Real Haunts

There’s a slight chill in the air. The lights flicker. While you may be able to chalk such happenings up to an over-active imagination, it’s a little more difficult to explain the full-fledged apparitions reported by some guests at this Rawlins, WY, B&B.

The ghostly visions most reported are of a woman and two male children. According to local legend, one of the kids may be the ghost of Cecil Ferris, a boy who was accidentally shot and killed when the B&B was a home. It’s been suggested that the otherworldly woman seen here may be Cecil’s mother.

Is the Virginian Hotel haunted?

Restored to its original turn of the century luster, the historic Virginian Hotel is a grand sight to behold in the small town of Medicine Bow, WY. It’s also said to be alive with ghostly activity. You definitely get the feeling of yesteryear here, which adds to the charming spookiness of the place, which includes an “eating house,” formal dining room and a saloon.

There’s no ghost in particular that has been identified as being a “permanent resident” of the hotel. While this is just speculation, one of the apparitions may be August Grimm, the first mayor of Medicine Bow who also built the hotel in the early 1900s – or any of the cowboys and railroad workers who one stayed here.

Just hearing the very word “Gettysburg” one immediately thinks of the bloody Civil War battle as well as the site of President Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech. The town of Gettysburg is no doubt haunted, and if one is looking for a ghostly good bed and breakfast, the Farnsworth Inn is a sure thing.

The Haunted Farnsworth House Inn

The Farnsworth Inn is situated barely half a mile from the battle site, letting you know that it definitely experienced its share of horror. Built in 1810, the inn is reportedly haunted by up to what many believe are sixteen separate spirits.

The ghost of a little boy named Jeremy is the most popular as he is rather gentle and looking to play with guests. A favorite of his is to quickly close a door when a guest is trying to open it. Another is tapping you on the shoulder, and when you turn around nobody is there!

However not all encounters are as cheery, the cellar of the inn was a makeshift field hospital during the Civil War. Amputations were performed in such massive amounts that there were records saying the dismembered limbs would pile up outside. A pair of Confederate soldiers are said to haunt the Eisenhower Room and have been known to frequently wake up sleeping guests who they label as Yankees and question why they are sleeping in their bed.

The Farnsworth embraces it’s ghostly history and regularly operates ghost tours from its property and even has special sessions where ghost hunting equipment is provided and guests are allowed to become ghost hunters for themselves!

The Historic Occidental Hotel in Buffalo, Wy

If the lore of the Old West appeals to you, then you’ll want to stop by this one-time combination hotel, saloon, and bordello dating to the 1880s. Guests and employees have reported seeing the ghostly presence of the daughter of a prostitute who met her maker on the hotel’s upper floor.

The ghostly dark-haired woman, described as wearing a white dress, is known for her interactions with guests, sometimes offering shoulder taps. Ghosts of outlaws and gold miners who once frequented the hotel may be partly responsible for strange lights seen from the unoccupied upper floor rooms. Many visitors have reported faint echoes of ghostly laughter from the unoccupied floor.

Hotel workers recount paranormal stories. Objects moving with no”body” there. Some employees were even frightened enough to find new jobs. The piano has been reported to occasionally make a little noise on its own. The Historic Occidental Hotel is a beautiful location with a rich history, ornate decor, and a great atmosphere. The paranormal activity and ghostly history make the stay even more interesting.

The Ghost of Emily

Other stories suggest the ghost of a child named Emily who haunts the hotel. She reportedly died of cholera in the 1900s. In the room Emily died, stuffed animals are left for the young spirit as an homage to the child and to lift her “spirits.” Guests have reported light shoulder taps and pinches from time to time. Children even write the ghost of Emily letters and notes sometimes the notes suggest that they kids had played together. Children reportedly have heard balls bouncing and even playing hide and seek with the ghost.

Haunted Rooms and Reported Activity in the Historic Occidental Hotel

• The Herbert Hoover Room – The faint smell of perfume has been reported in the Herbert Hoover room, yet nobody in the room was wearing any scents.
• The Haunted Saloon and Bar – Many odd reports in the saloon can make an evening of libation more interesting indeed. Read below.
• The Prairie Cowboy Room –The Prairie Cowboy Room is said to have the most paranormal reports. This room has reported visible entities whooshing by in the late night hours.
• Room 56 – There have been reports of a heavy iron moving across the floor.
• Haunted Piano – The piano keys have reportedly played a few chords from time to time. Perhaps you might request an old tune?

Haunted Saloon in the Historic Occidental

The bartenders have reported whiskey bottles flying off the shelves or wine bottle corks popping off randomly. Glasses occasionally break while someone is trying to pour into them. On Fridays there is a bluegrass musician session that is said to rile up the activity in the hotel at times.