Apache Sitgreaves National Forests – Diamond Rock Camp (Springerville, AZ)

Once called home to the Apache Indians; this campground in the White Mountains sits alongside the East Fork of the Black River. The campsite is located in a valley, shaded by tall ponderosa pines and it is rumored to be the site of alot of paranormal activity. According to reports, photographic anomalies of a phantom woman have appeared in photos taken here at the camp. Strange sounds and noises have also been heard here by many visitors. People who visit the area report an uneasy feeling about the place and a feeling of being watched as well.

Bisbee Inn Bed & Breakfast (Bisbee, Arizona)

Many visitors to the Bisbee Inn have witnessed paranormal activity throughout the years. Room 23 as well as the blue room are two of the more active rooms in the building. In the Grand Ma room, various guest have reported seeing a spirit of an elderly woman. Thought to be a benevolent spirit, her presence has made some of the guest in the room alittle nervous.

Big Nose Kate’s Saloon building (Tombstone, Arizona)

Big Nose Kate’s Saloon Building can be found on 417 East Allen Street. Allen Street was the main drag which ran into the old town of Tombstone, and Big Nose Kate’s Saloon was located in the very center of it.

The Big Nose Kate’s Saloon Building opened in 1881, as a high class establishment, called The Grand Hotel, a classy place where the weary rested their heads, enjoyed fine dining, and a good brew in the basement bar. Local people, cowboys, miners, out of town travelers all enjoyed having a nice hotel in town. It probably hosted social events, like weddings as well. Wyatt and Virgil Earp, the Clantons and the McLaurys all stayed here a number of times. The Clantons and the McLaurys had stayed here the night before three of them were killed at the shoot out at the OK corral, which occurred on Wednesday, October 26th, 1881 around 3:00 pm.

A business-oriented, prosperous ex-prostitute, known by the name of Big Nose Kate, Mary Katharine Harmony, owned the Grand Hotel. Originally from Texas, Kate saved Doc Holiday’s life by busting him out of jail in Texas. Though they never got married, Doc Holiday was eternally grateful to her, and they had a long lasting relationship. They lived together in Tombstone for many years.

The building was built on top of a silver mine shaft, which runs underneath the town. There was a basement saloon, a basement bedroom, a first floor lobby, a dining area, and a second floor with an elegant parlor and 17 single rooms for the guests. There was a handsome staircase leading up to the second floor and guest rooms. Unfortunately the second floor and staircase leading up to it are gone now. Only a little balcony remains up there today.

Many people have reported witnessing paranormal activity here inside the building. An entity of a man, called Felix by the staff, dressed in 1880’s attire is seen wandering around the halls and rooms of the building. Another entity, this one a nicely dressed female entity, has been seen also dressed in 1880’s attire, with shoulder-length ringlets, holding a parasol. She has been seen standing in the halls and also has been spotted enjoying the musical entertainment from the balcony. A male entity, wearing a long-sleeved shirt, has been seen sitting at the bar in the basement area. Two cowboy ghosts have also been seen here as well as in the first floor bar too.

Two mannequins which were placed on the closed off balcony, have been known to be moved by an unknown presence. After hours, the owner, his brother, and a few friends were sitting at a table, when the female mannequin suddenly fell off of the balcony onto the floor below. The male mannequin was then seen turning its head. Glasses on the bars and tables have also been known to move by themselves.

Booted footsteps and jingling spurs have been heard on the stairs from the first floor to the basement, and in the first floor saloon as well. Witnesses have even heard disembodied voices coming from the basement area even when its suppose to be empty. This building is supposedly very haunted. There are many eye witness accounts here, and paranormal investigations have come up with some interesting results.

Buford House Bed & Breakfast (Tombstone, Arizona)

Located at 113 East Safford Street in Tombstone, Arizona. This adobe home was built in the 1880’s by George Buford, a prominent mine owner. Before becoming the bed and breakfast of today, it was called home to two sheriffs, a mayor, a state senator, and none other than Hollywood star John Wayne. Today, it is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young man who committed suicide here after his girl rejected him. Both the owners and guests have seen this ghost walking around inside of the house, as well as along the street in front of the old adobe structure. Often, the doorbell rings in the middle of the night, seemingly of its own accord. Others have reported hearing knocking on walls, faucets turning themselves on and off, and strange lights appearing. Some women have reported feeling someone touching their hair or stroking the back of their necks, even when no one was around them. And people have caught orbs, and strange lights appearing on photographs taken here at the Buford house.

Clawson House Inn (Bisbee, Arizona)

Three murdered miners are said to haunt this 3-room inn. In the 1890’s, there was a bitter labor dispute at the Queen mine southwest of town. Large numbers of striking workers were rounded up by authorities and shipped out of the area, and then strike-breakers moved in to take their jobs. According to some accounts, 3 scabs staying at the Clawson house were killed by strikers. Their spirits are said to be trapped in the house where they were killed. Along with the 3 murdered miners, another spirit has also been seen in the building. That spirit is believed to be the ghost of Mrs. Clawson. She has been seen on many occasions by guests and employees too.

Cochise Stronghold in Coronado National Forest (Douglas, Arizona)

Located to the west of Sunsites, Arizona in the Dragoon Mountains, this beautiful woodland area was once the refuge of the great Apache Chief, Cochise, and his people. At an elevation of 5,000 feet, Cochise Stronghold lies in a protective area of granite domes and sheer cliffs. In this area the spirit of a man playing a flute has often been seen atop the boulders that tower over the campsites. The spirit of Cochise himself is also said to walk among these hills.

Congress Hotel (Tucson, Arizona)

Built in 1919, the hotel was constructed to serve the growing cattle and railroad industries. The roaring 1920’s saw the hotel filled with both genteel travelers and high rollers.

However, this changed temporarily when on January 22nd, 1934, a fire started in the basement of the hotel and spread upwards through the elevator shaft. As the firemen helped the guests out of the windows via aerial ladders, an astute firefighter recognized several of the men as members of the John Dillinger Gang. Passing the information along, a stakeout was established and in the space of just a few hours the Tucson police had captured the gang that the combined forces of several states and the FBI had not been able to do. Today, the hotel has been artfully restored to its original Western version of art deco. Though no known ghosts of the Dillinger Gang haunt the hotel, it is home to a couple of other unearthly spirits. One known ghost, who is often seen staring out of a window, is of a man who suffered a heart attack and died inside the hotel. Room 242 is also said to be haunted by a troubled woman who shot herself in the bathroom after a standoff with the police and a SWAT team. Her apparition has been seen in the bathroom and in the hallway outside the room. Others have reported hearing strange noises and had nightmares while staying in that room.

Crater Range (Ajo, Arizona)

In the 1950s, a couple was married in Ajo and was driving to Lake Tahoe for their honeymoon. Around midnight, while they were passing through Crater Range, they lost control of their car and crashed into a big rock. Both of them were killed instantly.

It is said that if you drive through Crater Range after midnight you might just see the couple and their wrecked car on the side of the road.

Hassyampa Inn (Prescott, Arizona)

Located at 122 East Gurley Street in Prescott, Arizona. The Hassyampa Inn opened in 1927 as the Prescott’s grand hotel. Almost from the start, trajedy befell on the hotel. A newlywed honeymoon couple checked into the hotel as one of its first guests. The couple was checked into the balcony suite, and the groom soon stepped out to buy a pack of cigarettes. He never returned. After three days of waiting, the devastated bride killed herself by hanging herself off of the bell tower above her room.

Today her ghost, called Faith, apparently continues to wait for her long lost love. Numerous sightings of her spirit have been seen throughout the years here in the inn. She has been seen crying at the end of a bed, standing on a balcony holding flowers, and floating through the hallways in a pink gown. She is also thought to be behind such pranks as shutting off the gas burners in the kitchen, spilling coffee, and flapping bed sheets too. In addition to the forlorn bride a child spirit is also thought to lurk within the hotel. Although never seen, the child ghost has been heard by a number of guest. A bouncing ball is often heard coming from different areas of the hotel as well as the sound of a childs laughter.

Hermosa Inn (Scottsdale, Arizona)

In 1930, A cowboy/artist named Lon Megargee built the Hermosa Inn building on some land that he purchased in Paradise Valley. He helped build it with his own hands and money but afterwards couldn’t afford the house’s maintenance cost. To deal with the money shortage, he rented out rooms to travelers. This solution helped for awhile but unfortunately in 1941, Megargee was forced into selling it. Along with the house he built, Mr. Megargee also sold his furniture, his paintings, and everything else he had in the house. Today, some of his paintings still hang on the walls inside the Hermosa Inn.

Since Lon Megargee’s death in 1961, his spirit has been seen on the property many times. Witnesses reported seeing him in ghost form, dressed up like a cowboy. Other people have reported hearing toilets flush even when the bathroom was empty. And drinking glasses have also been knocked off tables and broken by an unseen force.

Hotel Lee (Yuma, Arizona)

Built in 1917 in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style, the Hotel Lee is Yuma’s oldest hotel. Located on a corner of what was once the busy Main Street of Yuma at the southern terminus of the commercial district, the hotel has been full restored today and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It is also allegedly haunted by at least three different female spirits. The first spirit is that of the original owner who has been seen walking down the halls at night and has been known to knock and rattle the doors of the rooms. An Indian woman, thought to predate the hotel has also been seen here at the hotel most often hovering above the guest beds. Employees also blame her for moving tools and other small items only to replace them in odd places. The third ghost is that of a young teenage girl who has been spied walking down the back hall in the evening sometimes carrying towels.

Hotel Vendome (Prescott, Arizona)

Built in 1917, this two-story landmark hotel has hosted not only travelers but a number of Hollywood celebrities over the years. At some point in the early 1900’s, a woman named Abby came to Prescott in an attempt to heal herself of tuberculosis, then called “consumption.” She soon met and married a man and the pair bought the hotel. After a time, they lost the hotel due to unpaid taxes. However, the generous new owners allowed the couple to stay on at the hotel at no charge. Somewhere along the line, when her husband went out to get medicine, he never returned. The devastated Abby refused to eat or drink and ended up dying of starvation in Room 16 in 1921. After World War II, guests began to report seeing the ghost of Abby, along with her cat in the room that she died. Apparently still waiting for her husband’s return, she is described as a benevolent ghost, friendly to those that she encounters.

The Pointe Hilton Tapitio Cliffs Resort (Pheonix, Arizona)

Featuring dramatic views of the Valley of the Sun, the Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort offers over 500 rooms within a three-acre oasis of waterfalls, streams, and beautiful gardens. It also provides guests with the potential to see a ghost.

Some 20 years ago a drunken man attending a wedding reception walked up to the cliffs behind the ballroom of the hotel and accidently fell to his death. Today he is said to haunt the main ballroom, where the wedding reception he was attending years ago was held, as well as the boiler room.

The Red Garter Bed & Bakery (Williams, Arizona)

Located in an 1897 restored saloon and bordello, this two-story Victorian Romanesque brick building with twelve foot ceilings, skylights, and antique furnishings captures the 1890’s old western atmosphere without giving up the comfort and security expected by today’s traveler. Once considered the rowdiest business on William’s Saloon Row, the saloon and brothel continued to be operated until the mid 1940s, when a murder committed on the stairs of the Red Garter led to a city-wide crackdown on saloons and houses of ill repute. The building then served several different businesses including a general store and a rooming house. In 1994 it opened as the Red Garter Bed and Bakery.

Guests not only enjoy the bakery delicacies, but also that of a resident spirit called Eve. Described as a shy Hispanic girl, she has appeared in photographs, left her impression on mattresses, and has been heard coming up and down the stairs when no one else is present.

Royal Elizabeth Bed & Breakfast (Tucson, Arizona)

Located on 204 South Scott Avenue in Tucson. It is the oldest Victorian era inn operating in Arizona today. This adobe crafted mansion was built in 1878. Utilizing a combination of architectural styles, the classic 19th century home, hides an abundance of period antiques and beautiful woodwork inside. Originally serving as the personal home and offices for a prominent Judge Blenman, his descendents continued to occupy the home into their old age. Afterwards, the building began to fall into disrepair and was converted into small apartments. In 1998, it was fully restored to become the beautiful bed and breakfast inn of today.

Judge Blenman seemingly doesn’t wish to leave his old home as he has often been spied inside the inn, most often in the Sydney Marie Suite that once served as his law office. He has also been seen at the private entrance to the patio that adjoins the room and in the grand main hall as well.

San Carlos Inn Hotel (Pheonix, Arizona)

Hotel San Carlos is located at 202 North Central Ave in Phoenix, Arizona. Competed in 1927, the Italian Renaissance-inspired hotel was touted as one of the most modern hotels in the Southwest at the time. Being the first high-rise, fully air-conditioned hotel of the day, it soon became a gathering place for Phoenix’s elite as well as numerous Hollywood stars.

Built on top of the original site of Phoenix’s first elementary school, several spirits of young boys have often been seen inside the hotel. However, it’s most famous ghost is that of a woman named Leone Jensen who killed herself in 1928 by jumping off the roof of the seven-story hotel. Most often spied as a white, misty figure, eerie moaning sounds often accompany her spirit. Other reports include the sounds of children running through the halls and playing in empty rooms.

Santa Rita Hotel (Tucson, Arizona)

 

Tucson’s most elegant hotel when it opened in 1904, it has been fully refurbished today continuing to cater to Tucson visitors. A number of spirits are said to continue to call the old hotel home, including a Texas rancher who killed his cheating wife before hanging himself. Said to sometimes appear in room 822 where he killed himself, the unearthly rancher also likes to play with the lights. Another spirit who is sometimes seen, is that of a young boy who slipped while running around the pool and drowned here in the Santa Rita Hotel. Allegedly, this boy spirit is searching for his mother. People have heard him call out the word MOM around the swimming pool area.