The Hawthorne Hotel is often ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America. Guests have reported moving furniture, sightings of a ghostly woman, and unexplained noises.

The classic television show Bewitched filmed an episode in one of the elevators during the 1970s. In 1990, the hotel held a séance in the Grand Ballroom to try and contact Harry Houdini. In 2007, Syfy's popular paranormal show, Ghost Hunters, visited the hotel to investigate. According to lore, Room 325 is the most haunted room in the hotel while Room 612 and the sixth floor have had reports of a ghostly woman walking the halls.