The Rosson House Museum

Posted: 03.31.2025 | Updated: 03.31.2025

Phoenix, Arizona, is a city with a lot of heat, a lot of heart, and a lot of ghost stories. Perhaps, it’s the heat that causes people to see things that aren’t really there…or maybe there is some truth to all the haunted tales they tell. 

One such Arizona ghost story is that of the Rosson House Museum. A fascinating tale, even before you take the potential hauntings into consideration. It is a story with intriguing historical characters, a mysterious death, and unexplainable phenomena.

These days, it’s a haunted museum that continues to draw visitors year after year and is well worth the visit – whether you want to experience the history or the hauntings. 

Keep reading to learn where these hauntings could come from and the identity of the ghosts that wander the museum. After you’re done, we’re sure you’ll want to learn even more about haunted Arizona and the best way to do that is by booking an in-person ghost tour with us at Phoenix Ghosts.

Is the Rosson House Haunted?

While we might not be the most unbiased source to ask this question, we encourage you to ask any museum workers or locals the next time you’re in Arizona. The place has garnered such a reputation over the years that its haunted status, to those groups of people, is not in any doubt. 

History of the Rosson House

Hauntings aside, the Rosson House would still probably have warranted an entry in some history books for its notability. It was constructed in 1895 and gained a lot of attention for its cutting-edge technology at the time. It was seen as a technological marvel due to electric lights, an upstairs bathroom, sinks with hot and cold water, and even a telephone! Although commonplace to us now, such luxuries were almost unheard of in the 1800s. 

The house was built for its namesake – the Rosson family. The Rossons were Roland Lee Rosson and Flora Murray. Roland had been a military surgeon for much of his career; however, that career was cut short after he got court-martialed. The court-martial was controversial, and some believe that Roland may have been innocent of what he was accused of – visiting a dance house and using rough language – but he didn’t let that stop him. 

After leaving the army, Roland worked first as a prison doctor before settling in Phoenix and becoming its mayor in 1895. However, his tenure was short, and he resigned the very next year, citing exhaustion.

The mayoral candidacy – and perhaps the other stressors in his life – caused the Rossons to abandon their new life in Arizona and sell the house. Roland would die not even a year later under suspicious circumstances. Some, to this day, insist that he either killed himself or was poisoned by an enemy. 

A professor from the University of California would test Dr. Rosson’s body for poison, but the results were inconclusive. Some claim that Flora, his wife, stood the most to gain from Roland’s death since she collected a substantial life insurance policy after he died. 

Hauntings at the Rosson House Museum

However, the mysterious circumstances of Roland’s death would just be the tip of the iceberg when it came to the Rosson House and strange events. The first of which might have been in 1980 when the place was declared a museum and added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was an early adopter of many innovations and the first wood and brick house in all of Phoenix. 

But, some of the weird happenings of the Rosson House were decidedly less pleasant than being declared historically significant. For one, after it was made into a museum, one of the Rosson House Museum caretakers was brutally murdered after the place opened up. 

His murderer was never caught, and the mystery surrounding the caretaker’s death has fueled rumors and eerie tales. Some believe that his spirit remains trapped at the Rosson House, still seeking justice or vengeance for the tragic end he met. Over the years, various ghost hunters and visitors have reported encounters with the caretaker’s ghost, often near the stairway where he was last seen before his death. 

Those who claim to have experienced paranormal activity say the ghost is seen as a shadowy figure, lingering in the corner of their vision or appearing as a fleeting figure in the dim light of the museum. Cold spots, unexplained noises, and a feeling of unease are commonly reported in the area. Some even claim to hear faint footsteps or whispers as though the caretaker is trying to communicate, perhaps searching for answers…or his killer!

A Phantom Fireplace 

But by far and away, the most famous bit of haunted lore of the Rosson House Museum is that of the fireplace. Curiously enough, in a house with so many technological innovations, it is one of the more archaic pieces – a simple fireplace – that seems to draw so much paranormal activity. 

Whenever people come by, sometimes even in the hottest summers, the fireplace is known to emit phantom heat. The living room will feel like a sauna, even though the fireplace remains unlit. 

However, that’s not to say that this ghostly fireplace is never lit. In fact, it’s sometimes a bit of a problem in the museum today. 

When this phantom fireplace feels bored – or maybe it just wants to celebrate – it will even light itself, which causes a bit of a fire hazard since it’s rarely used. And lest you think it’s a prankster employee lighting these, think again. Records and eyewitnesses have sworn the thing will ignite when nobody is in the room with it.

Even more disturbingly, sometimes objects in the same room as the fireplace are known to disappear and reappear seemingly at random. Visitors and staff alike have reported personal items like books, utensils, and even wallets that vanish from tables or shelves, only to mysteriously reappear hours or even days later, often in places they were never left. 

In some instances, objects have been found in locked cabinets or sealed areas, further adding to the mysterious nature of the Rosson House. 

Haunted Phoenix

So, if you chance a visit to the Rosson House Museum, make sure to keep a firm hand on your personal effects – you never know which ghostly hands might be trying to grab them! And if that sounds too stressful to manage, you can always take a load off by the fireplace. Who knows? It may even light itself up for you! 

If you liked this story and want to learn similar tales, check out our Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They spotlight other offbeat ghost stories all over the United States. Checking our blog is another good way to stay up-to-date with all the latest ghost stories and haunted spots in Arizona.

If you want to explore Phoenix ghosts up close, a ghost tour with Phoenix Ghosts is the best way to do that. Our guides are knowledgeable and enthusiastic and can provide even more information on the area. 

Sources:

• https://thesquarephx.org/rossonhouse/
• https://www.arcadianews.com/local_news_and_features/the-rosson-house-a-little-phoenix-history/article_447b3c60-bf10-11eb-bd9a-e7021e81821f.html
• https://saltriverstories.org/items/show/450
• https://www.azhauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/rosson-house.html