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Haunted Historic Hotels
Most Haunted Historic Hotels
These “spirited” guests may have checked out, but never left these historic hotels
Historic Hotels of America has over 300 hotels with long and storied histories, representing over 36 decades in American history. From a former Carmelite convent to hotels that are adjacent to battlegrounds and a hotel that was once a morgue, many of these hotels have “spirited” guests that continue to haunt the halls long after they have checked out. Here is Historic Hotels of America’s best hotel ghost stories:
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Concord’s Colonial Inn (1716) Concord, Massachusetts Due to the hotel’s age and role during the American Revolutionary War, Concord’s Colonial Inn in Concord, Massachusetts, is rumored to have a few resident ghosts. During the war, part of the historic inn was privately owned by Dr. Timothy Minot; it was where he operated a small medical practice. When Continental soldiers were injured at the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the North Bridge, they were brought to his home for medical attention. Dr. Minot used what is now the Liberty Room as a hospital and Room 24 as an operating room. Many guests who have spent the night in the infamously haunted room have reported some strange activity. Thrillseekers travel great distances to stay at the inn’s infamous Room 24, hoping to catch a glimpse of some supernatural activity. But the inn's resident spirits do not just confine themselves to Room 24; they like to wander the halls of the Concord’s Colonial Inn just as much as guests do. Both an older woman and a tall, slim gentleman with a top hat have been spotted in the sitting room–thought perhaps to be former residents Henry David Thoreau himself or his aunt entertaining company. A young girl wearing a bonnet has been seen walking around by the front desk of the hotel. Both guests and employees have spotted apparitions in 18th-century attire sitting in an otherwise empty Liberty Room. Books and décor fall from shelves without worldly cause, and items go missing without explanation for weeks, only to turn up in odd places. Both guests and employees have heard voices coming from right behind them–only to see nothing when they turn around. |
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The Omni Homestead Resort (1766) Hot Springs, Virginia Being widely known for its more than 250 years of grand hospitality and as a favorite vacation spot for European royalty and former U.S. Presidents and their families, it should come as no surprise that a guest or two of The Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, might decide to stay forever. One of the resort’s most legendary spirits involves the spirit of a jilted bride who stalks along the 14th floor. Legend has it that this young woman was set to be wed at The Homestead during the early 20th century, but her groom-to-be had become plagued by second thoughts. On the day of their wedding, the groom instructed the young woman to wait in her hotel room while he ran out for a quick errand. Unfortunately, for the bride, her beloved was never to return. Distraught, she took her own life. Guests and staff have since reported sightings of a ghostly apparition, whose outline resembles that of a woman in a wedding gown. Many believe that she is still waiting in the hotel for her long-lost lover. Some lucky few have reportedly heard the spirit speak before disappearing in a flash. In addition to this legend, overnight staff tell stories of sightings while being on late-night duty in the Great Hall. There, some believe they have seen well-dressed couples descending the stairs, but when they look up to greet them, no one is there. Similarly, there is a man in a dark suit who stands at a balcony overlooking the opposite end of the Great Hall. Again, staff say they approach to greet him only to find no one there. The Omni Homestead Resort was established in 1766 and has been a Charter Member of Historic Hotels of America since 1989. |
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Historic Inns of Annapolis (1772) Annapolis, Maryland The Maryland Inn, one of the Historic Inns of Annapolis in Annapolis, Maryland, is reportedly haunted by a variety of specters since it was established in the 1770s. Supposed sightings by employees and guests include glimpses of shadowy figures dressed in Revolutionary War-era uniforms and 19th-century clothing. Unexplained noises, scents, and missing objects–experienced by some employees–are thought by some believers to have supernatural explanations. Local legend suggests that at least two of the ghosts are that of Navy Captain Charles Campbell and his intended bride, known only as The Bride. According to the tale, Captain Campbell and The Bride were separated while he was at sea, during which time The Bride waited for him at the Maryland Inn. Campbell was killed by a horse carriage as he was returning to be reunited with his love and she took her own life minutes later, both dying right outside the historic inn. Both The Bride and Captain Campbell are rumored to haunt the Maryland Inn to this day. According to authors Mike Carter and Julia Dray in Haunted Annapolis, The Bride paces around the fourth floor and Captain Campbell has been seen in his naval uniform in the basement taproom. For guests, experiencing the ghosts in residence is uncommon but not unheard of. Some guests in the fourth-floor rooms have felt a cold presence. |
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The Red Lion Inn (1773) Stockbridge, Massachusetts Ghostly rumors swirl around The Red Lion Inn, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, which has been visited by many paranormal investigators and mediums hoping to connect with guests from centuries past. Its idyllic setting, comforting atmosphere, and dedicated staff make The Red Lion Inn an exceptional example of New England hospitality and make the 250-year-old hotel a perfect place to spend eternity. The fourth floor has been said to have the most paranormal activity, and Guestroom 301 is also known to be a haunted hotspot. Housekeepers, staff, and guests have claimed to see a "ghostly young girl carrying flowers" and "a man in a top hat." Cold spots, unexplained knocks, and electrical disturbances have all been reported. A few guests claim they awoke to the feeling of someone standing over them at the foot of the bed, but staff familiar with the goings-on at the inn describe the spirits as friendly. The Red Lion Inn was established in 1773 and has been a Charter Member of Historic Hotels of America since 1989. |
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The Sayre Mansion (1858) Bethlehem, Pennsylvania The spirits at The Sayre Mansion in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, reportedly have mischievous natures. Employees and guests report experiencing tugs at their clothing that cannot be explained, as well as television sets that mysteriously turn off. A maintenance tech was alone repairing a toilet when a small washer suddenly disappeared and ended up across the room under the bathmat. It seems as if a playful ghost wanted to start a game of hide and seek! The standing theory is that these playful spirits are the ghosts of children because the Sayre Mansion saw more than its fair share of tragedy in its early days. The Sayre Family moved into their Gothic Revival-style Victorian mansion in Bethlehem’s prestigious Fountain Hill in 1858. Of the family's 12 children, eight survived into adulthood with six drawing their last breath at the family home. A paranormal investigation several years ago detected supernatural activity in several areas around the mansion. Throughout the year, including during the Halloween season, The Sayre Mansion hosts a Paranormal Experience. The overnight stay features a catered dinner in the mansion’s refurbished basement, and a paranormal presentation and investigation led by a team of ghost hunters. The Sayre Mansion also periodically offers 60-minute evening Ghost Tours. Upcoming guided tours are scheduled for October 14 and 19. Contact the hotel for more information. |
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Hanover Inn Dartmouth (1780) Hanover, New Hampshire Deep in the storied history of Dartmouth College, one of the oldest colleges in America, founded in 1769, are the scattered ghost stories of youth and romance torn asunder. The most prominent among them is the sad tale of nine undergraduates who perished in 1934 in a carbon monoxide accident while sleeping in their fraternity house attic. The Alpha Theta house on North Main Street was razed in 1940 and a new one built on the spot, which is where the ghosts, literally come in. More than one Dartmouth student, alone late at night in the laundry room of the new basement finds himself face to face with a room that isn’t there and a party of young men in tuxedos and their dates in ball gowns. Further investigation revealed that the faces of the apparitions matched the photographs of the nine who died. The women – who would have been unauthorized guests – are not identified. Ghosts also are said to haunt the room beneath the famous bell tower in Baker Library. The grand Greek Revival building at 9 School Street that is headquarters for Panarchy, a Dartmouth undergraduate society is said to be haunted. Even the Inn has a few ghosts who interact very selectively with guests. Perhaps the most enduring spirit is the one evoked by the Jack O’Lantern, the college’s humor magazine that was founded in 1908 and welcomed the wry observations of Theodore Geisel, Class of 1925 who created his pen name Dr. Seuss to contribute to its pages. |
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Omni Parker House (1855) Boston, Massachusetts This hotel was opened by Harvey Parker and he was involved with the operations of the building until his death in 1884. Over the years, many guests have reported seeing him inquiring about their stay—a true “spirited” hotelier even after his death. |
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The Menger Hotel (1859) San Antonio, Texas Three ghosts are rumored to haunt The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas: a chambermaid, a U.S. President, and a Texas rancher. Established in 1859 and a Charter Member of Historic Hotels of America since 1989, The Menger Hotel embraces its hauntings. In fact, it was its kindness toward chambermaid Sallie White in her life and in her death that supposedly keeps the tragic young woman's spirit tied to the hotel. When Sallie White was killed by her jealous husband, the hotel paid for her funeral. Guests and staff have reported seeing Sallie White in the halls of the historic section of the hotel, and her popularity led to the hotel putting the funeral's receipt on display in the hotel lobby. The other two specters are attributed to U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt and Captain Richard King, the founder of the King Ranch in Kingsville, Texas, and a frequent guest of The Menger Hotel. King died in his suite on April 14, 1885, and his funeral service was held inside the lobby. King is said to still be wandering the halls and is often seen entering his suite, where the original furniture, including his bed, are preserved. Roosevelt's connection to the hotel dates to 1898, when he recruited his Rough Riders in the Menger Bar for the Spanish-American War. According to rumors and reports, Teddy Roosevelt is often seen in the bar alone or with his men, having a drink or ordering one. |
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The Sagamore (1883) Bolton Landing, New York The Sagamore has its own American ghost story. Opened in 1883 as a playground resort for summer residents of Millionaire’s Row, this rambling historic hotel sits on a 6 million-acre state park is rumored to accommodate a ghost or two. Stories persist of the ghost of a silver-haired woman wearing a blue polka-dot dress descending from the second floor to the Trillium, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant. |
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1886 Crescent Hotel (1886) Eureka Springs, Arkansas Some of the most haunting Crescent stories to emerge are those recounted the hotel’s ghost tour guides. Here is one: One night in the morgue (which is located in the hotel’s basement, used as such by Norman Baker during the time he operated a ‘cancer curing’ hospital in the Crescent during the late 1930s), a tour had just been brought in to the basement and they were beginning to sit in the front area. The tour guide noticed a man high-stepping into the autopsy room. He wore a dark suit and top hat. Curious as to who it was, the tour guide went into the room, looked around and even opened the meat locker (where Baker stored cadavers and body parts), but there was no one there. However, he was seen as plain as day. There are a myriad of these chilling stories that guests and hotel staff have experienced during this hotel’s long history. |
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Hotel Monteleone (1886) New Orleans, Louisiana Hotel Monteleone has developed a reputation over the years as being one of the most haunted places in New Orleans, a city widely appreciated for its gothic charm. The most famous of these tales involves that of a young boy named Maurice who stayed at the hotel with his family during the 1890s. The child’s parents were avid theatergoers and regularly visited the French Opera House located along Bourbon Street. But since Maurice was just a toddler at the time, the two often left him in the care of a nurse whenever they went out. On one such night, the Begeres decided to stay at the Hotel Monteleone before departing for the French Opera House. While under the care of his nanny, the young child developed a fever and passed away. Grief-stricken, the couple returned to the hotel in hopes of spotting the spirit of their beloved Maurice. According to legend, the parents did not have to wait long to see the apparition of Maurice. The boy supposedly appeared before his mother, proclaiming: “Mommy, don’t cry. I’m fine.” The experience left the mother in tears, happy to know that her boy was at peace. Many guests have also reported running into his spirit on the 14th floor. Along with Maurice, a maid, known as “Mrs. Clean” reportedly haunts the hotel. Paranormal researchers once asked why she stayed, and the maid, whose mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother also worked at the hotel, said she was picking up after housekeeping to ensure high standards. |
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Jekyll Island Club Resort (1887) Jekyll Island, Georgia Over the years, the Jekyll Island Club Resort has seen many families come and go since 1886. There have been seven reported ghosts that have been known to haunt this resort. They range from a ghostly bellman who delivers bridegrooms their pressed suits to the ghost of a former president who walks the veranda at sunset. Samuel Spencer- a club member who departed from this world under mysterious circumstances. He is said to haunt his old rooms early in the morning, sipping coffee and reading the morning newspaper. The Bellman – a bellman dressed in 1920s uniform with cap and suit is said to deliver freshly pressed suits to bridegrooms. More than one bridegroom, who had not order this service, have inquired about our ghostly bellman. He has been spotted by guests and our contemporary bellmen. Eddie Gould and his Grandmother Hester Shrady – Eddie died tragically during a hunting accident at the Jekyll Island Club. He loved coming to Jekyll Island and staying with his grandparents who owned the cottage next door, Cherokee. It is said that his old room will mysteriously open at dusk and the faint smell of roses lingers in the air, the favorite scent of Eddie and his Grandmother. |
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Casa Monica Resort & Spa (1888) St. Augustine, Florida Built as a labor of love and as an ode to Moorish architecture by Franklin W. Smith, this majestic St. Augustine, Florida resort has been a landmark of the historic city since 1888. Unfortunately for Smith, financial troubles forced him to sell the hotel to his business rival after only a year in operation—a dream ending in despair. In 1911, Smith died in anonymity and poverty. Did his spirit return to haunt his beloved Casa Monica Resort & Spa? Some guests and staff believe it did. From glowing lights on the 3rd floor and mischievous pillow fights in rooms staged for photography, it was decided a paranormal expert was needed. A local tour guide accompanied a medium to witness the haunting, and on the top floor of the Kessler Suite, the medium reported seeing a man with big bushy sideburns pacing back and forth. She encouraged the tour guide to approach the man who was clearly in despair. The guide only remembers being completely frozen, a feeling unlike any other she had felt in ten years of tours, and a confusing vision of broken tiles crashing outside the window. Later, while researching the history of the hotel, they discovered that not only did the medium describe the physical characteristics of Franklin W. Smith, but he would have been heartbroken to know that the building's original terracotta roof had been replaced. Perhaps after a life full of hardships, Franklin W. Smith is trapped in the home of his greatest heartbreak. Guests can discover more haunted history by joining that same tour guide for complimentary hotel tours on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 3 p.m., or Saturdays at 10 a.m. The paranormal hotspot of St. Augustine is also home to many ghost tours which can be arranged with the help of concierge. |
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Hotel del Coronado (1888) Coronado, California Kate Morgan, age 24, arrived at Hotel del Coronado on Thanksgiving Day in 1892, alone and unhappy. According to hotel employees, she said she was waiting for a gentleman to join her. After five lonely days, Kate took her own life. At the time of her death, police could find nothing to positively identify her, so a description of the woman was telegraphed to police agencies around the country. As a result, newspapers began to refer to her as the “beautiful stranger.” Eventually, she was identified as Kate Morgan, a domestic worker in a wealthy Los Angeles household. The tragic tale of Kate Morgan continues to intrigue hotel visitors, and Kate’s original third-floor guestroom is the most-requested room at the resort. In it, guests have experienced flickering lights, a television that turns itself on and off, breezes coming from nowhere, items moving of their own accord, doors that randomly open and close, abrupt changes in room temperature, and unexplained footsteps and voices. Another very “active” area is The Hotel del Coronado gift shop is one location where visitors and employees routinely witness giftware mysteriously flying off shelves, oftentimes falling upright and always unbroken. The resort offers a nightly ghost tour, Haunted Happenings, that shares staff and guest experiences, photos and videos of paranormal activity and other spooky history. For Halloween 2021, The Hotel del Coronado offers several themed events in October including a Haunted Happenings Tour, Ghost Roast private beach bonfire, Halloween Movies on the Beach, beachfront Pumpkin Carving and an Evening with Spirits event that includes a VIP Ghost Tour and Séance. |
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Green Park Inn (1891) Blowing Rock, North Carolina This 1891 hotel also keeps a “Ghost Log” in the lobby for its guests to peruse (and add to when they have their own encounters to share). Pay attention to notes regarding Room 318, where Laura Green died. Laura was the daughter of the inn’s founding family and she was jilted at the altar. Reports are that she and her would be groom continue to be seen on the third floor. |
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Airlie (1899) Warrenton, Virginia In the heart of Airlie, a historic resort in rural Warrenton, Virginia, in a dimly lit meeting room, there hangs an antique portrait of a grand lady that has sent shivers down the spines of those who dared to venture close. Painted by the renowned 18th-century English artist Sir Joshua Reynolds, the depiction shows a woman posing with such pride and elegance that her likeness has been said to captivate the soul of anyone who gazed upon it. At Arlie, some guests and staff over the years came to suspect the Lady's portrait held a sinister secret. Whether you crossed the boardroom to fetch a forgotten document or sat at the grand dining table for a meeting, the Lady's gaze remained locked upon you, unwavering and unnerving. On stormy nights when the winds howled and the rain beat against the windowpanes, some have claimed that her lips curled into a sly smile when thunder rolls and lightning illuminates the room. Despite the spine-chilling tales that surround it, the portrait remains a cherished heirloom, an integral part of the Airlie history. To some, it is a source of fascination, drawing visitors from far and wide, eager to experience the eerie sensation of the Lady's gaze. To others, it is a dreaded presence, a reminder that even the most beautiful things could conceal the darkest of secrets. And so, the portrait of the Lady, with her haunting eyes that seem to pierce the veil between the living and the dead, continues to watch over the boardroom of Airlie Main House, a silent sentinel of a bygone era. Established in 1899, Airlie was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2015 and is significant for hosting Civil Rights Movement and Environmental Movement meetings in the 1960s. |
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Union Station Hotel Nashville, Autograph Collection (1900) Nashville, Tennessee One of Nashville’s most iconic landmarks, Union Station Hotel dates back to 1900 in a building that previously served as the city’s buzzing railway station. While the building’s past life is apparent in the hotel’s stunning preserved architecture—the soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling, 100-year-old stained glass and grand towers of the former train station’s main terminal are nothing short of breathtaking—every so often, guests are also reminded of the building’s rich history through another kind of encounter: with the hotel’s resident ghost, Abigail. Legend has it that during World War II a young woman, Abigail, said goodbye to her soldier on the Union Station train platform before he shipped off to France. When she arrived at that same spot to greet him on his return, she was instead met with word that he was killed in action. Distraught, Abigail threw herself in front of a passing locomotive far below. The forlorn spirit of Abigail, still looking for her lost love, can reportedly be seen wandering the main terminal and her presence felt in Room 711. Now known as the Abigail Room, guests can request to stay in the haunted suite, which is decorated unlike any other room in the hotel with antique furnishings, a four-poster bed and artwork inspired by her tale. Abigail’s story also lives on at the hotel’s bar and restaurant in the grand lobby, Carter’s—The Abigail cocktail is a signature libation made with local spirit Picker’s Vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, lemon and bubbles. |
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Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa (1901) Honolulu, Hawaii On February 28, 1905, the untimely death of Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University, made headlines everywhere. Stanford, who was vacationing in Hawaii following a strychnine poisoning attempt on her life, died in her room at the Moana. There have been reports that the ghost of Stanford still frequents the hotel, whose beautiful ocean vistas brought her short-lived peace. Guests and hotel staff have said that they’ve seen her walking at night trying to find her room. |
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Omni Mount Washington Resort, Bretton Woods (1902) Bretton Woods, New Hampshire Known affectionately by staff members as “the princess,” Caroline Foster, was a long-time inhabitant of the hotel. Princess Caroline Foster’s ties to the resort go back to its inception when her husband, railroad tycoon Joseph Stickney, built the grand resort in 1902. Incorporating special accommodations for his wife, construction of the resort included an indoor swimming pool and a private dining room for Caroline known today as the “Princess Room.” A prominent figure at the resort since its opening, many guests who have visited continue to report sightings of the regal Caroline. Visions of an elegant woman in Victorian dress are often spotted in the hallways of the hotel, there are light taps on doors when no one is outside and items suddenly disappear and then reappear in the exact place they were lost. But perhaps the most common sighting of the beloved Caroline is in room 314, where guests report seeing the vision of the woman sitting at the edge of their bed. |
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Boone Tavern Hotel of Berea College (1909) Berea, Kentucky The historic Boone Tavern Hotel attracts ghosts hunters by the score with its three-day ghost hunts, and some guests report seeing the apparition of a young boy in their photographs. In the hotel basement, the voice of a boy named Timmy can sometimes be heard. |
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The Omni Grove Park Inn (1913) Asheville, North Carolina Travelers, residents, and staff have come to believe in a ghost who roams the hallways of Asheville, North Carolina’s historic Omni Grove Park Inn. A strange but gentle spirit residing within the gray, granite walls, known simply as the Pink Lady, has been seen, felt and experienced by hotel employees and guests for nearly a century. The Pink Lady has been generally described as a dense pinkish smoke, although some report the mist materializing into the shape of a young woman donned in a pink ballgown. The Pink Lady is believed to have met her demise on the Palm Court floor after falling two stories from the fifth floor to the third floor in the 1920s. While no written records have been found that support any of these claims, sightings of her are still reported. Some claim they have seen a pink mist, while others report seeing a full apparition of a young long-haired lady in a pink gown. Guests have reported that they have seen objects move in the middle of the night, as well as being awakened by feeling a tickling sensation on their feet. While the Pink Lady is keen to reveal herself to everyone, she is said to particularly enjoy the company of children. Established in 1913 and inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2000, Omni Grove Park Inn was ranked #8 by public voting in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice 2023 Best Haunted Hotel contest. |
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Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel (1915) Berkeley, California Over the years, the Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel, has built a cherished reputation for its luxury accommodations, beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay, pampering spa services–and for being one of the most haunted places in California. From reports of phantom elevators to eerie voices, the resort has been the source of countless paranormal tales for generations. Of all the stories, the spookiest involves the fourth floor. Specifically, one room seems to attract the most activity. It is common for people to experience extreme temperature changes in rooms or walk into a room that has cold spots. Other guests have encountered an elevator that will go to floors not requested or simply not start to move until an unseen force allows it to move. Additional stories abound throughout the Claremont Club & Spa about the spirits of children. One such tale pertains to a 6-year-old girl. While no one exactly knows why her ghost haunts the hotel, all who encounter her admit that she is peaceful, reporting that she has visited them at night and gently reached out as if to say “hello." |
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La Fonda (1922) Santa Fe, New Mexico After dark, Santa Fe, New Mexico, promises to enchant visitors with its paranormal legends and ghost stories from its 400-year history, and La Fonda on the Plaza (1922) offers guests a first-hand look at the myths surrounding Santa Fe Plaza. This October, the historic hotel offers a ghost tour and a special room package. On the tour, guests are invited to listen for mysterious harp music in the historic plaza and to watch for the spectral echoes of tragic brides, mournful mothers, and headless horsemen. Of course, the hotel itself is no stranger to ghosts: several apparitions have reportedly been seen at the hotel, including one thought to be John P. Slough, Chief Justice of the Territorial Supreme Court. Slough frequented La Fonda, then the Exchange Hotel, and was shot and killed in 1867 in the hotel lobby. Another sighting at the hotel is attributed to the spirit of a distraught salesman, who jumped into the hotel well after losing a card game and guests have claimed to see his form emerging from the fountain. The La Fonda Ghost Tour Package includes accommodation and breakfast for two at the hotel, two tickets for the tour, plus a copy of Haunted Santa Fe by Ray John De Aragon. |
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The Emily Morgan San Antonio - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel (1924) San Antonio, Texas The Emily Morgan hotel, which is located across from The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is known to be one of the most haunted hotels in all of Texas. It was even ranked by USA Today as the third-most haunted hotel in the world in 2015. According to various reports, given by the hotel’s own management team, the most haunted floors are the seventh, ninth, and fourteenth floors. It was these floors that at one time functioned as the psychiatric ward, surgery level, waiting area and morgue, respectively. At The Emily Morgan, almost all the paranormal reports involve ghosts and spirits from when the building was a hospital. Guests have reported strange things occurring on these levels. On the fourteenth level of The Emily Morgan hauntings have been associated with a smell reminiscent of a hospital. It is uncommon, but not unheard of, for guests to report having a vision of a hospital scene–rather than a guestroom–when they open their door from the hallway. On the twelfth floor, guests claim to have witnessed their bathroom doors opening and shutting on their own. Others have seen lights flashing in their rooms. And yet others have reported seeing actual apparitions of nurses in the hallways as they push rickety gurneys down the corridor. Then the scene disappears into thin air as if the ghostly image was never there in the first place. |
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Francis Marion Hotel (1924) Charleston, South Carolina In the early 1930s, New Yorker Ned Cohen was visiting his Southern lady friend in Charleston. Whatever happened was never clear, but he was found face down, body smashed in the middle of King Street facing toward the old Citadel’s parade grounds. Today, visitors hear eerie and unexplained sounds at night, all too familiar to the bell staff and room attendants walking the halls. Sounds of rustling silk drapes, rattling windows, and an unexplained vision of a man questioning either himself or the witness. Some see the image in shirt sleeves, others just feel his presence throughout the hotel. |
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Hawthorne Hotel (1925) Salem, Massachusetts The Colonial seaport town of Salem, Massachusetts, is notorious for the 1692 Salem Witch Trials, and the historic Hawthorne Hotel is prone to hauntings and spirits of its own. Often ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America, its guests have reported moving furniture, sightings of a ghostly woman, and unexplained noises. Named after well-known resident and author Nathaniel Hawthorne, many of the hotel’s hauntings are attributed to the sea captains who were returning to their gathering place. According to lore, Room 325 is the most haunted room in the hotel, where guests have claimed to feel cold spots and smell fresh-cut flowers. Guests staying in Room 612, as well as on the sixth floor in general, have reported witnessing a ghostly woman walking the halls. Rooms 621 and 325 have also had reports of lights and faucets turning off and on. 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. Established in 1925 and inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 1991, Hawthorne Hotel was ranked #9 by public voting in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice 2023 Best Haunted Hotel contest. |
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Hotel Viking (1926) Newport, Rhode Island Hotel Viking has had many guests and staff members come and go reporting stories of spirited guests. The story that has been reported repeatedly is of a little boy is often seen cleaning the floors of the historic wing of the hotel. There have been about 10 different guests regaling a similar story of a young boy cleaning. This has also been confirmed by most of the housekeeping staff. |
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Hotel Saranac, Curio Collection by Hilton (1927) Saranac Lake, New York This historic hotel was built on foundation of former High School. It is the only hotel building remaining of 13 luxury hotels that once served this community. While fires led to the downfall of some of the area’s hotels, survived by design: made of steel and brick, Hotel Saranac was the area’s first fireproof hotel. Hotel had a civil defense tower on top, where it is said that Boy Scouts would wait to alert for Russian Bombers. Room 308 - Emily Balsam, was a guest at Hotel Saranac and worked at a local college. She had a cat. The story is told that she was not feeling well for a while and got tired of people checking on her and just wanted to be left alone. She had her phone disconnected and stopped all housekeeping. She did not want to be disturbed for any reason. No one saw much of her after that. At some point the guest and staff started to complain about the smell coming from that room and the cat always "crying" and Emily refused to answer the door. The manager at the time went up to talk to her and found she had been dead for weeks and the cat was still alive. The cat was taken to a shelter but it is said that the ghost of Emily's cat can still be heard crying or scratching at the wall, perhaps wandering the hotel looking for her. |
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The Hollywood Roosevelt (1927) Los Angeles, California This historic hotel is haunted by multitudes of ghosts including the most famous, Marilyn Monroe. She has been said to haunt the full length mirror that was once in her suite. Room 928 is believed to be haunted by the restless spirit of Montgomery Cliff, the film and stage actor best known in the film Red River in 1948. |
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Hassayampa Inn (1927) Prescott, Arizona With a variety of experiences reported in the century since it opened, Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona, has a reputation as an active haunt. Most of its paranormal tales involve a ghost that many have called “Faith.” Legend has it that in 1927, Faith and her newlywed husband checked into the Hassayampa Inn on their honeymoon. On their first night, her beloved husband left to supposedly purchase a pack of cigarettes, but he never returned. After waiting for nearly three days, Faith passed away from a broken heart. Yet, many say that Faith never left the grounds. Instead, her spirit returned to the Hassayampa Inn, where she continued to lament the loss of her husband. Many tales today abound of how disembodied crying occurs throughout the inn, as well as the strange disappearance of random objects. The staff themselves have specifically reported that Faith has occasionally turned off the gas burners in the kitchen. Perhaps the most frequent sightings of Faith have occurred in Grand Balcony Suite 426. In one fascinating story, an employee remembered how a wreath hung on the suite’s door suddenly fell off following some hard knocking that had come from inside the room. When the man thrust open the door, he was astonished to find no one inside. Others have reported strange cold spots. Frequently the smell of flowers emanates from the empty room. Faith never appears threatening in these encounters. One recent guest, a young man, said he sensed someone in his room when he awoke. He drifted off and awoke to someone hugging him. When he asked if there had been incidents of hauntings at the hotel, the desk clerk said, “Oh, that’s just Faith." |
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Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center (1927) Baton Rouge, Louisiana It has long been reported by staff that the tenth floor of the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is haunted by the ghost of the infamous politician Huey P. Long. Known as the most colorful politician from Louisiana, the infamous Huey P. Long's favorite saying was, “Every man is a King.” He frequented the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center, then known as the Heidelberg Hotel, so often that he even had a tunnel dug to the hotel across the street, so he could escape his enemies and visit his mistress. The spirit of Long is thought to walk the 10th floor at a leisurely pace, puffing away on a cigar. Reports claim he will look in a guest’s direction and then fade away when acknowledged, extremely polite and well-mannered. Though the hotel has been smoke-free since 2006, housekeepers have reported catching a whiff of cigar smoke from rooms they've just cleaned. In recent years, a general manager–a self-described skeptic–was living in the hotel and reported that he experienced unexplainable activity: he witnessed lights turning on when no one was around and repeatedly saw a shadow of a person walking by the Mezzanine Suite, back and forth on the catwalk. When he opened the door to the room to see who was inside, no one was there. |
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Lord Baltimore Hotel (1928) Baltimore, Maryland Over the course of its almost 90-year history, the Lord Baltimore Hotel has had reports of paranormal activity. Built in 1928, the hotel was one of the tallest building in the city (the Great Fire of 1904 destroyed Downtown Baltimore) and around the time of the Great Depression, there were at least 20 documented reports of “jumpers” from the 19th floor rooftop deck. The most spoken about is that of a couple who attended an event at the hotel with their daughter – and then proceeded to jump off the building. Their daughter, “Molly,” is typically seen in the halls wearing a white dress and playing with a red ball. There has also been a lot of paranormal speculation around a handprint of a child on a wall in one of the hotel’s penthouses that won’t go away. |
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The Wort Hotel (1941) Jackson, Wyoming The Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming, is home to a friendly, mischievous ghost named Bob, a former engineer at the Hotel who likes to play tricks on his successors. Robert “Bob” Tomingas took a job as The Wort Hotel’s maintenance engineer in 1950. Bob was a mechanical genius, and over the course of his career, he rebuilt the hotel’s heating, water, and electrical systems. During the winter nights in the 1950s when the temperature would drop below zero and the hotel’s overworked boiler would begin to act up, Bob would arrive in the middle of the night to nurse the system alone. Hotel workers arriving in the morning would find him asleep on a blanket next to the boiler. In life, Bob was known for being able to fix the impossible. He spent his time off repairing and maintaining equipment around the valley. In his later years at The Wort, Bob was often consulted on the whereabouts of wiring, pipes, valves, and all the secrets of the old hotel. Current engineers credit Bob for helping them solve the mysteries of burst pipes and broken wiring. On occasion, Bob also enjoys rearranging the maintenance shop, to the delight of the hotel’s engineers. While Bob never appears to hotel guests, the staff at The Wort consider him to be a valuable team member. |
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Tubac Golf Resort and Spa (1959) Tubac, Arizona There have been hauntings throughout the resort that have been reported by guests by at least four unique ghosts including a boy, a lady in gray, a very active gentleman spirit, and a cowboy. Some of these spirits are believed to date back to the early age of the resort when it was the Otero Ranch. The haunts have been investigated by the Phoenix, Arizona Paranormal Society and featured on the “Haunted Series, Arizona.” |
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Read all our Top 25 lists:
Top 25 Most Haunted Historic Hotels
Top 25 Most Magnificent Gingerbread Displays
Top 25 Historic Hotels for a Romantic Proposal
Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens
Top 25 Most Magnificent Ceilings and Domes
