Haunted B&Bs Around the U.S.



It's that time of year where most folks would like to get away. I've noticed a lot of my friends and family are deciding to take shorter vacations at nicer places within driving distance. With people fearful of taking long vacations with work places laying off and finances being tight, they'd rather put their cash into a drive to a nearby place that will pamper them for a couple of days rather than the airport/cheap rental car/lost on the roadways/cheap hotel/going to a lot of tourist sites vacations that make you go home in a state of more stress than you left in.

In case you're hoping to get a little ghost atmosphere with your classy local vacation, consider some of these B&Bs. They each have something unique to offer, but they all are very gracious and beautiful.

Northeastern US


Since it was the earliest settlement for Europeans arriving in the US and caused quite a few clashes with the native citizens of the US, this region has a lot of haunting activity. The Civil War and Revolutionary War both added a great deal of stew to the haunted pot, but so did the witch trials and the fighting with the Native Americans.

Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast, Fall River, MA
The Salem Inn, , Salem, MA
Ancestors Inn at the Bassett House, Liverpool, NY
Brass Lantern Inn, Stowe, VT

Southeastern US

As I’m continuing my research, I’m finding more and more cities and states that seem to be inherently more haunted. I used to believe that it was just romance and legend and something culturally the South did more than the North, but I’m not necessarily finding that. In fact, the North has quite a few haunted cities. But, cities such as New Orleans and Savannah and Charleston know enough to have haunted tours. Folks feel it in the air the minute they step into that humid climate wrapped in oaks and moss. You know you’re in the presence of something. Here’s some interesting B&B’s for the Southeastern US traveler this summer:

Edgewood Plantation Bed and Breakfast, Charles City, VA
The Inn at Merridun, Union, South Carolina
Ballastone Inn Bed and Breakfast, Savannah, GA
Hotel Maison De Ville, New Orleans, LA

Midwestern US

Not many people think of hauntings when they consider the Midwest. It seems so wholesome and simple and, well, filled with cornfields. Still, the Midwest has an ideal setting for a great deal of hauntings. The geology is perfection and the history, as well. Remember places like St. Louis were the jumping off place for settlers. They either stopped and lived there or got into wagon trains and moved west. It had all the vice and danger of places with lots of indigents moving around amongst the citizens. It is also the homeland of the Native Americans and all their dealings with the settlers.


The Lemp Mansion, St. Louis, Missouri
Thayer’s Historic Bed and Breakfast, Annandale, Minnesota
The Inn at 835, Springfield, Illinois
Glick Mansion, Atchison, Kansas

Northwestern US

When I think of the Northwest, I smell clean air, see lots of green and moisture. The NW, however, was a huge launching places for ships headed to China and back. The Shanghai Tunnels in Portland are just one example of the kinds of vice and trauma that occurred when folks were stolen into ship-board slavery. Settling the land were a lot of very hardy people who had no law and order and had to live by the gun. This wasn’t an easy land to conquer. It required lumberjacks and muscle. It was worth it in the end, it’s the best real estate in the US to my thinking, but it had all the same issues with Native Americans and slave labor from Asia. It saw lots of sorted history. It also has a mix of sedimentary and volcanic rock, as well as active volcanoes and dormant ones, and fault lines. When you mix this together, the geology is a huge factor in the hauntings in the NW, probably more so than any other factor. Here’s some haunted B&Bs to check out in the NW:

Heceta Head Lighthouse B&B, Yuchats, Oregon
Thornewood Castle Inn & Gardens, Lakewood, Washington
Chico Hot Springs Lodge and Ranch, Pray, Montana
Officer’s Inn Bed and Breakfast Warrenton, Oregon



Southwestern US

I don’t think you need to think too long before you realize that the settling of the Southwest was a bloody thing from the outlaws to the Native American and Hispanic fights for lands and rights, as well as the mining industry. The Southwest is haunted. The land provides a great geology for it, but the history makes it almost certain. Here’s some interesting places to go on a haunted B&B stay in the SW:


Bisbee Inn Hotel La Mor, Bisbee, AZ Noftsger Hill Inn, Globe, AZ
Sutter Creek Inn, Sutter Creek CA
Lord Bradley’s Bed & Breakfast Inn, Mission San Jose, CA
La Fonda Hotel, Santa Fe, NM

I have a few fav's amongst them that I'd like to stay at for different reasons. I'd love to stay at the Edgewood Plantation in Virginia because I think the most haunted river I've ever been near is the James River. If anything lies along it, consider it haunted. I'd love to investigate why that is in the future--once I'm done with my haunted formula research.

I'd give anything to stay at the Heceta Lighthouse in Oregon for two reasons: 1. I adore lighthouses and the atmosphere. 2. Oregon is my favorite state!!!

For folks who want to go to a place well known for hauntings and many activities around it, consider any B&B in Salem, Charleston, New Orleans, Savannah, or Atchison Kansas. They all take great pride in their haunted cities. If you want to be able to say you slept there, you might consider the Lizzie Borden house.

Have a super summer and if you stay somewhere that gives you chills, please report it to me. I love to know what's up in the haunted hotel industry.

Comments

  1. I am interested in the SW haunted B&B's because Mike and I are those with limited funds. The Oliver House B&B in Bisbee is another great haunted place to stay as well. I'm curious about your statement of the James River being the most haunted river because my great-great grandfather owned Little England plantation which happens to be on that river. Hum, I will have to do some research on the history of the place to see if there have been any hauntings reported. Thanks for a blog idea.

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  2. My family was about to buy a huge estate on the James River called "Glen Roy." It was the most amazing place I've ever been in my entire life. It even had a widow's walk on top. I wanted to move there sooooo badly! My mom didn't like the ghosts in the house--and there were a lot. The river is very strangely powerful feeling and yet still. Sounds weird, but it's as if there's an undercurrent you don't see that controls everything around you. It's a weird sensation. I'd suggest Globe's Hoftsger Inn for pricing. It's a fairly short drive and you would get a huge amount of excitement for the $. The inn isn't expensive. It's an old schoolhouse. What's awesome about Globe is they have the Gila County Prison which is open for tours during the daytime and it's where I saw the full-body apparition. We're all locally in agreement that building is very haunted. They have a fantastic graveyard there that is super creepy and cool. The drive there takes you through Superior which has a creepy graveyard too. Miami is nearly a ghost town and very very creepy with amazing antique shops where you can get super steals. They have beautiful things to photograph too--so many creepy empty buildings. For the $, I'd choose Globe.

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  3. p.s. If you can wait until Halloween time, in October, the town is the center of AZ's halloween. They do it up super big-time and have scary nighttime tours of the jail.

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  4. I can believe that about Globe and Miami. We've only stopped there for a meal and gas but maybe we'll stick around longer. Thanks about the Halloween information. We are always trying to find different places to go on that day. Mike and his sisters have been talking about renting a room in Bisbee on Halloween but I will let them know about Globe. We need to book the rooms now. BTW, Halloween in on a Saturday, which is perfect.

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  5. Julie;
    Halloween has a huge crazy party on Halloween too, so you can't go wrong with either spot. I know that Globe decorates it's downtown corridor and they go kind of nuts. They like to own Halloween for AZ and it's pretty smart because it's a close enough and pretty enough drive for The Valley folks to go on over and have some fun.

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  6. Wonderful! Very, very, very cool article.

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