The History Behind This Haunted Hotel in Arizona Will Seriously Give You Chills

Do you consider yourself a brave soul? There are many haunted destinations scattered throughout Arizona, including The Crypt Haunted House and a spooky corn maze. And it’s up to you if you dare take on the challenge. But if you want the “ultimate scare test,” and visit a place that’s absolutely spine-chilling, you need not look far! The famous Gadsden Hotel has countless paranormal sightings that still leaves its witnesses scared beyond disbelief up to this very day.

The Historic Hotel Forged By Fire

Source: Haunted Earth’s Ghost World

The 160-room Gadsden Hotel was first opened in 1907, servicing many guests who sought comfort and luxury in their stay. Perhaps, you could say it was a world-famous attraction. Unfortunately, the hotel got badly damaged by fire just 20 years after its opening and had to be reopened in 1929. Since then, little has changed.

Source: Facebook

The Gadsden Hotel still features its grand marble lobby, breathtaking marble staircase, and ornate gold moldings. It still possessed the same luxurious charm it originally displayed. But you could say, it also suddenly possessed paranormal activities that haunt those who see and witness it.

What’s So Spine-Chilling About The Gadsden Hotel?

Many accounts detail the haunted experiences of the guests of this hotel. Are you ready to hear it?

A Cowboy Who Wanted To Be Seen

Source: Youtube

You know a place is really haunted if the employees who work there every day also have their own stories to share. A manager by the name of Robin Brekhus was really skeptical about Gadsden Hotel’s supposed haunted history. Guess what. It only took one trip to the basement to change her mind. During a power outage at the hotel, Robin had no choice but to look for candles to keep the lobby from being totally dark. So she went to the basement in search of candles and glimpsed over a scary figure. According to her, the figure was wearing a long duster coat and a cowboy hat. It didn’t move nor flinch, but she felt the figure’s eyes on her as if taunting her to make eye contact with him.

Robin knew her eyes weren’t just playing tricks on her. So she did what every normal scared human being would do. She sprinted up the steps back to the lobby hoping to get the figure out of her mind. From that day on, Robin was a believer.

You’re Not Alone, Not Even in Your Room

Source: Room 333

Many visitors experienced such scary moments in the Gadsden Hotel. Here are three shared by guests: 

One: A hotel guest was resting on her bed and she felt something pulling on her hair during the night. There was no one around.

Two: Another hotel guest was also on the bed and felt someone sit on the edge of the bed. After that, she felt the pressure of that person laying down next to her. She could hardly breathe at the time due to fear. The next morning, she told the hotel employees that she definitely felt someone got in bed with her, as if longing for her company during the night.

Three: Room 333 is the most popular room in this hotel for a reason – it’s the scariest. According to the guests who stayed here, they could here some loud and mysterious knocks coming from the radiators. On top of that, they could hear the keys turning in a lock before seeing dark figures walk into the room. The figures didn’t attack, but it looks as if they just finished a day of shopping. And if that’s not enough, the televisions would suddenly turn on and off a couple of times.

Imagine staying in any of the rooms. Scaredy-cats would probably have their hearts come out of their chests.

The Ghost of the Graveyard Shift

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Some newer staff in the Gadsden Hotel are afraid of working the graveyard shift. According to them, it’s because the ghosts also take that time to roam around the hotel. That’s when the hallways would be “off-limits.” They wouldn’t dare loiter around the hallways.

One server named Ana Yanez was working in the Cattleman’s Coffee Shop and she confirmed she could hear coffee spoons clanging against mugs when no one is around. Maybe the ghost just wants coffee.

Gadsden Hotel Fun Facts

Source: Wikimedia Commons

• The Gadsden Hotel was constructed in 1907 and since catching fire, it was lovingly restored by an amazing couple as a labor of love. Today, you can visit the hotel and enjoy the clean and tastefully decorated rooms, including an excellent kitchen and bar. Staying here will remind you of the bygone luxury and elegance of the place.
• Movie buffs also flock to this place because this is where some of the most famous Western movies were filmed. The movies include “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean,” and “Ruby Jean and Joe.” In the movie “Terminal Velocity,” Charlie Sheen was also seen sitting in the bar.
• Famous icons have already walked the walls of the Gadsden Hotel. Some of them include Eleanor Roosevelt and Charlie Sheen.
• Back in the days, Gadsden Hotel used to be the meeting place for businessmen and executives, miners, and cattlemen. The lobby with the white marble steps leading to the mezzanine was where Mexican bandit-turned-revolutionary Pancho Villa  reportedly rode his horse.
• You will enjoy riding one of the oldest manual elevators in Arizona and relive the hotel’s bustling heyday.

General Information

Location: 1046 G Ave., Douglas, Arizona, 85607
Website: https://thegadsdenhotel.com/

If I were you, I’d grab a seat at the saloon and strike up a conversation with the employees to hear more horror stories in this isolated town.