Haunted Inns
If you are intrigued by eerie apparitions and things that go bump in the night, consider staying at these B&Bs known for their ghostly happenings. Many B&Bs are in historic homes, some of which have friendly spirits still lingering from the past. For a truly spooky Halloween, book a stay at one of these haunted inns!
Haunted B&Bs by Region: The West
Featherbed Railroad Bed and Breakfast Resort: Nice, California
At this B&B, guests stay in one of nine former railroad cabooses. A number of guests have told the innkeepers that they’ve seen a man in striped pajamas at night either walking around the Celebrations caboose room or sitting on the bed. Due to visits from this ghost, a few guests have actually asked to move their rooms. The Celebrations caboose is renamed the Haunted CaBOOse for October and is decorated for Halloween. The innkeepers think the ghost may be the spirit of a former railroad worker.
Queen Anne Hotel: San Francisco, California
The Queen Anne Hotel was built as a girls’ finishing school following the Gold Rush, but the headmistress apparently hasn’t given up her role. Dozens of accounts speak of “Miss Mary Lake” appearing briefly in a mirror or being noticed as a hot or cold spot. There’s even an odd report of Mary tucking in a napping traveler with the blanket snugly tucked all the way around the bed. Celebrity psychic Nancy Bradley and paranormals have verified that the building is haunted and have confirmed the ghosts are friendly.
Haunted B&Bs by Region: The Southwest
Austin’s Inn At Pearl Street: Austin, Texas
The first official record of the Inn can be found in the 1914 Austin City Directory when it was the private residence of prominent 26th Judicial District Judge Charles A. Wilcox and his family. Wilcox and his wife, formerly Stella Snider, had five children, including twins.
During renovations when power was cut to this boutique hotel, lights were seen flashing off and on in specific rooms. Two subcontractors were allowed to stay in the home during some of the renovation process. During their two-week stay, they’d be awakened by lights and drawn to the main hall to see a beautifully draped woman in white carrying two “bambinos” from one room to another to coddle and lovingly rock to sleep. A glow about her is claimed to be seen, as the long-dead Stella Snider still roams the rooms and halls of the Inn today. There have been many spirits seen and living at the Inn throughout the years up to the present.
Texas White House: Fort Worth, Texas
The ghost here is believed to be the husband of the only family who ever lived in the house. He died here and now haunts his old bedroom. The ghost sightings occur when a single woman stays in the room. Two women have awakened in the middle of the night feeling like someone was lying on the bed beside them when no one was there. A third woman reported that she felt a presence in the corner.
Haunted B&Bs by Region: The Southeast
Black Horse Inn: Warrenton, Virginia
Three ghosts have been accounted for in this former Civil War hospital. The first is a woman, believed to have been a nurse in the hospital, who is inclined to laugh only in gentlemen’s ears. The second ghost is known to the whole community as “The Dancer” because the tap of his shoes is heard throughout the night as he dances at the top of the stairs. A male ghost makes an impression on the comforter in the Burgundy Room. The Ghost of Christmas has tipped over the Christmas tree — breaking all the ornaments — each year for the past three years. The tree is now wired to the corner of the room.
Foley House Inn: Savannah, Georgia
Legend has it that the house was owned in the late 19th century by a widow who rented rooms to travelers and boarders. One night, a boarder who she thought was suspicious attempted to strangle her. Unable to scream, she grabbed a candlestick and beat him over the head. He fell to the floor, and the widow ran to another boarder’s room for help. Returning to the bedroom, they discovered the man was dead. Fearful she would be imprisoned for murder, she asked the boarder to help her conceal the body in return for free rent. On her deathbed, she told friends what happened but never revealed the location of the body. In 1989, during a renovation to expand the inn, human remains were found in a wall. The remains are believed to be the boarder that Mrs. Foley murdered, although they were never identified. Today, locals refer to this person as “Wally”! Some have reported hearing the door suddenly open in the room where he was killed, followed by a rush of air.
Kehoe House: Savannah, Georgia
Set in a restored 1892 Queen Anne–style mansion, this B&B is reputedly haunted by the ghosts of twin Kehoe children who may have died while playing in one of the house’s fireplaces (now blocked up). The inn’s website speaks of many reported sightings of the ghosts and the sound of children laughing and playing in the dead of night.
Penny Farthing Inn: Saint Augustine, Florida
Ghostbusters, guests and the innkeeper have said that plenty of playful spirits hang around here. Occurrences include midnight tugs-of-war with the blankets, and glasses leaning over and clinking on sherry bottles. One guest described a young lady sitting on the daybed in his room when he woke up. A few days later, the 4-year-old daughter of the owners asked if the lady in the doorway of the dining room was a guest; the little girl described the lady she saw exactly as the guest had.
The Twin Lakes Lodge: Greensboro, North Carolina
One guest reported a woman with a long flowing dress floating over the lake one night. Dismissing these visions as a dream, he awoke the next morning to find wet footsteps on his suite’s otherwise dry deck, coming up over the railing and to the window. Another guest said the woman in the white flowing dress hummed to her at her bedside.
Fleur De Lis Mansion: New Orleans, Louisiana
Paranormal investigators Maria Pinheiro and Michael Bill, with New Orleans Ghost City Tours, investigated Fleur De Lis Mansion and discovered a spirit who goes by “Bill” or “Billy,” depending on his mood. They experienced and gathered evidence in the Fleur De Lis Suite, the River Suite and the Royal Suite through video and audio recordings. Billy can be mischievous, and he enjoys the occasional prank, like pulling covers down on sleeping guests or pulling out a dining room chair, much to the chagrin of housekeeping.
Mayhurst Inn: Orange, Virginia
The spirits of children reside at the Mayhurst Inn, primarily haunting the Magnolia room, Madison room and the School House. These ghosts like being the only kids on the block, so to speak, and don’t appear if a living child is on the premises. Playfulness is a theme to the Mayhurst interactions; windows may pop open, or you may hear knocks on the door. Guests have awoken to interactions such as a young girl brushing her hair or children looking to play.
Haunted B&Bs by Region: The Northeast
Collins House Inn Bed & Breakfast: Marion, Virginia
Two friendly spirits live at the Collins House Inn. The Marion Paranormals have surveyed the inn and validated their presence. The L.P. room is where guests experience the “bump” in the night. You may hear a knock on the bathroom door at 3am, or notice your items have moved from where you last placed them. Are you exceptionally in tune with the paranormal? Some guests report feeling a tightness in their chest when approaching the L.P. room, and others cannot even go up to the second floor (including the resident dog).
Inn At Aberdeen: Valparaiso, Indiana
At this inn, featured in the book “Haunted Hoosier Trails,” guests report seeing a little girl ghost, often observed late at night on the primary staircase. She has been noted to “mess with the guests’ stuff” or turn on the fireplace in their rooms. The Indiana Ghost Trackers investigated the inn and reported that Sarah Ritter, an original inhabitant, and her two children died in the home. The Ghost Trackers detected the presence of a young girl and a male. A door repeatedly opened behind them when the girl’s presence was felt during the Ghost Trackers’ stay.
Borland House Bed & Breakfast: Montgomery, New York
In the second chapter of her book “Back Into the Light,” author and ghost investigator Linda Zimmermann tells of her team’s experiences here. There was enough ghostly activity to fill eight pages with tales and photos of ghostly sightings, though she said none of the spirits were harmful.
Inn At Herr Ridge: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
The former tavern here served as an impromptu field hospital for the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the Battle of Gettysburg. Innkeeper Steven Wolf said that someone once ordered a beer, but no one was there. Odd occurrences regularly happen, including mysterious whispers, someone calling the names of the employees, cold spots, glasses and silverware flying off tables, even knives and forks falling blade- or prongs-first into the floor. Occasionally, computers type gibberish on their own, extinguished lamps relight and unexplained crashes occur in the kitchen. Wolf attributes much of the activity to the “house ghost,” Frederick Herr, who purchased the tavern in 1828.
Baladerry Inn: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
This B&B sits at the edge of the Gettysburg Battlefield and served as a field hospital of the Union Army during the war. Supposedly, the ghostly history still lingers. Paranormal investigations have found dozens of EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) and have taken spooky pictures, and some guests report ghostly encounters. Several ghost tours are offered in Gettysburg.
Captain Grant’s, 1754: Poquetanuck, Connecticut
Visitors to this historic 1754 inn are told when they arrive that if they hear a loud knock at the door, they can answer if they like, but nobody will be there. Those who stay at the Adelaide Room are sure to have some contact with the mysterious woman and her two children who once lived there, whether it’s through the TV turning on and off or the shower curtain continually falling down. One guest even had her ChapStick levitate out of her purse on a recent visit.
The Emerson Inn: Rockport, Massachusetts
Guests have shared photos of shadowy figures in the doorways, and staff tell stories of a dark shadow of a man seen at the left side of the building. Lights have been known to go on and off, too; perhaps it’s the spirit of Ralph Waldo Emerson, a former guest here.
Nichols Guest House B&B: Seekonk, Massachusetts
Legend tells us that the original owner of this 200-year-old Colonial home took his own life. There are shadows and strange sounds in the night, and lights mysteriously flicker on and off, ensuring that guests know that friendly spirits remain.
Brass Lantern Inn: Stowe, Vermont
Inn guests who’ve seen paranormal activity vary the details slightly, but they always hear the noises coming from the same guest room. Some report hearing people arrive late in the night, speaking loudly and talking about the good time they just had at a party. Yet in all cases, no guests were staying in the guest room or even in a nearby room.
Green Mountain Inn: Stowe, Vermont
“Boots” Berry, the tap dancing ghost and former local hero, can still be heard dancing on the third floor of the inn during severe winter storms. The son of the inn’s former horseman and chambermaid, Boots was born in Room 302 in 1840, and he grew up in the inn. One morning, Boots bravely stopped a runaway stage, saving the lives of the passengers. His heroism turned to too many congratulatory drinks, and Boots neglected his duties at the inn. He was dismissed and ended up in jail where he learned to tap dance, earning his nickname. Once out of jail, a storm hit the town, and a little girl became stranded on the roof of the inn. Boots went to the icy roof and lowered the girl to the ground. Just as she reached safety, Boots slipped and fell to his death. The roof he was standing on when he fell was the roof of Room 302.