Most-haunted hotels in the United States to visit

Writer and poet Carl Sandburg once said, "And the dead know much, and the dead holder under their tongues, a locked-up story."

Haunted hotels have always fascinated those drawn to the strange and the macabre. Why are so many drawn to these haunted spooky places?

Many of these hotels offer a rich history, contributing to their charm and allure. Add stories of famous guests, tragic events or paranormal occurrences, and for curiosity seekers and those searching for a possible supernatural experience, here are some great places to explore. And many offer ghost tours of their own properties.

Copper Queen Hotel, Bisbee, AZ

The historic hotel in Bisbee is Arizona’s longest continuously operating hotel, once serving as lodging for investors and dignitaries visiting its successful copper mine.

Built over a century ago, the grand dame of Bisbee has hosted Theodore Roosevelt, John Wayne and General John "Black Jack" Pershing. The hotel also hosts three resident ghosts that include Julia Lowell, a "lady of the evening," a young boy named Billy who drowned in a nearby river, and a bearded man with a top hat. A journal at the front desk contains descriptions of guests’ encounters.

Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, CA

Built in 1887, the red-turreted Victorian architectural masterpiece has hosted numerous U.S. presidents, foreign dignitaries, royalty and celebrities. Several Hollywood movies were filmed here, and L. Frank Baum, writer and creator of the famous Wizard of Oz did much of his work during his stay.

The hotel also welcomed a beautiful young stranger in 1892 who checked in but never checked out. On a late November evening, the troubled, melancholy Kate Morgan, was seen dressed in black facing crashing ocean waves fueled by a cold winter storm. The following morning, she was found on a staircase leading to beach with a gun next to her body.

Over the years, in a third-floor guest room (3327) where the woman stayed, guests have reported a number of strange and eerie occurrences. Others described sightings of a woman dressed in black wandering hallways, gardens and along the seashore.

La Fonda on the Plaza, Santa Fe, NM

Designated as the oldest hotel corner in America, La Fonda on the Plaza was constructed as a Spanish inn in 1607. The lobby, common areas and historic guest rooms and suites feature authentic New Mexican craftsmanship in an impressive luxurious but laid-back setting.

Many legends and reports say the hotel is haunted by the spirit of Judge John P. Slough often seen in a long black coat wandering the interior of the hotel. Slough was shot and killed in the lobby in 1867. Additionally, the spirit of a distressed salesperson who gambled away his money then jumped (or fell) into a well once located in the hotel’s La Plazuela restaurant has been reported. Other legends tell of a young bride murdered on her wedding night by an ex-lover who is said to appear in room 510, in elevators and other places.

The Emily Morgan Hotel, San Antonio, TX

Situated in the heart of downtown San Antonio across from the Alamo, the hotel was once a 1920s medical facility with surgery rooms, psychiatric wards, a morgue and crematorium. The 7th, 9th, 11th and 14th floors are said to foster the most haunting stories — a ghost bride and screams on the 7th floor once a psychiatric ward, doctor and nurse apparitions on the 12th floor and hospital smells and strange odors on the 14th.

Other phenomena include cold spots, shadows, a feeling of being watched, sounds of gurneys, and elevators stopping at certain floors at will.

The Stanley Hotel-Estes Park, CO

Considered one of the most famous haunted hotels in the U.S. thanks to its lore and role in inspiring Stephen’s King’s "The Shining," The Stanley Hotel was opened in 1909.

Stephen King and his wife stayed in room 217, just as the hotel was closing for the winter. King is said to have had nightmares that night — his son running through endless hallways, pursued by a malevolent presence — inspiring the plot of the famous movie.

Over the years, guests have reported hearing piano music coming from empty rooms or hallways, cold spots, doors that move by themselves, ghostly children, shadowy figures, and more.

The Crescent Hotel, Eureka Springs, AR

Paranormal experts have deemed this historic hotel one of the most haunted places in the U.S. — not quite the ideal place to stay for the faint of heart.

The 1886 hotel was once an experimental hospital set up by infamous charlatan Norman Baker. Baker said to have the cure for cancer, his treatments later deemed fraudulent. Because of its unfortunate history, many patient deaths occurred, and many unsettled spirits still haunt The Crescent Hotel.

Guests report nurses walking through the halls pushing wheelchairs, dark figures, cold spots, smells like cherry tobacco without a source, flickering lights and visitors feeling ill in certain areas of the hotel such as the old hospital wings and the morgue (now the site of the spa).

The Myrtles Plantation, St. Francisville, LA

Located in the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana, the plantation, originally called Laurel Grove built in 1798 has quite a history accompanied by an impressive collection of ghostly lore. Considered one of the finest hotels in America, the venue has no issue also deeming itself the "Home of Mystery and Intrigue."

Likely the best-known ghost legend surrounds a slave/servant named Chloe whose ear was cut off as punishment for eavesdropping. Chloe then baked a cake poisoned with oleander leaves killing the owner’s wife and some children. She was hanged; her body thrown in the river and is often spotted wearing a green turban to hide her missing ear.

Other strange incidents include handprints appearing on an old mirror, footsteps coming up the stairs, ghosts of Mrs. Woodruff and her children, strange orbs and scents of oleander and cold spots. None of this surprising given the plantation is said to be built atop a Tunica Indian burial ground.

The Queen Mary Hotel, Long Beach, CA

The former retired ocean liner, now a hotel reportedly has so many haunted areas, paranormal experts never run out of spaces to explore. Stateroom B340 is considered the most notorious room where guests have reported lights and faucets turning on and off by themselves, doors slamming, dark figures lurking at the foot of the bed, knocking sounds and sheets being pulled off at night.

Other ghostly incidents include "Jackie," a little girl haunting the pool area in which she drowned, John Peddar/Pedder, a crew member crushed by a watertight drill often seen in the engine room, apparitions of a lady in white, phantom music, unexplained laughter and more.

Marshall House, Savannah, GA

Deemed one of the oldest hotels in Savannah, the Marshall House dating back to 1851, functioned as a hospital for Union soldiers during the Civil War, and later through two yellow fever epidemics in the mid-1800s.

Room 414 is frequently cited as one of the most haunted rooms with stories that include foul smells (rotting, decay odors). Other unexplained occurrences include phantom children running, laughing and bouncing marbles down hallways in the middle of the night, faucets turning off and on by themselves, sightings of a ghostly Union soldier missing an arm, and shadowy figures resembling doctors and nurses.

Bourbon Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, LA

This iconic New Orleans hotel previous served as a theater, an orphanage and school and a medical ward during the yellow fever epidemics, with a storied history dating back to 1817.

Reported hauntings and supernatural phenomena associated with the venue include an apparition of a lady dancing alone under the chandeliers in the Orleans Ballroom, children laughing and crying along with spirit appearances, and the feeling of small hands tugging on guest's clothing in the corridors.

Room 644, The Nun’s Room is cited as one of the most haunted rooms in the hotel due to a nun committing suicide here. Guests have heard screams, and some have reported actually seeing a ghostly nun standing beside their bed.