2 of 13 Most Haunted Hotels in America Can be Found in New York
Are you brave enough to sleep with spirits?
New York is home to not one but two of the 13 most haunted hotels in the country.
#8 Sagamore Hotel (Bolton Landing, New York)
The Sagamore Hotel in the Adirondack Mountains has a long haunting history despite its luxurious accommodations and beautiful location on Lake George.
It began in 1883 when the doors opened for the first time. It burned down in not one but two fires. The hotel closed in 1981 but opened again in 1983.
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Guest have reported a number of ghostly sightings:
A little boy from the 1950s, reportedly hit by a car, hangs out on the golf course stealing golf balls and flinging them at golfers.
A woman in white enters hotel rooms to frighten the guests. She hovers over them while they’re sleeping, blowing cold air onto their eyelids.
A woman wearing a blue polka dot dress moves through the hallways and the hotel’s restaurant.
A couple in the dining room who get into a fight.
A blonde woman once spoke to a hotel chef, then proceeded to walk right through him; he reportedly quit right afterwards.
#4 Hotel Chelsea (New York City, New York)
Hotel Chelsea in New York City was built in 1884 and is said to be haunted by a number of famous spirts.
Famous poet Dylan Thomas is said to have drank himself to death at the Hotel Chelsea and wrestler Sid Vicious supposedly stabbed his girlfriend to death in room 100. She now is rumored to ride the elevator with guests.
Actress Sarah Bernhardt also reportedly slept in a coffin while living at the hotel.
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One of the most famous Hotel Chelsea ghosts is a Titanic survivor named Mary. She is rumored to haunt the western end of the hotel after committing suicide on the fifth floor following the loss of her husband on the Titanic.
Check out all 13 of the Most Haunted Hotels in America and plan your next spooky vacation.
Hotel So Haunted You Have to Sign a Waiver
New York is also home to a hotel so haunted you have to sign a waiver to stay.
It's nestled in the foothills of the Shawangunk Mountains in the small town of Napanoch, The Haunted Shanley Hotel is a historic Bed & Breakfast that is so haunted children aren't allowed to spend the night.
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Hotel Fire
The hotel was first built in 1845. It changed owners several times and had to be rebuilt after a fire in 1895.
The most notable owner and for whom the hotel is still named was James Shanley, who added a bowling alley, billiard room, and even a barber shop to the building.
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The Shanley family was surrounded by tragedy. He and his wife Beatrice had three children, but all died before their first birthday and all are said to still roam the halls.
Hotel So Haunted Even Goats Are Fainting
There's also a place in New York that's so haunted even the goats are fainting.
Overlooking a 17-acre island in the Susquehanna River in Nichols, New York, you'll find The Fainting Goat Island Inn. It's been named the Best Haunted Hotel by USA Today.
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Guest have reported numerous ghostly encounters. From voices in the night and footsteps on the stairs to seeing two women having tea and finding a child chair that wasn't there before.
Rumors are the chair in the Nubian Room may belong to one of the most active spirits at the Inn - a little boy.
Hard to be Skeptical
Fainting Goat Inn owner Marie Streit told Binghamton Homepage she didn't know the hotel was haunted when she bought it but said it's "hard to remain a skeptic."
The inn's haunted history has been featured on the Travel Channel's 'Hotel Paranormal' and is part of the Haunted History Trail in New York State.
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Don't forget to check out the fainting goats if you go. It's more than just the name of the Inn. They really do faint. Why is another question?
Why Goats Faint
Not all goats faint. Those that do are spooked by loud noises or sudden movements, according to the National History Museum.
The sudden stiffening of muscles as the animal attempts to flee sometimes causes them to fall over, which looks a bit like they have fainted from fright.
I'd fall over from fright if I heard or saw spirits too.
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Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams
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Gallery Credit: Credit - Polly McAdams