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It came from Seattle: The curious case of the haunted soda machine

By Susan Leighton

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On a lonely little corner in Seattle’s Capitol Hill section sits a soda machine. Sure, it looks ordinary but it dispenses some outdated beverages. The spooky part? No one fills it!

“Something about them does not make you feel at ease.” – Christopher Balzano

Do You Have Schweppes Lemon Ginger Ale?

I found out about this haunted soda machine @HorrorBible on Twitter. Having a curious nature, I decided to do further research on the net. Vice did an article on this strange phenomenon in 2014.

For years, this abandoned dispenser of beverages has sat on a rather quiet corner in Seattle’s Capitol Hill section. If you passed by it in your car, you wouldn’t think twice. However, appearances can be deceiving.

The creepiest thing about this machine? Is it the odd IT like button that says “PMYSTERY” on it? Well, yes! If you feel brave go ahead and press it. See what you get. I guarantee you, it will be surprising.

Haunted soda machine- Mystery Button -Courtesy of Vice

All of the soda brands that fall underneath that button are unique in the sense that they have been discontinued for years and are not currently being manufactured! Your hard-earned cash could land you a Mountain Dew White Out, a raspberry flavored Nestea Brisk (who makes Brisk in a can??), Hawaiian Punch, Grape Fanta, Black Cherry Frescas and Sunkist Cherry Limeade.

Talk about blasts from the past! I remember going to work with my father on the weekends and there was a 1970s machine just like this one that used to dispense the grooviest pineapple soda on the face of the earth. Apparently, the Seattle soda machine came from that bygone era.

The Plot Thickens

What is interesting is that no one fills this ancient relic! Of course, you would have to ask, how is that even possible? Why would it continue to dispense beverages?

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The reporter at Vice had the same questions so she went to a local merchant, Broadway Locksmith to get answers. Broadway is very close to the machine and they have a decent vantage point to watch comings and goings.

When Mickey, the general manager for the Locksmith business was asked the question if he has ever seen anyone “tampering with the machine or refilling it?” his answer was “Nope.” He went on to say, “He must come in the middle of the night on a weekend or something.”

That is definitely fascinating. Why would someone fill up a soda machine in the middle of the night? Are they running some bootleg operation where they horded old brands of pop and suddenly decided to screw around with the people of Seattle?

With the advent of cameras being on every corner in major metropolitan areas, why hasn’t something been captured on film? So many questions and yet so few answers on this intriguing artifact from a bygone era.

Perhaps the machine itself is haunted. If it is, that ghost is certainly business savvy and maybe he or she should be my accountant. Apparently, the price of the pop has gone up! Man, maybe I should take a road trip and check this out for myself. I sure could use a Schweppes Lemon Ginger Ale.

Next: Gloomy Sunday inspires people to commit suicide… fact or fiction?

Who do you think is stocking the soda machine? Could it be a ghost? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. We want to hear from you.

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