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Great Places to Sleep with a GhostBedandBreakfast.com Does Their Annual Round-UpHistorical or hysterical, ghostly spirits enjoy B&Bs as much as living guests do. For Halloween stories, www.BedandBreakfast.com, the largest online directory representing 27,000 B&Bs worldwide, offers a wonderful list of inns where ghost seekers can enjoy great ghostly gatherings and potentially close encounters with the spirit world, bed-and-breakfast style. Riverside Bed and Breakfast, Oroville, CA: You’ll hear ghost tales around the fire with stories about the inn’s Fly Fisherman Ghost here on Halloween weekend. This sportsman spirit is actually a former guest who came one year to take in the spectacle of the king salmon and steelhead trout spawning on the Feather River. He disappeared while staying at the inn, and many think that he simply stayed on in spirit to enjoy the incredible fishing. Info: www.riversidebandb.com, 530-533-1413. Weathertop Lodging, Silver Plume, CO: This National Historic Trust Landmark town has many original homes that are reputedly haunted by ghosts of miners and their families. Weathertop B&B is no exception, inhabited by the ghost of a 19th century miner who reminds guests of his presence by occasionally “rearranging” personal possessions, and quietly moving about in the wee hours of the morning. Innkeepers here claim no responsibility for lost sleep, and offer a third night free over Halloween weekend, if anyone dares stay that long! Info: www.weathertoplodging.com, 303-569-2100. The Old Bridge Inn, Jeffersonville, IN: Teacups move for no apparent reason; guests are awakened by gentle tapping on their feet; and walking canes rise and twirl inconceivably in the air here. The inn is haunted year-round, but those who come to visit the ghosts over Halloween can participate in haunted ghost walks on selected weekends, if they stay two nights during October, 2004. Info: www.oldbridgeinn.com, 812-284-3580. Castle Inn of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA: The Castle is a regular stop on the Haunted History Tour of the Garden District, and was featured on the Travel Channel’s “Haunted Hotels” show. The castle has been certified by the North Florida Paranormal research group, and is being investigated by similar groups. More details on their two ghosts are on the inn’s website. Info: www.castleinnofneworleans.com/ghost.html, 888-826-0540. Thaddeus Clapp House, Pittsfield, MA: Playwright Peter Bergman had a one-on-one with the spirit that resides here when he was rehearsing a play in the B&B’s drawing room, where the original owners held “parlor plays” in the 1800s. This friendly spirit is a former member of the Clapp family, doing its best to welcome guests of their beloved home. Info: www.clapphouse.com, 888.499.6840. Nichols Guest Rooms, Seekonk, MA: Legend tells us that the original owner of this 200-year-old Colonial home took his own life. Shadows and strange sounds in the night, and lights mysteriously flickering on and off ensure that guests know that friendly spirits remain. Info: www.NicholsGuestRooms.com, 508-761-7146. Peace With-Inn, Fryeburg, ME: This home was owned by the same family for ten generations, starting in 1777, and continuing until Chester and Alice Black, the last family members in residence, died in the house in the mid-1970s. The present innkeepers consider the Blacks their “spiritual innkeepers,” when they find decorations re-arranged, doors locked, and hear floorboards creaking. Info: www.peacewithinn.com, 877-935-7322. Historic Inns of Rockland, Rockland, ME: Home base for Haunts of Rockland, friendly former residents haunt many of the member inns, according to paranormal researchers. Apparitions have been seen in the inns’ windows from outside, along with friendly appearances in guest and common rooms. Visit Ghosts From The Coast, a haunted house, and you’re likely to have your own close encounter too. Info: www.historicinnsofrockland.com or participating inns. Carriage House Inn, Searsport, ME: Stories abound about the ghosts who have been seen in the windows of this 1874 Victorian mansion. An expert in the paranormal expert verified there are at least two entities living here, both of whom endured untimely deaths. The resident beagle shuns certain rooms, and avoids the haunted staircase where someone met their demise. For those who love a good ghoul, plenty of activity is guaranteed here. Info: www.carriagehouseinmaine.com, 800-578-2167. Hannibal Garden House B&B, Hannibal, MO: Hannibal, the boyhood home of Mark Twain and his fictitious characters Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, is also home to playful spirits. One resides at the Garden House, where a male presence is most commonly felt in the stone basement where he plays music, talks, and saws wood. This Halloween, tour “Haunted Hannibal;” stops include the cemetery where Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn played and the Old Jail Museum, home to many spirits of its own. Info: www.gardenhousebedandbreakfast.com, 573-221-7800. Manchester Inn, Ocean Grove, NJ: Check into room 316, and ghosts may literally pull your leg. It’s been known to happen there, when a guest felt a tugging at her pants leg several times. Strange noises and disappearing shadows in the hallway are other indicators that friendly spirits inhabit this inn. Info: www.themanchesterinn.com, 732-775-0616. Bottger Mansion of Old Town, Albuquerque, NM: Resident ghosts sigh, pace, and sometimes even dance. There are three confirmed, and more likely six contented spirits here, documented by investigators of the paranormal. Stay over Halloween, and enjoy the “Boo to You” package including accommodations, dinner, Old Town Ghost Tour tickets, and a special surprise gift. Info: www.bottger.com, 800-758-3639. Cornerstone B&B, Philadelphia, PA: A sweet, floral scent precedes sightings of a ghostly female shape at the Cornerstone. Innkeepers claim she is an ethereal presence, and her signature perfume always occurs as she gently taps the foreheads of those at the inn. Some claim she’s a resident angel, others feel she’s a ghost. Info: www.cornerstonebandb.com, 215-387-6065. Pinhook Plantation House B&B, Calhoun, TN: Tales of spirits abound here, including the Lady in the Gray Gown opening the front door and walking up the winding stairs, and the Monk and other ghosts holding a meeting in the Gathering Room late one night. A school teacher who formerly lived in the house would bring her students to show them the rocking chair that frantically rocked, and then suddenly stopped as if someone got up. Info: www.pinhookplantation.com, 423-336-1296. Franklin Pearson House, Cowan, TN: The Cowan area is widely known as a “hot spot” for ghost activity due to its rich, colorful history; this old railroad hotel is no exception, and bustles with interesting yet harmless ghost activity. This Halloween, ghosts – including some from the “Old Hotel” – will be the topic of many stories told around a candlelight dinner. Info: www.franklinpearson.com, 931-962-3223. The Toal House Bed and Breakfast, Hot Springs, SD: The Toal House was originally built in 1891 as a men’s gaming club where wealthy men came to gamble and be entertained by the “ladies.” Stories of past spirits are included in “Haunted America” by Michael Norman and Beth Scott. The current spirits delight guests with the scent of a flowery Victorian perfume or the aroma of vintage cigar smoke, but the encounter doesn’t come to all visitors, only the lucky ones. Info: www.toalhousebnb.com, 605-745-4633. Golden Stage Inn, Cavendish, VT: The innkeepers have become so familiar with the young friendly spirit who appears dressed in a traveling cloak and a large brimmed hat, that they’ve named him George. He appears often, and sometimes plays tricks on the innkeepers. This Halloween, take the Golden Stage Inn house tour; guests are invited to help decorate and come in disguise. Who knows, you might even get a glimpse of George. Info: www.goldenstageinn.com, 800-253-8226. For great B&B story ideas, visit the BedandBreakfast.com Press Room at www.bedandbreakfast.com/about/pressRoom.aspx. BedandBreakfast.com is the leading online bed & breakfast reservation network, listing over 27,000 bed & breakfasts and inns throughout the United States and internationally. A variety of search functions and extensive maps enable inngoers to find the perfect B&B. Travelers can make reservations online, purchase gift certificates accepted at 3,500 U.S. bed & breakfast inns, subscribe to a free newsletter, vote for their favorite inns, and post questions on expert-hosted message boards. Visit BedandBreakfast.com’s sister site, Inns.com, offering information on a range of independently-owned distinctive lodging. Edited by Dave Shultz |
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