Halloween

50 Of The Most Haunted Hotels In Every State

Check in if you dare.

by Kelli Acciardo
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
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Malaga Inn

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile’s Malaga Inn exudes dreamy Victorian charm with its twin townhouses, antique furnishings, and stunning chandeliers. Malaga’s white lady, who likes to camp out on the veranda of Room 007, may or may not be responsible for the lighting fixtures with a life of their own, or the furniture reshuffling guests have reportedly witnessed as well.

The Alaskan Hotel & Bar

Juneau, Alaska

The Alaskan Hotel, which is one of the hottest bars in Juneau for live music, has reportedly been the site of unexplained noises, sightings, and paranormal activity over the years. A sailor who once requested to spend the night in “haunted” Room 315 jumped from his third floor window to get out.

Hotel Monte Vista

Flagstaff, Arizona

At Hotel Monte Vista, guests like actor John Wayne have reported a playful ghost delivering room service with a knock at the door and a muffled “room service,” as well as the figure of a bellboy standing outside Room 210. People have also reported the sound of a crying baby in the basement, the TV acting up, and the feeling of cold hands touching them in their sleep — thought to be the work of a long-term boarder who passed away in Room 220.

Hotel Monte Vista

The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Guests of the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa have reportedly seen ghostly figures in rooms and roaming the halls. The hotel embraces its spectral visitors with countless pictures of haunted “proof” on its website.

The 1866 Crescent Hotel And Spa

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Los Angeles, California

The Hollywood Roosevelt has been a haunt for A-listers since 1927, which is unsurprising given its location on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Guests have reportedly seen Marilyn Monroe roaming the halls and heard mysterious trumpet music, believed to be played by the spirit of actor Montgomery Clift.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

The Stanley Hotel

Estes Park, Colorado

Stephen King’s one-night stay in The Stanley was enough to inspire him to write The Shining. Guests have reported shadowy figures, eerie laughter, and flickering lights — as well as sounds of the late Flora Stanley playing the piano for guests upon arrival.

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Captain Grant’s 1754

Mystic, Connecticut

Captain Grant’s has seen its fair share of bump-in-the-night mischief. One guest reportedly awoke to a woman’s shadow dressed in colonial-era clothes by the bedside, holding hands with two children, in the “Adelaide” room. Another recounts the TV turning on and off on its own, and the shower curtain being knocked down. The owners of the centuries-old B&B say the spirits are just being protective.

Captain Grant's 1754

Addy Sea

Bethany Beach, Delaware

At the Addy Sea, a Victorian-style bed and breakfast, Rooms 1, 6, and 11 are known to experience the most jaw-dropping paranormal activity. Anyone in need of a wake-up call might want to book Room 6, where guests have reported being awoken by the sound of an organ playing although there are no reports of an organ on the property.

The Addy Sea

Biltmore Hotel Coral Gables

Coral Gables, Florida

Built in 1926, the Biltmore Hotel has housed World War II soldiers, prestigious guests like President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Al Capone, and many ghosts. Guests have reported many unexplained occurrences such as flickering lights and unexplained sounds. If that wasn’t scary enough, others have reported mysterious messages being left on the mirrors.

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17Hundred90 Inn

Savannah, Georgia

The 17Hundred90 Inn is known for the lingering spirit of Anne in Room 204. Not only will Anne misplace or move your personal possessions, but guests have also reported feeling their sheets being tugged aggressively in the middle of the night. People have also reported pots being thrown across the room in the kitchen or people being pushed or touched by an unknown force. The staff believes the spirit of a servant of the family — who practiced voodoo — continues to linger around the grounds.

Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort

Honolulu, Hawaii

There are two theories about the female spirit at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel. Some think this ghost is “Pele,” aka the “volcano goddess,” while others believe the spirit belongs to a woman who was murdered in her hotel room. Many guests also report her appearing as different apparitions like a hitchhiker, an elderly woman, or a stranger at your door. However, she’s usually roaming the halls in a red dress.

Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel

Gooding University Inn & Resort

Gooding, Idaho

The Gooding University Inn and Resort was originally a college in 1917, followed by a prestigious hospital for tuberculosis patients. There have been reports of an old man wearing a white coat walking with a woman and a young girl, as well as unexplainable whispers and sounds in the hallways. Meanwhile, the basement and attic are hotspots for paranormal activity.

Gooding Inn

Congress Plaza Hotel

Chicago, Illinois

Congress Plaza Hotel reportedly has numerous roaming spirits, including “Peg Leg Johnny,” who’s said to frequent the South Tower. The North Tower is reportedly haunted by a young boy who was thrown off of it by his mother. Meanwhile, in room 441, guests report flickering lights, random objects moving, and the outline of a woman.

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Story Inn

Nashville, Indiana

Over the years, Story Inn guests have reported the presence of the “Blue Lady,” who shows her presence by leaving blue things in the room and filling it with the sweet smell of cherry tobacco. If you’re anxiously awaiting for her arrival, turn on a blue light and perhaps she’ll make an entrance.

Story Inn

Hotel Blackhawk

Davenport, Iowa

The most well-known ghost at Hotel Blackhawk is believed to be the spirit of actor Cary Grant, who was staying on the eighth floor when he died due to an illness in 1986. Witnesses also report seeing a floating woman around the hotel dressed in either a blue or red dress. If you hear a piano playing from the ballroom, it’s believed to be a ghostly musician who refuses to leave the premises.

Hotel Blackhawk

The Eldridge Hotel

Lawrence, Kansas

Many guests and ghost hunters at the Eldridge Hotel report that the spirit of Col. Eldridge has made himself at home in Room 506. He apparently makes his presence known by shaking your personal belongings, turning on the air conditioner when it’s too hot for him, and waking you up by crushing a water bottle.

The Eldridge Hotel

The Brown Hotel

Louisville, Kentucky

The Brown Hotel is known for the lingering smell of cigars from the ghost of J. Graham Brown, a former resident of the 15th floor penthouse. Not only does the elevator make random stops there, but guests also report the sound of moving furniture in the penthouse. In addition, random footprints are often spotted in quarters not used by the staff or guests.

The Brown Hotel

Lafitte’s Guest House

New Orleans, Louisiana

Lafitte’s Guest House is a beloved Bourbon Street bar and hotel in the French Quarter. The mansion, once home of the Galieses family, boasts 14 antique-filled bedrooms with private balconies where items are said to move around eerily on their own. Room 21 is also rumored to be the location of numerous mysterious and unexplained occurrences.

Lafitte's Guest House

Captain Nathaniel Lord Mansion

Kennebunkport, Maine

Part of the Kennebunkport Captains Collection, the historic Nathaniel Lord Mansion was built for the captain, who died before its completion in 1814. It is now rumored his wife wanders the halls of the opulent home, which features 16 rooms and an unobstructed view of the Kennebunk River.

Captain Nathaniel Lord Mansion

The Admiral Fell Inn

Baltimore, Maryland

Guests of the the Admiral Fell Inn have reported everything from floating sailors to disappearing butlers knocking on their doors. Not surprisingly, the hotel hosts its own ghost tour — which takes guests through its seven buildings — as one of its signature events.

The Admiral Fell Inn

The Red Lion Inn

Stockbridge, Massachusetts

The Red Lion Inn is a favorite among paranormal investigators and mediums. If you choose to visit the 17-room inn, you might find a “ghostly young girl carrying flowers” or “a man in a top hat” on the fourth floor. Guests have reported the feeling of someone standing over their bed, along with unexplained knocks, and electrical disturbances.

The Red Lion Inn

The Mission Point Inn

Lake Huron, Michigan

The Mission Point Inn spans 18 acres of waterfront property and offers fall packages with foliage tours and bike rides during spooky season. Also included is Harvey, the ghost of a young college student from the 1970s who allegedly died on the property when it was Mackinac College. However, some suspect Harvey may have been murdered.

The Mission Point Inn

The Palmer House

Sauk Centre, Minnesota

The Palmer House was the first building in Sauk Centre with electricity, making it a favorite with professional ghost hunters. Don’t be surprised by drastic temperature shifts, unexpected slamming doors, and the ghosts of little kids playing in the halls. “Lucy” — a prostitute who worked there, according to hotel owner Kelley Freese — lurks around Room 17, while Lucy’s pimp Raymond can be found in Room 22.

The Palmer House

Linden Bed & Breakfast

Natchez, Mississippi

While the Linden Bed & Breakfast looks like a charming Southern home from the outside, a man and a woman reportedly haunt the property. The ghostly man disappears into bedrooms while the woman can be seen jumping from the roof, disappearing before she lands.

Linden Bed & Breakfast

Morse Mill Hotel

Jefferson County, Missouri

Morse Mill Hotel has attracted multiple famous guests like Charlie Chaplin, Clara Bow, and Jesse James to come to see the hotel Bertha Gifford once worked at. Known as one of the nation’s first female serial murderers, Gifford murdered at least 17 children and adults with arsenic-laced chocolates, leaving the hotel with strange reports of pacing shadows, voices, and footsteps.

Morse Mill Hotel

The Pollard Hotel

Red Lodge, Montana

Guests who’ve stayed on the third floor of The Pollard have reported a mysterious woman who roams the halls in a yellow dress and lights that seem to have a mind of their own. In addition, rumor has it that people have spotted what they call a “ghost monkey,” the pet monkey that belonged to the hotel founder’s children.

The Pollard Hotel

Olde Main Street Inn

Chadron, Nebraska

The Olde Main Street Inn in Chadron is more than a century old, but the ghosts that haunt the halls are still very quick on their feet. Anna and Jack have been known to make visits to many of the inn’s guests while others have claimed to hear footsteps on the stairs or had some of their belongings moved around at night.

Olde Main Street Inn Facebook

Silver Queen Hotel

Virginia City, Nevada

The 19th century Silver Queen Hotel, which is the site of several paranormal TV shows, offers 28 restored rooms. Legend has it that a prostitute named Rosie died in Room 11 in the 1800s and now roams the halls. The owner keeps a guest book full of pages describing creepy noises and sightings of Rosie’s silhouette.

Silver Queen Hotel

The Hotel Portsmouth

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Prepare yourself if you stay in Suite 204 on the third floor of Hotel Portsmouth, because guests have reported that the third-floor ghost loves the ice machine and has no qualms about leaving little presents for visitors or whacking them with ice.

The Hotel Portsmouth

Widow McCrea House

Frenchtown, New Jersey

At the Widow McCrea House, the ghost who roams around this inn is a friendly feline. Rumor has it that this cat is known to sit by guests on their bed and in the hallways, letting out meows all around the house. The Widow McCrea House lets you choose if you want to stay in a haunted room, so not all visitors will have to sleep with one eye open.

The Widow McCrea House

St. James Hotel

Cimarron, New Mexico

While the St. James Hotel has the No. 1-rated restaurant in the area on TripAdvisor, it was notorious for crime and violence when it was a saloon. Guests on the second floor of the St. James have reported smelling mysterious wafts of cigar smoke or randomly feeling cold spots.

St. James Hotel

The Haunted Shanley Hotel

Napanoch, New York

The Haunted Shanley Hotel hosts its own ghost hunts, both privately and publicly, so guests can witness all of the paranormal activity. In the past, visitors have reported hearing children laughing, pianos playing, and rocking chairs that have a mind of their own. You know it’s the real deal when the Haunted Shanley Hotel was featured on Ghost Hunters.

The Haunted Shanley Hotel

The Omni Grove Park Inn

Asheville, North Carolina

The ghost of the the Omni Grove Park Inn can be seen in a pink ball gown. Children are usually the ones to spy her first, along with anyone occupying her turf (Room 545), but we would chance a ghostly encounter any day to vacation in this swanky hotel with a subterranean spa and lap pool with 6,500 fiber-optic stars overhead.

Omni Grove Park Inn

Rough Riders Hotel

Medora, North Dakota

An overnight at Rough Riders Hotel might be more eventful than expected, thanks to a restless spirit who likes to camp out on the top floor. The ghost of a little boy is thought to haunt the hotel, although his identity remains a mystery. His only vices seem to be flushing toilets when no one is looking and giggling.

Rough Riders Hotel

Buxton Inn

Granville, Ohio

The Buxton Inn offers its own “Ghostory Tours,” where you can get spooked by some ghost stories and learn about the inn’s history. Ethel “Bonnie” Bounell, one of the former innkeepers, is said to haunt Room 9, while Maj. Horton Buxton, the former owner whom the inn is named after, has been spotted floating around all corners of the property.

Buxton Inn

The Skirvin Hilton

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Skirvin Hilton has a reputation for being downright spooky, according to some NBA players. When the Chicago Bulls stayed there, some team members claimed that they heard doors slamming and strange noises, and in 2012, the New York Knicks credited their loss to the Oklahoma Thunder to their stay at the hotel.

The Skirvin Hilton

The Heathman Hotel

Portland, Oregon

The Heathman Hotel features decadent chandeliers hanging from the ceilings, an expansive library, and ghosts who haunt the halls. According to legend, someone jumped to their death from Room 703, crashing through the window and into the library. Rumor has it that the creepiest rooms are those that end with the number 3, as guests have reported hearing screaming and crying or having their clothes moved from inside their rooms.

The Heathman Hotel

Hotel Bethlehem

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Hotel Bethlehem has a handful of “friendly ghosts,” which include May Yohé — a former star who has been spotted singing and dancing in the lobby and exercise room — and Francis “Daddy” Thomas, a cabinetmaker who is known to haunt the boiler room. In Room 932, many a guest has claimed that they had a visitor in the middle of the night.

Hotel Bethlehem

Harborside Inn

Block Island, Rhode Island

Nearly every property on Block Island is involved in some sort of ghost story, and Harborside Inn is no different. To get the full experience, book Room 302 and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to meet the ghoul woman in a black dress who is said to enter and exit as she pleases. Plus, keep an eye out when you check in, as the receptionist staff have reported having their waists grabbed by some hands.

Harborside Inn

Francis Marion Hotel

Charleston, South Carolina

According to guests, they’ve encountered the spirit of a shoe salesman named Ned Cohen, who jumped to his death at the Francis Marion Hotel after waking up to find a note, rather than his lover, beside him in the hotel. Guests have mentioned chilling winds and glimpses of a man looming in the hallways during their stays at the historic Charleston hotel.

Francis Marion Hotel

Hotel Alex Johnson

Rapid City, South Dakota

Ghostly sightings at the Hotel Alex Johnson reportedly include the “lady in white” and the spirit of Alex Johnson making sure operations are still up to par. The front desk keeps a ghost journal for visitors to record their unexplainable experiences. Book the Ghost Adventure package, which includes accommodations in Room 812 (where the lady in white met her demise as a young bride) and ghost-hunting essentials.

Hotel Alex Johnson

The Read House

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Room 311 at the Read House is said to be inhabited by the spirit of Annalisa Netherly ever since her alleged beheading in the bathroom’s clawfoot tub by a jealous lover in 1927. While the rest of the hotel has been modernized throughout the years as a Great Gatsby-inspired hotspot, Room 311 remains set in time and looks the same — right down to its manual lock and physical key.

The Read House

Hotel Galvez & Spa

Galveston, Texas

The Hotel Galvez and Spa, also known as the “Grand Galvez,” is notorious for numerous spirit sightings — and is rumored to be built above a gravesite. The most documented ghosts include the “lovelorn lady,” a mariner’s distraught bride-to-be from the 1950s; “Sister Catherine,” who perished alongside 90 orphans tied to her waist in the 1900 storm; and naughty phantom children.

Hotel Galvez & Spa

Ben Lomond Suites

Ogden, Utah

The $89 room rates at Ben Lomond Suites can’t be beat. However, these budget-friendly stays come with a few caveats, like the ghost of a mother and her son haunting Rooms 1101 and 1102. The mother apparently drowned in the bathtub of Room 1101 (which may explain the faucet randomly turning on), while the son died in the adjacent room. Get the creeps in the elevator? That’s probably because an employee once fell to his death in its shaft.

The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa

Manchester, Vermont

The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa has welcomed four U.S. presidents over the years, including Abraham Lincoln and his family. Apparently his wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, loved her visit so much that she never checked out. Over the years, there have been claims Mary is responsible for the hotel’s paranormal activity, and some guests have reported seeing her wandering the halls at night.

The Equinox Golf Resort & Spa

The Martha Hotel & Spa

Abington, Virginia

Originally built as a private residence for Gen. Francis Preston after the War of 1812, The Martha Washington Inn & Spa has hosted Eleanor Roosevelt, Presidents Harry Truman and Jimmy Carter, Lady Bird Johnson, and Elizabeth Taylor. One of the more notable ghostly tales occurred during the Civil War when a young nursing student named Beth cared for a wounded soldier on his deathbed. He asked Beth to play the violin. As she did, he passed on. Beth died a few weeks later.

The Martha Hotel & Spa

Hotel Ändra

Seattle, Washington

Hotel Ändra thrived in the ’20s and because of its jazzy past, it still has a few flappers lurking about. Belltown’s Ändra still knows how to party. Sounds of loud jazz and breaking glass haves been reported from the ninth floor, and guests have reportedly witnessed a shadowy mist overhead while they were trying to fall asleep.

Hotel Ändra

The Wells Inn

Sistersville, West Virginia

The Wells Inn was originally built for oil barons and upper-class patrons in the 1800s. However, Mr. Wells is believed to have never left his beloved hotel. Many guests and staff have reported electrical disturbances, moving objects, and slamming doors as well as the sound of writing from Mr. Wells’ old office.

The Pfister Hotel

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Pfister Hotel’s reported paranormal activity has frightened many a Major League Baseball team. Employees recall the time a large group of Cardinals bunked together in one suite after seeing a disembodied torso floating in their rooms. Another time, a player who put his clothes on a heavy bench before he went to bed awoke to see his clothes on the floor and the furniture moved to the other side of the room.

Pfister Hotel

The Historic Plains Hotel

Cheyenne, Wyoming

When one newlywed couple checked into the Historic Plains Hotel, it wasn’t a happily ever after. Legend has it the bride Rosie caught her husband with a prostitute and murdered them both before ending her own life with his gun. Staff and guests have reportedly seen Rosie’s spirit wandering the halls and heard fits of laugher and crying coming from her former honeymoon suite on the second floor.

The Historic Plains Hotel

Additional reporting by Jane Herz and Maria Rivera

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