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Say the word Georgetown and many paranormal enthusiasts and horror hounds are quick to respond with “where The Exorcist film took place.” By a rather large margin, they’d be correct in this factual assertion. However, there is another Georgetown approximately 2,708 miles away sitting in the middle of California. It is precisely in Georgetown, California where the eerie Georgetown Hotel and Saloon is located and it is most definitely haunted.

Is the Georgetown Hotel Haunted?

El Dorado County is home to Georgetown which was originally founded in 1849 by a wealthy prospector named George Phipps. At the time, this area was a burgeoning gold miner’s dream as chunks of it were being pulled from local mines. Naturally, to keep up with the flow of prospectors the Georgetown Hotel and Saloon was eventually built in 1852. Details on original owners and builders haven’t survived the ages and this was reinforced by the hotel suffering two devastating fires with one in 1856 and the other in 1896. One such casualty not of the fires was said to be that of a prostitute with the name of Myrna. She was a regular at the hotel’s saloon looking for prospectors who were down on their luck from not finding any gold. One night she was caught between two brawling clients and fell from the hotel’s second-floor window to her death in a freak accident. Myrna may have been buried long ago, but is she responsible for the paranormal activity at the Georgetown?

One of the more fascinating aspects of the Georgetown Hotel is that the decor is still best preserved over these many decades. Wood trim, flooring, and certain antiques are wholly original to the time period of the saloon’s heyday. With simple lighting fixtures, there’s a natural dimness to the hallways and rooms which of course is a great contrast to the presence of light orbs! Orbs have been seen in rooms all throughout the hotel, and from guest reviews, they’re not in any malicious red or solid black colors. Aside from light orbs, rooms number five and nine are both believe to be haunted by the spirit of Myrna.

Guests have reported seeing the faint apparition of a frail-looking woman, in period piece clothing, who looks to be in great distress. There have been any negative reports of her ghostly spirit being malicious or violent, but with a sighting she brings about a ghost of cold air to the room area. Another sort of activity comes up in the form of EVPs (electronic voice phenomena) where people have either purposely or inadvertently caught a disembodied woman’s voice on tape. The responses that have come across include, “yes”, “help”, “hey you pssst” and the mysterious name of “Lulu.”

Today the antiquated and popular Georgetown Hotel and Saloon operates on the town’s main street area and is a fixture for tourists and locals who come in to enjoy a cold drink at the bar, some hearty southwestern cuisine, and a possible sighting of Myrna in their room!

Jamestown, California is a diminutive former California Gold Rush town that sits an hour east of Stockton. With a scant population that hovers a little over 3,400 people, Jamestown is not the busiest of California’s hot spots. However, situated just left to the center of town is the 1859 National Hotel and Restaurant. Considered to be the most frequented of all the hotels in the Jamestown area, the National is a treasured throwback of old-world California charm that can provide travelers with a timeless and elegant experience after a long day of shopping or wine tasting. The efforts to provide guests with a cozy stay is so ingrained into the very fabric of the National, that the ghostly attention of a spirit named Flora is there to make sure your stay is as memorable as possible.

Is The 1859 Historic National Hotel Haunted?

The National Hotel and Restaurant was built back in 1859 by a husband and wife proprietor pair named Heinrich and Hannah Neilson. They looked to capitalize on the Gold Rush era boom by constructing both a hotel and restaurant that would serve the constant wave of would-be prospectors. The scant few establishments that were in Jamestown during this time were meager temporary wood structures or in some cases under large tents. The hotel actually survived two dangerous fires within a span of twenty-six years in 1901 and 1927. With the town’s far-out location and reputation for gold in the area, this briefly became a speakeasy during Prohibition where gambling machines and prostitution along with alcohol were free-flowing until the government stepped in. A full-on restoration project at the hotel began in 1974 and is continuing in some capacity to this very day, but despite any repairs that haven’t stopped the tourists from coming and it certainly hasn’t stopped the ghost stories.

Flora is the name of the spirit that haunts the National Hotel and Restaurant and details of her origin are blended both from historical record and unforeseen tragedy. In 1859, Flora had embarked on a train journey from the East Coast out to San Francisco to stay with family. At some point during her journey on the train, Flora met a young attorney named Henry who was based out of San Francisco. It was love at first sight as this budding attorney and fetching girl of 19 connected with one another. In a short time after meeting, Henry proposed to Flora and she graciously accepted. The only issue with their soon to be marriage was the fact that her relatives had opposed her betrothal. However, Flora and Henry agreed to get married in Jamestown and had taken to staying at the brand new National Hotel. Flora promised her relatives in San Francisco that she was returning to the East Coast, when in fact she planned to meet Henry at the National.

Upon arriving before Christmas, they each had their own rooms booked at the National and had spent the majority of their time planning a very simple Christmas wedding. Flora acquired a beautiful and tailored lace wedding gown that she was to wear on the special day. Details are scarce, but before the wedding ceremony could ever take place at Christmas, a rowdy and drunk prospector had entered the National and for whatever reason shot Henry as he was descending the stairs to meet Flora. He died in Flora’s arms, at the foot of the staircase, both of them embracing in his freshly spilled blood. The shooter was never arrested or found, needless to say, Flora was struck hard with melancholia and she retreated to her room. For days she didn’t come down until the hotel staff checked on her New Years’ Eve 1859 and found her dressed in the unused wedding dress in a simple chair facing the window; she had truly died from a broken heart.

The Ghost of the National Hotel

All these years later, visitors to the National have obliged the in-room guestbooks by filing out in detail their experiences with Flora’s spirit. Activity is innocuous at best as lights turn on and off, doors gently open and close, and in some instances, traveler suitcases are mysteriously moved about. Throughout the hotel and especially in the adjoining restaurant, hotel staff has spoken of the lights flipping on and off as well as the pots and pans in the kitchen being tipped off counters or spoons being yanked about by an unseen force. Still, with the in-room guestbooks, visitors have remarked about experiences of being flushed with a guest of icy cold air in an otherwise warmed room. Some have claimed to see the ghostly visage of a young woman dressed in white who is seen smiling back at them before mysteriously disappearing.

Paranormal theorists seem to agree that judging from all of Flora’s innocent antics and given the nature of her untimely death that she is totally benevolent. The employees at the National Hotel and Restaurant seem to agree and have gone so far as telling those that have seen her smiling spirit about, to simply smile back and say hello. Flora’s young life may have ended in undue tragedy, but the fact that her spirit is living on to serve as a comfort to visiting guests is supernaturally admirable.

Is the Yosemite View Lodge Haunted?

One of Yosemite’s most haunted locations is the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal, California. The rustic hotel sits at the edge of the Merced River, near the entrance to the park where guests have reported a real haunt and ghostly happenings.

The River People of Yosemite

The Lodge on the Merced River is in a peaceful setting, but looks can be deceiving. One guest at the Yosemite View Lodge was traveling with a friend. Their first night at the lodge was quiet, and they weren’t prepared for what happened the second night. One of the guests awoke in a terrified state after seeing a shadow person standing near the bed. The figure had no discernible features, didn’t speak, and appeared to be approximately five feet tall.

The guest was so horrified that she called to her friend to witness the apparition. She wasn’t able to sleep for over an hour after the encounter. She referred to the apparition as one of the river people because she wondered if it was a native spirit and felt that the river may have been responsible for the phenomenon. The guest possesses psychic abilities, but it’s unusual for her to see spirits. When doing an internet search, the psychic found that other people have had similar experiences.

Midnight Visitors

Shadow people have appeared numerous times in guest rooms at the lodge. Most of the guests aren’t aware of the hotel’s haunted reputation and aren’t provoking the spirits. The apparitions usually disappear when they realize that guests are aware of their presence. On an April day, three friends checked into the lodge. When they entered their room, two of the guests felt a presence that was most powerful in the bathroom. During the night one of the guests awoke to see a shadowy apparition standing at the foot of the bed. Upon checking, found that both of her friends were asleep. When the friends talked in the morning, one of the trio reported seeing a shadow person standing near the fireplace. All three feel that the hotel is haunted and get chills thinking about their experience.

Family Hauntings

One woman has stayed at the lodge with her family on four occasions. One night she heard someone walking around the room, but her husband and daughter were asleep. She had similar experiences in other rooms at the lodge. One night she was tapped on the shoulder. Thinking it was her daughter, she checked to find her sleeping peacefully. She had the sensation that there was a presence in the room and remained awake all night. In the morning, she did an Internet search and found that several guests had similar experiences. Even though the family planned to stay another night, they packed and left the hotel.

One family from Australia was unaware of the haunted reputation of the hotel. The first night, the six-year old daughter complained that someone was pinching her. No one was near her. During the night, a man described as creepy knocked on their door and said he was looking for someone. Later, the husband opened their door and saw the man down the hall staring at their door. Was he a ghost?

His wife had the sensation that there was a spirit in their room. During the night, a loud crash woke them. One of their bags that had been in the center of the table was across the room. After their experience, the woman Googled the hotel and learned that numerous guests have had similar experiences at the haunted hotel.