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Explore Haunted Hotels This October
October ushers in the season of fall foliage, pumpkins, and ghostly tales—and Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide® offer many incredible hotels where travelers can experience the season. Explore the eerie charm and discover the ghostly tales of these haunted historic hotels.
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Since opening, The George Washington Hotel has developed a reputation for being haunted. In fact, many contemporary ghost hunters have conducted regular investigations of the historic building. Their visits have often turned up a wealth of evidence, with much of the paranormal activity supposedly focused on the fourth floor, and the rest of the paranormal activity spread out between the eighth and tenth floors. Staff and guests have recounted dozens of paranormal encounters. Spectral figures can sometimes be seen drinking in Bradford’s Lounge, the hotel’s bar. Staff have reported hearing children’s laughter on the fourth floor, housekeepers have told stories of seeing ghostly figures glide across various floors, and maintenance workers have observed shadows near the boilers. Guests can rest assured, as the spirits that allegedly roam the halls are friendly.
1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa (1886)
Eureka Springs, Arkansas
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Among several restless spirits believed to haunt 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa is Theodora. In the 1930s, the hotel was a hospital for the treatment of cancer patients. Unfortunately, a con man, "Dr." Norman Baker, claimed to be a licensed physician and charged unsuspecting families their life savings to "treat" patients in his hospital. Tour guides, hotel staff, and guests alike allege that Theodora, one of Baker's patients, who passed away on-site, makes her presence known by folding guests’ clothes, organizing their closet, or arranging personal items that had been scattered around the guestroom. In recent years, a couple purposefully scattered their loose change around the guestroom on tabletops and nightstands shortly before leaving for dinner downstairs in the Crystal Dining Room. Upon their return, they were overjoyed to find that their coins had been neatly reorganized in stacks of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies atop their dresser. Year-round, 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa offers a cocktail named Theodora's Spicy Secret in honor of the eternal guest.
Hotel Ändra Seattle MGallery Collection (1926)
Seattle, Washington
| | Opening in 1926, Hotel Ändra Seattle MGallery Collection has lived many lives, from elegant apartments during the Jazz Age, to a transfer station for the Women’s Army Corps during World War II, to its rebirth as a Scandinavian-inspired boutique hotel. With nearly a century of history within its walls, the beloved downtown hotel has become known for more than its warm hospitality. The legends of a Prohibition Era party that never ended are based on reports from the ninth floor, where staff and guests alike allege to have heard the echoes of raucous jazz parties: unseen revelers, breaking glass, laughter, and piano music with no visible origin. This lore is more about the festive atmosphere than fright; the energy is described as lively and exuberant, evoking the vibrant spirit of the Roaring Twenties. Far from frightening, these stories enrich the hotel’s history and charm, adding intrigue for curious travelers. | |
The Historic Hotels of America members highlighted in The 2025 Top 25 Historic Hotels of America Most Haunted Hotels are places where generations of staff and guests pass along the tales of spectral Revolutionary War soldiers, smoky silhouettes of U.S. presidents, melancholy spirits of tragic brides, unexplained footsteps, and parties that never stopped, as well as friendly phantom bellhops and engineers. Thrill-seekers and cultural travelers interested in a local legend need to look no further than this list! Click here to read more... if you dare. | | | | |
Experience Historic Hotels Worldwide® Most Mysterious Hotels
From lingering spirits to chilling legends, these Historic Hotels Worldwide historic hotels remain steeped in mystery and beckon guests to come see the legends for themselves.
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Hotel Union Øye (1891)
Norangsfjorden Norway
| Hotel Union Øye, a historic hotel nestled beside Norangsfjorden, a narrow fjord located in the municipality of Ørsta, Norway has a tragic love story that has turned into a local legend. According to the legend, the spirit of "Linda," a maid from the 1890s, continues to have a presence at the hotel following a tragic love affair with one of Emperor Wilhelm’s officers, Philip von Moltke. Linda, upon receiving the news that von Moltke had taken his own life due to an "unhappy marriage" met the same fate shortly thereafter. She was discovered in the river at Øye, dressed in a wedding gown and floral crown, wearing his ring and reportedly searching for a brooch he had gifted her. Today, guests at Hotel Union Øye recount sightings and sounds of Linda’s presence in the Blue Room. Doors open and close without explanation, and framed pictures shift mysteriously. This presence is not thought to be malevolent but rather melancholy. | |  | |
Kilkea Castle (1180)
Castledermot, Ireland
| Many legends abound of Kilkea Castle and its “Wizard Earl,” Gerald FitzGerald, the 11th Earl of Kildare. From 1547 to his death four decades later, FitzGerald ruled over the estate like his ancestors had centuries prior. Yet, according to the stories, he had an affinity for practicing the “dark arts” within a hidden chamber located deep in the bowels of the castle. The Earl would intone all sorts of strange magical incantations day and night, with the most potent being his shapeshifting spells. Even after his mysterious disappearance, Kilkea Castle is said to be haunted by the Wizard Earl. The myth attests that Gerald finally rested in a cave beneath the Fort of Mullaghmast, just to the north of Kilkea Castle. Using his magical powers to preserve his essence, the Earl would return to the castle on the 7th day of the 7th month of every 7th year. He would arrive at midnight mounted on a silver-shod white horse with glittering hooves. Gerald’s phantom would stay through the night, before taking his leave at dawn. Click here to read more about Gerald and his ghost. | | | Our Featured Nonprofit Partners | | Discover & Explore is a service mark of Historic Hotels of America. © Copyright 2025 Historic Hotels of America® and Historic Hotels Worldwide®. All rights reserved. | | | | |
