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What’s a road trip without a theme? In this episode we’re diving into the best haunts to see in the US!
The Driskill Hotel | Austin Texas
Built in 1886, this famous hotel in Austin, Texas has more than its fair share of paranormal activities. Shortly after the grand opening, Jesse Driskill blew all his money and lost the hotel in a poker match. Driskill, the original owner of this spooky hotel, still haunts the halls and rooms that overlook 6th Street & Brazos.
Other ghosts you can find roaming the hotel:
- A bride that called off her wedding
- A Child that had a tragic death at the hotel – guests have reported hearing giggles throughout the walls
- A painting located on the 5th floor – People who pass the painting have claimed to feel a paranormal presence surrounding them as they walk by
The Stanley Hotel | Estes Park, Colorado
Driving through Estes Park you’re surrounded by amazing views before you finally see a peak of the Stanley Hotel. This grand haunted phenomenon is full of history and has been the filming location for several movies. It was also the inspiration for Stephen King’s, The Shining. After years of documentaries, ghost hunts, and, of course, the fame of The Shining, this hotel is one of the most documented locations in the US.
Most Reported Paranormal Sightings
The Vortex
The main staircase of the hotel. There have been numerous ghost sightings from this staircase by guests, employees, and psychics.
The Concert Hall
Built by Stanley himself for his wife, Flora, who cherished the Steinway piano her husband gifted her. She filled the halls with her music every chance she got. For years, visitors have reported ghostly concerts making it one of the most visited spots in the Stanley.
The Fourth Floor
This is where the most documented sightings have occurred. Guests have seen children running through the halls and laughing into the night. Closet doors will open and close on their own and guests’ clothes have disappeared. There have also been reports of heavy footsteps in rooms and furniture being arranged. But the most troublesome one might be the ghost of “Rocky Mountain Jim”.
“Known as a bit of a ladies’ man, his spirit is said to gravitate toward female guests, sometimes giving them a cold, ghostly kiss in the middle of the night.”
-Ghost City Tours https://ghostcitytours.com/denver/haunted-denver/stanley-hotel/
Room 217
The head housekeeper, Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, was lighting acetylene lanterns throughout the hotel following a power outage, and when she got to room 217, there was a horrific accident. Unknowing, there was a gas leak filling the wing of the second floor. As she entered room 217, lighting a match for the lantern, an explosion occurred sending her down into the dining room below. Now, this was not the end of her story. Remarkably, no one was injured or killed in this explosion. However, after passing away in her Estes Park home at 90, it is said that she’s still hanging onto room 217 and the trauma that came from the Stanley Hotel. You might find her turning lights on and off, rearranging furniture, or forcing a wedge between unmarried couples staying in that room.
Stephen King and The Shining
In 1974, Stephen King and his wife Tabitha King booked Room 217. Little did they know what would be in store for them. What started out as a nightmare at the Stanley Hotel, turned into one of his most popular novels, The Shining, selling 350 million copies. After the fame of the novel, Stanley Kubrick created one of the most iconic horror films of the century.
Pfister Hotel | Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Known as one of the most haunted locations in Wisconsin, this historical landmark is home to the professional baseball and basketball team when they are in town. On many occasions, the MLB players have reported paranormal sightings such as lights flickering, knocking in the hallway and on doors, and even object apparitions. There have also been several sights of Charles Pfister walking the halls of this active hotel.
“Listen, I’m not someone who spreads ghost stories, so if I’m telling you this, it happened,” Young said. “A couple of years ago, I was lying in bed after a night game, and I was out. My room was locked, but I heard these footsteps inside my room, stomping around. I’d heard all these stories about this hotel, so I was wide awake at that point. And then I heard it again, these footsteps on the floor, so I yelled out, ‘Hey! Make yourself at home. Hang out, have a seat, but do not wake me up, OK?’ After that, I didn’t hear a thing for the rest of the night. I just let him know he was welcome, that we could be pals, that he could marinate in there for as long as he needed to, just as long as he didn’t wake me up.”
-Michael Young, Former Rangers Infielder
Emily Morgan Hotel | San Antonio, Texas
Before it was a hotel, the Emily Morgan was a Medical Arts building that housed over 100 medical professionals. The facility was built on the grounds where the Mexican Forces battled the Texans in the Long Barracks of the Alamo. Guests and employees have experienced strange encounters over the years – including the phone ringing in the middle of the night and no one is on the other end, items being moved around in rooms, doors shutting on their own, and the 14th floor smelling like antiseptic. Cameras in the hotel have also captured “orbs” and guests have spotted a woman in white walking the halls.
The most haunted floors are the seventh, ninth, and fourteenth floors, as well as the basement. These floors were once the psychiatric ward, surgery floor, waiting area, and morgue. It has been reported that guests have opened doors on the 14th floor only to see a scene of a hospital waiting room, quickly vanishing after taking a second peak. The 12th floor has had ghostly images of nurses running down the hall pushing gurneys, then vanishing just as quickly as it appeared.
You might just spot a ghostly bride peering through a mirror or fading into the walls of the 7th floor.
La Fonda on the Plaza | Santa Fe, New Mexico
You may hear heavy footsteps pacing the halls of the La Fonda on the Plaza Hotel and may even spot a man in a long, black coat. It has been thought that this is the ghost of John Slough, a judge who got into a deadly argument in the hotel lobby.
Other sightings include a businessman who was known to drink and gamble at the Hotel. Heavily in debt, he ended up diving headfirst into a deep well on the property. The old well was covered up and is now a restaurant within the hotel where people have spotted the ghostly businessman.
And then there’s the young bride who was murdered on her wedding night. She is known to haunt Room 510, the lobby, elevators, and the basement.
Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast | Fall River, Massachusetts
Probably one of the most famous haunted hotels in the US is the historic Lizzie Borden House. This is the location of one of the greatest unsolved murder mysteries. This historic landmark is open daily from 10am to midnight and operates as an inn.
An older woman roams the house tidying up various areas. Visitors have felt bed sheets tighten and have heard brushing as if someone was smoothing out the wrinkles in the covers. Others have heard a woman crying and a swaying figure walking up the stairs.
The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel | Los Angeles, CA
This iconic landmark was the first location of the academy awards in 1929. Since then, the fame of this hotel has grown to host various events, movie shoots, and premiers. In the 1980s, restoration work began on the hotel almost awakening the ghosts in the wall of the Roosevelt Hotel. High profile guests now haunt the halls of the Roosevelt hotel, including Marilyn Monroe, Errol Flynn, and Montogomary Clift. Many reports also mention a ghost of a young girl looking for her mother.
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