Inside the Haunted Cellar
Descend into the basement of the Water Wheel Tavern in Doylestown. You might not be alone.
I’ve been investigating the paranormal for years now. Every so often, I come across a location that just feels different the moment I walk in. That was the case with the Water Wheel Tavern in Doylestown. With over 300 years of history etched into its beautiful walls, I knew this was going to be a great investigation.
When I got the call in March 2023 about possible hauntings at the Water Wheel, I decided to enlist the expertise of two of the best people I know in the field: psychic medium Julie Kraus and spirit medium Dominic Sattele. We were ready to find out what, or who, might be lingering at this historic Bucks County landmark.
The general manager told me a story of something that happened when he first started working there. He was showing the downstairs cellar bar to a woman who was interested in renting the space for a private party. As he got to the bottom of the stairs he realized she was still standing at the top of the stairs, white knuckled. She said, “There’s a spirit down there with you, and it doesn’t like you!”
The downstairs bar is a dark, moody space that’s been the source of countless stories over the years. Staff have reported everything from cold spots and footsteps to shadow figures appearing and disappearing into walls. Naturally, this was the place we wanted to dig into first. As soon as we entered the cellar, we could feel the energy shift. The magnetometer was going off the charts. The air was heavy, almost electric.
Julie immediately picked up on it, pausing in one corner and saying, “Someone’s here with us.” She wasn’t just guessing; she could feel something, like walking into a room where someone had just been arguing. Julie also gave us incredible information about the spirit of a woman and her son who seemed to be waiting in the upstairs dining area next to the fireplace. What Julie didn’t know was that the woman has been seen by many patrons and staff over the years.
Although Julie had to leave early to return to a client, Dominic and I ventured farther into the dark cellar bar. Dominic quickly tuned into something and began to receive impressions of a man from the time of the Revolutionary War. He felt this man was in a gun “duel” that had occurred in this space. “He worked here,” Dominic said. “Sometime in the late 1700s. He’s watching. Protective. Like he doesn’t want to leave.”
The EMF detector once again picked up strong energy right by the stairs where the manager had his encounter. Then came the orbs. I’m always cautious about orbs; dust, bugs, and camera flares can easily create false positives. What we captured on video that night was different. These orbs were self-illuminating and moved in deliberate patterns. One even shot across the frame and veered toward the bar before disappearing.
We went back upstairs to investigate the spirit of the woman by the fireplace. As I set up a tripod with a camera in the adjoining room, Dominic called for me. I bolted into the dining room where Dominic stood, white as a ghost. He said, “I just saw the woman! She was sitting right there and looked right at me!” He went into a light trance and began channeling her spirit. He described her as a young woman who used to live at the location from around the turn of the century. He said she was waiting for something but he couldn’t tune into specifics.
After our investigation, we spoke with several members of the Water Wheel staff. Their stories confirmed what we experienced. As we sat there talking, a door creaked open behind us and no one was there. “You learn to live with it,” one employee said.
We captured some incredible footage that night, and shared it in an episode on my YouTube channel at Eric Mintel Investigates. The episode—“What Waits at the Water Wheel Tavern?”—includes all the highlights: real-time orb activity, our conversations with the tavern’s staff, and much more. It’s one of the most compelling investigations we’ve done so far.
For me, investigating the paranormal isn’t just about finding ghosts; it’s about telling the stories that history left behind. The Water Wheel Tavern is not only a beautiful venue, but also a living, breathing time capsule filled with memories, energy, and yes, a few lingering spirits.
So the next time you find yourself in Doylestown, grab a drink at the Water Wheel Tavern. Sit in the cozy cellar bar. Just don’t be surprised if you feel a chill, hear a whisper, or see something flicker out of the corner of your eye. You might not be alone.
Eric Mintel is an acclaimed jazz musician and author of Eric Mintel Investigates Casebook Investigations. The Eric Mintel Investigates TV show can be seen on various cable channels and on YouTube at Eric Mintel Investigates. For more information, visit ericmintelinvestigates.org.
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life magazine, May 2025.
