5 Haunted B&Bs that Fright and Delight
Want to spend Halloween in a real haunted house? These five B&Bs delight travelers with their ghoulish guests and spooky stories.
Foley House Inn, Savannah, GA
Savannah, Georgia’s oldest B&B, The Foley House Inn, is just one of the many reasons the city is often called the most haunted city in America. Innkeeper Grant Rogers didn’t believe in ghosts before coming to inn; after seven years of guests touting similar stories of a man in a top hat walking in the garden or a little girl in the parlor, Grant is now a believer in the paranormal.
The ghosts in the Foley House Inn are traced back to the original owner, Honoria Foley. Legend has it that one night, a suspicious boarder attempted to strangle Ms. Foley. Unable to scream, she beat the attacker over the head with a candlestick and after he fell to the floor, she ran to another guest’s room for help. Returning to the bedroom, they discovered the man was dead.
Fearful that she would be imprisoned for murder, Ms. Foley asked the guest to help conceal the body in return for free rent. On her death bed, Ms. Foley confided in her friends about the murder, but never revealed the location of the body.
During a renovation to expand the property in 1989, human remains were found in the wall. While the remains were never identified they are believed to be that of the boarder that Ms. Foley accidentally murdered.
Queen Anne Hotel, San Francisco, CA
Originally built as a girls’ finishing school following the Gold Rush, rumor holds that the Queen Anne Hotel still hosts the school’s late headmistress. Although no details of her death are known, dozens of guest accounts speak of Miss Mary Lake appearing in mirrors or being felt as hot or cold spots.
The strangest encounter the innkeepers have ever heard from a guest involved Miss Mary Lake requesting a plant for her room in the inn. The guest obliged and had one delivered to the hotel the next day. There’s also an odd report of Mary snugly tucking in a napping traveler with the blanket all the way around the bed.
While the innkeeper Michael has never personally seen the ghost, guests report encountering spirits at least couple of times a week. The Miss Mary Lake Suite has become the most popular room because of the spirits.
The Old Bridge Inn, Jeffersonville, IN
Dating back to 1846, the Old Bridge Inn was originally owned by Dr. Charles Hancock and Nora Duffy. Dr. Hancock was known to perform surgeries in the kitchen and hold funerals in the dining room.
Guests have reported everything from floating objects to being tucked in bed by Mrs. Duffy to canes being picked up and twirled around. Recently, a candle-holder lost for four years reappeared in the middle of a guest room.
Two women reported seeing a welcoming bearded gentleman in the dining room, who was believed to be a funeral attendant. A ghost cat and the Hancock’s family dog, Buttons, have also been spotted by guests.
Captain Grant’s, Poquetanuck, CT
Captain Grant’s is host to around 10 spirits. Situated in between two cemeteries, one across the street and one behind the property, it’s no surprise that this inn is frequented by ghosts. Three of the lingering spirits are children and the remainder are believed to visit from their resting place nearby.
Innkeepers Ted and Carol recently had a guest stay that communicated with the spirits. They spoke with a spirit named Deborah Adams who was just five years old. Toward the end of their stay they asked if there was a way to find her grave. The graveyard was impassible so Carol got the groundskeeper to clear a path. About fifty feet into the graveyard they found Deborah’s headstone.
Carol’s first paranormal experience happened when she was 25, and a ghost materialized right in front of her eyes. Last summer, she saw a man in a long-sleeve white shirt walking across the housekeeping room in the inn, but no one was actually there.
Captain Grant’s celebrates its haunted heritage every year on Halloween by taking guests across the street to visit the cemetery and tell ghost stories by a bonfire with spiked cider and pumpkin bread. The morning after Halloween, they visit the cemetery behind the house to pay their respects to the spirits.
The Salem Inn, Salem, MA
Salem is best known for its history of the colonial witch trials. If you are looking for close encounters, don’t miss a chance to stay in room 17 at The Salem Inn. Innkeeper Jennifer MacAllister reports that about seven out of ten guests that stay in Room 17 claim they have some sort of encounter with a ghost.
A psychic recently visited the Salem Inn and confirmed that room 17 was indeed haunted by a woman named Elizabeth, abused and killed by her husband in that room. According to the psychic and guest accounts, Elizabeth doesn’t typically like it when men stay in that room; sometimes taunting them by making lots of noise in the closet or letting her footsteps be heard. But don’t let that scare you! Legend has it that if you leave a glass of liquor for Elizabeth, she’ll be happy enough to leave you alone.
Guests have experienced everything from images of Elizabeth in the room, to the sensation of being sat on, unable to get up out of bed. The innkeeper also reports that room 17 is notoriously colder than the other rooms, no matter how hard they try to control the temperature.