Brady Lake Kent

Haunted Places in Ohio > Haunted Parks

Brady Lake Kent paranormal

Photo by: Marianne Donley
Location submitted by: sdonley on 10/26/2025
DBA Approved: Y

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2231 Brady Lake Rd
Kent, OH 44240
Open to the public: No

Lat: 41.169246
Lon: -81.313422

PANICd#: 2231

Publication date: 11/02/2025

Last visited: 10/11/2025

Brady Lake is a natural kettle lake in Portage County, Ohio, within Franklin Township, about a mile east of Kent.

Database Summary:

Demographic Rank: 0
History: 1
Stories: 1
Claims: 8
Evidence: 0
Resources: 2
Retrievals: 180
Vistor Rating: 0.0
Votes: 0

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History

History information is some background and history about the location. This is meant to be a basic summary. Below the history records you will find sources in which you can click on to find out more information. There may be multiple history records per location.

Brady Lake is a natural kettle lake in Portage County, Ohio, within Franklin Township, about a mile east of Kent. The lake was named after frontier scout Samuel Brady, who, according to legend, hid in its waters around 1780 while fleeing Native American pursuers. The area remained mostly rural until the late 1800s, when its calm setting and natural beauty began attracting visitors.

In 1891 the lakeside area began to change from wilderness to recreation ground. An amusement park and resort opened featuring cabins, picnic grounds, and boat rides. Families from surrounding cities visited for weekend getaways. The park’s quiet charm and rustic scenery made it a favorite stop for people seeking relief from busy city life.

As time passed, the area developed into a small summer community. Trolley lines and trains made the lake easier to reach, and cottages appeared along the shoreline. The growing popularity eventually led to the settlement incorporating as the Village of Brady Lake in 1927. The village became a close-knit lakeside neighborhood that thrived on its seasonal visitors and local traditions.

By the mid-twentieth century, the resort’s image began to fade. The amusement park declined, and stories spread about gambling and late-night parties taking place near the lake. The same waters once used for leisure were also known for ice harvesting and local water supply in earlier years. Though its entertainment days waned, the lake remained an important part of the local identity.

In 2017 residents voted to dissolve the Village of Brady Lake, returning it to the care of Franklin Township. Today it stands as a quiet residential community surrounded by forest and traces of its past. Old foundations, overgrown paths, and stories that linger in the air remind visitors of its earlier glory days and the legends that still ripple beneath its surface.

Added by: sdonley on 11/02/2025 DB#:807
Source(s):
Various

Stories & Folklore

Stories & Folklore are just that. Stories and personal accounts that have been reported about the location and passed down from generation to generation. This section could also contain research notes as well.

One sultry summer evening three friends from Kent decided to relive old-time recreation and drove out to Brady Lake just after dusk. The evening air was thick and still, the water of the lake black in the twilight, broken only by the faint reflection of moonlight on its surface as the trio parked near the old shoreline of the resort era. They carried flashlights, a small cooler, and a half-remembered story about the lake being once home to hidden secrets.

As they walked along a faded path beside the lake toward an old clearing once used for picnics, one of them pointed to the dense woods across the water and softly said, "You feel it." The silence The trees stood motionless, and even the breeze seemed subdued. Approaching the edge of the water, they noticed something odd: their footsteps didn't seem to echo. The water, dark and smooth seemed to absorb sound rather than reflect it.

Suddenly a low, almost imperceptible hum rose from the depths of the lake nothing mechanical more like a distant breath. The friends froze. One of them shone a flashlight out over the water and saw a faint shape, a pale glimmer just beneath the surface, maybe thirty feet offshore. It drifted slowly and then vanished. The surface rippled in a circular wave, though no wind touched the water.

They hurried back along the path. Back near the car they found scratch marks on the door long ragged vertical scratches that looked fresh, like claws. One of them swore she heard a whisper in her ear: "Return me, preserve me." The voice was soft and indiscernible in tone and it was gone as soon as she recognized it.

When they reached home that night, none of them slept well. One awoke to see a dark figure standing at the foot of the bed vanishing when she blinked. Another dreamed of walking on the frozen lake in winter, hearing something beneath the ice knocking. They never spoke of the night together again, but each felt that the lake held memories no one talked about a presence just beneath the surface waiting.

Added by: sdonley on 11/02/2025 DB#: 1767
Source(s): Various

Paranormal Claims

Here are the paranormal claims for this location. These have been found through Internet research, reports from members, or reports from personal interviews. To add a claim, please contact PANICd.com, and we will review and add your information.

Claim #	Added	Added By	Claim
4269	11/02/2025	sdonley	People have seen strange shapes moving under the water.
4270	11/02/2025	sdonley	Visitors hear whispers and humming sounds at night.
4271	11/02/2025	sdonley	Cars and boats have been found with fresh scratch marks.
4272	11/02/2025	sdonley	Dark shadow figures are seen walking near the woods and shoreline.
4273	11/02/2025	sdonley	Cold spots appear suddenly near the water even on warm nights.
4274	11/02/2025	sdonley	People feel like they are being watched when standing near the lake.
4275	11/02/2025	sdonley	Flashlights and phones sometimes stop working close to the shore.
4276	11/02/2025	sdonley	Unexplained ripples move across the lake when the air is still.