With a history that is creepy enough all on its own, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs Arkansas has a reputation for having the most haunted hotel grounds in the United States.

Last week, the hotel added another ghostly tale to its collection.

Eureka Springs is about 45 minutes from my hometown, and I've always been fascinated by the rumors that circulate about strange happenings in the area.

"Just get out before dark," is a warning I heard a lot as a young person.

I'm an absolute skeptic, but I admit to getting a little bit of a thrill when a story or experience can't be debunked. The Crescent Hotel is the town's center of paranormal activity, and it makes for an interesting visit, no matter what you choose to take away from it.
Really, even if there weren't tales of other worldly experiences from guests and staff, the history of the hotel is enough to give you the willies.

A Tragic Legend Begins - Ghosts of the Crescent Hotel

The gorgeous, Victorian hotel was built out of native limestone as an upscale resort and getaway destination in 1886, as well-to-do people from all over the country were flocking to the town in search of natural springs that were believed to have healing properties.

The Crescent didn't waste any time gathering her ghosts.

During construction, a stone worker by the name of Michael fell to his death from the 4th floor into what eventually became room 218, one of the most active rooms by ghost hunting standards.

Shortly after the resort opened to guests, a young girl said to be 5 or 6 years old, stumbled over the staircase, and fell to her death from the 4th floor down to the basement below.

By 1908, Eureka Springs' tourist numbers declined after it became less trendy to spend pricey vacations "taking the waters" as phrase was at the time. It became a part-time women's college in the school months, but still served hotel guests in the Summer. During this time, it is said that the Dean's young son became ill and died, only to roam the halls in the afterlife. He makes his presence known by the sound of a bouncing ball. Later, a love-struck and pregnant student was either pushed or jumped to her death from the 4th floor balcony. Some have seen her fall. Some have been woken by her screams as she falls. Some have looked up to see a shadowy figure peering down from the balcony above.

By 1934, the Great Depression forced closure, and the magnificent structure sat nearly empty, the town struggling to thrive in a time when vacations were impossible for most people.

While there doesn't seem to be any proof of either the little girl or the pregnant student, encounters with their ghosts have been recounted by numerous guests. However, Michael the stone worker and the ghastly events that followed the resorts closure are very real.

Here's where it gets really creepy:

Three years later, it was purchased by a psychopath who claimed to be a doctor with a miracle cure for cancer. Dr. Norman Baker painted a majority of the hotel bright purple and began sending out mailers that lured in the sick and wealthy. Already known for being a quack, and with the FBI on his trail, he still managed to rake in $500,000/year for a couple of years until they finally pinned him for mail fraud.

Under public and professional scrutiny for his practice, he forced dying patients, crippled in agony, to write home to their families that his "Castle in the Air" was some kind of medical paradise and they had never felt better. When the pain medication was no longer working, they were taken to an area that served as a hospice until they succumbed to their cancer. That area has been since remodeled into a luxury suite for the new wave of guests, of course.

It is estimated that the number of people who died in the care of this "doctor" is in the hundreds, some of their remains possibly scattered on the grounds.

The irony here is that Dr. Baker, himself, eventually died from cancer.

The morgue was located in the basement. The original autopsy table still remains, and it once doubled as cleaning storage and a coffee bar, apparently:

That is, until the new owners saw its potential as a hot stop for their upcoming ghost tours:

In 1967, the 4th floor suffered a massive fire, and stayed closed off until new owners began renovations in 1997.

In 1994, Morris the cat passed away after 21 years as hotel manager, and might the be only soul not made victim by the 4th floor. He was highly beloved, and he was laid to rest with his own headstone in the gardens of the property (I told you there would be cats) .

The Ghost Hunters crew once filmed an episode at the Crescent. you can see their assessment of the hotel , as well as another Victorian era home in Eureka Springs, and I'll admit, the apparition they capture in the basement does make my skin crawl a bit:

The full Ghost Hunters episode can be found by searching DailyMotion, but I suggest checking out this YouTube video by Haunting History for a more in-depth look at Eureka Springs and The Crescent Hotel:

The Creepy Keeps on Creepin'...

For believers and skeptics alike, The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa is a beautiful and intriguing place to visit. If you would like to hear the stories and see the hotel for yourself, they have a ghost tour that is open year round, but good luck getting a spot in October. ;)

Thanks for reading!