As the air turns crisp and fall gets into full swing, consider spending a night or two at one of these haunted hotels and inns across the U.S.
We've uncovered the spooky stories behind the spirits you may see (or feel). Some are friendly ghosts, many are heartbroken, and others are downright naughty.
Even if you don't believe in ghosts, don't be surprised if a night at one of these haunted hotels leaves you shivering under the covers.
For further options, check out our sequel feature that names even more scary inns across the USA.
Pictured above: the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
(Credit: Rick Knight)
Orleans Waterfront Inn in Orleans, Massachusetts
A fixture of this small Cape Cod town for more than a century, the family-run Orleans Waterfront Inn has 11 rooms, a waterfront dining room, and plenty of historic charm.
According to the innkeepers, the inn is haunted by more than one paranormal presence. The feistiest spirit, Hannah, is said to have lived and worked in the inn when it housed a brothel in the early 19th century. Rumor has it she may have been murdered on the job. Guests and employees report mysteriously extinguished candles and flickering lights.
Guests who stay in Room 4, a lovely waterfront suite, have even reported conversing with Hannah via flashlight. Position the flashlight in the bathroom and ask yes or no questions. If the answer is yes, Hannah turns the flashlight off and then on again.
(Credit: Kehoe House)
Kehoe House in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is a veritable hotbed of spiritual activity. The red-brick Kehoe House is at the center of the city's historic district, just off Columbia Square. Built in 1892 for William Kehoe, the owner of a local iron foundry, the B&B is included on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to paranormal experts, the most prominent haunts are unsettling indeed. The story goes that Kehoe's children, twins who were killed in an accident in the house, still run and play in the hallways. Many guests have reported hearing youngsters thus engaged, despite the inn's strong discouragement of pint-size guests.
Most supernatural activity seems to occur in Rooms 201 and 203, where a guest has reported waking up to a child stroking her face. Book Room 203 if you'd like to put your parental instincts to the test.
(Credit: The Driskill Hotel)
The Driskill in Austin, Texas
The Driskill's old-fashioned elegance is legendary in Austin. Built in 1886 by cattle baron Jesse Driskill, the hotel's marble lobby and lavish rooms have attracted Austin high society, including politicians—Lyndon B. Johnson met wife Lady Bird here on a breakfast date.
Despite its sophistication, or perhaps because of it, the Driskill is considered by many to be the most haunted hotel in Texas (the property is a featured stop on many Austin ghost tours). The first reported haunting at the Driskill occurred in 1887, when a senator's young daughter fell to her death down the grand stairway while chasing a ball. A week after the accident, she was up and at 'em, running and playing once more, albeit in a spectral state.
More recently, guests have reported mysteriously steamed-up rooms, unintelligible scribbling on notepads, and an unhappy female apparition who whispers and cries on the fourth floor. The center of the action seems to be Room 525, where two brides are believed to have met tragic ends within 20 years of one another.
(Credit: Battery Carriage House Inn)
20 South Battery in Charleston, South Carolina
This carriage house's history dates back to 1843. After opening as an inn several decades ago, the property now delivers oodles of Southern charm and, of course, ghost sightings galore.
In fact, some consider this the most haunted inn in Charleston—no easy feat in a city as haunted by the past as this one.
According to witnesses, two ghosts reside on the property: 1.) the Gentleman Ghost, a young man who is rumored to have jumped to his death from the roof; and 2. a headless torso.
Guests have described seeing otherwordly light, profusely dripping faucets, and in Room 10, the appearance of a slightly built man crawling in the bed. If you're skittish, you may want to stay away from Room 8, the chief haunt of the aforementioned headless torso spirit.
Hotel Congress in Tucson, Arizona
The lit-up marquee at the Hotel Congress makes this downtown icon hard to miss. Its history is a reflection of Tucson's Wild West past, when the building served as lodging for passengers on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The hotel also sheltered the notorious Dillinger Gang—Depression-era bank robbers and all-around ne'er-do-wells who hid out in the hotel.
Like those past guests, the hotels ghosts are a colorful crew. A gentlemanly ghost in a gray suit is said to peer out of the hotel's second-story windows. But the classiest spirit flitting around the lobby and stairways of the Hotel Congress is a Victorian lady in a dark dress. The nicest touch? She leaves behind a faint rose scent as she glides by.
In Room 242, guests have reported a chilly presence, sometimes at the foot of the bed.
The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado
This grand hotel is most famous for inspiring Stephen King to write The Shining. Whether you're making a literary pilgrimage or you're simply looking for a mountain getaway in the Rockies, you can experience the Stanley Hotel's history firsthand on one of its tours. Learn about early 1900s mining lore, the hotel's most haunted spots, and Room 217, where King's story began.
F.O. Stanley himself is said to haunt his old stomping grounds, strolling through the bar area or materializing in the corner of Room 407. His wife Flora, not to be outdone, has been heard tickling the ivories at the hotel ballroom's piano. But if you're eager to see what King saw, book Room 217, where guests report sightings of a small, agitated child. Perhaps you'll be inspired to write a story of your own.
(Credit: Casablanca Inn)
Casablanca Inn on the Bay in St. Augustine, Florida
Set in a restored 1917 Mediterranean Revival house on St. Augustine's Matanzas Bay, the Casablanca Inn exudes Old Town charm and a slice of local history—which, in this city's case, is quite scandalous. The port city of St. Augustine served as an entry point for illegal alcohol during the Prohibition era.
According to local legend, the inn played an active role in harboring the smugglers and their goods. Some say the spirit of the property's owner from that time still hangs around. Watch for her on the veranda, where she has reportedly been seen waving a ghostly lantern to warn the pirates (one of whom she'd allegedly taken as a lover) about the presence of lawmen.
Le Pavillon in New Orleans
Steps from the French Quarter, Le Pavillon preserves the classic opulence of the Big Easy. The building, which was completed in 1907, has some secrets, too. According to records, a tunnel exists between Le Pavillon and a neighboring building that was likely used for unsavory purposes during Prohibition.
Paranormal investigators report hauntings from a teenage girl who may have been struck by a carriage while waiting for a ship passage out of New Orleans, and a dark-suited prankster who hassles the cleaning crew. Guests have also claimed to experience ghostly presences in their beds, levitating bedsheets, and the sensation of icy hands.
Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast on the Oregon Coast
Just outside the town of Yachats, these unique lodgings cling to the cliffs of the Oregon Coast. Built in 1892, the lighthouse and lightkeeper's cottage helped mariners navigate the rocky headland known as Heceta Head. Today, you can sleep in the cozy rooms and wake up to incredible views, not to mention an elaborate breakfast.
Of course, Heceta Head's rich history includes a ghost story or two. The most famous involves a woman nicknamed "Rue," described as a misty apparition by those who've seen her. It is said that she lost a young child in an accident and took her own life shortly thereafter. Over the years, lightkeepers and their families—as well as more recent visitors and employees—have reported the sounds of a child laughing, as well as a woman's desperate screams.
In the 1970s, a maintenance worker who had come face-to-face with Rue was so spooked he refused to return to the attic, even though he had accidentally broken a window there. Overnight guests reported sounds of scraping, and in the morning the glass shards were neatly piled, as though they'd been swept up.
Most agree that Rue is a benevolent, if restless, spiritual presence—and evidently a tidy one.
Landmark Inn in Marquette, Michigan
The Landmark Inn, the centerpiece of downtown Marquette, boasts views of Lake Superior and a rich history that dates back to 1930. Notable guests have included Amelia Earhart, Duke Ellington, and the comedy duo Abbott and Costello.
The hotel has had its fair share of otherworldly visitors, too. Guests and employees report mysteriously faulty locks, phantom telephone ringing, and wine glasses with minds of their own.
From the Lilac Room (#604), a lonely librarian is said to watch in vain for her lover, who was killed in a fierce Lake Superior storm in the 1930s. After the hotel reopened in 1997, the first guest to stay in the room reported finding screws in his sheets, which reappeared even after the bedding had been changed. Additionally, the front desk has received calls from the unoccupied Lilac Room, with nothing but ghostly silence on the other end of the line.
Related: Even More Haunted Hotels Across the USA
An earlier version of this story has been updated for 2026.