Explore 16 Haunted Hotels In The United States – Experience Paranormal Thrills!

With a rich history and many tales of inexplicable phenomena, these haunted hotels in the United States offer travelers a unique and intriguing experience. 

Here are 16 of the most haunted hotels in the United States that you can add to your travel bucket list.

The Red Garter Inn, Arizona

The Red Garter Inn in Arizona has a rich and storied history. 

Throughout its existence, the building has been home to many businesses, including a saloon, a store, an “opium den,” and a brothel. 

While no crimes have been definitively proven to have taken place at the inn, rumors persist that someone was once sacrificed on the site. Despite investigations by the sheriff, no evidence of wrongdoing was ever found. 

However, many guests at the Red Garter Inn claim to have seen ghostly apparitions, including a young woman at the top of the stairs and a Hispanic woman with long, dark hair named Eva. 

Some guests have even reported mysterious footsteps, moving beds, and phantom touches.

Haunted hotels in the United States - Crescent Hotel, Arkansas

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, is considered by many to be “The Most Haunted Hotel in America.” 

The hotel was initially built as a hospital in the late 1800s and is said to be haunted by the spirits of patients who died there due to faulty medical practices. 

Some of the ghostly apparitions reported at the hotel include a worker who fell during construction, a cancer patient searching for his room key, a man in a white suit, a white nightgown, and even a cat named Morris. 

The popularity of ghost tours at the Crescent Hotel has even led to the suspension of the hotel’s late-night theater shows in October in favor of the Late, Late Ghost Tour.

Strater Hotel, Colorado

The Strater Hotel in Durango, Colorado, has been a fixture of the Wild West since 1893. 

The brick hotel was a favorite of western novelist Louis L’Amour and is said to have inspired him to write about the Wild West. 

However, not all visitors to the Strater Hotel have had such a positive experience. 

Many have reported strange shadows, a transparent lady in white, and a wandering railroad engineer from the late 1800s. 

Blogger Lanee Lee, whose website Voyage Vixens named the hotel one of “America’s Most Haunted Hotels,” reported a strange incident in which a phantom blue orb appeared in a photo she took of her room, despite her flash not being on. 

According to the hotel manager, Rod Barker, “We’re 112 years old – I think that gives us the right to have a few ghost stories.”

Foley House Inn, Georgia

Savannah, Georgia, is considered by many to be the most haunted city in America, and Foley House Inn is one of its many haunted houses. 

The inn is located on the site of a home destroyed by the great fire of 1889 and is said to be haunted by the ghost of a man who once tried to strangle the owner, Mrs. Foley. Mrs. 

Foley fought back, killing the attacker with a candlestick. 

Years later, the man’s body was discovered in the walls during a renovation, and guests have reported seeing a man in the garden at night, wearing a derby and accompanied by strange noises and sudden waves of cold air. 

The entity is known locally as “Wally.”

Haunted hotels in the United States - Story Inn, Indiana

Advertised as “an 1851 inconvenient location”, Story Inn is a unique and historic inn located in Indiana. 

Visitors must embark on a 20-mile journey into the wilderness along State Road 135 from Nashville to reach the inn. 

The inn is the only remaining structure from the former mining town of Story, which vanished in the early 1900s. 

In the 1960s, the inn was restored and now sits at the edge of Brown County State Park.

One of the main draws of Story Inn is its reputation for ghostly activity. In each room, the owners have kept logs for guests to document any encounters they may have. 

The most famous ghost believed to haunt the inn is the “Blue Lady,” believed to be the wife of Dr. George Story. 

It is said that she appears if a blue light is lit in one of the rooms above the restaurant, and her presence can be detected by the smell of her favorite cherry tobacco.

The Lizzie Borden House, Massachusetts

The Lizzie Borden House in Massachusetts is a notorious B&B that is said to be haunted by the ghost of Lizzie Borden herself. 

There is even a local rhyme that goes like this: 

Lizzie Borden took an axe,
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one. 

Guests can rent either a room or the entire house, and many have reported strange sightings, drops in temperature, screams, shouts, and even laughter from Lizzie’s ghost. 

The bedding in the room where her parents were murdered has been washed for the guests’ comfort.

Palmer House Hotel, Minnesota

The Palmer House Hotel in Minnesota is so famously haunted that the owner advises guests to be polite to the living and dead locals. 

Visitors to Room 17 had reported sightings of the ghost of a prostitute named Lucy, who worked at the Sauk Centre House bordello before it burned down in 1990. 

She is said to be particularly agitated around men. During a recent investigation by ghost hunters from Chicago, the room reportedly recorded a temperature drop of 1 degree Fahrenheit. 

Some guests staying on the top floor have also reported strange noises from above, although this complaint is only made by those staying on the top floor.

Haunted hotels in the United States - Goldfield Hotel, Nevada

The Goldfield Hotel in Nevada is one of the most well-known haunted hotels in the United States. 

While some hotel owners embrace their ghost stories, the Goldfield Hotel prefers to downplay its supernatural reputation. 

The most famous legend concerns a pregnant woman tied to a radiator in Room 109 until she gave birth, after which both she and her daughter were killed. 

Although this story has largely been discredited, there have been at least one confirmed suicide (the tragic death of doorman J.B. Findly in 1915) and one stabbing attributed to ghosts on the property. 

The hotel has been featured on various paranormal shows, including “The World’s Scariest Places,” “Ghost Hunters,” “Dead Famous,” “The Scariest Places on Earth,” and “Ghost Adventures,” the latter of which visited the hotel at least four times.

Omni Mount Washington Resort, New Hampshire

The Omni Mount Washington Resort in New Hampshire is said to be haunted by the ghost of Caroline Foster, the wife of railroad magnate Joseph Stickney, who built the resort. 

Caroline, dressed in a Victorian gown, is frequently seen in the hotel’s hallways, but her most common appearance is in Room 314, where guests report seeing her sitting on the edge of the bed. 

According to a TripAdvisor review from 2011, a guest staying in Room 314 reported the fireplace turning on by itself, the lamp flickering, and the daughter’s stuffed monkey disappearing, only to reappear on the floor. 

After the housekeeper cleaned the room the following day – bringing new towels, setting up the ironing board, and making the bed – the guest noticed an indentation in the bedding as if someone had laid down for a nap.

The Omni Grove Park Inn, North Carolina

The Omni Grove Park Inn in North Carolina has been home to a ghost for over 50 years known as the “Pink Lady.” 

It is believed that this young woman was a guest in Room 545 in the 1920s and either jumped or was pushed out of the window, falling five stories to her death. 

Today, the ghost of the Pink Lady is still said to haunt the hotel, mainly seen by children who report seeing a pink mist or a full apparition of a young woman in a pink dress with long hair.

Haunted hotels in the United States - Skirvin Hotel, Oklahoma

The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma haunting story began with a scandal. In the early 1930s, the hotel’s owner, William Balser Skirvin, locked up his pregnant mistress, Effie, on the top floor to hide her pregnancy. 

After the child was born, both were kept locked up and never allowed to leave. 

Legend has it that Effie became so depressed that she jumped out of the window with the child in her arms. 

Ever since guests and staff have reported hearing the cries of a child and seeing the ghost of a naked woman.

Historic Farnsworth House Inn, Pennsylvania

The Historic Farnsworth House Inn in Pennsylvania was established in 1810 and is filled with stories from the Civil War. 

During the Battle of Gettysburg, the hotel sheltered Confederate soldiers, and it was here that a 20-year-old civilian, Mary Virginia “Jennie” Wade, was accidentally shot. 

Her spirit is said to haunt the hotel to this day. 

Guests can take part in a ghost hunt with professional equipment or join a graveyard walk to see if the tales are true. The hotel also offers a beer garden open only to guests to help them forget their fear and get a good night’s sleep.

Hotel Alex Johnson, South Dakota

Hotel Alex Johnson in South Dakota has a long history of ghostly appearances, with guests and staff reporting furniture moving on its own, bright lights appearing, and the ghost of a woman who either jumped or was pushed from the top floor in the 1930s.

The events were so strange that several staff members quit. The hotel was even mentioned in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie “North by Northwest” and was a temporary home to Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint during filming.

Baker Hotel, Texas

The Baker Hotel in Texas, built in 1929, has a history of mysterious deaths, suicides, and tragedies. It was even the focus of a 2012 “Ghost Adventures” episode. 

The hotel is said to be haunted by the ghost of a bellboy who was cut in half in the elevator in the basement and the ghost of the hotel owner’s mistress, who jumped from the top floor. 

While the existence of these ghosts has not been confirmed, there is a true story behind the hotel. 

Earl Baker, the owner’s nephew, promised to close the hotel in 1963 and kept his promise, but the hotel was reopened by local investors in 1965. 

However, Baker died in the hotel after a sudden heart attack in 1967, and the hotel was closed again in 1972. There are now plans to reopen the resort, which could be a treat for ghost hunters.

Haunted hotels in the United States - Pfister Hotel, Wisconsin

The Pfister Hotel in Wisconsin has gained a reputation for being one of the most haunted hotels in the country, with many famous baseball players reporting strange events during their stays. 

Some notable names who have experienced paranormal activity include Bryce Harper, Adrian Beltre, Edgar Renteria, Pablo Sandoval, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Carlos Gomez, Josh Johnson, Dan Meyers, Chris Volstad, Brendan Ryan, Mike Cameron, Ji-Man Choi, and Michael Young.

These athletes reported experiences ranging from being woken up by a table moving on its own to hearing mysterious noises, knockings, and having televisions and air conditioners turn on and off. 

Some players reportedly left the hotel after encountering ghostly apparitions.

The Historic Occidental Hotel, Wyoming

Rounding out our list of the most haunted hotels in the United States is the Historic Occidental Hotel in Wyoming. 

This historic establishment dates back to the 1800s and was once a saloon, hotel, and brothel, attracting outlaws and gold seekers.

The hotel is believed to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl who died on the top floor of the inn. 

She is said to touch people’s shoulders, move furniture, and has been described as having long, black hair and wearing a white dress. 

Guests have also reported strange lights moving around unoccupied rooms, ghostly laughter, and eerie voices.