Just in time for Halloween, Historic Hotels of America has named the 25 most haunted historic hotels.
Here are 10 of the oldest and spookiest:
Concord’s Colonial Inn (1716) in Concord, Massachusetts, is rumored to have several ghosts, especially in Room 424, which served as an operating room during the Revolutionary War.
Guests of the Admiral Fell Inn (1770) in Baltimore have reported seeing floating sailors and disappearing butlers knocking on their doors. A hotel manager is said to have heard a loud party after the hotel was evacuated during a hurricane.
At the Red Lion Inn (1773) in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, the fourth floor is full of paranormal activity. Reports of a ghostly young girl carrying flowers and a man in a top hat abound, and guests have awoken to the feeling of someone standing over them at the foot of their bed.
Hanover Inn Dartmouth (1780) Hanover, New Hampshire: Dartmouth College ghost stories include the tale of nine fraternity brothers who perished in 1934. More than one Dartmouth student has spoken of finding a room that doesn’t exist, filled with a party of those young men and their dates.
At the Omni Parker House (1855) in Boston the ghost of Harvey Parker, who opened the hotel, reportedly reveals himself to guests. Talk about working yourself to death.
The Sagamore (1883), Bolton Landing, New York: At this rambling historic hotel, stories persist of the ghost of a silver-haired woman wearing a blue polka-dot dress descending from the second floor to the Trillium, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant.
1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa (1886), Eureka Springs, Arkansas: Guests who check out but never leave include a lady in a Victorian nightgown who likes to stand at the foot of the bed in Room 3500 and stare at guests while they sleep. She’s one of dozens of reported ghosts there.
At the Hotel Monteleone (1886) in New Orleans a maid known as Mrs. Clean reportedly haunts the hotel. Paranormal researchers once asked why she stayed, and she said her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother also worked at the hotel and she was picking up after housekeeping to ensure high standards.
Jekyll Island Club Resort (1886), Jekyll Island, Georgia: A bellman from post-WWI days is said to be very particular about delivering freshly pressed suits to bridegrooms. He has been seen, mostly on the second floor of the club building, knocking gently on a guest room door and announcing his purpose. Many guests, who did not order the service, have inquired about the mysterious bellman.
The Green Park Inn (1891) in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, keeps a Ghost Log in the lobby for its guests to peruse. Pay attention to notes regarding Room 318, where Laura Green died. She was the daughter in the inn’s founding family, and she was jilted at the altar. Reports are that she and her would-be groom continue to be seen on the third floor.