Haunted Hotels

Looking for a smaller, more relaxed place to explore? Savannah, Georgia is a hidden gem right near the Atlantic Coast that is most certainly every bit as haunted as its Southern counterpart, New Orlean,s minus all the big city hustle. Looking for someplace to stay? The Foley House Inn is a hauntingly good choice to start with.

The Haunted Foley House Inn

The Foley House Inn is a charming bed and breakfast that is dead center to Savannah’s ever-popular Historic District and is, in fact, the oldest one in the city. It was originally built in 1896 by an Irish immigrant woman named Honoria Foley, who along with her husband, has purchased the land after it was badly burned from the Great Savannah Fire of 1889. The land was cleared and the Foley family constructed the Gothic brick-style, three-story inn on the site. Just a single year after opening, a mild renovation was done, and the skeletal remains of a man were found mysteriously interred within the walls. Ever since that chilling discovery, the paranormal activity began.

Over the years, the various owners and operators of the Foley House have affectionately dubbed the spirit that haunts the place, “Wally”. Many believe that the disturbing of his remains is what activated his paranormal powers within the inn. The most unexplained of his antics are the incredible rushes of wind that are felt. Guests and employees alike have reported being alone in a room and suddenly an intense rush of air will blow right past them, more perplexing when the air unit is off, the windows, closed, and the doors shut.

Other times, Wally has caused light banging sounds in the walls, no doubt paying ghostly homage to his origin. Some have even claimed to see Wally manifest in period dress, complete with a top hat and a smile on his face. Today, business at the Foley House is better than ever and it is also featured on multiple local ghost tours.

It’s not often that you find a hotel haunted by the ghost of a former prostitute, but the most famous ghost of the Copper Queen Hotel is that of a former working girl. Built in the late 1890s through early 1900s, this hotel was one of the nicest in the area and was a popular place for mining investors and managers to stay while visiting the local mines. Though the mining industry fell off over the years, the ghosts of the hotel still hang around.

Julia Lowell was a working girl who often did business in the hotel. Though she saw a number of men, she found herself falling in love with one specific man. When he rebuffed her advances and made it clear that theirs was a working relationship only, she killed herself. Most believe that her room was on the second or third floor because that is where most of the activity occurs. Male guests feel someone pulling teasingly on their bodies and hearing a breathy voice whisper in their ears. Some even spotted Lowell’s ghost dancing in the hotel.

Though Julia is the most popular ghost, she isn’t the only one at the Copper Queen. Another ghostly guest is that of a dapper older man spotted in the lobby and various parts of the fourth floor. Described as wearing an old-fashioned cape and a matching top hat, he also has dark hair and a grayish beard. The man often makes his presence known by leaving behind the scent of his cigar, but guests have also seen the man with the cigar hanging out of his mouth. Guests also spied the man in their rooms and described seeing him as a dark shadow in the corner of the room.

While the ghost of a creepy shadow might scare some, the last ghost of the Copper Queen isn’t terrifying. This little boy lived in the area and accidentally drowned when he fell in the nearby San Pedro River. Some claim that his parents were hotel employees and that he came back to the hotel because he wanted to be close to them. Though he never actually appears in front of guests, they do hear him laughing, giggling and running through the halls. Some even contacted the front desk because they worried about an unattended child. With three famous ghosts, the Copper Queen Hotel just might be one of Arizona’s most haunted sites.