Haunted Hotels

[T-Belle]

An intelligent haunting indicates that there is some sort of spirit being present which knows you are there and is capable of interacting with you. This would be, presumably, the spirit of a previously living person who needs to make contact or just is getting a kick out of messing with people.

A residual haunting is where no actual spirit is present. Energy gets trapped in the ground, the walls, etc and under certain conditions that energy is released again causing, essentially, a recording to play over and over. It's like a movie or a CD playing. What you are seeing/hearing has no idea you are there, doesn't interact with you, and is not actually an intelligent being. It's just a hologram type phenomenon, or a recording. I think this is a naturally occurring phenomenon that we just don't understand yet. Kind of life 3000 years ago people thought lightning was made by the gods and they were throwing these bolts at people. Now we know it's a natural phenomenon. My guess is at least 90% of "hauntings" are this type.

This is SO interesting. Thanks for the info!

[It'sWDW4me]

Just spent a weekend in Gettysburg with my DS13. We slept at a campground so I'm sure the noises waking me up all night were just critters lurking about (or so I keep telling myself ).

We did take a walking tour which included the Farnsworth House - "the most haunted house in Gettysburg" - and a field across the street. Tour started at 8 pm and ended in the field around 10. My son snapped a few pics in the pitch black field and caught a few orbs. One pic contains two whitish orbs and one has a perfectly round orange-red sphere. Blowing the pic up on just the camera's screen shows a young man's face smack dab in the middle of the orb. Quite creepy - can't wait to blow it up on our computer! By the way - there were only a handful of people in the field that night. No overhead lights or camera flashes created these balls of light.

Chris - DS has heard that the redder the orb, the bloodier the death while I've heard the redder the orb, the angrier the spirit. Any truth to either?

[Strmchsr]

Chris - DS has heard that the redder the orb, the bloodier the death while I've heard the redder the orb, the angrier the spirit. Any truth to either?

Actually, no. A lot of misconceptions out there about orbs. A true orb is nothing more than a ball of energy. It does not mean a spirit is present. The reason orbs can be a good sign is that "ghosts" are beings of energy and so orbs are signs that energy is present for them to use to interact with you. 99% of "orbs" caught by cameras are either dust, moisture, or bugs. Seeing faces and such in orbs is an optical illusion we call matrixing. God designed our eyes to make order out of chaos. When we look at random shapes and pictures our eyes begin to see "normal" shapes within the chaos. So, my rule of thumb is ignore all orbs. Even if it's a true orb it's nothing to be excited about. There's some folks that get all excited about orbs and have categories for different orbs, but I tend to take a much more scientific approach and, in my experience, categorizing orbs is just baloney.

Gettsburg is an awesome place to visit. I LOVE the history, and I've heard the ghost hunting is pretty good up there, too. Lots of activity - residual and intelligent.

[TheMartellFamily]

never stayed in a haunted hotel but my dorm that I lived in at college was! I never had an experience but many said they did.

[TheVBs]

I've stayed in a hotel that was supposed to be haunted, but didn't experience anything, which was ok with me! While I'm perfectly content to keep it that way, I do love hearing about other people's experiences. Two people close to me have had extraordinary experiences. I would love to hear about any experiences people have had in a hotel or anywhere. Strmchsr, I'd love to hear about your experiences as an investigator. I love watching Ghost Hunters! So does one of our neighbors. He actually wants to go out to a couple of spots that are supposed to be haunted, open areas like roads, and snap some pictures. He wants me to go too. Don't know if I'm up for that, but I haven't ruled it out yet.

[pink]

We did take a walking tour which included the Farnsworth House - "the most haunted house in Gettysburg" - and a field across the street. Tour started at 8 pm and ended in the field around 10. My son snapped a few pics in the pitch black field and caught a few orbs. One pic contains two whitish orbs and one has a perfectly round orange-red sphere. Blowing the pic up on just the camera's screen shows a young man's face smack dab in the middle of the orb. Quite creepy - can't wait to blow it up on our computer! By the way - there were only a handful of people in the field that night. No overhead lights or camera flashes created these balls of light.

Reading that just gave me the chills. A year or so ago my DBF and I drove by the real Amityville Horor House. They say not to stop in front of the house because it's rude to the people who now live there but there is a stop sign in front of the home and we really wanted a picture of the house (which now looks very different and has a new number outside). We took a picture and drove away. Later on we checked the picture out to find a gigantic orb in front of the house with a face inside of it smiling. Imagination of the mind or not, it is still strange.

[azdisneymom]

I have never stayed in a haunted hotel but once when I was a teenager I had a strange experience in my home. It was late at night and I had been asleep for a couple of hours. I felt something at my feet so I woke up, thinking it was the cat. What I saw was a shadow figure of a man at the foot of my bed. I looked at him and he turned his head to look at me. I was so scared I couldn't even scream. Then quick as a wink he turned and ran out of the room, right through the wall. It was the one and only time I had such an experience. I am in my 50's now and still remember it like it just happened.

[DisneyOtaku]

Not a hotel, but I sometimes wonder if the house I am renting is For some bg info, in the house is me, and two friends, a male and a female. The house belongs to my girl house-mate's family--it was her grandmothers, but she has sense entered a nursing home, and they needed people to take care of the house for them.

Never SEEN anything, but the doors have this way of just slamming themselves shut, even when the AC isn't on. But the two things that really freaked me out was, one day, I was in the living room and heard a loud CRASH! in the formal dining room. Now, that room is filled with junk that the family still needs to clean out (complete pack-rats!). I go check it out and it's this small pile of books that fell. I would just say it was because of balance, but they had been sitting in the center of a very sturdy table, and they were all scattered across the floor.

The other thing is stranger, IMHO. It's a five bedroom house, but we NEVER enter the master bedroom, since that belonged to the grandmother and my roomie wanted that to stay off limits. Fine, perfectly reasonable and it's not like we were dying for more room anyway. Last week though, at 12:45 AM, my male roomie walks near the master suite (his room is across from it) and he noticed that the shower in there had turned on. That one, I have no explanation for.

[TheVBs]

Wow! Scary stories!

[beksy]

Stayed at the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast.

Slept in the same room one of the murders was committed in.

Wow you are way braver than me! I've seen episodes on that place and the story numerous times on Travel Channel and get chills each time. I love haunted places but that is one I wouldn't go near even during the day.

I love watching Ghost Hunters!

So do I! My favorite was with a Lighthouse but I can't remember the name.

Thanks for all the info Chris. As a ghost-fanatic, I'm proud to say I "know" you!

[Strmchsr]

So do I! My favorite was with a Lighthouse but I can't remember the name.

That would probably have been the St. Augustine Lighthouse you're referring to. Very cool place to investigate. Definitely lives up to the hype.

[TheVBs]

Was that the one where they caught a shadow figure leaning over the railing at the top? That gives me chills every time I watch it! There's another one that does too. I think it's a bar that used to be a brewery, they're in a room with pool tables and they caught a shadowy figure kind of ducking back behind a pool table. Yikes! If I saw that I'd have a heart attack.

My neighbor had an extra ticket to see Jason and Grant speak at a local university. I didn't even know about it! It was a fantastic presentation. They played some very spooky stuff for us.

[mouselover93]

cashtown inn in Gettysburg in the lee room. stayed there for 2 nights and woke up on the verge of tears ( go ahead and laugh ) first i was checking out the room and went into the bathroom to see how nice it was and while walking out heard something and then got my arm touched. then i came back and it was me my dad and 2 of my friends and me and my friends had to sleep in a bed together while my dad took the sofa and we kept hearing the door move and footsteps. then we heard screaming and what sounded like a horse and a gun shoot right outside our window and there was nothing there. then something said my name and my friends heard it and then my friend got his hair pulled. not much happened the 2nd night i think because i passed out after a midnight ghost tour. but me and my one friend walked down to use the restaurant restrooms while my dad showered and while walking down we got to the 2nd story landing and heard a little girl and then i saw a shadow and then we ran up into our room. freaky yes awesome hotel yes

[mouselover93]

Reading that just gave me the chills. A year or so ago my DBF and I drove by the real Amityville Horor House. They say not to stop in front of the house because it's rude to the people who now live there but there is a stop sign in front of the home and we really wanted a picture of the house (which now looks very different and has a new number outside). We took a picture and drove away. Later on we checked the picture out to find a gigantic orb in front of the house with a face inside of it smiling. Imagination of the mind or not, it is still strange.

i did that tour and while i was in the field i saw a gray figure walking through the bushes and i snapped a picture and got the same exact picture that your talking about. and i took mine at midnight when there was no moon or lights and it was on the anniversary of the battle. coincidence? i think not

[Joannelet]

I come from a long line of ghost sightings...but I will talk about what you have asked..which is hotels or places to stay. My hubby travels for work and he was in New Orleans. It was him and a co-worker of his staying at Le Pavillion (arrangements were made for them so they didn't do any research on this hotel). My husbands co worker was in the room across the hall from him. He was having problems where his toilet would keep flushing. Then they went to dinner and upon returning he was getting ready for bed. He walked into the bathroom and heard something fall...he went into the area where the bed was and the HUGE picture on the wall was now on the bed. Then he noticed the outline of someones butt and legs in the comforter as if someone had been sitting there!!!!! The guy was TERRIFIED and slept with the lights on the rest of his stay!
My husband called me up freaking out asking me to look into the hotel for ghost sitings....I did find some. It is the most historical hotel that is there....

I will post my other one in detail when I can...but it was on Norwegian cruise line not a hotel.

[murphy1]

Chris, I am DYING to go to The Myrtles in Baton Rouge!! I have a friend there, so we are hoping one of these days. One of my HS friends and I stayed at an old orphanage in New Orleans that was a B&B and had some freaky stuff happened, but it was not related to ghosts, LOL.
Since I'm from Florida, I've stayed at a few of the really haunted ones in St. Augustine and St. Petersburg. My favorite is the Don CeSar, you can defintely pickup vibes there if you are open to it. I have a photo from another place near there where I got what I think are orbs, I should send it to you, Chris, b/c a few yards away was a monument that a pilot had died during some WWII training. It is gold in color and it was pretty cool when I saw it.

[Strmchsr]

I have a photo from another place near there where I got what I think are orbs, I should send it to you, Chris, b/c a few yards away was a monument that a pilot had died during some WWII training. It is gold in color and it was pretty cool when I saw it.

Send it on. I'd love to see it!

[Joannelet]

K, here is my story about the Norwegian cruise line I was on....I tried posting this before without details in hopes that someone else had seen this "ghost" per say but I didn't get a response......so here it is in detail.
It was on the Norwegian Spirit (which I find VERY amusing!!!) August 2007
Anyways, my sister and her friend and my brother in law and his gf were on the lowest floor on the ship. My hubby and I were closer to the top floor.....so we weren't on their floor.
Well one morning my sister, her friend and I met for lunch and my sister was telling me how she was sooo scared the night before and told me that she was laying in bed and suddenly saw feet by the door on the inside. She thought it was her eyes playing tricks on her but then she could actually make out the entire body. She gave me details of what the girl looked like. She had her hair half pulled back, long dark curly hair, and she was wearing a dress but she was just standing there staring at my sister.....She yelled for her friend to turn on the light which she did and then the girl vanished.....
She kept telling me that she was really scared.....a little while later I saw my brother in law and his girlfriend. His girlfriend immediately upon seeing me starts to tell me how my brother in law is beyond himself from last night...I was like what, what happened? She goes he saw a ghost last night and she came after him. She told me she never heard him scream like that before and he wouldn't go to bed with the lights off. So I started asking him about her...he was shaking talking about it!!! My BIL is this big tough guy so for him to be freaked out by something really scared the heck out of me!!! He told me her hair was dark with half of it pulled back and she was wearing a dress...he said she was standing there staring at him when she came at him angrily!!!!
I started to scream going OMG you have to talk to my sister!!!!! She described the same PERSON in her room last night too!!! By the way, they were not roomed next to eachother etiher...they were far down the hall from each other but on the same floor!!!!
Needless to say NONE of us slept with the lights off the rest of the week!!!!

[Jenemmy]

That would probably have been the St. Augustine Lighthouse you're referring to. Very cool place to investigate. Definitely lives up to the hype.

Oooooo -- we were in St. Augustine last year and just seeing that place from a distance was too close for me! LOL I could tell just by looking at it that there was something going on in there....

[Scar]

I go to Gettysburg several times a year. As a reenactor I have spent many weekends sleeping on the field. I have also camped out at Antietam, Manasas, and Cedar Creek multiple times. All at or near places where I am 100% certain soldiers died. But alas, as much as I would like to see a ghost, I never have.

I think maybe our civil war music scares them away.