Real Haunts

This Inn first came to life in 1839 when Andrew Stockton got a license to entertain stagecoach traffic. It also likely served as a makeshift hospital during the Civil War from 1863 to 1865. People who have stayed at the inn report the experience as playful, whimsical and fun. Perhaps they are meeting with “The Colonel,” who is said to haunt the premises. The ghost has reportedly been seen shutting doors behind people and playing with the birdbath. Late at night, the ghost is often heard traipsing around the lot and foot-steps can be heard going up and down the hallway outside the kitchen. Book a stay, and you might be able to see the disembodied Colonel too.

The Haunted Riverside Inn is no more

Unfortunately, the Riverside Inn was burned to the ground on May 2nd, 2017. The historic building was completely destroyed in the blaze. Built in 1880, the building had stood for ages and was an icon in the Cambridge Springs community.

Spirits were known to open and close doors as well as some reports of ghosts attempting to crawl into bed with overnight guests. A lady in a white gown was said to haunt the Victorian Room and laughter of children was heard on the 3rd floor from time to time.

Now that the building has gone, will the ghosts move on, or will the grounds remain their resting place? Stay in touch to hear as the next steps for the property are unknown.

According to city officials as of October 2017, there has been no action to rebuild or build on the property.

Opened some time from 1901 to 1904, the The Historic Lowe Hotel has had sightings on the second to third floor. The third floor is the most active, with a former maid, a captain and a bearded man. Fourth floor guests also often report hearing the creepy sounds of a string quartet, and the otherworldly group plays day and night. Perhaps the creepiest ghost is the small child who rides through the halls on a tricycle. Guests have reported hearing laughs and the squeaking of the wheels. Book early and spend a few days on the third floor for the best chance at a ghost sighting.

Is the Omni William Penn Hotel Haunted?

The Omni William Penn Hotel is often referred to as the “grandest hotel in the country.” The Omni William Penn is also referred to as one of the most haunted hotels in the United States with many reports of paranormal activity within its historic walls. With its 23 floors and nearly 1,600 guest rooms, the historic landmark casts a large shadow on the streets of downtown Pennsylvania. But not all of its history is grand; the hotel is marked with a bit of scandal, dating back to its earliest days when a traveling salesman was found dead in his hotel room.

Pittsburgh’s Penn Hotel Haunted History

In March 1922, Michael York, a lingerie salesman, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his hotel room at the Omni Penn Hotel. The death became more mysterious when police recovered telegrams from within the hotel room that portrayed a series of bad whiskey deals that led to York’s life being threatened.

Police questioned York’s taxicab driver who claimed that York had been out late at a party on the evening of his demise and had shown the driver a handgun. York reportedly told the driver that he planned to “end it all” unless his circumstances changed dramatically that night.

Tragically, it was discovered that a woman had attempted to contact York on the night of his suicide. It is believed that the information she planned to report to York would have assuaged his fears and likely saved his life. According to the hotel operator, her call was connected to York’s room only minutes after his act was carried out.

While it is unclear on which floor the deed took place, there have been reports of strange sightings, sounds, and smells coming from the uppermost floors of the hotel.

Top Floor Paranormal Activity

Omni Hotel is said to house dozens of spirits, most of them occupying the 22nd and 23rd floors, which are largely uninhabited… by the living. Years ago, the two floors were converted and are now used for storage, but that hasn’t halted the reports of odd sounds, cool drafts, and a generally spooky feeling.

Locked door on the 22nd floor of the Omni Willaim Penn Hotel

One hotel guest reported a dream while staying in the hotel. Sarah had a vision of an elderly couple who entered her guest room carrying luggage. “The old lady dropped her luggage when she realized I was in “her bed,” she wrote. “She yelled at me that the bed was hers because she was murdered there.”

Several guests have experienced a sensation of being watched while wandering the halls of Omni Penn Hotel.

Friendly Ghosts

In July 1976, an argument broke out between two employees of the hotel. Nelson Cooper, 70, shot and killed Samuel Bankhead, 65. The two were lifelong friends who were working as dishwashers in the hotel’s banquet hall. It is common for guests to report hearing the sounds of two drunken, though friendly men chatting idly in the hallways outside of their hotel rooms. When one such report was investigated by hotel staff, the men could not be located.

A Titanic History

If history had been written differently, the Omni William Penn Hotel may never have been built. Industrialist Henry Clay Frick provided much of the financial backing for the construction of the hotel, and in April 1912 his wife became ill. Had she not been under the weather, both she and Frick would have been under the sea along with the Titanic after it set off on its maiden voyage.

As it happened, Frick lived to fund the hotel, and it opened on March 11, 1916. The Omni Penn Hotel was designed by Benno Janssen and Franklin Abbott at a cost of nearly $6 million; its unique “E” shaped structure contains more than 1,600 guest rooms. When the hotel opened, it employed more than 800 staff including its own silversmith and locksmith, and fittingly, its very own butcher.

Guests, Ghosts, and Dignitaries

Omni Hotel has played host to several historical figures over its 101 years in operation, including John F. Kennedy and Bob Hope, who supposedly proposed to his wife Dolores at the location. According to Pittsburgh Magazine, however, the story was fabricated.

There is no denying the popularity of the Omni Hotel. The hotel recently underwent a multi-million dollar overhaul, making it the second largest hotel in the nation. Though guests may find themselves encountering a suicidal salesman or a drunken dishwasher among the hotel’s haunted hallways.

Located where the prairie meets the Rocky Mountains in Casper, WY, the Ivy House Inn has a haunted history that dates back to Mr. and Mrs. White, its original owners – and their two Siamese cats. Mrs. White, who died in 1995 at the age of 93, apparently didn’t like people who smoke or drank, so she’d make post-death appearances to scare them off.

There have also been reports of mysterious happenings during renovations to the inn, Mrs. White’s cats running around and purring on the edge of beds, and a ghostly man in a black hat who set off car alarms in the parking lot. Sold in 2009, the inn is now a self-help center.

Some guests at this cozy motel in Baggs, WY, report experiencing a spooky awakening early in the morning. Reportedly, a glowing white apparition appears briefly to stir guests from their slumber in the wee hours of the new day. The motel itself is fairly isolated, which sparks instant visions of Norman Bates – even without knowing of the alleged haunted history of the place.

There is no word or who the apparition may have been in a previous existence. Apparently there is no one room in particular that’s favored, so be prepared for a surprise wake up call if you stay here.