Entry No. 31 — the Oklahoma City file — filed under: former-funeral-home
Stone Lion Inn
The Stone Lion Inn is a sprawling 1907 Victorian mansion—once Guthrie's most expensive home, later a funeral parlor—that now runs notorious Friday/Saturday murder-mystery dinners for up to 40 guests, complete with a seven-course dinner and full overnight stays. The ghost of Augusta Houghton, a child who died from a nurse's medication error, is said to roam the third floor and has been reported touching sleeping guests on the cheek.
The story
Before it was a venue for theatrical homicides, the 1907 Victorian mansion at 1016 West Warner Avenue held the title of Guthrie's most expensive private home. Built for the wealthy Houghton family, its history curdled when eight-year-old Augusta Houghton fell ill and died after a nurse made a fatal medication error. Decades later, the grand estate was converted into a funeral parlor, cementing its relationship with mortality long before its current life as a bed-and-breakfast.
Today, the inn leans into its macabre history with weekend murder-mystery dinners. Up to forty guests are handed character scripts, seated together for a seven-course feast, and tasked with unmasking a killer over four hours. But the unscripted reports are what keep overnight visitors looking over their shoulders: guests sleeping on the third floor—Augusta's old domain—regularly report doors shifting on their own, unexplained creaks, and the faint touch of a child's hand on their cheek in the middle of the night.
What it's like
You will pull up to a quiet residential block in Guthrie, roughly thirty minutes north of Oklahoma City up I-35. Don't expect a quiet candlelit table for two; the weekend murder mysteries are raucous, interactive group events where you will be plotting and dining at shared tables alongside complete strangers. Book months in advance directly through the inn, and if you stay overnight in one of the six Victorian guest rooms, ask for one with a claw-foot tub—and prepare for a very active house once the lights go down.
The move: Book a Friday or Saturday murder-mystery overnight: arrive for the four-hour, seven-course dinner where you and your date play assigned characters, try to solve the mystery together, then stay the night in one of the six Victorian-themed guest rooms (some with claw-foot tubs) and collect your gourmet breakfast in the morning.
📍 Before you go The inn sits on a quiet residential street in Guthrie, about a half-hour drive north of Oklahoma City up I-35, so plan it as an evening or overnight trip rather than a quick stop. The murder-mystery dinners run weekend nights only and book up well ahead, so reserve directly with the inn before you go (it's not a walk-in); the experience is a shared event with other guests, not a private table. Daytime, leave room to wander downtown Guthrie's historic district, the largest of its kind in the country, where Victorian storefronts hold antique shops, galleries, and cafes, plus a ghost walk if you want to extend the spooky theme. Respect the neighbors when arriving and parking.
- 📍 Guthrie
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1016 W Warner Ave, Guthrie, OK 73044
Hours: Mined 2026-06-07 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Oklahoma Frontier Drugstore Museum & Apothecary Garden — Located less than a mile away in downtown Guthrie, this collection of vintage pharmaceuticals and medical oddities makes a chilling prelude to staying in a mansion haunted by a historic dosing mistake.
- Elmer McCurdy's Grave — Drive two miles over to visit the grave of Oklahoma's most traveled corpse before checking into a mansion that once doubled as a funeral parlor.
- Gandini's Circus Ruins — Explore the rusted animal cages of an abandoned circus winter camp 15 miles south in Edmond on your drive north to Guthrie.
Good to know
Can I walk in for dinner or a tour?
No. The murder-mystery dinners and overnight stays require advance reservations directly through the inn, as character roles and seven-course meals are set beforehand.
Is the murder mystery dinner a private table experience?
Not at all. You will be seated at shared tables with up to 40 other participants, interacting and playing assigned characters throughout the four-hour event.
What is the story behind the mansion's ghost?
The ghost is said to be Augusta Houghton, a child who died in the home after a nurse accidentally misadministered her medication. Her presence is most frequently reported on the third floor.
Where is the inn located relative to Oklahoma City?
It sits in Guthrie, Oklahoma, about a 30-minute drive north of downtown Oklahoma City via Interstate 35.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · Tripadvisor · hauntedrooms.com
last checked: 2026-06-07