Do you believe in the paranormal? Throughout history, humans have been fascinated with life after death. For reasons we have yet to understand, there are some places in the world that seem to be paranormal hotspots, where countless unexplained phenomena have occurred and ghost stories swirl around.
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at paranormal investigating, book a stay at one of these haunted historic hotels in America. These are some of the most haunted hotels across the country, and you never know when you’ll come face to face with a ghostly apparition, or feel something tugging on your shirt.
One thing is certain: if you aren’t a believer before you check in to one of these hotels, you very well could be one after!
Most Haunted Hotels in the US
1. 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa – Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Address: 75 Prospect Ave, Eureka Springs, AR 72632
Eureka Springs is one of the most beautiful towns in Arkansas, and it might be one of the most haunted, too. After years of paranormal encounters and countless unexplained activities, The Crescent Hotel earned the nickname “America’s Most Haunted Hotel.”
You’ll be a believer after a stay here. Many of the ghostly sightings are believed to be spirits from when the building operated as Baker Cancer Hospital.
One of the most common sightings is Michael, one of the original workers who helped build the hotel in 1885. While working on the roof, Michael lost his balance and fell to his death. Apparently, he tends to show up in room 218.
See Related: Most Haunted Places in the U.S.
2. The Stanley Hotel – Estes Park, Colorado
Address: 333 E Wonderview Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517
Nestled in the shadows of Rocky Mountain National Park, The Stanley Hotel is famous for its role in Stephen King’s “The Shining,” but this haunted hotel had a paranormal past long before King checked in.
As one of the oldest hotels in Colorado, and regarded by many as the most haunted hotel in America, it’s rumored that plenty of spirits remain within these walls, and you might just come face to face with them during your stay.
Some of the paranormal hotspots here include the concert hall, the underground caves (which you can tour), and the staircase in the hotel’s main guesthouse, which has been nicknamed “The Vortex,” by paranormal investigators believing it’s some type of portal.
See Related: Where to Stay in Estes Park: Best Areas & Accommodations
3. La Fonda on the Plaza – Santa Fe, New Mexico
Address: 100 E San Francisco St, Santa Fe, NM 87501
Located in downtown Sante Fe, La Fonda on the Plaza opened in 1922, but there has been a hotel (or at least an Inn) on that property dating all the way back to 1609. It was a popular stop along both the El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and the Old Sante Fe Trail, so you can imagine the thousands of folks who swung through.
There have been many ghostly sightings over the years. One, in particular, is that of a young bride who was murdered on her wedding night by an ex-boyfriend. She tends to be seen all over the hotel, including the lobby, basement, elevator, and the wedding suite room 510.
See Related: Best Restaurants in Santa Fe, New Mexico
4. The Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, Louisiana
Address: 7747 US-61, St Francisville, LA 70775
The Myrtles Plantation Bed and Breakfast is known as the most haunted bed and breakfast in the country, and plenty of paranormal investigators would agree. The former plantation is believed to be haunted by several spirits, but Chloe is the most famous.
Chloe was a slave at the plantation and as the legend goes, she had her ear cut off as punishment for overhearing something she wasn’t supposed to. In an act of vengeance, Chloe baked a poisonous pie, with the intention of killing the master, but instead ended up killing the wife and one of the children.
She was hanged and thrown into the river, but many swear they have seen her spirit leaning against the walls and roaming the grounds. She is identified by a green wrap around her head, presumably to hide her missing ear.
You can take a ghost tour of The Myrtles, and if you’re really brave, you can spend the night!
5. The Lizzie Borden House – Fall River, Massachusetts
Address: 230 Second St, Fall River, MA 02721
We’ve all heard the sing-song rhyme, right? Well, you can visit this famous haunted house for yourself and see if you pick up on any residual spirits. This is the infamous home where the 1892 unsolved double murder of Lizzie’s father and stepmother took place.
The Lizzie Borden House has been operating as a bed and breakfast since 1996, and booking is done directly through its site. You might be surprised to learn that the room where the stepmother was found is one of the most requested rooms! Don’t worry, you don’t have to spend the night to take a tour.
See Related: Things to Do in Massachusetts & Places to Visit
6. The Queen Mary – Long Beach, California
Address: 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach, CA 90802
Even though the Queen Mary is technically a cruise ship, she is moored and currently operates as a floating hotel and museum. Operating as an ocean liner from 1936-1967, she was even converted into a troopship during World War II, helping ferry soldiers across the Atlantic.
Due to her speed and wartime paint job, she became known as the “Grey Ghost” to German submariners. Today, she serves as one of the most unique places to stay in California, and there are plenty of haunting legends swirling around this ship.
Suite room B-340 is one of the most haunted places to stay on the ship, though that’s not the only hotspot. A young girl has been known to appear by the pools, though there have never been any records of a young girl’s death aboard the ship.
And if you don’t fancy staying here, you can always tour the Queen Mary as an alternative.
See Related: Where to Stay in Los Angeles
7. Bourbon Orleans Hotel – New Orleans, Louisiana
Address: 717 Orleans St, New Orleans, LA 70116
In a city that’s known for its history of Voodoo and paranormal encounters, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that there’s a haunted hotel (or two) in New Orleans. Before the Bourbon Orleans Hotel was one of the most haunted hotels in New Orleans, it was the Orleans Theatre as well as the Orleans Ballroom from 1817-1881.
In 1881, the Sisters of the Holy Family (the first African-American religious order in the United States) purchased the Orleans Ballroom and converted it into a convent and school called St. Mary’s Academy. In 1964, the Sisters sold the property to the Bourbon Kind Hotel Corporation who restored and renovated it into the hotel we know today.
They may have opened a few portals during those renovations, because Confederate soldiers, children, and nuns have all been frequent sightings here at the Bourbon Orleans. One of the most famous (and heartbreaking) ghosts here is the lonely dancer, a woman who has been seen dancing by herself in the historic ballroom.
See Related: Best Tours in New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Omni Parker House – Boston, Massachusetts
Address: 60 School St, Boston, MA 02108
Few hotels are as well-known in Beantown as the historic Omni Parker House Hotel in downtown Boston. Its central location is ideal for travelers looking to explore iconic sights like the Freedom Trail, Boston Common, and Faneuil Hall.
The hotel opened in 1855 under the name Parker House Hotel and was known to be a popular meeting place for some of history’s most famous writers including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Charles Dickens even lived there for a year.
These literary icons aren’t the lost souls that are commonly seen at this haunted hotel in Boston, though there are plenty of unexplained reports from guests and staff. The 10th floor seems to have the most activity.
If you find yourself in room 303, you might catch a faint smell of cigars and whiskey. This particular room was occupied by a long-time resident who favored both, and many believe that’s his way of just saying hello.
See Related: Where to Stay in Boston: Best Areas & Neighborhoods
9. Admiral Fell Inn – Baltimore, Maryland
Address: 888 S Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231
Conveniently located less than two miles from the Baltimore Convention Center and Johns Hopkins University, Admiral Fell Inn has seen its fair share of visitors over the years, including some notorious mobsters and murderers.
The waterfront hotel in Baltimore is known to be one of the most haunted hotels in Maryland, and many of the hauntings are centered around when Mercy nuns used the main building to take care of sick sailors in the early 1900s.
In addition to the many ghostly apparitions of sailors, there’s also a ghost dog that’s been spotted many times running through the halls. One of the most haunted rooms here is Room 413, where a terrible murder was committed in 1999.
See Related: Most Haunted Hotels in Minnesota
10. Hawthorne Hotel – Salem, Massachusetts
Address: 18 Washington Square W, Salem, MA 01970
When you think of Salem, Massachusetts, you probably think of the witch trials. The Hawthorne Hotel is close to both the Salem Witch Trials Museum and the memorial site, so it’s the perfect area to rest your head at the end of touring this historic town. It’s also one of several haunted hotels in Salem.
You might not be getting much sleep when you stay at this haunted hotel in Salem, though. But that’s okay, if you’re worried about bumps in the night you can always view the Hawthorne Hotel from afar on one of several ghost tours in Salem.
Named after Nathaniel Hawthorne, the 100-year-old hotel has more than its fair share of paranormal hotspots, including most of the sixth floor.
Rooms 325 and 612 seem to have the most paranormal activity, with many guests reporting sounds of disembodied voices, electronic failures, and unexplained sounds.
See Related: Best Salem Ghost Tours: Day & Candlelit Night Tours
11. Hotel Monteleone – New Orleans, Louisiana
Address: 214 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Located in the shadows of the French Quarter, Hotel Monteleone has been a New Orleans landmark hotel since it opened in 1886. Known for its historic Carousel Bar, this hotel in New Orleans has welcomed many famous guests over the years, including Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, and Truman Capote.
Over the years, hundreds of guests and hotel staff have experienced paranormal encounters that range from doors flying open by themselves to sounds of disembodied children playing when there are no children around. One of the most well-known ghosts here is that of a toddler named Maurice Begere, who died in the hotel. Many guests have reported seeing him over the years, and he typically vanishes when your eyes meet.
See Related: A Local’s Guide to Mardi Gras in New Orleans
12. The Emily Morgan Hotel – San Antonio, Texas
Address: 705 E Houston St, San Antonio, TX 78205
The Emily Morgan Hotel in downtown San Antonio truly has it all. Overlooking the Alamo, the hotel boasts modern furnishings, spacious rooms, and it’s conveniently located just a few blocks away from the River Walk and the iconic La Villita Historic Arts Village.
Though the hotel has only been around since 1984, the building itself dates back to the 1920s and was once the tallest building in San Antonio. In the building’s early years, it served as a hospital as well as office space for doctors, and it seems like there’s some residual energy left behind from 100 years ago.
The hotel is known to be rather haunted, especially on the seventh, ninth, and fourteenth floors. These floors were the psychiatric ward, surgery floor, and morgue, so you can see how the ghost stories could easily start swirling.
One of the main reports guests have when they stay at the Emily Morgan Hotel is the overwhelming smell of a hospital. You know the smell. But when the building hasn’t been a hospital in 100 years, why else would it smell like a hospital?
If that doesn’t convince you, how about the many reports of faucets turning on in the middle of the night, or in rare cases, some guests have seen the apparitions of what appears to be nurses pushing gurneys down the hall only to vanish into thin air. Ready to book your stay? If not, consider seeing the Emily Morgan Hotel on this fun haunted dinner tour!
See Related: Where to Stay in San Antonio: Best Areas & Neighborhoods
13. The Marshall House – Savannah, Georgia
Address: 123 E Broughton St, Savannah, GA 31401
Savannah’s oldest hotel has been delighting guests since 1851, and like many historic hotels, this one is rumored to have a few lingering spirits. The hotel was used as a hospital during the Civil War and then again during two different Yellow Fever epidemics, which is the perfect setting for a ghost story or two.
The fourth floor is rumored to have the most paranormal activity, with many guests claiming that they’ve heard the sounds of children running down the halls in the middle of the night, only to find no one around.
The Marshall House wears its haunted badge proudly and is happy to share more stories when you arrive. It also shows up on a number of walking tours around Savannah.
14. Omni Mount Washington Resort – Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Address: 310 Mount Washington Hotel Rd, Bretton Woods, NH 03575
The original hotel was built by Joseph Stickney in 1902, though he sadly didn’t get to enjoy it much since he died of a heart attack a year after it opened. This devastated his wife, Carolyn, who continued to spend her summers at the hotel until she married again.
Carolyn moved to France with her husband, who also passed away. She moved back into the hotel until she, too, passed away, and it’s Carolyn’s ghost that many believe haunts the hotel today.
Over the years, many of the Omni Mount Washington Resort’s guests have reported seeing the apparition of a woman that matched Carolyn’s description. She’s been seen overlooking the balcony and walking down the stairs during dinner time but Room 314 seems to be her favorite spot.
This used to be her private suite, and on more than one occasion guests have woken up to find her sitting on the bed brushing her hair.
15. The Hollywood Roosevelt – Los Angeles, California
Address: 7000 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel is one of the most historic hotels in California and it features as a leg on a lot of walking tours and pub crawls around this part of LA. Dating back to 1927, countless celebrities, literary figures, and politicians have stayed here.
In fact, Shirley Temple learned the famous stair-step dance routine on the hotel stairs! But she’s not the celebrity that is thought to haunt the hotel — Marilyn Monroe is.
Monroe lived at the hotel for two years early in her career, and since her passing in 1962, countless guests and staff have claimed to have seen her ghost. She’s typically spotted in Room 1200, her old room, and is often seen in mirrors.
You can rent the Marilyn Monroe suite at the Roosevelt if you’re brave enough…but you might want to be prepared anytime you look into the mirror!
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Los Angeles, California
16. Hotel Sorrento – Seattle, Washington
Address: 900 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104
Not only is the Sorrento Hotel considered to be one of the most haunted hotels in Seattle (and there are quite a few), but it’s also one of the most haunted hotels in America! The ghost that seems to be wandering the halls is the ghost of Alice B. Toklas, but no one knows why.
Tolkas, widely credited with inventing the pot brownie, was born in San Francisco in 1877, and though she and her family moved to Seattle in 1890, they moved back to San Francisco before the hotel opened in 1909.
There’s no record of her ever staying at the hotel, and she didn’t even pass away there–she died in Paris, France in 1967. The hotel embraces her spirit though and even hosted a dinner party in her honor in 2018.
See Related: Best Restaurants in Downtown Seattle
17. Concord’s Colonial Inn – Concord, Massachusetts
Address: 48 Monument Square, Concord, MA 01742
Dating back to 1716, if the walls of Concord’s Colonial Inn could talk, boy would they share some stories. One of the most haunted rooms in this Massachusetts hotel is Room 24. In the 1770s, the room was used as an operating room for soldiers, though it’s not the soldiers who seem to be hanging on…it’s the caretakers.
Flickering lights and televisions turning on and off randomly are some of the most common reports from those that stay here, but it’s the noticeable flying orbs and disembodied voices that send guests running for an early checkout. You might even catch a glimpse of Rosemary, one of the resident spirits here.
She’s an older woman often seen wandering the halls before disappearing behind a wall. Many believe she was one of the caretakers during the war, and is stuck in a time loop checking on her patients for eternity.
See Related: Best Day Trips from Boston, Massachusetts
18. The Driskill Hotel – Austin, Texas
Address: 604 Brazos St, Austin, TX 78701
Completed in 1886, The Driskill is the oldest operating hotel in Austin, Texas. Perfectly located on iconic 6th Street, this historic Texas hotel is most remembered as being one of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s favorite places. After all, it is where he met his wife, Claudia Taylor (Lady Bird), and also where he planted his headquarters during his congressional career.
Staying at The Driskill puts you in a perfect location for exploring Austin, but you might just find yourself unable to sleep. As one of the most haunted hotels in Texas, there are a few ghosts that are often sighted, including the original owner.
Jessie Driskill lets his presence be known by the faint smell of cigar smoke, even though the hotel has been smoke-free for decades.
Another common sighting is a little girl who is believed to live within the walls. The four-year-old fell down the stairs to her death in 1887, and many have claimed to have heard her near the grand staircase.
Not looking to sleep with the spirits? Enjoy a quick visit to the Driskill on the Austin Murder Walk!
19. Boone Tavern Hotel – Berea, Kentucky
Address: 100 S Main St North, Berea, KY 40403
Named after the famous explorer Daniel Boone, Boone Tavern is a historic hotel in Kentucky that was built in 1909 and has had a haunted reputation for nearly half of its existence.
The basement tends to be the paranormal hotspot of the historic Boone Tavern Hotel, and the most frequent ghost sightings are that of a little boy who shows up in photographs.
Over the years, many paranormal investigators have come through to see if they can connect with anyone on the other side, and a few have gotten a response from a little boy named Timmy. Psychics and mediums believe the property is a type of “supernatural highway” with dozens of spirits passing through, but for some reason, Timmy stays.
When you book a stay at this historic hotel in Kentucky, be sure to thoroughly inspect any photos you take!
See Related: Fun & Best Things to Do in Lexington, Kentucky
FAQs
What is THE most haunted hotel in America?
By most ghost hunters’ accounts, The Crescent Hotel and The Stanley Hotel vie for the title of the most haunted hotel, although a lot of folks attest the much smaller Lizzie Borden House is just as spooky.
What is the most haunted hotel in the world?
Again, The Stanley probably enjoys the reputation of being the most famous haunted hotel, but many ghost hunters and paranormal experts claim that The Langham, in London, England is the most haunted hotel in the world.
Related Resources
- Best Weekend Getaways in the USA
- Best Places to Visit in the US
- Best Places to Travel in Your 20s in the US
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