. The malevolent energy seems to push against visitors, as if the tunnels themselves reject the presence of the living. This psychological weight suggests something dark truly resides in these passages.
10. The Terrifying Physical Environment
Sometimes the scariest thing about the Shanghai Tunnels isn’t the ghosts but the tunnels themselves. The cold, damp passages create a naturally frightening atmosphere that triggers primal fears in visitors.
Low ceilings force people to crouch or bend, while the maze-like layout makes it easy to become disoriented. Sudden dead ends and cramped spaces create claustrophobia even in people who normally don’t mind tight spaces.
Remnants of old holding cells and the actual trapdoors used for kidnapping still exist in some areas. These physical reminders make the terrible legends feel real, allowing imagination and history to blend into genuine fear.
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