Tag Archives: haunted

Kennedy School

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About Kennedy School

McMenamins Kennedy School is a former elementary school in northeast Portland. The school was originally opened in 1915 and closed in 1975. Refurbished and converted into a hotel and restaurant by the McMenamins as part of their extensive empire of converted old historic buildings fused with extensive paintings and murals, historical photographs, and relics of the buildings former life. The walls and doors are decorated with images giving tribute to the education that thousands of students received in the schools rich history. There is a restaurant, a movie theater, and a soaking pool.

Ghost Stories

There are reports of a ghost haunting a women’s restroom on the premises, and the story of a suicide in one of the classrooms. While we found references to its being haunted from several sources, all of the explanations are vague, and none of them were even slightly confirmed by any employees that we talked to. We are glad we checked the place out, but disappointed that we did not get anything more interesting as a result.

Our Review

We did not get an opportunity to stay at this hotel on this trip, but we did wander the halls and eat in the restaurant. The menu in the restaurant was more extensive than typical McMenamins pub fair, but not as upscale as you would find in their restaurants like the Black Rabbit Restaurant at Edgefield.

North Portland Library

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About North Portland Library

The North Portland Library is a branch of the Multnomah county library system located in northern Portland. The building was constructed in 1913 and refurbished in 1999. In addition to the general collection the library houses the Black Resource Collection, a selection of materials relating to the black experience. The Library is close to the Portland Community College Cascade campus.

Ghost Stories

The second floor meeting room is said to be haunted. In the early nineties the figure of a man has been seen on the second floor on security cameras. According to one website on the subject, the second floor is closed and locked when it is not in use, but we were able to walk up there and look around without any hinderances.

Our Review

We did not experience anything unusual in the library during our brief visit. The library seemed nice and clean, if not a little small compared to the branch libraries in our area, but it was bustling with much activity.

White Eagle Tavern

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About The White Eagle Tavern

The white eagle tavern is a small bar and hotel in an industrial neighborhood in North Portland. It was opened in 1905 by polish imigrants and catered to the eastern Europeans who worked in the local docks and factories. The second floor of the building was once used as a brothel along with the basement. Starting in the 1970s the tavern began its live music tradition, earning it the nickname Rock n’ Roll Hotel. The modern White Eagle Tavern continues this tradition. The Hotel is convinient to the Arena and the Convention Center.

Ghost Stories

There are reports from various sources of two different ghosts that haunt the building. Rose, a prostitute who was killed by a jelous customer/lover, and Sam, a resident who died in room 2, “Midnight in Paris.”. None of the employees who worked there when we visited had any interesting ghostly experiences. We stayed in “Midnight in Paris” during our trip, but did not encounter anything otherworldly ourselves.

Our Review

With only eleven rooms and no night staff, I would hardly consider this to be a “hotel,” which is not to say I did not enjoy the stay or that I would not stay there again. It, like most McMennamins, does not have private bathrooms or showers, so if that is something that you value in accomadations, this hotel is not for you. The stay was pleasant, and the food was typical McMennamins. I really enjoyed the White Eagle Burger which is signature to this McMennamins, although some of the others do have it under a different name. The menu is filled mostly with “Pub Food,” but it is very good quality for that. The staff was very friendly, and it did have a nice feel. The music the night that we stayed there was two DJs mixing Reggae, not exactly what I would call a continuation of the venues reputation for “live” nighly music, and despite the music being played in the tavern below us, I was able to sleep soundly. Parking is a bit of an issue, the lot immediately next door is not a parking lot for the hotel, and the one that it does have seems to fill up very quickly. We found a metered spot on the street that was not enforced due to the Independence Day holiday.

Hotel San Carlos

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About Hotel San Carlos

The Hotel San Carlos was built in 1927 on the former site of the first school in Phoenix Arizona. A very modern hotel for its time with air conditioning througout, the Hotel San Carlos was the hotel for tourists from the east, one of the few places to be “seen” for Phoenix socialites, and a refuge for movie stars from the golden age of Hollywood. The hotel was updated in 1955 when the swimming pool was added to the sun deck amung other improvements. It was added to the historic hotels of America during the 1990s, and the San Carlos Hollywood Walk of Fame was added to the streets outside.

Ghost Stories

Shortly after the hotel was opened, Leone Jensen commited suicide by jumping off of the roof of the seven story hotel. She had lost the affection of a bell boy at a nearby hotel. Since then a ghostly image has been reportedly seen throughout the hotel along with unexplained breezes.

My wife and I had some odd experiences during our stay that my wife felt were odd. After we checked in, the elevator stopped at every floor on our way to our room. She thought that that was odd, but could easily be explained away. On Friday the 13th while on the 7th floor, my wife felt the hallway move like there was some kind of mild earthquake, but I did not feel anything.

We also received some reports from other guests we encountered while wandering through the hallways. One couple mentioned an odd occurance that happened to them on a previous trip when they were staying in room 716. They were sleeping when the sound of objects falling off the table woke them up. When they looked towards the source of the noise, they witnessed their key-card slide off of the table and onto the floor. The large group that was staying in room 720, the room where most of the strange occurances happen, told us that there is something odd about the small rooms at the end of the hall on the second floor, beyond the room with the couches. They also reported that was a haunting in the area of the thrid floor pool, but we did not get any specifics. They were planning on holding a seance later in the evening, but we did not see them again to get their results.

One of the desk clerks, Carlene, told us that two maids had quit over experiences they had while working there. One saw a figure dressed in flowing white near the stairs on the second floor on two seperate occaisions, and the other just kept saying “red eyes” repeatedly in Spanish.

Our Review

It was very interesting being at the hotel on friday the 13th, especially due to the number of other “ghost hunters” that there were at the hotel for that occaision. Unfortunately a lot of them felt that it was appropriate to get drunk and hold then hold a seance. We got some good stories from the night security guard when he happened by us and another couple as we were exploring the halls late on the evening of the 13th. While he did not persoanally believe in ghosts, he told us a story about a time he was almost convinced. The story ended with the real world explanation for the events that had freaked him out, but it was a very entertaining yarn. The hotel’s amenities were unfortunately not worth the cost. The security guard even made mention of people complaining about the cost versus what you get. He explained that the price goes towards helping to keep the old hotel around, and while that is a good benefit, we’ve stayed in other old hotels that did not have the hot water and other ameneties issues we had here. Its location in downtown Phoenix was convinient, and our stay was on the whole pleasant.

Hotel Vendome

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Hotel Vendome

The Hotel Vendome is a small hotel in the town of Prescott, Arizona. It was built in 1917. It is situated very close to Prescott’s “Famous Whiskey Row.”

Ghost Stories

Room 16 is haunted by the ghosts of Abby Byr and her cat. The story goes that Abby Byr, her husband, and her cat, Noble, were allowed to stay in the room 16 of the hotel for free (or were simply guests at the hotel). After her husband left her there, Abby and Noble both died of starvation in 1921. In some stories on the web Abby is a former owner of the hotel. Regardless, the room is now decorated with the gifts that guests staying at the hotel leave for Abby and Noble. According to the manager who was on duty when we arrived, some guests even send their gifts to the room in advance of their stay so that it is waiting in the room when they arrive.

Our Review

The Hotel Vendome was a nice small historic hotel. The manager was nice enough to let us explore room 16 because no one was staying in it. There were a lot of cat themed nic-nacks, but no ghostly activity. My wife did have the sensation of smelling perfume near the room, and the following morning swore that she smelled tomato soup coming from the room, but that was it.

Various places in Prescott AZ

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About Prescott Arizona

Prescott, or “Preskit” as some of the locals seem to call it, is a small town in central Arizona that was once the territorial capital. The city was founded originally as a mining town. The town is proud of its cowboy heritage. The town’s “whiskey row” is a former “red light district” in the heart of the city near the courthouse. While whiskey row once was the home to many brothels and bars, the brothels have all made way to restaurants and shops. Prescott is also home to the self proclaimed “World’s Oldest Rodeo.”

Ghost Stories

There are several locations that are supposed to be haunted in the Prescott area. The Hotel Vendome and the Hassayampa Inn both have their own listings on out website about there ghost stories, but there are several other locations in the city that have their own ghost stories that we felt did not warrant their own full page. Those stories are collected here.

Coyote Joe’s, a bar located on Whiskey Row, is said to be haunted by the ghost of Annie. Strange things have occured in the pool room and the kitchen. It is reported that the building was at one time a brothel, which is not surprising given “Whiskey Row’s” colorful history.

The Prescott Fine Arts Association Theater now occupies what used to be the Sacred Heart Church. The church began construction in 1891 and is on the National Historic Registry. Two catholic priests are said to haunt the church, including one who was killed in a fire in 1904 that destroyed much of downtown Prescott.

Fort Whipple is an old army fort located in the town.

Our Review

We stopped in Prescott mostly to visit the wife’s relatives, but were pleasantly surprised by the quaint town. While there was not much for us to do in the town after dark except drink in one of the bars on Whiskey Row or visit the local indian casino, the city did indeed have its own unique charm. It was also nice to visit a place in Arizona that was green with vegetation, and while we went before the heat of summer, it does not seem like a town that would get as oppressively hot as most of Arizona.

Hassayampa Inn

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About The Hassayampa Inn

The Hassayampa was built in 1927 as a luxury hotel in the town of Prescott Arizona. The hotel has been extensively modernized, but the lobby had a more traditonal feel. The name is a Yavapai indian word for “upside down river.” The Hassayampa river is mostly subterranian.

Ghost Stories

The Hassayampa inn is said to be haunted by the ghost of Faith, a woman who killed herself in the hotel. Apparantly, Faith and her newlywed husband checked in to the hotel. Her husband left to go buy cigarettes and never returned. After three days of waiting for her husband to return, a distraught Faith hanged herself in her room. According to Jeffrey, an employee of the Hotel Vendome who had worked at the Hassayampa previously, a maid emplyed at the Hassayampa saw Faith and then quit. She had worked there for three years before the sighting. Dean, who was working in the lounge of the Hassayampa, told us that he will not sleep in room 426. That is faiths room. She supposedly will give foot massages to women, but gives men nightmares. Dean also told us that there is a six year old asian boy who haunts the laundry room and will tug on women’s shirts. Another ghost of the Hassayampa is the “Nightwatchman,” a man dressed in old western attire. He was spotted by Allison, the manager of the Peacock Room. He was described as having broad shoulders and wearing and old style brown overcoat.

Our Review

While we did not actually stay in the hotel, we had breakfast in the peacock room and spoke to several employees both during breakfast and the night before. The food was good and the atmosphere of the hotel was nice.

Luxor

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About Luxor Las Vegas

The Luxor is perhaps the most unique hotel in Las Vegas. Modeled after the famed pyramids of Egypt, the Luxor is 350 feet high. The hollow interior creates the world’s largest atrium. Construction began in 1991 and was completed in 1993. Two small ziggurat shaped towers were added to the sight later. It is connected by walkways to the Excalibur (to the north) and the Mandalay Bay (to the south). There is also a free shuttle that links the three hotels as well.

Ghost Stories

There are many ghost stories and legends linked to the Luxor hotel. it is said that as many as seven and a few as two construction workers died when a wall fell on them when the building was being constructed. These deaths may account for the hauntings reprted in the tunnels of the old river ride that used to circle the bottom floor of the casino. There have supposedly been two suiced deaths from people jumping into the atrium from the walkways around the interior. One of these was said to have jumped from the 26th floor and landed in the location of the old buffet. (which is now the area where the food court is.) According to the Haunted Vegas Tour, this person was a prostitute with aids. The hotel was so worried about contamination that they tore out the entirety of the old buffet. This woman is said to manifest by flowing on the backs of the nexts of people walking around the 26th floor (I have found some websites that claim that a ghost that does this haunts the 26th floor of the Excalibur hotel instead). A man was said to have jumped from the 10th floor and landing on the express check out counter (the check out counter has since been moved. The old location was on the side of the Mandalay Bay).

Our Review

He Says:

I have stayed in the pyramid once and in the towers once, and I gotta say I loved staying in the tower. Hearing the sound of the casino as soon as you open your door, and the view from the balcony was neat. Of course, that was back when you could actually put coins into slot machines. I miss the coins. Now there is no more sound of the jingling coins as they fall into the hopper. Oh well. One of my favorite casinos on the trip. I would definately stay there again if I wasn’t so busy trying to stay at different hotels every time I visit. As a word of caution, be careful when leaning against the railing of the moving sidewalks connecting the Luxor to the Excalibur. I got grease all over the butt of my new khaki pants when I did just that traveling from the Excalibur to the Luxor. The Excalibur was kind enough to pay me $30 for the trouble.

She Says:

The best thing about this casino is that when you walk out of your room, you can hear the “ching ching ching” of the slots. The sound just shouts out: Yes. You are here. You are in Vegas. The rooms are well-decorated in egyptian theme, and ALWAYS get a room in the pyramid. You would really be missing out on the full experence of the Luxor if you don’t! I also highly recommned the Pyramid Cafe. I have eaten there many times over the years and they have always served great food!!!.

Carluccio’s Tivoli Garden

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About Carluccio’s Tivoli Gardens

Carluccio’s Tivoli Gardens is an Italian restaurant in Las Vegas Nevada. The restaurant was designed by non-other than Liberace who owned the restaurant as Liberace’s Tivoli Gardens. It is located adjacent to the Liberace museum that he opened in 1979, just 8 years before his death due to complications related to AIDS. The current restaurant maintains the decor designed by Liberace, and although Liberace was found of cooking and even wrote his own cookbooks, the menu is not filled with Liberace creations. We stopped by the parking lot to the restaurant during the Haunted Vegas Tour we took.

Ghost Stories

The Ghost of who else but Liberace is said to haunt the Tivoli Gardens. His image can sometimes be seen peaking into the banquet room in the back of the restaurant from outside through the windows. There is a story thata one night all of the power in the restaurant suddenly turned off, but the power in the businesses nearby were still working. When one of the waitresses remembered that it was Liberace’s birthday and the employees sang happy birthday to him, the power was restored. The owners had an electrician come in the next day to check out the building, and he found nothing wrong with the electircal system. One night someone said something offensive to Liberace and a large tree in a planet near the bar fell over. It took five men to get the tree righted. (there were no trees in planters near the bar when we visited for dinner)

Our Review

He Says:

The food was decent, but nothing spectacular. The decor was of course gaudy and dated, but one would expect that from a restaurant designed by a very flambouyant entertainer who has been dead for more than two decades. I wouldn’t want them to change it. While Vegas my seem to pride itself on constantly changing and updating, it is nice to see a few remnants of the older days that does not seem to be in any hurry to change.

She Says:

The food was good and the room we ate in looked like almost any other italian restaurant. It seemed too normal for what I expected from a place Liberace would have helped design. However, after dinner, I explored and found that the Piano Lounge was really the place to see. With dangling lights and sparkles all over and a piano shaped bar (complete with the raised piano lid!) I particularly liked the stained glass window.

Balls Las Vegas

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About Bally’s Las Vegas

Opened originally as the first MGM Grand in 1973 on the site of the former Bonanza Hotel. It was the largest hotel in the world at the time. On November 21, 1980, one of the worst building fires in U.S. history broke out in the casino. At the time of the buildings construction, areas of hotel/casinos in Nevada that were in operation 24 hours a day were not required to have smoke detectors installed. The assumption was that an employee would spot the fire and be able to take care of it quickly. By the end of the 1970s the area in which the fire broke out was no longer operating 24 hours a day. The fire was started by faulty wiring inside the wall used to power a refrigeration unit in the casino’s deli. A total of 87 people died as a result of the fire mostly from smoke inhalation (3 of the 87 died after the fire as a reuslt of injuries sustained during it) As a result of the tragedy, fire safety laws in Las Vegas were changed to some of the most strict in the nation.

After reconstruction, the hotel was sold to Bally’s in 1985 and renamed. While the MGM Grand name was transfered to a new building on the south end of “the Strip.”

Ghost Stories

The stairwells and hallways of the hotel are said to be haunted by the ghosts of those that died in the MGM Grand fire. Apparitions have been seen wandering the halls of the higher floors of the north tower and in the stairwells and elevators.

Our Review

He Says:

I have never stayed at Bally’s, but on one of my trips “with the guys” back in the late 90s I won a jackpot playing on one of the slot machines using my friend’s money. He was trying to win a Harley and gave me some of his coins to play in the machine next to him. I remarked that it was boring playing with someone else’s money, so he offered to let me keep any payout that required someone to come out to pay it off. Sure enough, I hit a jackpot for a few hundred and someone had to come out to pay me.

She Says:

Long ago, I saw Penn & Teller at this place. I have never spent the night nor eaten here, but it is your typical Vegas casino hotel. Though it does have a very VERY long entrance. It looks rather 1980’s, so it would be nice to see it get a face-lift….