The Happiness Function

If you’re ready for your next ghost-hunting adventure, the U.S. has plenty to offer. From paranormal sightings to strange noises and levitating objects, take a trip into the supernatural world. If you’re brave enough to face some of the most haunted hotels in America, here is a curated list for those who love spooky tourism.

1. St. James Hotel – Selma, Alabama

Image Credit: Adam Jones from Kelowna, BC, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 12oo Water Avenue

Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to haunt the grounds of the St. James Hotel in Selma, along with his girlfriend, Lucinda, and their dog. Although Jesse James didn’t die in Alabama, visitors report the scent of lavender (Lucinda’s perfume) and hear a barking dog in the courtyard.

2. Historic Anchorage Hotel – Anchorage, Alaska

Image Credit: Historic Anchorage Hotel.

Address: 330 E Street

After surviving the destructive 9.2 magnitude earthquake of 1964, ghost sightings occur regularly at the Anchorage Hotel. Rooms 202, 215, and 217 are especially active, with reports of crying underneath beds, mysterious knocking, and children playing. A former chief of police who passed away during prohibition days is also said to haunt the hotel.

3. The Hotel Monte Vista – Flagstaff, Arizona

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Address: 100 N San Francisco Street

Located off the famous U.S. Route 66, the Hotel Monte Vista saw many 1940s and ’50s celebrities–who may have even seen a ghost or two. An old woman in a rocking chair sits in the window of Room 305 while a phantom bellboy knocks at guests’ doors in the middle of the night. 

4. 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa – Eureka Springs, Arkansas

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Address: 75 Prospect Avenue

As an experimental cancer hospital in the 1930s, some struggling souls may have stayed behind. One of the original mason workers also passed away during construction, haunting the room he last worked on — room 218. Despite the spooky ghost stores, the hotel is beautiful, and the surrounding area has unique outdoor activities.

5. The Queen Mary – Long Beach, California

Image Credit: Kit Leong/Shutterstock.

Address: 1126 Queens Hwy

Docked in the Port of Long Beach, the Queen Mary is a haunted hotel on water. As one of the most haunted places in the U.S., there have been multiple reported deaths aboard the ship. Visitors can stay overnight, join nighttime tours, and maybe you’ll catch sight of the lady in white.

Travelers Jenn and Ed Coleman of the popular travel website Coleman Concierge shared, “Some experts claim the Queen Mary is one of the most haunted places in the world, and it happens to be a hotel in Long Beach Harbor.”

While visiting, they learned, “She’s the sister ship to the Titanic and home to many tragedies in her own right. The unofficial count is that 49 deaths have taken place on board, although many more might have occurred while taking German POWs to the States during WWII. However, the most haunted place is rumored to be the bow where she ran through the HMS Curacao, plunging over 300 sailors into the North Atlantic but unable to stop because she was carrying Sir Winston Churchill. You can even stay in Churchill’s estate room….if you dare!”

6. The Strater Hotel – Durango, Colorado

Image Credit: Carol M. Highsmith, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 699 Main Avenue

Built along the rail line in Durango, many spirits walk the halls of the Strater Hotel. This includes a man in white who stands close to the railroad tracks. It is said employees refuse to work alone due to all the supernatural activity. 

7. Curtis House Restaurant & Inn – Woodbury, Connecticut

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Address: 506 Main Street S

Visitors have experienced sightings throughout the Curtis House Restaurant & Inn—from the dining room and attic to several guest rooms. In room 16, Sally, a female apparition, invites male guests into bed and occasionally crawls in with them. A psychic who stayed in Room 1 claimed the spirit of former owner Lucius Foot got into bed with her.

8. Addy Sea Bed & Breakfast – Bethany Beach, Delaware

Image Credit: Al Jurina/Shutterstock.

Address: 99 Ocean View Street

Spirits make themselves known throughout the property at Addy Sea Bed & Breakfast. You’ll hear eerie organ music playing from Room 6. The bathtub shakes on its own in Room 1. And the jacuzzi tub will turn itself on in Room 11. 

9. Casa Monica Hotel – St. Augustine, Florida

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Address: 95 Cordova Street

Guests at the Casa Monica Hotel are often startled awake by the violent screams heard throughout the hotel. Guests have reported hearing children running on empty floors. You may also see a strange child’s handprint on the bathroom mirror in the Flagler Suite. 

10. The Marshall House Hotel – Savannah, Georgia

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Address: 123 E Broughton Street

Businesswoman Mary Marshall developed this hotel in the 1800s. As it was once a Union hospital during the Civil War, amputated limbs of soldiers were buried beneath the hospital. Visitors report seeing apparitions carrying their limbs, searching for a surgeon to reattach them.

11. Ihilani Resort – Kapolei, Hawai’i

Image Credit: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 8670 IN-56

A woman is said to appear and watch guests as they sleep at the Ihilani Resort in Hawaii. A visitor who stayed on the 17th floor awoke suddenly feeling such extreme pain she threw up and eventually went to the hospital. Afterward, she did not remember anything that happened. The hotel is currently closed.

12. The Bates Motel – Coeur D’Alene, Idaho

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Address: 2018 Sherman Avenue

Renamed after the famous Bates Motel from the movie Psycho, this real-life Bates Motel is known for its strange noises and cold spots throughout the motel. Visitors say most paranormal activity occurs in Rooms 1 and 3.

13. Congress Plaza Hotel – Chicago, Illinois

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Address: 520 S Michigan Ave

The 4th and 12th floors of the Congress Plaza Hotel are rumored to be the most haunted. Certain rooms are even sealed shut and unavailable to visitors because of the paranormal activity that reportedly occurs in them. You may encounter the Shadow Man, the Ghost Boy, or any other spirits that perished on the property.

14. French Lick Springs Hotel – French Lick, Indiana

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Address: 8670 IN-56

Guests at the French Lick Springs Hotel report sightings of the ghost of former owner Thomas Taggart throughout the property. Most notably, he appears in the service elevator, walking on various floors, as if he is still busy at work. 

15. Mason House Inn – Bentonsport, Iowa

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Address: 21982 Hawk Drive

Various accounts report a floating head in Room 8 of the Mason House Inn, while other visitors have seen a ghostly man staring at them. You may also feel a tug on your clothes at night, which may be the spirit of a young boy who likes to play tricks on guests. 

16. The Eldridge Hotel – Lawrence, Kansas

Image Credit: The Eldridge Hotel.

Address: 701 Massachusetts Street

With so much paranormal activity reported from Room 506 of the Eldridge Hotel, ghost hunters and investigators believe it’s a portal to the spirit world. Air conditioners turn on and off, bags shake, and doors lock and unlock.

A photograph captured what is believed to be the figure of former owner Shalor Eldridge near the elevator in the lobby. Look close for the ghost inside the elevator!

17. Jailer’s Inn Bed & Breakfast – Bardstown, Kentucky

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Address: 111 W Stephan Foster Avenue

The Jailer’s Inn Bed & Breakfast was once a prison for almost 200 years—which may explain the supernatural activity throughout the property. Visitors often hear screaming and crying, said to be from the spirits of those who died while imprisoned. 

18. The Myrtles Plantation – St. Francisville, Louisiana

Image Credit: mfmegevand/Depositphotos.com.

Address: 7747 U.S. Hwy 61

Legend has it that in the early 1800s, owner Clarke Woodruff cut the ear off of an enslaved woman he was having an affair with. She wore a turban to cover her disfigurement. As revenge, she poisoned his wife and children. After fellow enslaved workers ended her life (afraid of what Woodruff would do to them), her ghost appears wearing a turban.

19. Captain Lord Mansion – Kennebunkport, Maine

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Address: 6 Pleasant Street

The Captain Lord Mansion was built during the War of 1812, and experts believe the spirit of a woman is responsible for much of the paranormal activity on the property. The jacuzzi, TV, and lights all turn on and off, as if this woman is simply enjoying her day. 

20. Kent Manor Inn – Stevensville, Maryland

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Address: 500 Kent Manor Drive

Alexander Thompson built the Kent Manor Inn in the early 1800s and is said to reside there still. The story goes that Alex took his life in Room 210. Guests report smelling a pipe as well.

21. Lizzie Borden House – Fall River, Massachusetts

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Address: 230 2nd Street

Ghost hunters are well aware of what Lizzie Borden did with her ax. Although acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother, the violent acts that occurred in the home have resulted in the dark, negative energy felt by guests who dare stay in Lizzie Borden’s home.

22. Mission Point Resort – Mackinac Island, Michigan

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Address: 6633 Main Street

This resort was once a mission house, church, college, and theater. Guests and employees know the ghost of Harvey, a former student at Mackinac College. Rumor has it that he ended his life on a nearby cliffside after suffering heartbreak. 

23. Palmer House – Sauk Centre, Minnesota

Image Credit: Gobonobo, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 500 Sinclair Lewis Avenue

A strange energy fills the Palmer House, believed to originate in the basement of the hotel. After the original Sauk Centre house burned, taking many lives in the fire, their spirits may be haunting the grounds.

24. Linden Bed & Breakfast – Natchez, Mississippi

Image Credit: Linden Bed & Breakfast

Address: 1 Connor Circle

From phantom horse-drawn carriages to mysterious tapping noises, the Linden Bed & Breakfast is said to be haunted by two spirits in particular. Visitors see a man roaming the halls and slipping in and out of the bedrooms. Others witness a woman jumping from a window–although she disappears before hitting the ground. 

25. The Lemp Mansion – St. Louis, Missouri

Image Credit: MattHucke, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 3322 Demenil Place

What was once a brewery built in the late 1890s, The Lemp Mansion is one of the most haunted hotels in America. Guests experience a sudden sadness upon arrival, taps on their shoulders, and are touched when no one is there. Some have even felt entire floors vibrate.

26. The Pollard Hotel – Red Lodge, Montana

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Address: 2 Broadway Avenue

Built on what was originally indigenous Crow land, The Pollard Hotel became a destination for Western icons like Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane. A woman in yellow has been sighted on the third floor and throughout the hotel, playing tricks on guests. Others report the cries of a monkey, believed to be the former pet of the Pollard children, was lost and trapped within the hotel walls. 

27. Arrow Historic Hotel & Pub – Broken Bow, Nebraska

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Address: 509 S 9th Avenue

Stories say that a redheaded woman (who was a witch) roams the halls of the Arrow Historic Hotel & Pub. She was killed nearby and may be responsible for the loud and strange noises often heard in the hotel. 

28. Boulder Dam Hotel – Boulder City, Nevada

Image Credit: Kit Leong/Shutterstock.

Address: 1305 Arizona Street

Guests and employees have reported strange sounds and occurrences at the Boulder Dam Hotel—water running, cigar smoke, and elevators opening and closing. One visitor felt a hand on their shoulder, while another saw ghostly hands come through the floor to grab at their ankles. 

29. The Tilton Inn – Tilton, New Hampshire

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Address: 255 Main Street

In the 1800s, a 12-year-old girl tragically met her death in the Sanborn room at The Tilton Inn. Even after owners rebuilt the inn, visitors reported seeing a young girl playing and roaming the halls. 

30. Hotel Macomber – Cape May, New Jersey

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Address: 727 Beach Avenue

A stay at Hotel Macomber might mean waking up to a loud pounding on your door in the middle of the night. There’s also a spirit named “The Trunk Lady” who traveled with heavy trunks during her stay, and loud banging is heard throughout the hotel, most notably in and near Room 10.

31. La Posada de Santa Fe – Santa Fe, New Mexico

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Address: 330 E Palace Ave

Guests and employees believe that a past resident of Room 256 haunts the La Posada de Santa Fe. Random glasses have fallen off shelves, tubs turn on when no one is there, and the scent of lavender lingers when someone lights a cigar. 

32. Shanley Hotel – Napanoch, New York

Image Credit: Shanley Hotel

Address: 56 Main Street

The Bordello Rooms and Gentleman’s Quarters are said to experience the most paranormal activity at the Shanley Hotel. A terrible crime is also believed to have taken place in Room 17. Beatrice Shanley, the original owner, is often sighted in the hotel, leaving the scent of her perfume behind.

Can you see the spirit in the second window on the right?

33. The Omni Grove Park Inn – Asheville, North Carolina

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Address: 290 Macon Avenue

Unlike some hauntings, the spirit dubbed “The Pink Lady” at The Omni Grove Park Inn is friendly. Appearing in a pink mist, she strokes the hands of sick children, tickles guests’ feet, and walks along the halls and throughout the property. Located in such a beautiful place, who would ever want to leave?

34. Rough Riders Hotel – Medora, North Dakota

Image Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 301 3rd Ave

Named after President Theodore Roosevelt’s soldiers, the Rough Riders Hotel is the oldest and one of the most haunted places in North Dakota. A little boy haunts a top-floor room, laughs to himself, and flushes the toilet when no one is there. 

35. The Buxton Inn – Granville, Ohio

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Address: 313 E Broadway

Several former owners and employees are said to haunt the Buxton Inn. Major Buxton (who the inn was named after) and Bonnie, a former innkeeper, have been sighted. She passed away in Room 9, where guests reported seeing a woman in blue, her favorite color. Some visitors also say a ghostly cat jumps into bed with them.

36. The Stone Lion Inn – Guthrie, Oklahoma

Image Credit: MARELBU, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 1016 W Warner Avenue

Doors opening and closing, loud footsteps, and moved objects have been reported at The Stone Lion Inn. Visitors have also experienced a childlike apparition tucking them into bed and children jumping and playing on the beds, most notably on the 3rd floor. 

37. Geiser Grand Hotel – Baker City, Oregon

Image Credit: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 1996 Main St

This local landmark is a hub for supernatural phenomena. A spirit called “The Blue Lady” has been known to walk up and down the main staircase in a blue gown. Guests also report finding misplaced items and waking up in the middle of the night to strange apparitions. 

38. The Inn At Jim Thorpe – Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania

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Address: 24 Broadway

Reminiscent of the Paranormal Activity movies, guests have seen chairs turned upside down upon waking and a ghostly figure lying beside them. Some visitors even report being grabbed by the figure and feeling their icy limbs.

39. Castle Hill Inn – Newport, Rhode Island

Image Credit: Alex Sergeev, (www.asergeev.com) Thomsonsr at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 590 Ocean Ave

This quaint hotel looks peaceful on the outside, but an overnight stay at the Castle Hill Inn might result in seeing a ghostly woman throwing dishes across the room. Just be sure not to get in her way.

40. Battery Carriage House Inn – Charleston, South Carolina

Image Credit: 20 South Battery

Address: 20 S Battery

Two ghosts often roam the Battery Carriage House Inn; one of a headless Confederate soldier who lost his life when tasked to destroy ammunition. Another, called the Gentleman’s Ghost, jumped from the roof after learning his sweetheart had married another man. 

41. Hotel Alex Johnson – Rapid City, South Dakota

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Address: 523 6th Street

The “Lady in White” is the most reported sighting at the Hotel Alex Johnson in South Dakota. Some say she was thrown, while others say she jumped from the window of Room 812. Those who stay in that room claim their dressers are turned upside down, and the window is often found open in the morning.

How about staying here before a road trip to Mount Rushmore? 

42. The Inn at Hunt-Phelan – Memphis, Tennessee

Image Credit: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock.

Address: 533 Beale Street

Rumor has it that gold was hidden somewhere on the property of the Inn at Hunt-Phelan. Whether or not the gold is there, the spirit of a former servant is said to wander the grounds with a shovel in hand, hopeful of finding the gold treasure.

43. The Jefferson Hotel – Jefferson, Texas

Image Credit: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 124 W Austin St

You might be kept awake at night thanks to the playful spirits that have been reported to haunt the hotel. Guests say they’ve been tickled in their sleep, even scratched on their feet, especially in Rooms 19 and 20. 

44. Kirk Hotel – Tooele, Utah

Image Credit: 25or6to4, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 57 W Vine St

The third floor of Kirk Hotel is said to be the most haunted. You can hear disembodied voices and strange footsteps when no one is there. Some visitors have also experienced their beds shaking at night, and maintenance staff have seen marks of blood that reappear even after cleaning. 

45. The Quechee Inn At Marshland Farm – Quechee, Vermont

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Address: 1119 Quechee Main Street

Built in the late 1790s by Patrick Marsh, his ghost is said to rearrange and transport visitors’ luggage during their stay. Others believe John and Jane Porter (who bought the inn in 1865) haunt the inn and are responsible for strange noises and footsteps in empty rooms. And if you listen closely, you can hear Jane’s eerie whistling in the dining room.

46. The Martha Hotel & Spa – Abington, Virginia

Image Credit: The Martha Hotel and Spa.

Address: 150 West Main Street

The Martha Hotel & Spa was a hospital for injured soldiers during the Civil War. Staff members whisper about tales of apparitions and the ghost of a heartbroken nursing student who still visits the room where her beloved soldier passed on. This elegant hotel and spa has hosted its fair share of celebrities and notable guests, such as Elizabeth Taylor, Jimmy Carter, Eleanor Roosevelt, and President Harry Truman.

Located in the historic art district, it is said the Barter Theatre next door is also home to a few theatrical ghosts.

47. Sorrento Hotel – Seattle, Washington

Image Credit: Hotel Sorrento.

Address: 900 Madison Street

Although socialite (and weed brownie creator) Alice Sorrento never stepped foot in the Sorrento Hotel, her spirit walks the grounds. That may be because the hotel stands on the site of her childhood home. Her ghost is said to appear on the 4th floor, in room 408.

48. Harpers Ferry Guest House – Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

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Address: 800 Washington St

No less than five different spirits have been reported at Harpers Ferry Guest House. One is a woman in a gray dress who is seen holding a child. Another resembles a gravedigger holding a corpse. 

49. Pfister Hotel – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Image Credit: John Zacherle from Chicago, IL, US, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 424 E Wisconsin Ave

Pfister Hotel is a local landmark with claims of frequent hauntings by Major League Baseball players who have stayed there. These athletes and other guests have experienced electrical anomalies, pounding on headboards, and constant knocking on their room doors. The 7th and 9th Floors are known for the most supernatural activity. 

50. Buffalo Bill’s Irma Hotel – Cody, Wyoming

Image Credit: Robert Alescio, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Address: 1192 Sheridan Ave

A strange apparition has been seen floating around the hotel—an appreciation with no bottom half. Other events report pictures mysteriously falling off the walls and creepy scratching coming from the headboards at night. 

Where indicated, some images courtesy of Depositphotos.com. 

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