Real Haunts

Tucked away in the Downtown Historic District of Mobile, Alabama, the Malaga Inn makes the short list of most haunted hotels in Alabama. Originally built as twin town houses by two brothers during the Civil War, the two buildings that make up the property have changed hands several times since. Today, the town houses are connected, and 39 rooms and suites overlook the central courtyard that once separated them. More than a century’s worth of history haunts guests, even despite renovations.

Tunnels still run under the two buildings, and they may have something to do with the hotel’s paranormal occurrences. The current owners believe the tunnels were used by Confederate soldiers to hide during the war, and their coming and going may be responsible for the mysterious movement of beds and other furniture around the hotel.

Additionally, guests report lamps becoming unplugged and unusual swaying of the chandelier that hangs in the lobby. Most notably, though, is the Lady in White.

Originally spotted walking the veranda of Room 007, the mysterious figure comes and goes with no apparent rhyme or reason. Her visage has been reported through the years by hotel staff and guests, and a sighting her is sure to be a highlight for ghost-seeking visitors.

Travel and Leisure named the Coombs House Inn one of the best bed and breakfast hotels in the country, but the magazine didn’t make mention of its haunted past. Built as a private home for James M. Coombs, the wealthy local man and his family moved into the house in 1905. Maria, his wife, loved the house but was heartbroken when a fire destroyed much of the property. The woman sadly passed away before ever getting to go back home again. Both staff and guests firmly believe that both Maria and James haunt their former home.

Later owners purchased the old home and did some renovation work as part of their goal of turning it into a bed and breakfast. They and others who worked on the project claim that the paranormal activity started almost as soon as the renovation work began. Construction workers often found their tools moved around the room and that drop cloths and other equipment was in new places when they came back to work the next day.

Both James and Maria occasionally make an appearance at the inn. Though they sometimes appear alone, most report seeing the two standing together near the front door or walking around the grounds together. As still in love as ever before, they usually appear holding hands, smiling and talking quietly with each other. Others witnessed doors opening and closing while no one else was there. It’s clear that the ghosts haunting Florida’s Coombs House Inn have a deep connection to their former home.

Ghostly voices, shadowy apparitions, and bright flashes are just a few of the features of Battle House Renaissance Hotel in Mobile, Alabama. Here are two of its most popular stories.

Mr. Henry Butler

A former Mardi Gras king, the story goes that Mr. Butler was caught “dillydallying” with Mrs. Raymond Dyson, his Mardi Gras queen. When her husband and his brother caught wind of the affair, they lured Mr. Butler to room 552 of the Battle House Renaissance Hotel and beat him. They left him in the room to call a lawyer — to prosecute him for the dillydallying — and then the front desk staff.

The front desk staff hurried to the room to assist the injured Mr. Butler, but by the time they got there he was dead, and his ghost has haunted the fifth floor of the hotel ever since.

The Forlorn Bride

None of the Crystal Ballroom’s many celebrations ended as tragically as this one. Shortly after a young woman’s wedding in 1910, her husband was called away on some undisclosed business. He promised to return, but loneliness got the better of her. She hung herself from the chandelier.

Hotel guests noticed years later that a gray figure appeared in the background of her wedding portrait, which hung in the Ballroom — her husband returned to find her.

While the hotel has been renovated since Mr. Butler’s murder and the tragic death of the forlorn bride, specters still haunt the hallways of the Battle House Hotel.

The main building that houses the Fort Conde Inn was built in 1836. Settlers built a fort there in 1711, and this historic area has been known to have hauntings throughout the entire city.

It doesn’t have specific ghost encounters that guests have reported, but workers have reported encounters. The guests report a sense that they feel like they are not alone. There have been disembodied voices reported when no one is around too.

The Fort Conde Inn features a two-floor main house where guests seem to have more experiences on the second floor, but the inn has cottages too. In the Antunez cottage, a housekeeper reported that she place a bucket of water outside the door to one of the suites. Her water began to roll down the stairs on its own very slowly. It stopped once then continued down the stairs again.

A worker in the Antunez reported that he walked into a room and came upon a confederate soldier in uniform staring out the window. The soldier turned slowly to stare at the worker. The worker ran from the building and said he wouldn’t come back to the property ever again.

More workers in the Antunez reported that they heard heavy footsteps walking up the stairs, but when they yelled out to ask who was there, no one responded. The steps faded. No one else was in the building.

The Lockport Haunted Cave Ghost Tour on the Erie Canal

Walk the haunted Erie Canal and explore Lockport’s haunted past with a haunted cave Lantern Tour. This eerie tour provides an unforgettable experience for those brave enough to take part! This ghost tour is a walking tour on the Eerie canal that delves into the forbidden tunnels and caverns of Lockport, New York.

A ghost tour of old Lockport, NY

The haunted Erie Canal is most famously known as the site of numerous hauntings and ghost stories, including tales of a headless horseman that has been seen riding along its depths at night. It is said to be haunted by the ghosts of canal workers who perished during construction, as well as by the souls of Native Americans who once inhabited the area. And now, you can explore these mysterious haunts firsthand on a haunted cave Lantern Tour.

Led by experienced guides, this tour will take you deep into the haunted Erie Canal in Lockport, New York. You’ll be given a lantern to light your way as you venture through eerie caverns and passageways filled with tales of terror and horror. Learn about local folklore surrounding the haunted canal and hear spine-tingling stories about its hidden secrets.

On your journey, you’ll get an up-close look at some of Lockport’s oldest buildings, which have been rumored to be haunted for centuries. Here you’ll find evidence of various paranormal activities like strange noises, poltergeists, and even ghosts! As you explore these ancient ruins in search of clues to their haunted history, keep your eyes peeled for any other supernatural activity that may come into view.

Featured on Ghost Hunters Episode, “The Tunnels of Terror”

Ghost hunters experienced these caverns because of the lore and many paranormal reports. Through the winding eerie corridors, you’ll explore little-known corners of the canal and hear the tail of one of Lockport’s most famous ghostly residents—the headless horseman! The story goes that he was once an old canal worker who died while working on the construction of the Erie Canal—and his spirit has been seen ever since!

As if all this wasn’t enough excitement already, there are even more thrills awaiting those brave enough to take part in this haunted cave Lantern Tour: enjoy chilling campfire stories told under starry skies; watch as costumed reenactors bring history to life; or wander around with just your lantern to light your way. No matter what experience you’re after, there’s something for everyone on this unique tour.

So if you’ve ever wanted to explore haunted hotspots on the Erie Canal or learn about local legends from days gone by, then this haunted cave Lantern Tour is perfect for you! With experienced guides leading each step of the way and thrilling stories shared around campfires late into the night—this spine-tingling adventure is not one to miss! So gather up some friends (if they’re brave enough) and embark on this spooky journey together through Lockport’s darkest secrets!

One of the deepest paranormal mysteries concerns attacks against the living. Paranormal researchers have long tried to find this answer and have different theories rooted across science, religion, and even a spirit’s former role in life on Earth. But sometimes there are spirits with no viable cause for malevolence. The St. James Hotel in Cimarron, New Mexico is one such place with these confounding entities.

Is the St. James Hotel in New Mexico Haunted?

The St. James Hotel was built in 1872 by a man named Henry Lambert. At one time, Lambert was Abraham Lincoln’s personal chef at the White House. After President Grant had taken office, he actually recommended to Lambert that he build a hotel, seeing as he had decided to leave his position as head chef and see prospects out West. The two-story, multi-room hotel quickly became a hot spot for the most notorious outlaws in the Old West lore. Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, Clay Allison, Black Jack Ketchum, and Annie Oakley herself all stayed here and they all helped contribute to the multiple bullet holes that were shot into the ceiling of the hotel’s bar. Even today, there remains close to thirty bullet holes in the ceiling that serve as a reminder about the colorful past of the hotel. Once the railroad came through along with the disappearance of gold rushes in the area, the St. James began to fall into disrepair. Passed to Lambert’s sons and resold to different owners over the decades, it wasn’t until 1985 when the hotel was totally renovated and accepting of multitudes of reservations that the ghost stories began to emerge.

Bullet holes in the St. James bar

Ghosts of the St. James Hotel in Cimarron

Room 18 is completely locked up and off limits to guests. The spirit of a man from the Old West days named T.J. Wright is said to be haunting the room. According to oral legend, he was killed after a poker game in the hotel’s bar and he crawled into the room and died there. According to the hotel’s current general manager, a woman loudly claimed in the bar one evening she wasn’t scared of T.J. and cursed his spirit. While going to her room, a pair of hands came up underneath her arms on the staircase, lifted her four feet in the air and tossed her over the side of the banister! The woman was quickly tended to and was very quick to make a verbal apology out loud to onlookers that she was very sorry to have ever disrespected T.J.’s ghost.

Late one evening inside the hotel kitchen, a young chef was occupied with simple prep work, not near a stove. Suddenly he felt a very hot, burning sensation on his neck and back. Quickly he left to the washroom to look at what was happening.  In the mirror, he saw three deep red scratch marks that ran a length of eight inches that had been viciously raked across his back.

A hotel housekeeper was said to have been on routine maintenance call one afternoon and noticed that the padlock which keeps Room 18 chained up, was oddly swinging back and forth on the chain. The housekeeper went down the hall to tend to the maintenance call, and once finished passed back by the padlock that was still swinging. According to the worker, the padlock swung back and forth furiously on the chain for twenty minutes before suddenly stopping. This same worker, looking for a scientific explanation, found none and tested the swinging of the padlock himself and found it to stop swinging after five or six seconds.

Room 18 is not the only malevolent one. Room 17 next door is haunted as well and referred to as the Mary Lambert Room. Mary was the wife of the original builder Henry. Living at the hotel, Mary tragically had several miscarriages and later died in the room herself. Over the years guests have wished to stay in her room, due to it’s proximity to Room 18. However, in the Mary Lambert Room, the window is to be kept closed at all times. Why? Because if the window is opened, Mary’s spirit will bang and tap with authority on the window until the guest gets up and closes it.

The Mary Lambert Room 17

Today, the St. James Hotel is still the busiest and most popular hotel in Cimarron. Reservations and bookings are still taken, and management allows the limited exploration of paranormal research groups interested in the hotel’s ghosts. The mirror behind the bar on the first floor is the original. Many visitors who approach it for a drink have noticed a genuine cowboy sitting behind them in the reflection only to spin around and see nobody behind them at all!