Paradise Supper Club – Haunted Nightclub in Locust Grove, Oklahoma

The Paradise Supper Club stands as one of Oklahoma’s most enigmatic haunted locations. This former nightclub and restaurant drew crowds for decades before closing its doors forever.

Nestled in the small town of Locust Grove, the building witnessed countless celebrations and tragedies. Now abandoned, locals claim the spirits of former patrons still linger within its deteriorating walls.

The structure has become a magnet for paranormal investigators and thrill-seekers alike. Stories of ghostly encounters have circulated through northeastern Oklahoma since the 1980s.

What began as an upscale entertainment venue transformed into something far more sinister. The Paradise Supper Club’s reputation shifted from glamorous to genuinely terrifying over the years.

Historical Background

The Paradise Supper Club opened its doors in the early 1960s. It quickly became the premier destination for dining and dancing in Mayes County.

The establishment catered to wealthy patrons who traveled from Tulsa and beyond. Live music filled the halls every Friday and Saturday night throughout the 1960s and 1970s.

On March 15, 1978, a devastating fire broke out in the kitchen area. Three employees became trapped inside the burning structure during the late-night blaze.

Local firefighters arrived within minutes but struggled with inadequate water pressure. The victims were cook Martha Henderson, dishwasher James “Jimmy” Torres, and waitress Carol Ann Whitfield.

The building underwent extensive renovations following the tragedy and reopened in 1979. However, the supper club never regained its former glory or clientele base.

Throughout the 1980s, the venue changed hands multiple times as owners reported financial struggles. Strange occurrences began surfacing in local newspapers during this turbulent period.

The final owner, Robert Chambers, closed the Paradise Supper Club permanently in 1993. He cited ongoing maintenance issues and declining business as primary reasons for closure.

Chambers publicly stated he would never set foot in the building again. He told the Locust Grove News that something evil had taken residence there.

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Paranormal Activity Summary

Visitors to the abandoned Paradise Supper Club report overwhelming feelings of being watched. Shadow figures dart across the main dining room with alarming frequency.

The smell of smoke permeates certain areas despite no visible fire or source. This phenomenon occurs most frequently near the old kitchen entrance and storage areas.

Disembodied footsteps echo through the empty hallways during evening hours. Multiple witnesses describe hearing high heels clicking against the tile flooring.

Objects move on their own accord throughout the building’s interior spaces. Former owners documented glasses sliding off shelves and chairs repositioning themselves overnight.

Cold spots manifest randomly, dropping temperatures by twenty degrees in isolated pockets. These chilling zones appear most commonly in the main dining area and backstage.

Apparitions of three distinct figures have been documented by numerous independent witnesses. These spirits match the descriptions of the three fire victims from 1978.

Electronic equipment malfunctions consistently within the building’s perimeter, draining batteries instantly. Cameras, flashlights, and recording devices fail without logical explanation upon entering certain rooms.

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Ghost Stories & Reports

Martha Henderson’s spirit is the most frequently encountered presence at Paradise Supper Club. Witnesses describe seeing a woman in a white kitchen uniform near the cooking area.

Martha appears to be in her mid-fifties with graying hair pulled into a bun. She seems unaware of visitors, continuously performing cooking motions with invisible utensils.

Local paranormal investigator David Rushton captured photographic evidence of Martha in 2006. The image clearly shows a translucent female figure standing beside the industrial ovens.

Jimmy Torres manifests as a young Hispanic male in his early twenties. He wears a dirty apron and appears confused or disoriented when spotted.

Multiple witnesses report Jimmy walking through solid walls in the dishwashing station area. He seems to be searching for something he can never locate.

One particularly chilling account comes from teenager Blake Morrison in 2011. Blake claimed Jimmy followed him through the building, whispering desperately in Spanish.

Carol Ann Whitfield’s ghost is considered the most active and frightening entity. She appears as a young woman with severe burn injuries covering her body.

Carol Ann died in the hospital three days after the fire from her extensive burns. Her spirit seems trapped in a state of perpetual agony and confusion.

Witnesses describe her screaming silently with her mouth open in apparent terror. She reaches toward living people as if begging for help they cannot provide.

In 2015, paranormal researcher Amanda Chen documented Carol Ann’s full-body apparition on video. The footage shows the ghostly waitress materializing near the former coat check area.

An additional unknown male presence haunts the upstairs office and storage rooms. This spirit exhibits aggressive behavior toward male visitors specifically.

Several men have reported being pushed or shoved by invisible hands near the stairwell. This entity seems territorial and protective of the upper floor areas.

Local folklore suggests this spirit belongs to former owner Carl Hendricks. Hendricks allegedly committed suicide in the upstairs office in 1985 following bankruptcy.

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Most Haunted Spot

The old kitchen area represents the epicenter of paranormal activity at Paradise Supper Club. This is where Martha and Jimmy lost their lives in the 1978 fire.

Visitors report extreme feelings of panic and suffocation upon entering this space. The temperature drops dramatically, and the overwhelming smell of smoke becomes almost unbearable.

Full-body apparitions appear most frequently near the walk-in freezer and industrial stove. Electronic voice phenomena recordings have captured desperate pleas for help in this location.

The backstage dressing room area runs a close second for paranormal intensity. Carol Ann was discovered unconscious in this location during the fire evacuation.

Mirrors in the dressing room allegedly show reflections that don’t match reality. People report seeing burned faces staring back at them instead of their own features.

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Can You Visit?

The Paradise Supper Club is currently private property and officially closed to visitors. Trespassing charges are actively enforced by local law enforcement officials.

No official tours or sanctioned visits are available at this time. The building’s structural integrity has significantly deteriorated, creating serious safety hazards.

Photography is not permitted as the property remains under private ownership. Several individuals have faced legal consequences for unauthorized entry and documentation attempts.

The property owner has explicitly refused all requests for paranormal investigations. Multiple ghost hunting teams have been denied access since 2010.

Entry fees are not applicable as public access is completely prohibited. Visiting hours do not exist for this restricted location.

Best Time to Visit

Former employees and investigators report peak activity occurs between 2 AM and 4 AM. These hours coincide with the time the 1978 fire was discovered.

March experiences heightened paranormal occurrences, particularly around the anniversary date of March 15th. Witnesses claim the spirits become more aggressive and visible during this month.

Friday and Saturday nights historically produced the most documented encounters. These were the busiest operating nights when the supper club welcomed its largest crowds.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Former bartender Michael Sullivan worked at Paradise Supper Club from 1989 to 1992. He documented numerous supernatural experiences in a detailed journal now archived locally.

Sullivan described glasses flying off shelves during his closing duties on multiple occasions. He witnessed a full-body apparition of Carol Ann Whitfield on September 3, 1991.

Security guard Thomas Brightwater patrolled the property during its final year of operation. Brightwater reported hearing music and laughter from the empty building at 3 AM.

He investigated these sounds repeatedly, always finding the building completely vacant. His German Shepherd refused to enter the structure after their first patrol together.

Urban explorer Jennifer Martinez illegally entered the building in 2013 with three friends. She documented their experience on social media before being cited for trespassing.

Martinez’s group captured audio recordings of a woman screaming and begging for help. All four explorers fled after witnessing doors slamming shut throughout the building.

Paranormal investigator Sarah Chen conducted an unauthorized investigation in 2016 with specialized equipment. Her EMF readers spiked to maximum levels in the kitchen area.

Chen reported physical contact from an unseen entity that grabbed her arm. She displayed bruises matching human handprints that appeared during the investigation.

Local Legends & Myths

Local teenagers claim that knocking three times on the front door summons Carol Ann. According to legend, her burned face will appear in the door’s window.

This ritual allegedly results in seven years of nightmares for anyone brave enough. Multiple high school students have reported terrifying dreams after attempting this challenge.

Another persistent legend involves a cursed love seat in the main dining area. Couples who sat in this particular spot supposedly experienced relationship disasters afterward.

At least five documented divorces allegedly stemmed from couples who occupied this seating. Owner Robert Chambers claimed he burned the furniture before closing the establishment.

Some locals believe the Paradise Supper Club was constructed on sacred Cherokee burial grounds. This theory attempts to explain the concentrated negative energy within the building.

However, historical records and archaeological surveys have found no evidence supporting this claim. The burial ground story appears to be modern fabrication without factual basis.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Oklahoma Paranormal Research Society attempted an investigation in 2008 with owner permission. They documented over thirty distinct EVP recordings during their six-hour investigation.

Lead investigator Marcus Thompson reported capturing a woman’s voice saying “help me burn”. Temperature fluctuations of fifteen degrees occurred within seconds in multiple locations.

Ghost Hunters of America filmed a segment at Paradise Supper Club in 2012. The episode never aired due to legal complications with the property owner.

Leaked footage from this investigation shows objects moving autonomously in the kitchen. Team members experienced unexplained equipment failures and battery drainage throughout filming.

Regional paranormal team Tulsa Spirit Seekers conducted thermal imaging studies in 2014. Their equipment detected three human-shaped heat signatures in areas known for apparitions.

These thermal anomalies moved independently and displayed temperatures consistent with living humans. The team concluded intelligent entities were present and actively interacting with investigators.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The Paradise Supper Club’s structural integrity has severely deteriorated since its 1993 closure. Floors contain dangerous weak spots that could collapse under human weight.

Asbestos materials remain throughout the building, posing serious health risks to anyone entering. Mold growth has reached toxic levels in multiple interior areas.

Local police actively patrol the property and will arrest trespassers without warning. Mayes County prosecutes unauthorized entry cases aggressively with substantial fines.

Previous trespassers have faced fines exceeding $1,000 plus court costs and community service. Some individuals received permanent criminal records for breaking and entering charges.

The property owner has installed motion-sensor cameras throughout the perimeter since 2015. These security measures ensure swift law enforcement response to any intrusion.

Wildlife has colonized the abandoned structure, including venomous snakes and aggressive raccoons. Multiple people required medical treatment after animal encounters on the property.