Haunted Hotels You Can Actually Stay In, 7 Plus Spooky Hotels for Your Next Getaway
There are haunted houses you visit for an hour in October, and then there are haunted hotels where you can actually unpack your suitcase and spend the night. Across the United States, some of the country's most historic hotels have accumulated decades of ghost stories, unexplained encounters, local legends, and reported paranormal activity alongside their very real histories. Some lean fully into those stories with ghost tours and paranormal investigations, while others simply acknowledge that guests and employees have been reporting unusual experiences for generations. Better yet, many of these properties are in destinations that are already worth planning a trip around, from the mountains of Colorado and New Hampshire to the French Quarter in New Orleans. That makes them especially fun choices for a Halloween weekend getaway, spooky fall vacation, or simply a trip with a really good story behind it. And no, you don't necessarily have to be a serious ghost hunter to enjoy them.
This guide focuses on haunted hotels you can actually stay in rather than places that are simply open for paranormal tours. I've included some of America's most famous haunted hotels, the stories behind them, the experiences you can book, and what else makes each destination worth visiting. You'll find everything from a California beach resort with a famous resident ghost to the Colorado hotel that helped inspire Stephen King's The Shining. There are glamorous Old Hollywood stories, mysterious haunted rooms, a New Orleans ballroom dancer, and even one remarkably helpful ghost in Wyoming. Whether or not you believe the paranormal stories is entirely up to you. The history and destinations behind them, however, make these hotels fascinating places to stay either way.
Yes, You Can Actually Spend the Night in a Haunted Hotel
A haunted hotel doesn't necessarily mean a dark, abandoned building that looks like it belongs in a horror movie. Some of America's most famous reportedly haunted hotels are luxury resorts, historic landmarks, mountain retreats, and glamorous city hotels that happen to have accumulated a few ghost stories along the way. In many cases, the buildings have been operating for more than a century, giving them plenty of history from which those legends have grown. Guests have reported everything from unexplained footsteps and flickering lights to apparitions, mysteriously moving objects, and voices coming from otherwise empty rooms. A handful of hotels have gone a step further by creating official ghost tours, paranormal investigations, or experiences centered around their haunted histories. That means travelers looking for spooky places to stay can make the paranormal element an actual part of their vacation.
The best haunted hotel trips also aren't necessarily about spending your entire weekend searching for ghosts. You could spend the morning hiking through Rocky Mountain National Park before returning to The Stanley Hotel for a ghost tour, or spend the afternoon on a Southern California beach before learning about Hotel del Coronado's most famous mystery after dark. In New Hampshire, a haunted historic resort can become part of a larger fall foliage road trip through the White Mountains. In New Orleans, your hotel is only one piece of a destination filled with ghost tours, historic cemeteries, centuries-old architecture, restaurants, cocktails, and live music. That's what makes these properties particularly interesting from a travel perspective. The haunted history becomes one more layer of the destination rather than the only reason to go.
What Makes a Haunted Hotel Worth Traveling For?
Not every hotel that appears on a list of supposedly haunted places necessarily deserves an entire vacation built around it. The most interesting options combine a compelling history with established paranormal legends and enough surrounding experiences to make the destination itself worth visiting. I also give more weight to properties that acknowledge their haunted history themselves, offer an official ghost experience, or have stories that have become closely intertwined with the hotel's identity. A bookable room associated with a particular legend can make the experience even more interesting. Seasonal Halloween programming, historic tours, paranormal investigations, and nearby ghost tours can all turn a normal hotel stay into something much more memorable. Most importantly, you should still want to visit the destination even if absolutely nothing goes bump in the night.
Haunted Hotel vs. Haunted Attraction
A haunted attraction is designed specifically to scare you, while a haunted hotel is first and foremost a functioning place to stay. You aren't walking through actors, fake blood, and jump scares before going home at the end of the night. Instead, you're sleeping inside a building with real history and stories that have developed around the people who once lived, worked, visited, or died there. Some experiences are intentionally spooky, but many are much more historical than frightening. That makes haunted hotels particularly appealing to travelers who love history, architecture, unusual stories, and atmospheric destinations but don't necessarily want a traditional haunted house. Think less chainsaw-wielding actor and more wondering whether that noise in the hallway at 2 a.m. was actually another hotel guest.
A Quick Note About the Ghost Stories
There is an important distinction between a hotel's documented history and the paranormal legends surrounding it. Throughout this guide, you'll see phrases like "legend says," "reportedly haunted," and "guests have reported" because paranormal experiences can't be presented as established fact. Some stories have been told for generations, while others have become part of a hotel's modern identity or local folklore. In several cases, the historical people and events behind the stories are documented even though the supernatural claims obviously aren't. That distinction doesn't make the stories any less interesting to explore while traveling. Whether you're a believer or a skeptic, consider the ghost stories another way to experience the history of these remarkable places.
7 of the Best Haunted Hotels You Can Actually Stay In
1) The Stanley Hotel - Estes Park, Colorado
If you've ever wanted to stay at the hotel that helped inspire The Shining, The Stanley Hotel belongs near the top of your list. The grand white hotel opened in 1909 in Estes Park, Colorado, and became forever connected to horror history after Stephen King stayed there in 1974 and was inspired to write his famous novel. One common misconception is that Stanley Kubrick's 1980 movie was filmed here, it wasn't, but the 1997 television miniseries was filmed at The Stanley. Over the years, guests and employees have reported unexplained sounds, apparitions, piano music, and activity associated with particular areas of the hotel. The property doesn't shy away from that reputation and has incorporated both its paranormal stories and The Shining connection into its guest experiences. Today, it's probably one of the most recognizable haunted hotels in America.
What makes The Stanley particularly interesting for a spooky getaway is that you can do considerably more than simply spend the night and hope something strange happens. The hotel offers experiences devoted to its paranormal legends, history, and connection to The Shining, making it one of the strongest choices for travelers who genuinely want ghost-related activities incorporated into their trip. The Stanley also identifies certain accommodations as its "Spirited" rooms, which have become associated with reports of unusual activity. Even without the paranormal stories, however, this is a destination-worthy mountain hotel near one of America's most beautiful national parks. Estes Park gives you restaurants, shops, mountain scenery, wildlife, and easy access to Rocky Mountain National Park. Come during fall and you can combine the haunted-hotel experience with changing leaves, crisp mountain weather, and Colorado's famous elk season.
Ghost Tours and Paranormal Experiences at The Stanley
The Stanley currently offers several different ways to explore its stranger side, including its Stanley Ghost Tour and The Shining-focused experience. Travelers who want something considerably more involved can also look for the hotel's interactive paranormal-investigation experiences. These aren't simply stories told around a campfire, the experiences take guests through locations associated with the property's history and reported paranormal activity. If your primary reason for booking a haunted hotel is actually participating in paranormal activities, The Stanley is one of the strongest options on this list. Tours and experiences can have availability separate from your hotel reservation, so I wouldn't assume that booking a room automatically guarantees access. This is one trip where I'd plan the hotel and the paranormal experiences together.
Turn It Into an Estes Park Weekend Getaway
Don't come all the way to Estes Park and spend the entire trip inside the hotel. Rocky Mountain National Park is right outside town and deserves at least a full day if your schedule allows, with scenic drives, hiking trails, wildlife viewing, lakes, and dramatic mountain overlooks. Fall can be especially beautiful as the aspens change color and elk become particularly active around Estes Park. Downtown also has plenty of restaurants and shops for a slower afternoon between outdoor adventures. A three- or four-night trip gives you enough time to experience the national park without sacrificing the haunted side of The Stanley. It creates a really fun combination of outdoor adventure during the day and spooky history after dark.
Best For
The Shining fans
Paranormal enthusiasts
Couples' fall getaways
Rocky Mountain National Park trips
Halloween weekend trips
Travelers who specifically want ghost tours or paranormal investigations
2) Hotel del Coronado - Coronado, California
Hotel del Coronado proves that a haunted hotel doesn't need to look spooky. Opened in 1888, the sprawling Victorian resort sits directly on Coronado Beach across the bay from downtown San Diego and is one of California's most recognizable historic hotels. Its most famous ghost story centers around Kate Morgan, a young woman who checked into the hotel alone in November 1892 under the name Lottie A. Bernard. Five days later, she was found dead on an exterior staircase leading toward the beach, and her death was ruled self-inflicted. Over the years, guests and employees have reported unexplained footsteps, flickering lights, temperature changes, moving objects, opening doors, unusual scents, voices, and sightings of a woman dressed in black. Her original third-floor guest room eventually became one of the property's most requested accommodations.
The Del has actually investigated its own paranormal reputation rather than simply allowing the legend to circulate. In 1992, the hotel undertook an extensive investigation into reports associated with Kate Morgan and the property, and her story has since become an acknowledged part of the resort's history. Today, travelers can explore that side of The Del through its Haunted Happenings Tour, which dives into Kate's story and other reports from around the property. Seasonal fall programming can add even more atmosphere around Halloween, although specific events vary and should always be checked for the year you're traveling. What makes this such an appealing choice is the contrast: you're at a historic beachfront resort where you can spend your afternoon beside the Pacific and your evening learning about a 130-year-old ghost story. If you want a haunted hotel without giving up an actual vacation, this is a very easy one to build a trip around.
Haunted Happenings and Halloween at The Del
The hotel's Haunted Happenings Tour is a roughly hour-long experience that explores the darker stories behind the property, including the mystery surrounding Kate Morgan. It's an especially good option for someone intrigued by paranormal history but not necessarily interested in conducting a full ghost hunt. The Del has also historically layered additional Halloween events into its October calendar, creating an entirely different atmosphere after sunset than you might expect from a Southern California beach resort. Because seasonal programming can change each year, I'd check the current calendar before choosing dates specifically around an event. The haunted tour itself is a great addition to a normal Coronado stay rather than something that needs to dominate your entire trip. That balance makes The Del particularly approachable for couples where only one person is obsessed with ghosts.
Make It a Spooky San Diego Getaway
Coronado gives you one of the easiest haunted-hotel trips to turn into a traditional vacation. Spend time on Coronado Beach, explore the shops and restaurants around town, cross into San Diego for sightseeing and dining, and then return to The Del in the evening. Depending on the length of the trip, you can incorporate neighborhoods like Little Italy, Balboa Park, La Jolla, or other parts of the San Diego coastline. October is also an interesting time to visit because Southern California gives you Halloween atmosphere without requiring cold weather. You can essentially create a beach weekend with a spooky twist rather than a traditional fall getaway. For travelers who love the idea of a haunted hotel but aren't ready for a full paranormal weekend, this may be my favorite place to start.
Best For
Luxury travelers
Couples
California weekend getaways
Beach lovers
First-time haunted-hotel guests
Travelers who want Halloween without cold fall weather
3) Bourbon Orleans Hotel - New Orleans, Louisiana
If you're planning a trip specifically around haunted history, it's hard to beat New Orleans. The Bourbon Orleans Hotel sits in the French Quarter, and the building's long history has given it more than one chapter from which ghost stories could emerge. Before becoming the hotel travelers know today, the property was associated with the Orleans Theatre and Ballroom and later became a convent and school after the Sisters of the Holy Family purchased it in 1881. That layered past has inspired reports of several different spirits rather than one signature ghost. Stories include a Confederate soldier sometimes referred to as "The Man," the sounds and sightings of children, female apparitions thought to resemble nuns, and unexplained activity throughout the building. One of the most memorable legends is a solitary ghost dancer reportedly seen beneath the crystal chandelier in the Orleans Ballroom.
What makes the Bourbon Orleans especially good for a haunted weekend getaway is everything waiting outside the hotel doors. New Orleans has an entire tourism ecosystem built around its complicated history, with walking tours covering ghosts, cemeteries, folklore, architecture, and some of the city's darker stories. The Bourbon Orleans itself embraces its haunted reputation, so staying there feels connected to the broader experience rather than choosing a random hotel and leaving each night for a ghost tour. You can spend the day exploring the French Quarter and historic neighborhoods, have an incredible dinner, listen to live music, and still work a haunted-history experience into the evening. Halloween certainly amplifies the atmosphere, but you don't need to visit in October for this one to work. New Orleans is a year-round destination for travelers who like their history with a little mystery.
Why New Orleans Is One of the Best Halloween Weekend Getaways
A haunted hotel becomes much more interesting when the entire destination can carry the theme, and that's where New Orleans shines. You can pair your stay with a French Quarter ghost tour, explore historic cemeteries where permitted, learn about the city's architecture and folklore, and still have plenty of time for food and music. New Orleans is also ideal for a long weekend because many of its signature experiences are concentrated within relatively compact historic neighborhoods. You don't need to spend every hour doing something paranormal, either. Some of the best moments will probably involve a great meal, live jazz, cocktails, and simply walking through the French Quarter. The ghost stories become another piece of a destination that already has an enormous amount of personality.
Best For
Halloween trips
Couples' weekends
Foodies
History lovers
Ghost-tour enthusiasts
Travelers who want an entire spooky destination rather than just a haunted hotel
4) Mizpah Hotel - Tonopah, Nevada
If simply staying inside a reportedly haunted hotel isn't enough for you, the Mizpah Hotel lets you take things one step further. The historic Nevada hotel opened in 1907 during Tonopah's mining boom and has become closely associated with a spirit known as the Lady in Red. According to the hotel's enduring legend, a woman was killed on the fifth floor and continues to make her presence known around the property. Stories associated with her include whispers, particularly to male guests, and mysterious pearls reportedly appearing on pillows. After being closed for years, the Mizpah was restored and reopened in 2011, bringing the historic property back to life. Instead of distancing itself from the story, the hotel has made the Lady in Red part of its identity.
Can You Stay in the Lady in Red Suite?
Yes, and that's what makes the Mizpah especially relevant if you've been searching for haunted hotel rooms you can actually book. The hotel has a Lady in Red Suite inspired by its most famous legend, allowing guests to make the ghost story part of the stay rather than simply hearing about it after arriving. Of course, booking the suite doesn't guarantee anything paranormal is going to happen, but that's almost beside the point. You're spending the night inside a historic Nevada hotel and intentionally choosing the room category most closely associated with its signature story. Tonopah also makes sense as part of a larger Nevada road trip for travelers who enjoy Old West and mining history. This is less polished resort getaway and more unusual travel story, the kind of place you book because you'll still be talking about it years later.
Best For
Serious paranormal fans
Nevada road trips
Old West history
Travelers seeking unusual hotels
Ghost-story enthusiasts
Anyone specifically looking for a bookable haunted-themed room
5) The Hollywood Roosevelt - Los Angeles, California
Some haunted hotels are filled with stories about anonymous figures from centuries ago; The Hollywood Roosevelt has Marilyn Monroe. Opened in 1927 on Hollywood Boulevard, the hotel is deeply woven into Hollywood history and hosted the first Academy Awards ceremony in its Blossom Ballroom in 1929. Marilyn Monroe lived at the hotel early in her career, and the property still acknowledges its connection to her, including a full-length mirror associated with her time there. Over the years, stories have circulated about Marilyn's apparition appearing around the mirror and other areas of the property. Actor Montgomery Clift, who spent an extended period living at the Roosevelt while filming From Here to Eternity, is also connected with some of the hotel's best-known paranormal lore. Guests have reportedly heard his voice or trumpet around his former ninth-floor suite.
Even if you never encounter anything remotely paranormal, this hotel has enough genuine Hollywood history to make the stay interesting. More than 300 rooms and suites, restaurants and bars, and its famous Tropicana Pool give the property considerably more going for it than its ghost stories. The bottom of that pool was famously painted by artist David Hockney in 1988, adding yet another layer to the hotel's pop-culture history. This is why I'd approach The Hollywood Roosevelt as an Old Hollywood getaway first and a haunted hotel second. You can explore movie history and Los Angeles during the day and return to a hotel filled with stories from Hollywood's golden age at night. It's spooky, but in an undeniably glamorous way.
The Marilyn Monroe Ghost Story
Marilyn's connection is easily the hotel's most recognizable paranormal story because she actually lived at the Roosevelt before becoming one of Hollywood's biggest stars. The hotel identifies rooms associated with her history, while the famous mirror that once belonged to her remains part of the property's lore. Stories of her reflection appearing unexpectedly in the mirror have circulated for decades, although they should be treated as hotel legend rather than fact. The story has endured largely because it feels so perfectly suited to the setting. You're standing inside a historic Hollywood hotel surrounded by reminders of the people who helped create the industry's golden age. Even skeptics can appreciate how those stories add atmosphere to the experience.
Make It an Old Hollywood Weekend
Use the Roosevelt as a jumping-off point for an itinerary focused on Los Angeles film history rather than treating the hotel as the only attraction. Explore Hollywood landmarks, historic theaters, famous filming locations, classic restaurants, and neighborhoods connected to the entertainment industry. You can also mix that history with modern Los Angeles restaurants, nightlife, museums, and shopping. The result is a weekend that feels cohesive without becoming an endless parade of ghost tours. If you're traveling around Halloween, Los Angeles has an enormous calendar of seasonal events that can easily be layered into the itinerary. For movie lovers, this may be the haunted hotel with the most recognizable cast of characters.
Best For
Old Hollywood fans
Movie lovers
Couples
Los Angeles weekend trips
Pop-culture travelers
Travelers who prefer glamorous ghost stories
6) Omni Mount Washington Resort - Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
For me, this is where haunted hotels and fall travel come together perfectly. The Omni Mount Washington Resort opened in 1902 at the base of Mount Washington and remains one of the grandest historic resorts in New England. Beyond its paranormal reputation, the hotel has enormous historical significance: it hosted the 1944 Bretton Woods Conference that helped establish the International Monetary Fund and World Bank and reshape the postwar international monetary system. Its most famous ghost story, however, revolves around Carolyn Stickney, whose husband Joseph built the hotel. After his death, Carolyn inherited the property and later married a French prince, earning the title by which she's often remembered in the hotel's lore. Guests have reportedly seen her apparition, including stories of a woman brushing her hair at the foot of a bed.
Room 314 is particularly connected to Carolyn's legend and has become one of the property's best-known rooms among travelers interested in its haunted history. Reports associated with her also include polite knocking at guest-room doors and other unexplained activity around the resort. Whether or not you're convinced Carolyn is still wandering the halls, the setting makes the story feel especially atmospheric once the sun goes down. This is a massive historic hotel surrounded by New Hampshire mountains, and fall transforms the entire landscape around it. The resort also underwent a major reimagining of its historic guest rooms scheduled for completion in summer 2026, making fall 2026 an especially interesting time to rediscover the property. For someone looking for luxury, foliage, history, and just enough paranormal intrigue, it's difficult to think of a better combination.
Why This Is One of the Best Spooky Fall Getaways in New England
The White Mountains are already one of the country's great fall road-trip destinations, so you don't need the ghost stories to justify coming here. Use the resort as part of a larger New Hampshire itinerary incorporating scenic mountain drives, overlooks, hiking, small towns, and fall foliage. The Kancamagus Highway can easily become another major component of the trip, particularly around peak leaf season. Days can be spent outside surrounded by New England's autumn scenery before returning to a historic grand hotel after dark. That contrast gives you the cozy fall trip people are usually looking for while still adding something unusual to the itinerary. Just remember that peak foliage weekends can be extremely popular, so this isn't a trip I'd leave until the last minute.
Best For
New England fall foliage trips
Couples
Historic hotel lovers
Luxury travelers
White Mountains road trips
Travelers who want atmospheric rather than terrifying
7) The Wort Hotel - Jackson, Wyoming
Not every hotel ghost is apparently interested in frightening guests. At The Wort Hotel in Jackson, Wyoming, one of the property's best-known supernatural stories involves a former maintenance engineer who may still be helping keep the hotel running. Robert "Bob" Tomingas became the hotel's maintenance engineer in 1950 and was known for his intimate knowledge of the building's mechanical systems. After his death, hotel engineers began attributing unexplained but surprisingly useful occurrences to Bob. In one story shared by the hotel, an engineer struggling to locate a broken pipe found a pipe wrench mysteriously leaning against a particular wall. When the wall was opened, the broken pipe was right there.
The Wort has also shared stories about tools or items being rearranged around the maintenance shop, leading staff to jokingly consider Bob a continuing member of the engineering team. Importantly for nervous travelers, the hotel says Bob doesn't appear to guests, making this perhaps the friendliest ghost story on the list. The property itself opened in 1941 and remains a historic luxury boutique hotel in downtown Jackson, just a block from Town Square. Its Western atmosphere and Silver Dollar Bar & Grill make it feel very different from the Victorian and Gilded Age properties elsewhere in this guide. You can enjoy the story without having to actively hunt for anything paranormal. And with Grand Teton National Park nearby, the hotel can anchor a much larger Wyoming adventure.
The Friendly Ghost of Jackson Hole
Bob's story is fun precisely because it flips the usual haunted-hotel narrative. Instead of a tragic apparition lurking at the end of a hallway, the legend involves an employee who apparently decided retirement—even the permanent kind, wasn't for him. The Wort itself has shared these stories, giving them a much closer connection to the property than some of the internet ghost legends surrounding other hotels. It also makes this an easy haunted hotel for travelers who like unusual history but aren't interested in being genuinely scared. You can tell the story over drinks without spending the rest of the night staring nervously at the door. If Bob really is still around, the maintenance department seems to be getting the better end of the arrangement.
Turn It Into a Jackson Hole Trip
The real reason to build a trip around The Wort is everything Jackson Hole gives you beyond the hotel. Grand Teton National Park is close enough to fill days with mountain scenery, hiking, wildlife watching, lakes, and scenic drives. Downtown Jackson gives you restaurants, shops, galleries, bars, and plenty of Western character without needing to drive somewhere every evening. Fall can be especially beautiful, although the season is shorter and less predictable than it is in destinations farther east. Depending on your trip length, Yellowstone can also become part of a larger Wyoming itinerary. This is one haunted hotel where the ghost story is a fun bonus to an already excellent destination.
Best For
Jackson Hole vacations
Grand Teton trips
Western history lovers
National park travelers
Fall road trips
People who want a ghost story without actually wanting to meet the ghost
Which Haunted Hotel Should You Choose?
There isn't one "best" haunted hotel because these stays offer completely different experiences. Someone who wants to participate in a paranormal investigation isn't looking for the same trip as someone who wants a luxury beach resort with an interesting ghost story. The Stanley is the clear standout for travelers who want the paranormal experience to be central to the trip, while Hotel del Coronado lets you keep the spooky element secondary to a Southern California vacation. Bourbon Orleans is particularly strong because New Orleans itself carries the haunted-history theme far beyond your hotel. Omni Mount Washington becomes incredibly compelling during New England foliage season, while The Wort is perfect if your real priority is Jackson Hole and Grand Teton. Think about the overall trip you want first, then choose the haunted hotel that fits into it.
Hotel | Destination | Known For | Experience | Best Trip |
The Stanley Hotel | Estes Park, CO | The Shininginspiration | Ghost tours + paranormal experiences | Mountain/Halloween getaway |
Hotel del Coronado | Coronado, CA | Kate Morgan | Haunted-history tour | Beach + spooky weekend |
Bourbon Orleans | New Orleans, LA | Multiple reported spirits | Haunted New Orleans experiences | Halloween city trip |
Mizpah Hotel | Tonopah, NV | Lady in Red | Bookable themed suite | Paranormal road trip |
Hollywood Roosevelt | Los Angeles, CA | Marilyn Monroe lore | Historic Hollywood atmosphere | Old Hollywood getaway |
Omni Mount Washington | Bretton Woods, NH | Carolyn Stickney | Room 314 legend | Fall foliage trip |
The Wort Hotel | Jackson, WY | Friendly ghost Bob | Hotel legend | Jackson Hole getaway |
Best Haunted Hotel for Serious Ghost Hunters
The Stanley Hotel is the standout if paranormal activity is actually why you're traveling. The hotel has built legitimate guest experiences around its haunted reputation rather than relying solely on stories circulating online. Ghost tours give casual visitors an accessible introduction, while paranormal investigations take the experience considerably further. Its Shining connection adds another dimension for horror fans even though the famous Kubrick film wasn't shot there. Estes Park also gives you enough to do that someone who isn't interested in ghosts can still have an excellent vacation. That combination makes The Stanley one of the easiest haunted hotels around which to plan an entire trip.
Best Haunted Hotel for a Luxury Getaway
Hotel del Coronado wins if your priority is still having a beautiful vacation. The paranormal history is there when you want it, but you're also staying at an iconic California resort directly on Coronado Beach. You can spend one evening on a haunted-history tour and the rest of your trip exploring San Diego, eating great food, relaxing by the Pacific, and enjoying the resort. That makes it particularly useful for couples with different levels of enthusiasm about ghosts. You're not asking someone to spend their entire vacation investigating unexplained noises in a hallway. You're taking them to Southern California, and the hotel just happens to have a fascinating story.
Best Haunted Hotel for Halloween Weekend
Bourbon Orleans Hotel has an enormous advantage because it puts you directly in New Orleans. The hotel provides the historic and reportedly haunted setting, while the French Quarter gives you an entire weekend's worth of atmosphere. Ghost tours, historic architecture, cemeteries, food, cocktails, and live music can all fit naturally into the itinerary. Halloween only amplifies a destination that already embraces its darker stories throughout the year. You can make the weekend as spooky as you want without running out of completely unrelated things to do. For a group of friends or couples looking for a Halloween trip, this would be very high on my list.
Best Haunted Hotel for Fall Foliage
Omni Mount Washington Resort is the easy choice if changing leaves are just as important as ghosts. Its location in New Hampshire's White Mountains puts you in the middle of one of America's most popular fall destinations. The grand historic architecture fits naturally with crisp weather, mountain scenery, and the cozy atmosphere people tend to want from an October trip. Carolyn Stickney and Room 314 add a supernatural layer without making the resort feel like a paranormal attraction. Spend your days leaf peeping and exploring the mountains, then come back to the hotel as the temperature drops. That's an almost unfairly good fall combination.
Best Haunted Room You Can Actually Book
For the sheer fun of saying exactly what you booked, the Lady in Red Suite at the Mizpah Hotel takes this category. Instead of simply requesting a room where someone once reported something unusual, you're booking an accommodation intentionally connected to the hotel's signature legend. It gives travelers looking specifically for haunted rooms a much clearer experience to seek out. Of course, there is no guarantee the Lady in Red is going to make an appearance, or leave mysterious pearls behind. But that's not really necessary for the story to be memorable. Sometimes simply knowing the legend while you're turning out the lights is enough.
More Haunted Hotels in America to Know About
The seven hotels above are the ones I'd prioritize when planning an entire haunted-hotel trip, but they're far from the only historic hotels in America with ghost stories attached to them. Several others regularly appear in paranormal travel discussions, although the amount of documentation and the degree to which each property embraces the stories varies considerably. Some make excellent hotels within a larger destination itinerary even if I wouldn't travel across the country solely because they're supposedly haunted. Others are better suited to serious paranormal enthusiasts than luxury travelers. This is where it's particularly important to separate hotel history from stories repeated online. Still, if you're building a haunted hotel bucket list, these are worth knowing.
Hotel Jerome - Aspen, Colorado
Hotel Jerome has been part of Aspen since 1889, giving this luxury mountain hotel more than enough history to accumulate a few ghost stories of its own. One of its best-known legends involves a young boy sometimes called the "Waterboy," who is said to have drowned in the hotel's original swimming pool and has reportedly appeared soaking wet to guests before disappearing. Local stories have also described unexplained wet footprints and puddles left behind after sightings. Another legend involves a "spirit maid" who reportedly rearranges rooms after hotel staff have finished their work. The Hotel Jerome is even included in local discussions and walking tours centered on Aspen's darker history. Unlike some paranormal-first properties, however, this is very much a luxury Aspen stay where the ghost stories are simply another layer of a much larger experience.
That distinction makes Hotel Jerome particularly interesting for your travel list because you're not sacrificing the destination for the story. Aspen gives you skiing and winter travel, beautiful fall scenery, hiking, restaurants, shopping, and a long history tied to Colorado's mining boom. The hotel itself is an Auberge Resorts Collection property and one of the city's landmark luxury addresses. I wouldn't choose it specifically because you're guaranteed a paranormal encounter, you obviously aren't. Instead, I'd choose it because you want an Aspen trip and find the idea of sleeping in a hotel with more than 130 years of stories irresistible. In that context, its reportedly haunted history becomes a fantastic bonus.
The Driskill - Austin, Texas
The Driskill opened in 1886 and remains one of Austin's most recognizable historic hotels. Built by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the Romanesque property sits in the heart of downtown and has accumulated plenty of stories during its long history. One of its best-known paranormal legends involves Jesse Driskill himself, whose spirit is reportedly still encountered around the hotel. Guests and staff have also shared stories involving unexplained sounds, apparitions, and other unusual occurrences. The hotel has acknowledged its haunted reputation over the years, including previous partnerships with local ghost-tour experiences. Its recent hotel-wide renovation means you're getting historic atmosphere without necessarily giving up modern comfort.
The reason I'd consider The Driskill is Austin rather than the possibility of seeing a ghost. You're in an extremely convenient location for restaurants, nightlife, music, and exploring downtown, so the hotel can easily become part of a broader city weekend. Its history adds considerably more personality than staying in a generic modern property. If you're visiting around Halloween, you could incorporate a ghost tour or other seasonal experience without structuring the entire trip around paranormal tourism. This is a great example of a historic hotel where the stories enrich the stay rather than define it. For travelers who want a little spooky history with a lot of food and music, Austin makes sense.
Shanley Hotel - Napanoch, New York
The Shanley Hotel in New York's Hudson Valley/Catskills region occupies a different category from many of the luxury and resort properties on this list. Its reputation is heavily centered on paranormal activity and investigations, making it more appealing to committed ghost hunters than travelers who simply want a historic hotel with an interesting story. Reports and legends connected to the property include unexplained footsteps, voices, apparitions, and activity associated with various former occupants. One frequently repeated story involves a young girl named Rosie, while another centers around former hotel owner James Shanley. Paranormal teams have historically used the property for overnight investigations rather than limiting visitors to a short evening ghost tour. That makes the Shanley much more of a dedicated paranormal experience.
Because operating conditions, access, overnight investigations, and available rooms can change, this is one property where I would verify current booking arrangements before building a trip around it. It's also important to go in understanding that you're choosing the Shanley specifically for its paranormal reputation rather than expecting the same experience as a full-service luxury resort. For the right traveler, that's precisely the appeal. You could also incorporate the stay into a larger Catskills or Hudson Valley road trip, particularly during fall. The surrounding region gives you foliage, small towns, hiking, restaurants, and plenty of other historic places to explore. If you're serious about ghost hunting, though, the hotel itself is likely to remain the headline.
Tubac Golf Resort & Spa - Tubac, Arizona
Tubac Golf Resort & Spa has a history connected to the Otero Ranch and the early development of southern Arizona. The resort's land has roots stretching back centuries, while the property eventually evolved into the golf resort travelers know today. Over the years, paranormal stories have included a young boy, a woman sometimes described as the Lady in Gray, a gentleman spirit, and a cowboy. Some legends are believed to be connected to the ranch's earlier history, giving the stories a distinctly Southwestern character. Paranormal investigators have explored the property, and its stories have appeared in discussions of haunted historic hotels. The setting makes this a particularly unusual alternative to the Victorian mansions and grand city hotels that dominate many haunted-hotel lists.
Tubac itself also gives travelers more to work with than the paranormal stories alone. The area is known for its arts community, Southwestern landscapes, historic character, and relaxed resort atmosphere. Golf and spa time can make this feel like an actual vacation while the ghost stories add a completely unexpected layer. I'd particularly consider it for someone planning an Arizona road trip who wants something less obvious than the state's major resort destinations. It isn't as ghost-focused as The Stanley or Shanley, and that's probably a positive for many travelers. You get the legend without having to make paranormal activity the entire purpose of the stay.
The Bowery Hotel - New York City
The Bowery Hotel feels as though it should have a ghost story even before anyone tells you one. Its Gothic, old-world interiors create an atmosphere that feels much older than the modern hotel itself, and several paranormal stories have circulated around the property. The most repeated legend involves elevators supposedly moving unexpectedly around 1 a.m., with other accounts mentioning unusual apparitions or objects moving without explanation. Unlike properties such as The Stanley or Bourbon Orleans, however, the hotel does not make paranormal history a central component of its public identity. That means I'd treat these stories more cautiously as reported lore rather than a defining hotel experience. There isn't the same first-party paranormal programming that makes some other properties on this list compelling specifically for ghost tourism.
That doesn't mean The Bowery can't be fun for someone building a spooky New York itinerary. Lower Manhattan has centuries of history and plenty of walking tours that explore crime, cemeteries, folklore, architecture, and reported hauntings. Staying at an atmospheric downtown hotel can complement those experiences without requiring the hotel itself to become the attraction. You also have virtually endless restaurants, bars, neighborhoods, museums, and other things to do within easy reach. In this case, choose the hotel because you like its location and aesthetic first. Consider the ghost stories an intriguing late-night conversation after you get back.
Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel - Omaha, Nebraska
Today's Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel is a revival of Omaha's historic Blackstone Hotel, which originally opened in 1916. The restored property reopened as the Cottonwood in 2020, bringing modern hotel amenities into a building that played an important role in Omaha's social history. Paranormal stories connected to the building often reach back to the Blackstone's earlier years and include tales of flapper-era figures and unexplained activity. Those stories fit naturally with a property that lived through the Roaring Twenties and decades of changing city history. However, the current hotel does not appear to make paranormal tourism a major component of its identity. I would therefore view the haunted reputation as local lore rather than the primary reason to book.
The Cottonwood makes more sense as a historic Omaha stay for travelers who appreciate restored architecture and hotels with a past. Its location in the Blackstone District gives you restaurants and city experiences outside the property, while the hotel itself includes several dining outlets and a seasonal outdoor pool. If you're intentionally collecting haunted hotel stays around the country, it can certainly earn a spot on the list. If this is your first haunted-hotel trip, I'd probably start with one of the properties that offers a more developed paranormal experience. Sometimes a good ghost story is enough; other times you want the ghost tour to go with it.
Kimpton Hotel Monaco - Washington, D.C.
Kimpton Hotel Monaco occupies Washington's historic former General Post Office building, giving the property an architectural history that immediately separates it from a typical city hotel. The building's connection to the past has also produced stories about unexplained activity, including a legend involving women waiting for loved ones during the Civil War era. One reported story involves a worker seeing what appeared to be a woman dressed in Victorian clothing walking through a courtyard. Like the Cottonwood and Bowery, however, the hotel doesn't make paranormal tourism a defining part of the modern guest experience. I would therefore consider these stories part of the building's lore rather than promise travelers a haunted stay. The real draw is sleeping inside a historic Washington building in an exceptionally convenient location.
You're only a few blocks from many of Washington's major attractions, making this easy to incorporate into a larger D.C. itinerary. Spend the trip exploring museums, monuments, neighborhoods, restaurants, and the city's enormous collection of historic sites. If you're interested in darker history, look for walking tours or seasonal experiences that complement the hotel. This approach works especially well for travelers who enjoy historical stories but don't want to devote an entire weekend to paranormal investigations. The building provides atmosphere while Washington supplies more than enough actual history. Any unexplained late-night visitor would simply be a bonus.
Best Destinations for a Haunted Hotel Weekend Getaway
If you're more interested in planning a trip than checking hotels off a paranormal bucket list, start with the destination. The strongest haunted hotel weekends combine a property with a good story and enough restaurants, attractions, scenery, and activities to fill the rest of your itinerary. That is especially important if you're traveling with someone who doesn't share your enthusiasm for ghosts. New Orleans works because haunted history is embedded throughout the city, while Estes Park works because you can completely change gears and spend your day inside Rocky Mountain National Park. New Hampshire adds one of America's best fall-foliage experiences, and Coronado gives you an entirely different beach-based interpretation of Halloween travel. These are the destinations I'd look at first if you want the trip to feel like a vacation rather than an overnight paranormal investigation.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is my pick if you want to fully commit to the theme. Stay in or around the French Quarter and you'll have easy access to ghost walks, historic architecture, cemetery history, live music, restaurants, cocktail bars, and some of the country's most distinctive neighborhoods. The city's long and complicated history gives tour guides considerably more material than a single haunted building ever could. Bourbon Orleans works particularly well because the hotel itself fits naturally into that larger story. You can spend three or four nights here without repeating the same type of activity. Even someone who couldn't care less about ghosts can have an incredible weekend in New Orleans.
What to Add to Your Trip
French Quarter ghost or history tour
New Orleans food tour
Live jazz
Historic neighborhood exploration
Cemetery tour where currently permitted
Cocktail bars and classic New Orleans restaurants
Garden District
Seasonal Halloween events
Estes Park, Colorado
Estes Park gives you perhaps the best combination of recognizable haunted-hotel history and outdoor travel. The Stanley provides your evening atmosphere, while Rocky Mountain National Park can easily occupy several days of the itinerary. Fall brings changing aspens, cooler temperatures, and the famous elk rut, creating a completely different trip from summer. The town itself has restaurants, shops, and a walkable center for the time you aren't in the park. You could come primarily because you're obsessed with The Shining and still leave talking just as much about the mountains. That's exactly what I want from a destination-centered haunted-hotel trip.
What to Add to Your Trip
Rocky Mountain National Park
Scenic drives
Easy or moderate hikes
Wildlife viewing
Downtown Estes Park
Fall foliage
Stanley ghost or paranormal experience
New Hampshire's White Mountains
If your mental image of a spooky fall weekend includes colorful leaves, chilly mornings, mountain roads, and a grand old hotel, go to New Hampshire. The Omni Mount Washington gives you the historic centerpiece, while the White Mountains provide the scenery. Build your itinerary around scenic drives, foliage stops, hikes, small towns, and mountain attractions rather than spending the entire weekend inside the resort. The Kancamagus Highway is an obvious addition when conditions and timing align. Peak foliage varies each year, so exact travel dates matter much more here than they do for many other destinations. Get the timing right and this may be the most quintessential October trip on the entire list.
What to Add to Your Trip
Kancamagus Highway
White Mountains scenic drives
Fall foliage overlooks
Hiking
Small New England towns
Mount Washington area attractions
Historic resort experiences
Coronado and San Diego, California
Coronado is for the person who likes Halloween but doesn't necessarily need pumpkins, sweaters, and 45-degree weather. Hotel del Coronado gives you the history and ghost story while the destination still feels unmistakably Southern Californian. Spend time on Coronado Beach, explore town, and then use the rest of the trip to experience San Diego. Balboa Park, Little Italy, La Jolla, coastal neighborhoods, and the city's dining scene give you plenty of flexibility. The Del's haunted-history experience can occupy one evening rather than controlling the entire vacation. It's one of the easiest ways to make a spooky getaway feel genuinely relaxing.
What to Add to Your Trip
Coronado Beach
Downtown Coronado
Balboa Park
Little Italy
La Jolla
San Diego restaurants
Seasonal Halloween events
Haunted Happenings at The Del
When Is the Best Time to Visit a Haunted Hotel?
October is the obvious answer, but it isn't necessarily the only, or even the best, time to book a haunted hotel. Halloween brings additional seasonal programming and atmosphere, but it can also bring higher demand for the exact hotels, haunted rooms, and ghost tours you want. Early and mid-October can give you much of the same fall feeling without requiring you to travel specifically over Halloween weekend. Destinations like New Orleans, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Austin also work throughout the year because their appeal isn't dependent on foliage or cool weather. Meanwhile, New England and Colorado become particularly compelling in September and October because the surrounding landscape becomes part of the experience.
Should You Book a Haunted Hotel for Halloween?
If Halloween itself is important to you, absolutely, but plan earlier than you think you need to. A famous haunted room represents a tiny portion of a hotel's total inventory, and tours may have far fewer spaces than the hotel has rooms. You may find a perfectly good hotel room only to discover that the paranormal investigation or Halloween event you wanted is already sold out. Traveling one or two weekends earlier can sometimes make the logistics easier while preserving most of the atmosphere. You should also consider the destination's broader seasonal calendar, particularly in places where fall foliage drives significant tourism. Halloween is fun, but the best date is the one that allows all the pieces of your trip to work together.
When to Book Popular Haunted Rooms and Ghost Tours
If a particular haunted room is the entire reason you're traveling, make that room one of the first things you check. The same applies to limited-capacity paranormal investigations, nighttime tours, and special October events. Don't assume that staying at the hotel automatically gives you access to every experience it offers. Some tours require separate tickets, and seasonal events may operate only on specific dates. I'd rather move the trip by a day than book flights and discover afterward that the experience you wanted isn't available. This is one of those trips where planning the details in the right order matters.
Don't Book the Hotel Without Checking the Experiences
Before confirming your stay, look at the hotel calendar and the surrounding destination. Check ghost-tour schedules, paranormal investigations, Halloween programming, restaurant reservations, seasonal closures, national park logistics, and any other experience that's important to you. This is particularly important in mountain destinations where weather and seasonal operations can affect what is available. A great room doesn't automatically make a great itinerary. The goal is to build a trip where the haunted hotel is one memorable piece of a complete getaway. That's when these stays become much more interesting than simply sleeping somewhere with a ghost story.
Frequently Asked Questions About Haunted Hotels
What Is the Most Haunted Hotel in America?
There is no objective way to determine America's "most haunted" hotel, but The Stanley Hotel is certainly one of the most famous. Its long paranormal reputation, connection to The Shining, ghost tours, reportedly active rooms, and dedicated paranormal experiences make it unusually easy to experience the haunted side of the property yourself. Hotels like the Bourbon Orleans, Mizpah, Hotel del Coronado, and several others also have extensive paranormal legends. Different properties become famous for different reasons, so "most haunted" is ultimately subjective. If you're asking which one offers one of the most complete haunted-hotel travel experiences, I'd put The Stanley near the top.
What Hotel Inspired The Shining?
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, helped inspire Stephen King to write The Shining after he stayed there in 1974. King and his wife were reportedly among the final guests before the hotel closed for the season, and the isolated atmosphere became part of the inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel. A common misconception is that Stanley Kubrick then filmed the famous 1980 movie at The Stanley. He did not; exterior scenes for Kubrick's Overlook were filmed at Timberline Lodge in Oregon. The Stanley was later used for the 1997 television miniseries adaptation. Today, its connection to King's novel remains one of the hotel's biggest cultural claims to fame.
Can You Actually Stay at The Stanley Hotel?
Yes. The Stanley is a functioning hotel and resort complex rather than a historic attraction you can only tour. Travelers can book accommodations and separately explore the hotel's current tour and experience offerings. Certain rooms have become particularly well known because of reported paranormal activity. If a specific room or experience matters to you, check availability before planning the rest of your itinerary. Estes Park's proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park also makes it easy to turn the stay into a full Colorado vacation.
Are There Haunted Hotels With Ghost Tours?
Yes, although the experience varies considerably from one property to another. The Stanley offers some of the most developed paranormal programming, including ghost-focused tours and investigation experiences. Hotel del Coronado offers its Haunted Happenings experience centered around the property's history and Kate Morgan story. In destinations such as New Orleans, you can also pair a reportedly haunted hotel with numerous independent ghost and history tours throughout the surrounding neighborhood. Some hotels acknowledge their ghost stories but offer no paranormal programming at all. If the tour is important to you, choose the experience first rather than assuming every haunted hotel has one.
Can You Book a Haunted Hotel Room?
At some properties, yes. The Mizpah Hotel's Lady in Red Suite is one of the clearest examples because the accommodation is directly named for the hotel's most famous paranormal legend. Other hotels have specific rooms that have become associated with repeated reports or historical figures, even if they aren't officially marketed as "haunted rooms." Availability can be limited because you're sometimes talking about one particular room rather than an entire category. That makes advance planning especially important around Halloween. And, of course, booking a reportedly haunted room guarantees the room—not a ghost.
What Are the Best Haunted Hotels for Halloween?
The Stanley, Bourbon Orleans, Hotel del Coronado, and Omni Mount Washington are all strong choices, but for very different trips. Choose The Stanley for a paranormal-focused mountain getaway, Bourbon Orleans for a full New Orleans Halloween weekend, and Hotel del Coronado if you want spooky history with a Southern California beach vacation. Omni Mount Washington is especially compelling when Halloween overlaps with the tail end of New England's fall atmosphere. The right answer depends less on which hotel has the scariest story and more on what you want to do for the rest of the trip. That's why I'd always choose the destination and travel style alongside the hotel.
Where Should You Travel for a Spooky Fall Vacation?
New Orleans, Estes Park, and New Hampshire's White Mountains would be my first three choices from this list. New Orleans delivers the strongest overall haunted-history experience, while Estes Park combines paranormal lore with one of America's best national parks. New Hampshire is ideal for someone whose dream trip is more cozy fall than genuinely scary. Jackson Hole can also work beautifully for a Western fall trip, although its season is shorter and weather can change quickly. Southern California offers an entirely different option if you want Halloween experiences without traditional fall weather. There's no reason a spooky trip has to look exactly like everyone else's.
Planning a Haunted Hotel or Halloween Weekend Getaway
The best haunted hotel trips aren't really about the ghosts. They're about using an unusual hotel and a compelling story as the starting point for a destination you genuinely want to experience. Spend your days hiking in Colorado, driving through New England foliage, exploring New Orleans, relaxing on Coronado Beach, or watching wildlife in Grand Teton National Park. Then come back to a hotel where the history gives you something completely different to talk about over dinner. You may experience something you can't explain, or you may sleep through the entire night without hearing so much as a creaky floorboard. Either way, you've still had a great trip.
That's also why I wouldn't choose a hotel simply because an internet list calls it haunted. Look at location, room category, surrounding activities, seasonal timing, transportation, restaurants, and the experiences available during your actual travel dates. A three-night stay in New Orleans requires completely different planning than a Colorado national park getaway or New Hampshire foliage road trip. Popular haunted rooms and October weekends can also disappear quickly, so the hotel, experiences, and destination need to be considered together. When all of those pieces line up, a haunted-hotel stay can be one of the most memorable fall trips you take. The ghost is optional; the good itinerary shouldn't be.
Turn the Haunted Hotel Into a Full Trip
Here are a few ways I'd think about building the trip rather than simply booking the room:
Estes Park: The Stanley Hotel + Rocky Mountain National Park + scenic drives + fall wildlife + ghost experience
New Orleans: Bourbon Orleans + French Quarter + ghost tour + food experiences + live music
New Hampshire: Omni Mount Washington + White Mountains + Kancamagus Highway + foliage stops + hiking
San Diego: Hotel del Coronado + Coronado Beach + San Diego neighborhoods + restaurants + Haunted Happenings
Jackson Hole: The Wort + Grand Teton National Park + wildlife + downtown Jackson + Western dining
Los Angeles: Hollywood Roosevelt + Old Hollywood landmarks + filming locations + restaurants + seasonal Halloween events
Booking a Haunted Hotel Through a Travel Advisor
This is exactly the kind of trip where having someone look at the entire experience can be more useful than simply booking whichever haunted hotel appears first in your search results. I can help determine which destination actually fits the trip you want, compare room categories, look at hotel options, and build the surrounding itinerary with tours, activities, transportation, restaurants, and destination recommendations. At certain properties, booking through a travel advisor may also provide access to preferred-partner benefits or amenities when available. More importantly, we're looking at the trip as a whole rather than treating the hotel reservation as the finish line. That becomes particularly helpful when you're trying to coordinate a specific room with limited-capacity seasonal experiences. The spooky part should be the ghost story, not figuring out the logistics.
Complimentary Trip Planning When You Book Your Accommodations With Me
Thinking about planning a spooky fall getaway or spending the night at one of America's famous haunted hotels? Tell me what kind of trip you're envisioning through my trip intake form, whether that's a full Halloween weekend, a New England foliage road trip, a haunted New Orleans getaway, or simply one really memorable hotel stay. I can help narrow down the destination, accommodations, and experiences that make the most sense for you. From there, we can turn the idea you saved online into an actual trip built around how you like to travel. My travel planning is complimentary when you book your accommodations through me. The ghosts, unfortunately, make their own schedules.
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