America's Most Haunted Hotel: The 1886 Crescent Hotel
- Vicky
- Aug 3, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 3, 2022
Amber and I sort of started a tradition of going to a haunted location around Halloween. So, to continue that tradition in October 2021 we went to what is deemed America’s Most Haunted Hotel, the 1886 Crescent Hotel. This hotel is in the hills above Eureka Springs, Arkansas.
I was meeting Amber at the hotel. After some navigation issues due to sharp turns, unmark roads and up quite a large hill, I arrived to see the impressive limestone building with purple chimneys. This impressive hotel also has an impressive history. It started as a hotel resort in 1886 but fell on hard times and then was closed. In 1908, it reopened as a college for young woman but would also close. Then around 1937, a new owner, Norman Baker, would turn it into a hospital. The Baker Hospital alleged that it could cure its patients from cancer. Baker had no medical training. He would later be convicted of mail fraud. After the sham hospital, the hotel would experience a fire, some more openings and closing until the late 1990s where it was purchased and restored to the building I saw in October 2021.
After checking in, we had some time to kill so we visited a few wineries around Eureka Springs. Our first one was Keels Creek Winery. This winery specializes in local wines from local grapes. A lot of their wines were on the dryer side so Amber, who likes wine on the sweeter side, didn’t care for them that much. We decided to try one more winery before going back to the hotel. After some issues navigating and Google Maps wanting to take us down roads that weren’t roads, we finally arrived after going across a one-lane suspension bridge to Railroad Winery. Railroad Winery is nestled in the Ozark hills and is along the historic M&NA railroad. They have outdoor seating. We sat in the far corner that overlooked the vineyard. We had a tasting of 4 different wines which Amber and myself both enjoyed. Our favorite was the Moscato which is lightly bubbly with notes of honey and melon.
Before our ghost tour we ate dinner at the restaurant located inside the Crescent Hotel, La Cena. With recommendation from our server, we got a starter of Crab Lorenzo, which is from the menu archives of the Historic Hotels of America. This starter had lumps of crab meat, diced red pepper and parmesan cheese with pita toast for dipping. I would highly recommend this starter if you ever visit the Crescent Hotel.
We made our way up to the top floor to start our ghost tour. The hallway is lined with old artifacts from the hotel and has a brief history. Our tour guide, dressed in a Cleopatra costume for Halloween, took us around various parts of the hotel to tell us stories of the hauntings. There’s a room that if you are messy the resident old lady ghost might just clean your room for you. Also, sometimes late at night people have reported hearing a hospital gurney outside their hotel room. Another spot people tend to see something is on the stairs where an apparition of little boy has been spotted numerous times. The last part of the tour took us down to the morgue and autopsy room which is just past the spa.
Our tour group was herded into the far room where an original sign of the Baker Hospital is still hanging. We were told more of the history as well as taken to other parts of this basement area where they have bottles of the cancer that was “cured” out of people. In 2019, these bottles were found buried on the grounds of the hotel by a grounds manager. Amber and I decided that after hearing that the site had been preserved, we would later visit it. Amber and I stayed well after many of the other guests had left in hopes of seeing or experiencing something. The only thing we experienced on this tour was someone brushing up against us when there was no one else in the room.
The next day before heading back home, I went to St. Elizabeth Catholic Church which is across the street from the hotel. The most unique thing about this church is that it is the only church that’s entered through the bell tower.
After attending mass, Amber and I later walked around downtown Eureka Springs, which is a mix of southern flair and New Orleans French Quarter. Eureka Springs is so named because of the many natural springs located throughout the town. We were able to visit a few just by walking around or taking the trolley. The trolley is the best way to navigate around the town and more importantly is free.
Amber and I enjoyed our time in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We got to cross off another state from our list as well as another haunted location.
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