Haunted America: The Ghosts of the Crescent Hotel & Spa in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Located in the quaint Victorian town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas you will find the Crescent Hotel that quite literally stands alone in her grandiose beauty due the gothic detailing of the intricate architecture that lures visitors to come in for a closer look. This 1886 hotel & spa is high on the list of Historic Hotels of America, and is also one of the most haunted dreamland structures in the state of Arkansas. The impressive resort was once lovingly dubbed the “the Queen of the Ozarks” by the Victorians, and has not gone unnoticed by high end paranormal investigators like TAPS and the Paranormal Ozarks Investigations, LLC who have both performed ghost hunts used for ascertaining facts on haunted establishments around the world.

The growing popularity with the highly spirited Crescent Hotel might possibly stem from reports stating that it is in fact haunted. Every piece of equipment used for detecting paranormal activity has been used by the experts to establish proof that entities do frequent virtually every corner and open space of Arkansas’s most haunted hotel. Every visit has reaped one or more ghosts that for whatever reason just never checked out. The spirits appear to have that famous southern hospitality in that they allow guests to capture their image on film. It would appear that quite a few of the ghosts are in search of something, and are in need of willing participants to help them to find it.

The Crescent Hotel and Spa was built in 1886 complete with all of the amenities that a grand hotel could offer. A stable with riding horses was available to guests, and the dance floor found in the grand ballroom was never empty from the time that visitors learned of its existence. Seasoned workers made sure that no stone was left unturned when it came to every fine detail of the gothic style building that would eventually become host to the wealthy and famous people seeking the guilty pleasures of life for a night. Southern hospitality literally oozed from the pores of the hotel and word quickly spread that she was the place to be if your heart desired the best that money could buy.

One ghost who remains on the premises still today, fell to his death while building the hotel, and is known to all as Michael. This Irish entity has been seen by hundreds of guests and employees at the hotel, and most feel that he is harmless other then the sight of him is startling as he comes across as extremely vivid. Orbs and brazen ghosts that walk right by guests are not an uncommon sight to see when visiting the hotel, and voices along with unexplained sounds from beyond are often captured and recorded on magnetic tape or digital recording devices.

In the mid 1930’s the hotel fell into a state of disrepair and sat quietly until a stranger decided that he couldn’t live one day longer without the grand hotel being his. Unfortunately the residents of Eureka Springs didn’t have a clue as to what was about to hit them when the likes of Dr. Norman Baker moved to town in 1937. Unbeknown to the locals in Arkansas he had been run out of his home state of Iowa due to quackery. The insane doctor quickly snapped up the majestic Victorian Crescent Hotel at a fraction of her worth when you consider her prior grand stance upon the lush hill where she sat overlooking the town nestled below. He called his new home the “Castle in the Air” and promptly turned it into a health resort for cancer patients to recover.

Another well know ghost is often seen in room 419 where she stayed bed ridden for a long period of time, dying at the hands of the insane doctor who cared for her. Long term resident Miss Theadora later died from cancer in room 419 at the hands of Norman Baker who performed daily experiments on the sick woman. The scam artist who used humans for experimentations that quite often ended badly was quick to take no blame in the sickly woman’s demise. Perhaps her restless ghost is seen walking the hallways because she is in search of the man that slowly killed her with bad medicine, and she is attempting to warn others.

Lula Tunis is an active ghost seen walking throughout the Crescent Hotel. She died at Christmas time at the hands of the evil doctor who usually appeared cheerful and unaffected in his white suit and outlandish lavender tie. Lula’s husband John eventually testified in court against Dr. Norman Baker that his wife suffered needlessly from treatments that included seven needles per day that did absolutely nothing to help her through her illness, and that these treatments eventually took her life. The doctor was exposed as a fraud that performed boiler room antics in the basement and his treatments were brought to light as being nothing more than a hoax with absolutely no benefit to humans. It was later discovered that he had no medical license and he soon became a wanted man.

Room 424, 202 and 218 are all hotbeds of paranormal activity that has been caught on video from guests, employees and paranormal investigators. Everything from ghosts to orbs frequents these rooms at all hours of the night. Room 218 has been found to be the room with the coldest dip in temps and the location with the hottest spikes in EMF readings. Ghostly activities can always be expected when entering these rooms, but 218 is the location where construction worker Michael lost his life when he fell during the time the hotel was being built. The hotel claims that just because you don’t get a room reported as being haunted doesn’t mean that you won’t see a ghost walking somewhere throughout the resort.

Many guests have reported seeing fancy dressed apparitions and ghosts walking through walls, sitting in chairs, and even dining at various tables in the Crystal Dining Room. The sound of silk dresses swooshing as if they are walking past are hard to ignore even though nobody is there, and the image of one well known male ghost who dons a Derby hat and a dark period suit are hard to miss as he is typically spotted in the lobby tipping his hat at the ladies. The high voltage like energy felt at the hotel is believed to be what draws in paranormal activity, or it just may be that southern hospitality that makes the ghosts feel so welcome to remain.

Crescent Hotel & Spa Ghost Tours: Ghost hunters will be happy to learn that the tours are available seven nights per week. Price: $18.00 per person and for ghost hunters under the age of 12 the tickets are $7.00. Tour size is limited. Advance tickets can be purchased by calling 877-342-9766 or 479-253-5382.

Weddings at the Crescent Hotel & Spa: Who wouldn’t dream of being married in a prestigious Victorian castle complete with all of the beauty and hospitality that the south has to offer. The spirited guests come free of charge. Spring packages start at $350.00, and include several amenities. For more information go to: http://www.eurekaspringsweddings.travel/

Sources:

http://www.prairieghosts.com/cresc.html

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http://littlerock.about.com/cs/urbanlegends/a/aacrescent.htm

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http://www.paranormalozarks.com/


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