The Most Haunted Hotel in Every State

ALABAMA: Malaga Inn in Mobile

The Malaga Inn, located in Mobile’s downtown district, has been around since 1862. It was originally built as twin townhouses by two brothers-in-law and is said to be a hotspot for haunted activity.

Some guests say they’ve seen the ghost of a woman pacing up and down the balcony of room 007, while others report furniture moving on its own, and lamps getting mysteriously unplugged. There’s also an eerie bunker under the hotel’s staircase that is believed to have been a hiding spot for Confederate Soldiers during the Civil War. Inside the bunker is the decaying frame of a wooden cot that was supposedly used by soldiers in the cramped space.

ALASKA: Historic Anchorage Hotel in Anchorage

This historic Anchorage hotel, built in 1936 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is home to so many ghosts it has guests record their encounters in a ghost log in the lobby, and has become a hotspot for ghost hunters, psychics, and paranormal experts.

Some say the hotel’s hauntings began with the unsolved murder of Anchorage’s first Chief of Police, Jack Sturgus, who was shot steps from the hotel on February 20, 1921, and has been seen around regularly since, though he is far from the only spirit spotted — one employee estimates that there are nearly three dozen.

ARKANSAS: 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs

This stately hotel, located in the Ozark Mountain region, has been around since 1886 and features a variety of spirits, from Michael the stone mason who died in what is now room 218, to friendly ghosts in Victorian dress.

More chillingly, according to Historic Hotels of America, the Crescent Hotel was also once used as an experimental cancer hospital in the 1930s, and it’s said that apparitions from this time linger, from a nurse pushing a gurney to Theodora, a former patient.

ARIZONA: Jerome Grand Hotel in Jerome

Opened in 1926, the hotel was once the town’s hospital. It’s estimated that 9,000 people died there during that time. A ghost log in the lobby details scores of unexplained sightings, from glowing orbs of light to strange sounds and sightings of hospital gurneys rolling down hallways at all hours.

There are also stories of a caretaker who hung himself in the boiler room, a handicapped man who wheeled himself off a balcony, as well as a maintenance man crushed to death by the elevator.

COLORADO: The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park

Nestled in the mountains of Colorado, The Stanley Hotel, which opened in 1909, is so creepy it inspired Stephen King’s thriller “The Shining.”

Recounting the story behind “The Shining” on his website, King wrote that he and his wife, Tabby, spent a night at the Colorado hotel in 1974. They were the only guests, as the hotel was going to close down for the winter. King supposedly had a dream of his 3-year-old son running through the empty hotel and looking over his shoulder, screaming while being chased by a firehose. 

He started writing “The Shining” shortly after.

The hotel has hosted many paranormal investigators over the years and even has its own paranormal investigator leading monthly ghost hunts. She’s reportedly described the hotel as a “Disneyland for ghosts.” Guests have reported doors slamming, lights flickering, chills, and hearing children’s laughter.

DELAWARE: The Addy Sea in Bethany Beach

The Addy Sea Bed and Breakfast was built in 1902 and named after John M. Addy, one of Bethany Beach’s original settlers who built the home as a summer house for his family. In 1974, the Gravatte family purchased the house, which had already started being used for room and board at the beginning of the Great Depression.

The property is still in the Gravatte family and features many of the historic details from the original home, such as its tin ceilings and fireplaces.

According to Haunted Rooms, three rooms in the Addy Sea are reportedly haunted. There have also reportedly been instances of music coming from nowhere, the scent of perfume filling the air, and footsteps heard on the roof of the hotel.

GEORGIA: The Marshall House in Savannah

The Marshall House in historic Savannah, Georgia, is chock-full of history and supernatural charm. The hotel served as a hospital during the Civil War as well as two yellow fever epidemics, and some guests claim that former patients haunt the premises.

Other chilling reports at The Marshall House include faucets turning on by themselves and the sounds of children running down the hallways, even when there aren’t any children staying at the hotel.

HAWAII: Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki Beach Resort in Oahu

A modern resort on Hawaii’s famous Waikiki Beach in Oahu, the Hilton Hawaiian Village conjures images of palm trees, stunning sunsets, and blue waters — but also ghosts.

Some guests have apparently had haunted experiences during their stay, according to CBS News. One guest claims to have witnessed an apparition of a woman in a red dress; legend has it that it’s the ghost of a woman who was killed on the hotel premises, or of a volcano goddess known as Madame Pele.

IOWA: Redstone Inn & Suites in Dubuque

Built in the 1890s, the Redstone Inn and Suites was once the home of a prominent entrepreneur named Augustin A. Cooper, who owned a wagon business in the early 1900s.

It’s said that ghosts of the Cooper family — specifically a well-dressed man, thought of as the apparition of A. A. Cooper — still linger around the creepy Victorian mansion today. The inn’s owner has also reported hearing the sounds of footsteps, even when the home was empty.

MAINE: Herbert Grand Hotel in Kingfield

The Herbert Grand Hotel is reportedly haunted by guests who stayed at the hotel in the Prohibition Era.

It was once the site of a boarding house in the 1830s that burnt down in 1871. In 1918, the building was turned into the Herbert Grand Hotel, which had a basement speakeasy and was the first hotel north of Boston to have in-room telephones.

Legend has it that Maine politicians who gathered at the establishment during Prohibition never left and are now spirits that haunt the hotel — moving furniture, turning off lights, and knocking on doors.

MASSACHUSETTS: Hawthorne Hotel in Salem

The Hawthorne Hotel has been in operation since 1925, and has a guesthouse that dates back to 1807. The hotel has been featured in the iconic TV series “Bewitched,” and the SyFy show “Ghost Hunters” has investigated supernatural activity there.  

According to Historic Hotels of America, room 325 is the most haunted room in the hotel, though people have also spotted the ghost of a woman roaming the 6th-floor hallway. Moving furniture and inexplicable noises have also been reported.

“I had the full [haunted] experience . . . physical contact, crying outside the door, knocking on the door, whispering sounds, and lights flickering. If being in a haunted hotel is what you are looking for, I recommend it,” wrote on TripAdvisor user.

MISSISSIPPI: Duff Green Mansion in Vicksburg

This Mississippi mansion dates back to the 1850s, when it was built by a local cotton broker, Duff Green. When the Civil War reached Vicksburg, Mississippi, the mansion was turned into a hospital for soldiers from both the Union and Confederate armies. It was later used as an orphanage and a headquarters for the Salvation Army.

Legend has it that one of the mansion’s guest rooms, now called The Dixie Room, used to be an operating room in which hundreds of amputations occurred. The ghost of a Confederate soldier who had his leg amputated supposedly haunts the mansion today, along with the Green family’s youngest daughter, Annie, who died in the mansion from yellow fever at age 6.

Guests have also claimed to have heard heavy footsteps in the stairwell, and seen a woman in a blue gown roaming around the kitchen at night, as well as someone in uniform standing by the front door, according to the Vicksburg Post. 

MISSOURI: The Lemp Mansion in St. Louis

The Lemp Mansion has consistently been named one of the most haunted houses in America.

According to a story from OZY about the mansion’s history, the house was once owned by the Lemp family, German immigrants who came to St. Louis in the 1800s and founded a brewery. The grand mansion saw the family’s darkest moments, including four deaths by suicide under the same roof. 

Following the final Lemp descendant’s death in the house in 1949, the mansion was sold and turned into a boarding house. Several guests have reported sightings of the Lemp family’s ghosts in the form of figures roaming the hallways and appearing in windows, even when nobody is in the room. The mansion now has four rooms that are available to rent overnight.

NEVADA: Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah

Nevada’s most haunted hotel, the Mizpah Hotel, opened in 1907 and quickly became a popular destination in the booming mining town of Tonopah.

The historic hotel was renovated in 2011, but retains its antique charm — as well as many of its visitors from a bygone era.

Legend has it that the hotel’s “Lady in Red” room is among its most haunted. Named after a woman who frequented the Mizpah Hotel more than a century ago as a woman of the night and was murdered on the 5th floor, the room has supposedly been a hotspot for paranormal activity. 

NEW YORK: Shanley Hotel in Napanoch

Located in the Shawangunk Mountains in Napanoch, New York, the Shanley Hotel is known for being haunted by former guests from more than a century ago.

The hotel’s website details some of its haunted rooms, and several guests have recorded supernatural sounds they’ve heard while at the Shanley, like ghosts having arguments with each other. Some guests even claim to have had conversations with spirits themselves, and many have allegedly seen the ghost of the owner’s cat, who apparently tends to roam around the hallways at night. 

NORTH CAROLINA: The Biltmore Greensboro in Greensboro

The Biltmore Greensboro opened in 1903, but before becoming the historic hotel that it is today, it was the site of a denim company, a post office, bath houses, and apartment units. 

“There have been many people, with good intentions and bad intentions, that have walked these halls, and it’s possible some of that energy has been trapped inside,” the hotel’s general manager, Brian Coleman, told CBS affiliate WFMY. Two spirits, in particular, haunt the premises: Philip, whose death there remains a mystery until this day, and Lydia, who is spotted crying in the hallways.

“We were told that it was haunted and one of us did have a pretty neat experience,” wrote a TripAdvisor reviewer about their stay at the historic North Carolina hotel.

OKLAHOMA: The Skirvin Hilton Oklahoma City in Oklahoma City

The Skirvin Hilton hotel in Oklahoma City’s haunted reputation stems from a story about its original owner, Bill Skirvin, and a maid, Effie, who was apparently pregnant with Skirvin’s child.

According to Historic Hotels of America, Skirvin locked Effie in one of the hotel’s rooms, and she and her baby died trying to escape through its window. Guests now report hearing a female voice while alone in their rooms, a baby crying, objects moving on their own, and bizarre noises.

“I’d heard stories of the hotel being haunted, specifically on the 10th floor, and I was on the 11th. One night as I was going to bed, all the lights were out and I heard the distinct sound of a zipper being unzipped directly behind me,” wrote a TripAdvisor user of the hotel.

OREGON: Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast in Yachats

What makes this haunted cottage-turned-hotel unique is its stunning location on Oregon’s coast. Heceta Head Lighthouse and its adjacent light keeper’s home are not only picturesque but are rumored to be haunted — the inn even has a notebook of “ghost stories” compiled by guests.

Built in 1892 and automated in 1963, the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It’s said to be home to “Rue,” the apparition of a gray-haired lady in Victorian garb. “She doesn’t ever do anything scary or harmful or threatening,” manager Misty Anderson told the Register-Guard. “It’s more like she’s watching over the place. Watching the house and looking for her daughter.” 

“Heceta Head is one of the most beautiful spots on the entire Oregon coast; throw in a world-famous lighthouse and a chance to stay in the lighthouse keeper’s haunted house, and you have a recipe for a truly unique experience,” wrote one TripAdvisor user.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Hotel Alex Johnson Rapid City, Curio Collection by Hilton in Rapid City

Hotel Alex Johnson started construction in 1927 — just one day before work began on Mount Rushmore. 

The hotel’s many haunted legends include a story about a woman known as the Lady in White, allegedly a young bride that died by suicide in one of the rooms, and now wanders the halls of the hotel’s 8th floor.

“During the night, I heard lots of laughter and we would peer through the keyhole and there was no one there. I also heard footsteps creeping in our room and I would awaken and there was no one there,” wrote on TripAdvisor reviewer.

TEXAS: Hotel Galvez & Spa, a Wyndham Grand Hotel in Galveston

Visitors can dig into Hotel Galvez’ haunted reputation with a ghost tour, or stay in one of its many haunted rooms.

The hotel’s main spirit is that of Audra, the fiancée of a sailor who killed herself in the hotel when she heard that her future husband’s ship had sunk.

Others include that of the ghost of a young girl playing with a ball, a woman in an old-fashioned maid’s outfit, as well as reports of mysteriously glowing orbs, breathing sounds, and disembodied children’s laughter.

UTAH: Bigelow Hotel and Residences, an Ascend Hotel Collection in Ogden

The Bigelow Hotel was built in 1891 and is said to be haunted by guests who stayed there during Prohibition.

Some guests have reportedly cited haunted experiences that suggest the presence of spirits, like the scent of alcohol or perfume when nobody else is around, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

Rooms 1101 and 1102 are said to be especially haunted.

Salt Lake City news station KSL describes the chilling story: “As the story goes, a bride and mother of a grown son spent her wedding night in room 1102 when she drowned in the room’s bathtub. The next day, as her son came to collect her things, he was booked into 1101. Overcome with depression about his mother’s unexpected death, people say he took his own life. Together, the two supposedly haunt the hotel.”

Some guests claim the spirit of the bride turns on faucets and gives visitors physical pushes and nudges — while the son murmurs to himself or appears as an apparition, the news station reported.

VIRGINIA: Wayside Inn in Middletown

The Wayside Inn opened in 1797, making it the oldest continuously operated inn in the US. It’s no wonder it has picked up a few ghosts during that time.

Inn employees have spotted apparitions, including a figure that resembled a woman in a grand blue dress, while some guests have reported objects in their room moving overnight, as well as discovering drastically chilly spots.

One of the inn’s most notoriously haunted spots is the windowless dining room, which used to be a slave kitchen. It’s said that cameras and electronic devices have been known to shut off randomly in the enclosed space, according to the Northern Virginia Daily.

One TripAdvisor user also reported a haunting experience in one of the inn’s famous suites, called the Old Dominion room. “I can say that late at night both evenings, we heard what sounded like someone moving furniture across a wooden floor,” they wrote.

WASHINGTON: Manresa Castle in Townsend

Manresa Castle was built in 1892 as the home of the Eisenbeis family, a prominent and wealthy family in Port Townsend.

The mansion was abandoned in 1902 and sat empty until 1925, when it was used as a vacation house for nuns who taught students in nearby Seattle. In 1968, the Victorian castle was made into the hotel that still stands today, and legend has it that guests occasionally encounter ghosts of previous residents.

“We heard footsteps and something tapping the wall or handrail but did not see anyone. Fingers stroked my friend’s back while she was sitting on the love seat in our room. I walked barefoot into the bathroom and after I stopped walking, I heard one more footstep. . . I gave a good rating because nothing beats a quirky castle and paranormal experiences!” wrote a TripAdvisor user.

WEST VIRGINIA: The Lowe Hotel in Point Pleasant

The Lowe Hotel in the historic district of Point Pleasant was built in 1901.

It is said to be home to a plethora of ghosts: there’s a beautiful woman dancing on the second-floor mezzanine, believed to be the ghost of Juliette Smith, daughter of the hotel’s original manager, Homer Smith; a young child riding a tricycle down around hallways; and a 1930s-looking bearded man on the 3rd floor.

Reports of glowing orbs and sudden chills are also commonplace.

“Plenty of historic hotels and inns advertise being haunted, but The Lowe Hotel is the real deal,” wrote one TripAdvisor user.

WISCONSIN: Kewaunee Inn/Karsten Hotel in Kewaunee

Local history claims that the Karsten Hotel is haunted by the ghost of its original owner and the hotel’s namesake, William Karsten, as well as his grandson, William “Billy” Karsten III, who can supposedly be heard running down hallways giggling.

“It is haunted, but in a happy way. Hearing little Billy running down the hallway was thrilling,” said one TripAdvisor user.