15 Haunted Hotels & Inns In The U.S. To Spend The Night At

At many accommodations across the U.S., you may find yourself in the company of other "beings," whether you like it or not. They're not alive, but not quite dead, and they're neither hotel employees nor average guests. Such supernatural figures can be found at grand hotels, quaint bed & breakfasts, and even chic home-sharing locations. That's right — we're talking about ghosts.

For believers and non-believers alike, the idea of sharing space with a ghost (or ghosts) can be titillating — or terrifying. Our experts scoured the web to find 15 U.S. hotels, inns, and Airbnb's brimming with apparitions, or at least rumors of them. Some ghosts like the company and seem to look after their guests, while others take great umbrage at usurpers invading their space. Other ghosts are tricksters, amusing themselves in purgatory by punking unsuspecting visitors. So, go ahead and book a night in one of these haunted locales ... if you dare.

The Pfister Hotel (starting at $179 per night), open since 1893, is regarded as Milwaukee's finest — and most haunted — hotel. A noted Milwaukee ghost researcher believes the hotel's resident ghost is none other than Charles Pfister, the original owner.

Perhaps Charles Pfister is checking up on his property. Or, he might be a huge Milwaukee Brewers fan, hell-bent on spooking visiting teams on their visits. You see, multiple Major League Baseball players have reported creepy experiences at the Pfister — flickering lights, furniture and clothing being inexplicably moved around, and even a strange presence tugging at their bedsheets. In 2013, then-Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton called the hotel "freaky as sh–." In 2018, a flock of St. Louis Cardinals fled to a teammate's room (strength in numbers, you see) after being scared out of their jockstraps by floating "apparitions" in their rooms. One of those players, Carlos Martinez, pitched the next day and, naturally, lost.

Featuring a regal, Romanesque Revival exterior and an opulent, gold-accented interior, the Pfister is truly of a bygone era. The Pfister has been featured on PBS, and a documentary about it was nominated for an Emmy in 2014. The best time to visit is April through October — baseball season, of course.

The Driskill Hotel (starting at $221 per night) opened in 1866 and is Austin's oldest — and most haunted — hotel. The ghost of President Lyndon Baines Johnson, once a frequent Driskill guest, has been reported many times. President Johnson met his future First Lady, Lady Bird, back in 1934 on a breakfast date at The Driskill. Eerily, numerous guests report bumbling into The Driskill's ballroom to see the ghostly reflection of LBJ & Lady Bird Johnson, dancing in the mirror.

A spurned bride is rumored to haunt Room 525. Left at the altar in 1991, she went on a shopping spree with her ex's stolen credit card. Upon arriving in her room, she ran a warm bath, got in, and shot herself. Guests talk of a bereft ghost bride roaming The Driskill's halls, shopping bags in tow.

This "cowboy Romanesque" structure remains the grand dame of Austin's hotel scene. It features lots of marble, recessed entrances, round arches, and grand porticos. Local ghost tours stop at The Driskill, which has been featured in Austin Monthly, SXSWorld Magazine, and other outlets. And if the Driskill isn't enough for you, it's just one of the most spine-chilling tourist attractions to visit in Texas.

Established in 1769, The Equinox Resort (starting at $159 per night) in Manchester, Vermont, is another hotel haunted by Presidential relations. President Abraham Lincoln and his family, including his wife, Mary, stayed at The Equinox Resort in the summer of 1864. The family planned to return the next summer, but never made it back — President Lincoln was assassinated the following April.

Even with President Lincoln's death, Mary Todd Lincoln eventually returned to Manchester in both corporeal and ghostly forms — her son, Robert Todd Lincoln, purchased the nearby Hildene Estate. Both Equinox guests and employees have sworn to see the ghost of Mary Todd Lincoln around the property, accompanied by a small ghost child. Guests and staff have also reported spots at the resort becoming icily cold, very quickly; strange orbs and eerie whispers have also been noted.

Ghostliness aside, The Equinox remains an elegant New England getaway, nestled amid Vermont's Green Mountains. The best time to visit is spring for "Summer Skiing", to ski in balmier weather with fewer crowds and cheaper lift tickets.

South Florida's swampy, humid nature lends itself to spookiness — no surprise The Biltmore in Coral Gables (starting at $297 per night) has long been rumored to be haunted. The Biltmore Hotel opened in 1926. It served as a World War II Army hospital, a Veterans Hospital, and a medical school before closing in 1968. The hotel reopened in 1987.

In the 1920s, The Biltmore was a hob-nobbing hotspot — that's when the weirdness started. The creepiest Biltmore ghost tale revolves around Thomas "Fatty" Walsh, a mobster shot and killed there in 1929. According to lore, a couple hopped into the elevator to go to the fourth floor but were inexplicably taken to the 13th floor instead. The doors remained open for a while, so the couple emerged — and then the elevator doors slammed shut. They noticed strange figures in the shadows, sounds of talking and laughing (with no one around), and the distinct smell of cigar smoke. Biltmore staff checked the elevator and found no issues. It just so happens that Thomas "Fatty" Walsh was gunned down ... on the 13th floor.

The Biltmore in Coral Gables features sun-kissed Mediterranean architecture and gorgeous grounds. The Dade Heritage Trust runs The Historic Biltmore Hotel Tour every Sunday at 2 p.m. The Biltmore has appeared in "Bad Boys," "CSI: Miami", and more. Visit in the off-season, from September through March (but avoid Christmas).

Staying at a haunted hotel is one thing —bedding down at an historic crime scene is quite another, which you can do at The Historic Lizzie Borden House (starting at $285 per night) in Fall River, Massachusetts. The Historic Lizzie Borden House is where Lizzie Borden was accused of brutally murdering her father and stepmother with an ax in 1892. In a sensational trial, Borden was acquitted.

So, can you stay in "The Murder Room?" You bet you can! The Morse Room (its formal name) is where Borden's stepmother Abby was killed. It is named after Borden's uncle, who slept there the night before — and the night of — the murder (1892 police work wasn't quite what it is today). But the entirety of the Borden House is creepy, and likely haunted. Guests and staff have reported all kinds of strangeness — a guest claimed she felt a flame moving along her back while in bed; murder victims' reflections appearing in glass frames and mirrors; items repeatedly falling over on flat surfaces, and more.

Daily and nightly tours are offered, as are basement tours, where the murder weapons were thought to be hidden. Many films and television shows have been filmed in this classic Greek Revival home. The best time to visit is, naturally, October.

The Congress Plaza Hotel (starting at $98 per night), open since 1893, is known as Chicago's spookiest building. It features a rich history of famous visitors (multiple Presidents including both Roosevelts, Taft, and others) and a hair-raising history of suicides, deaths, and paranormal activity. Room 441 is allegedly its most haunted room. Multiple guests have told of spine-stiffening encounters with a ghostly woman (no one is quite sure who she is) hovering over the bed and tugging at the sheets.

The Congress Plaza Hotel has seen many suicides, too. One awful story from 1939 involves the suicide of a depressed woman, who threw her two young sons out a 12th-floor window onto Michigan Avenue, before jumping herself. Now, word is one of the woman's sons haunts the 12th floor. A security guard still working at the hotel tells of investigating a noise complaint on the 12th floor. Upon spotting a boy in the hallway, the guard yelled for him to stop. The boy — ghostly and wearing worn-out clothing — turned, smiled mischievously, and vanished.

Perhaps the Congress Plaza Hotel's Gilded Age design and ornate interior give the impression that this place has seen things. Ghost tours regularly stop here. Stephen King's "1408" is rumored to be partially based on the author's stay at the hotel. The best time to visit Chicago is shoulder season, May or September, to avoid the crowds.

A hotel since the mid-1990s, the Jerome Grand Hotel (starting at $200 per night) in Jerome, Arizona, has an eerie history. From the 1920s through the 1950s, the building was the United Verde Hospital, serving what was then a bustling mining town. The hospital was very busy — roughly 9,000 patients died at United Verde during this time.

Visit the Jerome Grand Hotel today and you may encounter a vaporous ghost. Guests have reported sudden sounds of gurneys rolling down the hallway; voices suddenly materializing in the hallway before vanishing just as quickly; the ghost of a cat walking on a third-floor bed; and mysterious, haunting phone calls from vacant hotel rooms. 

The hotel's general manager is open about the ghosts — the Jerome has multiple, 300-page guest books filled with guests' stories of supernatural encounters. The Jerome Grand Hotel was built in the Mission Revival Style, with a rugged, southwestern feel. The Travel Channel's "Ghost Encounters" visited the hotel in 2011, among numerous media reports on the hotel.

The ghost of Captain James Fairfield, who fought the British in the War of 1812, is rumored to haunt the inn carrying his name — James Fairfield House (starting at $182 per night) — in Kennebunkport, Maine. But Fairfield's ghost isn't your typical apparition. For one, he's a friendly ghost. Also, Fairfield's ghost ... seems a bit vain.

Captain Fairfield purchased the building around 1815. Garrulous and friendly, he didn't get to enjoy his home for long — he died from pneumonia in 1820. Over the next 160 years or so, Fairfield's home changed hands multiple times before being turned into an inn in the 1980s. Soon, both guests and hotel staff noticed the Captain's otherworldly presence, initially in the basement. Eventually, Captain Fairfield started hanging around the inn's main staircase — not to greet guests, but to admire an 1811 portrait of himself, hanging on the wall. Ghost hunters believe Fairfield likes to hang out "in the painting" to observe and ensure his guests are enjoying their stay. What a guy. Excuse us, what a ghost.

The Fairfield House is a Federal Style mansion exuding New England charm. It doesn't do ghost tours, but Kennebunkport Ghost Walks stops here. Visit in the spring for fishing, biking, and sightseeing, or fall for stunning fall foliage.

The Grand Union Hotel (starting at $159 per night) opened in 1882 and sits on the Upper Missouri River in Fort Benton, Montana. The Grand Union is located in Fort Benton's Historic District. Since its opening, several people have died in the hotel's century-plus run, and their ghosts reportedly lurk within.

One such ghost is that of a cowboy (no one seems to know his true identity) who had a bit too much to drink one night. He rode his horse into the hotel in an attempt to climb the Grand Union's main staircase. The bar manager took great umbrage at such drunken horsing around and unceremoniously shot the cowboy dead, right in the lobby. However, it appears the cowboy had the last laugh — multiple guests claim to have seen his figure hovering around the building. Guests have also reported mysterious hoof sounds in the hallways. 

The three-story Grand Union Hotel is built in the Italianate style, common for the 1880s. The hotel doesn't offer ghost tours, sadly. The best time to visit Fort Benton is during the summer, especially if you're interested in exploring the area's state parks. 

The Grand Galvez Hotel (starting at $184 per night) in Galveston, Texas, opened in 1911, but the root of its spookiness goes back to the Great Storm of 1900. The hotel wasn't yet built when a nun, Sister Katherine — she ran a nearby orphanage — drowned along with nine orphans she was desperately seeking shelter for. Their bodies were discovered on the beach and buried there. To this day, guests and hotel staff claim to see Sister Katherine's ghost, ambling nervously on the hotel's southern lawn, pensively turning to see if a storm is nearing.

There's also the legend of Room 501, or "Audra's room." In 1955, a young bride-to-be — Audra — was waiting anxiously for her mariner fiance's return. Mistakenly informed he was lost at sea (he survived), Audra hung herself in the hotel's west turret. Guests claim to see Audra's ghost, roaming the halls, sobbing. In Room 501, guests tell of feeling a "presence" sitting on the bed. Sometimes, Room 501's keycard won't work. When scanned at the front desk, it reportedly reads "Expired 1955."

The Grand Galvez embraces its eerie history, as it "honors our resident ghosts" with guided ghost tours year-round. If you want a photo of the ghostly eyes of Bernardo de Galvez, living in his own portrait, ask permission first. This Mission-Spanish Revival building is Texas' only historic beachfront hotel, and HGTV named the Grand Galvez "the creepiest place in Texas."

There's nothing creepy about sleeping in the bedroom of a long-dead little girl, right? The Haunted Bedroom (starts at $112 per night), situated in the 130-year-old Parks-Bowman mansion Airbnb in New Orleans' Garden District, is open for guests.

The ghost of the little girl — who died unexpectedly — is believed to be the daughter of the home's original owners, who buried her on the property. Rumor has it this little ghost wears a yellow dress and walks around the garden, softly singing to herself. You might also encounter her in the Haunted Bedroom (it's her's, remember), where she is known to playfully hide visitors' glasses around the room. In the comments section, many guests have noted a "presence" in the 3rd-floor bedroom, but that the little girl ghost is friendly.

The Parks-Bowman Mansion is shaded by palm and oak trees and features deep-shaded porches and a lap-size pool. The best time to visit New Orleans is from February to May (except during Mardi Gras, unless you're going for that), or from December through January. The Parks-Bowman mansion has received plenty of press, from The Travel Channel, Vice, and USA Today. If the haunted bedroom isn't enough "fright" for you, check out some of the best ghost tours in New Orleans.

The Henry Derby House (starts at $408 per night) was built in 1838, for a tailor of the same name, in Salem, Massachusetts — one of many fun and spooky Halloween destinations for your bucket list. Nowadays, it's a highly-rated Airbnb with a friendly host (he grew up in the home), and a crew of friendly — if slightly strict — ghosts.

One guest was startled when told "hello" in the home's front room — no one else was in the room with her (except, apparently, a ghost). Guests have mentioned the ghost of a young girl who likes to tuck third-floor guests in and tickle their feet. This ghost also likes to play tricks on her guests by moving things around the room. The home accommodates up to 12 guests, but visitors are warned against loud parties, as the neighbors will call the police. On Airbnb, one guest also wrote that she was told to "shhh" twice during her stay. Even the ghosts at the Derby House follow the rules.

This is an antique, Colonial-style home in Salem's McIntire District. It features eight beds and four baths and is geared towards large groups. The best time to visit Salem is the fall for its riotous Halloween celebrations. This is the home of the Salem Witch Trials, after all.

Those looking for ghostly titillation may be well-served with a visit to the Mizpah Hotel (starting from $170 per night) in Tonopah, Nevada. Opened in 1907, the Mizpah has long been rumored to be haunted by "The Lady In Red," or "Rose." She was a sex worker who lived year-round at the Mizpah, offering her services to the town's miners and using her suite as her "office" — Rose was brutally murdered in the hotel by a jealous lover.

The Mizpah embraces its resident ghosts, calling them "our permanent guests," and you're likely to encounter Rose if you stay in rooms 502, 503, or 504, which were the suites that made up her living (and working) space. Numerous male guests have reported hearing mysterious "seductive whispers" in their ears as they lay in bed, as well as in the elevator that Rose used to bring her clients to her quarters. Two supernatural miners are also rumored to haunt the hotel's basement. They are apparently so unsettling that some hotel staff members refuse to go down there.

The Mizpah Hotel is a Victorian Era hotel, featuring brass chandeliers, leaded glass windows, and other charms. In a readers' poll by USA Today, Mizpah was voted the 7th best haunted hotel in the U.S., and Zak Bagan's "Ghosthunters" TV show visited the Mizpah in 2011.

Perhaps the most disturbingly haunted hotel in the country is the Holiday Inn Express (starting at $113 per night) in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was the scene of an appalling, familial murder-suicide in August of 1978. A 38-year-old woman threw her three youngest children off an 11th-floor balcony, while her three older children jumped voluntarily — miraculously, one of the children survived. The mother then jumped to her death. This mass family death event was preceded days earlier by the suicide of the woman's husband, a self-proclaimed prophet. A police officer said the deaths were "an apparent act of religious zealotry."

Before their deaths, the family had been living at the International Dunes Hotel (as it was called) for over a year, and some of their ghosts remain. Guests have described an unsettling energy on the 11th floor, footsteps coming from nowhere, and the sounds of children's screams. A woman's disembodied voice can be overheard around the hotel pool. Maintenance staff say their tools have been stolen on the cursed floor, and lightbulbs are mysteriously unscrewed (and not by the maintenance staff).

The Holiday Inn Express makes no mention of the building's grisly history. The best time to visit Salt Lake City is during the winter to take advantage of Utah's fantastic skiing. The spring and fall are also good times to visit for hiking through the area's canyons.

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (starting at $263 per night) in Los Angeles, which opened in 1927, is reportedly haunted by Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. The blonde bombshell lived at the Roosevelt for two years early in her career, and her first photo shoot was in 1951 at the Roosevelt's Tropicana pool. While Monroe didn't die at the hotel, her ghost seems to like it, as both staff and guests have reported it over the years.

The most famous ghostly encounter allegedly involved Monroe's ghost. The story goes that a member of the hotel cleaning staff was tidying up what used to be Monroe's old suite. The staff member looked up, saw Monroe's ghostly reflection in the mirror, and high-tailed it out of the room. You can stay in the Marilyn Monroe Suite (starting at $892 per night), which features an open-concept layout and a wraparound balcony that overlooks the Tropicana pool.

The Roosevelt is a Spanish-Colonial Revival style building and epitomizes Los Angeles' architectural heyday. Many films and TV shows have been filmed here over the years, including "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "Catch Me If You Can," and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle," just to name a few. And if you're looking to see living icons, the Roosevelt isn't far from places in Los Angeles where you're likely to spot celebrities.