Most Haunted Hot Springs and Spas In The United States
Byron Hot Springs Hotel, California
The Byron Hot Springs Hotel entertained the Hollywood elite like Charlie Chaplin, Mae West and Clark Gable, as well as politicians like President Taft. The retreat attracted many wealthy people and celebrities for the "health benefits" of the hot, sulfurous waters that sprung from the ground.
Used by the Bolbones Indians for centuries, the therapeutic hot springs were discovered in the 18th century by white fur trappers. The springs quickly became an important stopover on California’s early trade routes.
After that it was a camp for prisoners of war during World War II, and has been abandoned for decades at this point. In 1941 the building became Camp Tracy, a WWII Interrogation camp for German and Japanese prisoners of war. This camp actually utilized cultural understanding, offered the prisoners access to the hot springs.
It has been burned down and sold, rebuilt and re-purposed.
This historic hotel has a long history of reported hauntings, often associated with its past as a hotel and even a military camp. Guests have reported seeing spirits, and local legends include stories of paranormal activity.
Visitors can find parking off-site and walk to the entrance of the Hot Springs road. Palms partially obscure a spray-painted sign reading "Danger - No Trespassing," and a bent barbed-wire fence is at the entrance to the trail.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in northern California and in southern California to meet your soaking needs.
Hot Lake Springs Hotel, Oregon
Originally built as a sanitarium in the 1880s, the Hot Lake Springs hotel near La Grande Oregon is a popular spot for ghost stories. Visitors report hearing footsteps and whispers, and some have seen a woman in white.
In 2001, it was featured on the ABC series The Scariest Places on Earth, and at first glance, sure, it’s plausible. The lodge sits just off the highway in remote Eastern Oregon, about nine miles from La Grande, the kind of place you’d miss if you weren’t looking for it. Deer roam the grounds, adding a touch of feral wild; in the distance, you can hear the low rumble of passing freight trains on the Union Pacific Railroad.
Witnesses have seen an apparition of a man in work clothes believed to be a former gardener who committed suicide. Some people have reported hearing music from the third floor where an old piano formerly owned by Robert E. Lee's wife use to be.
Former caretakers have heard footsteps on the wheelchair ramp, crying and a screams from the old surgery room.
In 1904, the resort was reimagined as a “sanitarium,” not just for relaxation, but for natural healing. A sprawling brick addition followed, and in 1917 Dr. Phy purchased the property outright, renaming it the Hot Lake Sanitarium.
Wild Bill Hickok was drawn by the springs advertised as “70 degrees hotter than the famous hot springs of Arkansas” (Posters inside from that time still compare the two).
At one point, a black bear was reportedly kept in a cage out front to attract visitors. Over the years, the property was repurposed again and again: as a nurse’s training center, a World War II flight school, and later, a mental health asylum.
During a particularly brutal winter typhoid epidemic, part of a wider pattern of early 20th-century public health crises in Oregon, the building even served as a temporary morgue.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in Oregon to meet your soaking needs.
Tubac Golf Resort and Spa, Arizona
The history of Tubac Golf Resort and Spa in Tubac, Arizona, can be traced back over four centuries to a young man named Don Toribio de Otero. Generations of Oteros lived on the ranch for four centuries before they were forced to sell, and the core of the estate was reinvented as a luxury resort in the 1950s.
Occupants and guests have claimed to hear, see, and experience unexplainable activity. In recent decades, resort guests have reported at least four unique ghosts including a boy, a lady in gray, a very active gentleman, and a cowboy. Some of these spirits are believed to date back to the early days of the resort when it was the Otero Ranch.
The paranormal activity has been investigated by the Phoenix Arizona Paranormal Society and featured in the society’s DVD, The Haunted Series (Arizona). Guests can learn more about the Tubac hauntings in Haunted Otero: Ghost Tales From the American Southwest by Diana Hinojosa-DeLugan, who has given ghost tours of the Tubac Golf Resort and Spa. Tubac Golf Resort and Spa was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2008 and dates to 1789.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in Arizona to meet your soaking needs.
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, California
The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma, California, welcomes guests past and present, believing that their ghosts haunt where they were happiest. The inn’s employees will testify that when the evenings are still and the fog rolls in from the San Francisco Bay, a beautiful woman has been seen strolling the hallways of the inn in period clothing: Victoria.
One of the early European settlers of Sonoma Valley, Victoria is said to have celebrated her wedding and many anniversaries at the resort, but let’s not forget many guests likely had a good tour of the region’s wineries.
For decades, guests have even commented on the otherworldly presence at the inn. A handsome room in the original inn building is reportedly haunted by the ghost of an elderly man.
Guests have for years noted a feeling of not being alone in their room at night. They have described hearing doors slam, catching sight of something out of the corner of their eye, or seeing something run down the hall and around the corner.
The hauntingly famous Round Room is perhaps one of the most haunted hotel rooms in California. Since then, guests have reported paranormal activity in the room, including flickering lights, unexplained noises, shadowy figures, running water and more. The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa was inducted into Historic Hotels of America in 2014.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in northern California to meet your soaking needs.
Ruins of Hot Wells Hotel, San Antonio
Located on the south side of San Antonio, Texas the ruins of Hot Wells Hotel stand as a reminder of the city’s past. Originally known for its healing sulfur baths, Hot Wells has developed a reputation for being haunted.
The original Hot Wells Hotel opened in 1893, making use of the sulphuric springs in the area that were said to possess healing properties. Unfortunately, the hotel burned down only a year after opening, and it took six years to rebuild.
In 1900, an opulent Victorian version of the Hot Wells Hotel opened and became a popular tourist attraction. Even President Teddy Roosevelt visited the hotel and its famous hot springs. Another fire would strike Hot Wells in 1925, but it quickly rebounded.
The elite of Hollywood’s Golden Age frequently visited Hot Wells. Guests included Charlie Chaplin, Will Rogers, Cecil B. DeMille, and Douglas Fairbanks. During this time, over seventy Hollywood movies were filmed there, including Wings, which was the first movie to win an Academy Award.
Over the years, Hot Wells fell on hard times. The hotel eventually closed in 1977 and sat vacant for decades as it slowly decayed. In 1988, a lightning strike to the spa tower caused a massive fire.
In 2019, the ruins of Hot Wells Hotel were turned into a county park and opened to the public.
However, while some haunted places carry the heavy weight of tragedy, there seems to be a uniquely positive presence at Hot Wells. Paranormal investigative teams and novice ghost hunters alike regularly explore the ruins, searching for echoes of the past.
An unknown number of spirits are said to haunt the ruins of Hot Wells Hotel.
No one is quite sure who haunts the ruins of Hot Wells Hotel, but there is certainly enough ghostly activity to ease any doubts about it being haunted. Some of the more regularly reported ghosts and hauntings include:
A spirit named Nick who enjoys talking to ghost hunters
A woman who keeps watch over the ruins
Unexplained footsteps on the second floor of the ruins
Communication from spirits via EVP and spirit box sessions
Although records do not give an accurate number of how many people died at Hot Wells Hotel when it was in operation, spirits can come back to places they loved in life. Hot Wells was beloved by thousands of people who traveled there for healing getaways and lavish parties.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in Texas to meet your soaking needs.
Sweet Springs Resort and Spa, West Virginia
Established in 1792 by Revolutionary War Veteran, William Lewis, the Sweet Springs Resort and Spa in West Virginia was well known for its natural hot spring. The historic resort had seen the likes of George Washington, Jerome Bonaparte, and General Robert E. Lee.
The resort eventually closed in 1930 after the Civil War and a decade later became a sanitarium for patients suffering from tuberculosis. In 1945, it became a retirement home. The property is now operated by the nonprofit Sweet Springs Resort Park Foundation.
Many believe the ghosts that haunt Sweet Springs were those that died here during its life as a sanitarium and retirement home. The resort has been featured on several paranormal television shows, including Paranormal Lockdown and Destination Fear.
Lava Hot Springs Inn, Idaho
The Lava Hot Springs Inn in Idaho is rustic and haunted, with a reviewer claiming to have seen a ghost in an upstairs window during the day.
Located in the small town of Lava Hot Springs, this inn has quite the history and its reputation has attracted a lot of attention to an otherwise quiet town. In fact, the hotel was even featured on a popular ghost-hunting television show.
Today, the inn's exterior very much resembles an old hospital/sanatorium. The building acted as a hospital for decades before being turned into a hotel during the 1980s.
If you consider yourself a paranormal enthusiast, you might want to challenge yourself to spend a night in Room 13, not surprisingly, which is reportedly the "most haunted" room in the hotel. Many guests recall seeing an apparition of a woman named Martha when they stay in the room.
The sitting room on the hotel's second floor was once the hospital's operating room. Room 13 was the anesthesia room where patients were prepped before operations.
If you can’t get room 13, try another. An apparition of an angry elderly lady is known to pop up in Room 10 and Room 7 is known to contain the ghost of an old World War II soldier. It turns out that many of the hospital's patients ended up staying here forever.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in Idaho to meet your soaking needs.
The Elms Hotel & Spa, Missouri
The Elms Hotel & Spa in Excelsior Springs Missouri has been said to host several ghosts over the years. The hotel was featured on an episode of SyFy’s Ghost Hunters in July 2013.
Two devastating fires destroyed The Elms in 1898 and 1910. Though no fatalities ever occurred in either fire, rumors have persisted that one of the spirits was involved in one of the fires.
Some of the ghost legends purport that the lap pool area entertains the spirit of a gambler involved with illegal activities during the speakeasy days of Prohibition.
Another story says the housekeeping staff has a spiritual adviser in the form of a ghost wearing a 1920s-style uniform.
One thing everyone seems to agree on is the friendliness of the spirits. These gracious ghosts may act as spiritual guides to the next adventures that await the grand hotel.
Chico Hot Springs Resort and Day Spa, Montana
A prized location in the Paradise Valley just thirty-or-so miles from Yellowstone National Park, two pools fed with water from natural geothermal hot springs. I loved spending time with my kids here, never realizing its story.
Chico Hot Springs Resort has various accommodations for guests to choose from. The historic main lodge is cozy and quaint although a bit smaller than your regular hotel rooms. Several of the rooms have their own bathrooms but there some which share facilities throughout the building. But there may be some unexpected guests.
The most famous ghost in Chico Hot Springs is the Lady in White. She has been making appearances and has been scaring guests for quite some time now. Two hotel security guards witnessed the Lady in White near the piano on the third floor. They could only see the upper part of the ghost’s body. According to one story, two night watchmen in 1986 saw the upper body of a ghostly young woman hovering near a piano in the lounge.
In 1990, two other employees of the hotel followed the Lady in White to Room 349. They could smell the sweet fragrance of lilac and jasmine and when they opened the door, the room was empty and a rocker was gently rocking back and forth.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in Montana to meet your soaking needs.
Globe Hotel at Sierra Hot Springs, California
The Globe Hotel is a renovated ghost town brothel in Sierraville California, and the place has a musty, old odor which isn't helped by the antique furniture.
One guest stayed in the purple room. The door didn't close unless it was locked. The lamp kept flickering so I turned it off. Above the bed there was an entrance to the attic which was cracked open at least an inch. In the middle of the night they heard the sound of something opening and closing- right where that attic door was- but they were too scared to look up.
Apparently room 8 has a ghost lady in it and a chair moves in the lobby to face the window near the intersection.
The Arlington Resort, Arkansas
The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa has been deemed a local haunt in recent years, and in the massive historic hotel that sits in downtown Hot Springs.
From light flickers and dimming remaining after electricians come by to check the wiring in the Magnolia Room and Venetian Dining Room, to footprints seen in the carpet in front of Room 723 — the hotel holds an undeniable eerie feeling.
While at the hotel you may meet the woman dressed in a white gown walking the halls of the seventh floor. Or perhaps the man resembling a soldier who has been seen taking a bath in the men’s side of the hotel’s bath house. Check into Room 824, or 443 to have a night full of haunts.
In Room 443 — also known as The Capone Suite, where infamous American gangster Al Capone stayed when he would frequent Hot Springs — guests have reported the smell of a cigar in the non-smoking hotel. Another strange experience that may just be Capone himself is guests having heard and seen the room’s connecting door knob turn, despite there being no door knob on the other side.
If you are a little iffy about haunted hot springs, there are plenty that you can visit in Arkansas to meet your soaking needs.
Victorian Village of Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Perched high above the Victorian Village of Eureka Springs, Arkansas is the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, a palatial structure and resort hotel known widely in the Ozark Mountains as the “symbol of hospitality” for the State of Arkansas and brought to life year round.
Known as one of the most haunted hotels in America, the Crescent hosts this signature event each January for those fascinated by paranormal investigation, ghost stories, and the unexplained.
This Crescent Hotel’s ghost tour team offers a 48-hour tour and includes small-group investigations, hands-on exploration of active spaces, seminars on the hotel’s long and unusual history, and nightly ghost tours. Guests enjoy behind-the-scenes access to areas not included on the nightly tours, plus hospitality breaks throughout the weekend.
Hot Springs, North Carolina
Hot Springs is a quiet little town nestled deep in the Blue Ridge, just North of Asheville and Just South of the Tennessee border. The French Broad River cuts through the town, making it a draw for paddlers and kayakers.
The Town gets its name from the natural hot springs which bubble up from the ground. It was these waters that brought tourists to Hot Springs throughout the nineteenth century. This is now the Hot Springs Resort and Spa.
The sense of calm and relaxation seems to have spread from those spring throughout the entire town, and there is something of a mildly otherwordldy aura about the little town of Hot Springs. The town has been called where Mayberry meets The Twilight Zone.
The warm waters flowing from the earth were sacred to the Cherokee, and a few miles down the river is the important Cherokee religious site of Paint Rock. Ever since the 19th Century, people have reported seeing the figure of a Cherokee man walking in the woods near the river and the springs.
It’s said that the ghost of the Cherokee keeps his eyes on these, and a number of surprised soakers have even reported the ghost slipping into the tub next to them!
