GHOST STORIES FROM OUR GUESTS

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"They Told Me Not To Talk"

I can’t remember exactly what year it was we stayed in 419 Theodora's room.  We have stayed at the Crescent Hotel many times since the first time we came up for our Anniversary in 2006.  We always do our ghost hunting when we stay there. 

On this day we were staying in Theodora's room, and it was getting later in the afternoon.  I started by asking if she was there with us, and we wanted her to talk to us.  We always have our digital recorder with us.  Of course on this night it didn’t pick up a thing, but what happened to me when I went to sleep is unforgettable.  

I sleep with my face to my husband's back (because I get a little freaked out still sometimes).  Anyway it was around 1:00 or so when I was awakened by a feeling as if I couldn’t breath; kind of like something was on my chest.  I was trying to call out for my husband but couldn’t get the words to come out of my mouth.  I was definitely awake by then.  I had the blankets up to my neck because I can’t sleep with even a foot out.  The heavy feeling went away and then the blanket tugged on my shoulder as if trying to get my attention.  I was totally shocked at what then happened.  I know it was Theadora speaking to me.  In the faintest feminine voice she spoke in my ear.  She said to me (THEY TOLD ME NOT TO TALK).  All I can guess is she was in the room when I was asking her to talk to us and the other people there didn’t want her to communicate with us and to stay silent.  I know I didn’t dream this and It’s too far fetched for me to make up.  There is so many things that have happened at the Crescent, but this was the most exciting thing that has happened to me.  I have had the feeling of not being able to breath and not able to move a few times up there.  I think it’s their way of getting our attention.  Boy does that get mine.  Thank you so much for this wonderful Hotel.   I can’t wait for the next time I can come up.

Thank You
Sherry T.

"Believe It or Not..."

This is my story and I’m sticking to it. You may believe it or not, but for all the females on this adventure it is totally true. The story centers around the third most haunt building in the United States, the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Being third may seem oh hum, but when you consider that is out of 800 structures it then becomes impressive.

Each year my three daughters and I, plus some assorted granddaughters, go on a weekend shopping trip. This year we went to stay at the Crescent due to some encouragement from the granddaughters. They are into scaring themselves. Not all the adult females thought this was a good idea but went along with the group. This reluctant person was Roni, one of my daughters. Some people are more sensitive to paranormal activities than others and Roni is one of them.

After checking into the hotel the first evening we snooped around the hotel’s halls and staircases with our cameras because it is know that the paranormals haunt the public places in the hotel most often. During the night Roni experience a bump on her bed and then the feeling of something with very small feet walking around her bed. She then applied her force field for protection, her blanket over her head. Around five in the morning she also experienced something lifting the blanket away from her face. Needless to say, she was then very awake. As Roni’s story was circulating around our rooms, Vikki, another daughter, checked her child’s camera to see what snapshots she may have gotten the evening before. Low and behold, there in one of her stairwell shot was a ghost from the hotel’s Victorian time. Picture enclosed. This Victorian gentleman has been sighted before but we may have the only photograph of him. We believe he is Dr. Ellis because the previous sighting always state that the lower portion of his body does not materialize. Dr. Ellis was the hotel’s house physician during the turn of the century. All the cameras had shots of what the experts call energy orbs. They showed up so often in the pictures that it became common place.

Now this is not the end of the story. We booked two nights in the Crescent Hotel. So the next night after a walk in the fog to dinner and a ghost tour during a thunderstorm we retired for the evening. Roni would not sleep by herself, so she enlisted her sister to share her queen bed. Once again the bump on the bed returned but this time the little feet just kneaded the bedding. From this I determined that the hotel cat, Morris, who had live at the hotel for twenty years and was buried out in the courtyard, had taken a liking to Roni. It was too much for her and she yelled “Kitty get off the bed! I need to sleep.” Roni was no longer bothered by anything that night. The next morning though there were some discoveries in the bathroom, two perfect circles were drawn on the soap and a happy face traced in the condensation of the windows. No children had been in the room.

I have stayed at the Crescent two previous times with a single event each time but this time the adventure was amazing. If you wish to duplicate it the dates were November 19th and 20th, rooms 303, 305, and 306. They say the third floor has the most activities and I agree. $300 for hotel room, $20 for ghost tour, females scared to death - priceless.

"Stories of a yellow cat..."

1. Last year, my friend and I took the ghost tour with my mom and a few other people. After the tour was over, we were petting Casper, then we saw a yellow cat who ran out the kitty door. We ran outside, but it seemed like he disappeared. I thought nothing of it until I took the tour again this year and our tour guide said the only two kitties were Casper and Jasper... and that one was grey and one was black. Even more spooky, we learned the last yellow cat that was there died in 1994! Two years before I was born!

2. While waiting for the tour to start last Saturday; I watched a fat yellow cat groom himself - never thought much about it until the tour guide showed us a photo of Morris. We asked if there were any current cats and were told of Jasper and Casper. I dismissed it until I saw photos of them today (one black and one grey).

3. My husband & I stayed there a few years ago & in the middle of the night (my husband couldn't sleep as it was his 1st time staying there & he was spooked!) I opened the door to our room & there in the hallway was a yellow cat staring up at our door. We let him in our room & he hung out with us for awhile. He got bored & left out the balcony!!

Parlor Suite, 202-

At 11pm just before we went to bed, the whirlpool bath jets came on "by themselves." My wife turned them off. Then at 1am while we were asleep they came on again. It woke my wife up and again she turned them off. The next morning when we were ready to check out my wife stood in the middle of the parlor room and said aloud, "Okay, we're leaving. If someone is here with us please prove yourself by turning those jets on again." And the jets came on!"

Ghostly Orbs in the Crescent Hotel..." read more

"A celebrity ghost discovered at the Crescent Hotel..." read more


"A distinct male voice whispers my name..."

We quietly make our way past the room, all is quiet as we walk the creaky wooden and carpeted corridors when about a minute after we had passed room 218 I said "The rain is gone, the energy is gone. There's no more energy left." Upon analysis of the recordings, a distinct male voice clearly whispers my name "CHRIS". I did not hear this voice at the time, so it was quite startling when I heard this EVP during analysis. At no point had Julia said my name while we were walking around, there is no way anyone could have known my name nor was anyone around (it was 3:30am and everyone was asleep). Read more
 

"I felt the heat of a breath on my neck..."

I wanted to share an experience that I had while in the Morgue during The Crescent Hotel ghost tour. It was near the end of the tour on Tuesday June 22, 2010. We were on our honeymoon and decided to come to see some spirits!! The group was down in the morgue, and we decided to turn the lights out to see if anyone could capture images with their cameras. I was in the parts room with my back facing the back wall. There were 2 other girls in the room with me. As I was snapping pictures in the pitch dark, I noticed with the flashing of my camera the 2 girls had exited the parts room and were in the hallway going back towards the morgue room where the autopsy table sits. All of a sudden I felt the heat of a breath on the left back part of my neck and could hear it as well. Chills ran thru me and I started running out of that room!!! We had brought an EVP recorder, but my husband had it at the time and he wasn't in the room with me so we weren't able to capture this on tape. I have never been a skeptic of the paranormal. I have always believed in a different world other than our own. This really proved that world exists! We are so glad we got to visit a part of history at this hotel and look forward to coming back soon!
 

Room 213:

This was overheard by a guest from a daughter and her mother who stayed at the hotel.
They were staying in room 213. The girl (age 13) said she felt "someone" poking her through the night while she was in bed and the next morning found her jewelry that had been on the dresser on top of her in the bed. Also, her mother said while she was blow drying her daughter's hair that next morning, the mom felt someone playing with the top of her (the mom's) hair.
 

Another paranormal experience in Room 213:

My mother, my godmother, and myself recently stayed at your lovely hotel on March 17th through March 18th.   It was my birthday, my sweet sixteen of all things, so naturally us ladies wanted to do something interesting away from the men for once.
We spent the night in room 213. I had always believed in ghosts, but had yet to actually have an experience. We went to bed after our 9:00 ghost tour. I was disturbed from my sleep at approximately 6:00 A.M. I could have sworn that someone groaned directly in my ear, a man specifically. Soon after I took a shower. While I was drying my hair, my mother walked in and claimed that someone was playing with her hair. We started arguing, just a random disagreement about buying a ouigi board, and I felt someone pinching me on my waste. It wasn't too rough, but it was stern enough to pull a good yelp from me.

Before my shower, I had grabbed my necklace and set it down on the arm of the chair in the far corner of the room. Taking note that the chair was very sturdy, I sat down. The chain of the necklace was draped over the arm of the chair, the clasp broken and therefore very loosely hanging off, but to my surprise, as I glanced away I realized that the necklace had fallen directly in the center of my lap. Considering the position of the necklace and the fact that no movement I had made in that chair could shake it enough to throw the necklace, there is no possible way that the necklace could've ended up in the very middle. I found the broken clasp below the chair.

My paranormal experience ended with a bright orange orb flashing out of the top corner of my eye and out onto the balcony. I went downstairs to eat breakfast, grabbed the luggage as quickly as possible, and got out of there, feeling very uncomfortable and unwelcome all of a sudden.

Ghosts of the 1886:

Ghost Hijinks and Romantic Spirits...Read More

The Haunted Internet: Quick history of the Crescent

Read More

Great American Ghosts:
Spirited Specters Stay On and On at National Trust Historic Hotels of America
Read More


Dr. Norman Baker, Here I Come!

Never before had I experinced such waves goosebumps and cold chills!

Read more

Strange Messages were being sent from 12/31/69

Three ladies had checked into room 303 and at the start of their arrival one woman continued to receive email messages on her I-Phone from the date, 12/31/69. This repeated throughout her stay but she could never open up the message. Later to be found out this particular year there was a major snowstorm in Eureka Springs and the hotel was closed down for a month.

Other paranormal happenings.

A necklace had been placed inside a purse and zipped up. When the ladies came back into their room this particular necklace was laid out on top of the fireplace mantel.

There was a blue blanket that was folded nicely in the closet. When the ladies left the room and came back a little later the blanket had been moved to the bed, still nicely folded. Later in the evening when the 3 ladies were resting they had moved the blanket near the foot of their bed. But later at some point one of the ladies noticed that the blanket had been returned to the closet. None of them had moved it themselves.

One of the ladies had been sitting on the bed and felt someone stroking her hair in a soothing way.

A headband had been placed on the side table. When the ladies returned to the room one of them had sat on the bed and felt something scrape her leg, she then pulled the sheets up and saw her headband inside the covers.

All the ladies had heard a faint sound of a music box being played in their room. When they went out to the hallway they heard nothing.

During the night all ladies heard muffled voices in the closet area of their room.

2:22:22

 

I heard a whisper...

I spent the evening of  July 20th at the Crescent with my mother. We took the 8:00 ghost tour which was very informative and I also got a couple of pics with orbs in them. But, I really wanted to let you know about a personal experience I had there.

At around midnight while preparing for bed I was going through my pictures and noticed a light going across the corner of one. It was where the ghost tour guide told us to snap pics down the stairs where there is said to be a spirit of a small boy.

I told my mom I was going to investigate what it could be. So I walked down the hall from my room on the third floor to the stair way and positioned myself in the same spot and took another picture.

I realized the light had been the string from my camara hanging down and the flash illuminating it so that it looked like a streak of light across the photo. But, while standing there still examining the pictures on my camera I heard a whisper directly behind me. It said "Holly" as if someone was trying to quietly get my attention. I turned around and there was nobody there or anywhere near.

I got chills from head to toe and rushed back to my room shaking. I'm very pleased and excited it happened because I almost thought I was going to leave with no real valid experience which is what I came for. I love that hotel. Its beautiful with a crazy history. I will be back as soon as possible hopefully for a longer stay.

Room 309-Man in a Black Suit

Hello, My name is Matt and my wife Melinda and I stayed at the Crescent hotel this weekend. (6-26-10)  The hotel is very beautiful and well maintained. The staff could not have been more friendly and helpful and the breakfast we recieved on Sunday morning was exquisit. We also took the ghost tour and Glen was an excellent guide.

The fun that we had was disturbed about 1:00am on sunday when I heard the sound of shuffling feet in our room. I sat up in bed and to my horror I saw an old man who also seemed to be balding  with a black suit coat and white shirt standing at the foot of our bed. I could only see this man from the waist up, there was nothing below his waist. I shook my wife awake and the ghost had dissapeared.

I asked my wife to lay facing me (since I was scared to death, lol) after about a half of an hour I started to feel something pulling my toes on my right foot, something poking my head and my right side. This went on for about an hour. After I thought I had enough for the night I heard a voice whisper the name "Darcy" into my ear twice.

After I heard the name I woke my wife up and said "We need to leave this room for a while" and we left. We went downstairs to inform the staff as to what happened and they didn't seem the least bit surprised but had said they had never heard of any "activity" in room 309. I'm glad we stayed at the hotel this weekend and would love to stay again as soon as I build up the courage.

Something shook the bed...

The front desk suggested I write to you about our experiences at the hotel on the night of June 6 and June 8. A friend and I were staying in room 203. During the night, my friend reported that something shook her bed. I was sleeping across the room in another bed, and didn't experience the bed shaking, but woke up screaming. I couldn't identify what happened, but knew that I had been startled.

We both went back to sleep, but in the morning remarked to one another that we had heard a glass clinking and then being set down hard on the dresser. We looked at the top of the dresser and noticed that the cork was out of the wine bottle. Then, on the 8th, we both remembered (the next morning) that we had smelled flowers as we were falling asleep.

Sherry and Verlene

USA TODAY Photographer Shares His Findings

NOTE :Shane Bevel, freelance photographer working on assignment for USA TODAY, wrote this email to his fans/followers after his visit to the 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa. His photo essay and the words of writer Tim Loehrke appeared on the cover of the MONEY section of the Friday, February 26, 2010 issue of USA TODAY.

Howdy folks, this month's photo should have come at Halloween! It's not often I get to watch The Shining or listen to 1408 for inspiration, but this assignment for the cover of USA Today's Money at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs certainly fit the bill.

The hotel includes a morgue complete with original autopsy table where a mad "cancer doctor" performed autopsies after his quack cures didn't work.

Unfortunately, I didn't see any ghosts, so I had to improvise and do a little "light painting" with flashlights and long exposures.

Check out the photos here: www.shanebevel.com/potm.html and you can read the story and see the audio slideshow here: http://tinyurl.com/y9znn9q .

Enjoy!

Contest announcement and final evidence from Eureka Springs ghost hunt

By: Portia Sisco

First, I'd like to share my final evidence from my Eureka Springs ghost hunt last weekend. As I mentioned in previous posts, we stayed at the Crescent Hotel, made famous for the fact it served as a cancer cure hospital run by a phony doctor from 1937 until roughly 1940.

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Crescent Hotel Morgue Ghosts

By: Bill Ott

In October of 2008, a group of ladies opted to sleep in "the morgue" of The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa, located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

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Crescent Hotel offers ghosts galore in Eureka Springs, AR

By: Patricia Marin - Examiner.com

The Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR, boasts more than its fair share of spectral guests who refuse to leave, even long after their tenure on this earth is done. There are four ghosts who have been observed by staff and guests alike and their sightings are well documented over an extended period of time.

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A Late Night Customer

A former gift shop employee vividly remembers a late night "customer" she encountered, "One slow evening, I was leaning gently against the display case, kind of looking downward, but not really at anything when I looked up. There in the store's doorway into the hotel lobby stood a man, looking out of place in time. He was dressed in a long, black cutaway coat with a tall shirt collar and ascot-like cravat, top hat and his face was adorned with mutton-chop sideburns. His trousers were gray striped but as I continued to gaze down his image ended around the middle of the lower leg. It didn't go all the way to the floor. His image was there. It was very complete and lifelike, not at all wavy or wispy.

I blinked and said, "Whoa!?!" and in that instance he disappeared. I sped into the lobby toward the Crystal Dining Room then back toward the Governor's Suite but he was absolutely gone. I never saw him again."

It is stories like these that adequately intrigued the producers of the Sci-Fi Channel's "Ghost Hunters" program to spend nearly a week in the hotel this summer to investigate, film, and discover stories of their own. Although those individuals involved in the production of the Crescent Hotel episode have taken a pledge of secrecy until the show airs sometimes this fall, all indications are that the show will reveal even more titillating tales of the plethora of precocious poltergeists that have been checking in but never leaving this Historic Hotel of America since 1886.

Never Been One to Believe

Steve Garrison, a cook for the hotel's Crystal Dining Room restaurant for the past fourteen years recounts, "I've lived here (Eureka Springs) all my life and I have never been one to believe this stuff." That all changed two different mornings in the restaurant's kitchen.

Morning 1: Garrison was "slicing and dicing" vegetables when he looked up and saw a little boy with "pop bottle" glasses, dressed in very old-looking clothes such as knickers, who was skipping around the kitchen.

Morning 2: When opening that same kitchen early one morning he flipped on the lights only to see "some or all of the pots and pans come flying off their hooks." He was quick to add, "I don't drink on the job. In fact, I don't drink... period."

Ghostly Audio

Recently my brother and I spent the night in "Theadora's" room. I forgot the number but it is at the end of hall down from the bar upstairs.

Why I am writing you is because we were up in the room with a tape recorder and were asking some questions. We captured a voice on tape.

I asked if i was saying her name correctly. Theadora. Directly after there was an answer. We didn't hear it until reviewing the tape later.

The voice on the tape is of a woman saying the name Theadora.

Listen to the recording »

Ghosts of the Crescent by Phillip W. Steele

As published in the Ozark Mountaineer, Vol. 33, No. 6 & 7, August , 1985

In spite of the many ghost sightings reported by botel guests and employees over the years, the historic Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, stays booked solid throughout the tourist season. Even room 218, where many strange events have been reported, is filled every night I this leading Ozark tourist mecca.

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The Crescent Mission Ghost-"Miss Theadora"

Feb. 24, 2006

Mission ghosts are intent upon achieving some goal they have set for themselves.

If you have taken he ghost tour at the Crescent, you will learn Miss Theadora's was to help her ill friends cross over when the hotel was a cancer hospital.

While staying in her room, 419, in late Feb. I encountered Miss Theadora. One of the best places to sleep with a ghost I have found after years of paranormal research is 419 at he Crescent. You won't be disappointed!

First I couldn't get in the room, I had to get housekeeping to let me in, this happens a lot I found out. Twice this happened to me. If you stay in 419, good luck on getting in!! Soon after I got in the room, I took a base line reading on my EMF meter, set up motion detector and took pictures.

I tried to channel Miss Theadora- no luck. I had high EMF spikes several times and my motion detector went off.

I was asking her to let me see her or let me know she was there. Lots of noises in the room, lots of high spikes on my EMF meter. I had taken my necklace, which has a cross on it, off along with my watch and laid it on the buffet. Sitting in he dark room several hours later I heard the necklace being picked up, laid down and then the watch. I know who this was. Hello, Miss Theadora!

After going to bed at 4:00 a.m., I was tapped on the foot after a short while. Waking, I saw a streak of energy- Miss Theadora going across the ceiling above my head first one way and then the other. She didn't let me down and she won't let you down.

Thank you, Miss Theadora.

"I felt so chilled that I could not move"

November 2005

My husband and I visited the Cresent in july 2003. First time either of us had been to Eureka, and the first for checking out a haunted hotel, but we had seen all about the Cresent on the travel channel and wanted to check it out. We live in Missouri so we decided to take a few days and go. It first of all is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. We were on the second floor just outside of Michael's room, when I felt so chilled that I could not move, my husband told me do as the lady told us just move. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I was so moved by the feeling that I felt that I was not sure what to do I had not ever felt that kind of feeling before.  We taped our whole time there. Even though we did not stay there we did go back on our fist night around mid-night .We seen a lot, but our tape tells a lot more. The ball room We have a man and woman dancing. We have watched this tape a thousand times and there is no way it could have been trees. We have had friends watch that later went to the Cresent and there is just no other excuse except a man and a woman dressed for ball-room dancing to show up on this tape other than that they were there. I will be glad to send a copy of my tape.

Photos had "Orbs"

July, 2005

I was a guest for 2 nights (mid-July 2005) in this wonderful Victorian hotel. I was not disappointed in the least. You can "feel" the history here. The hotel and the surrounding landscape is beautiful. And the view from the 2nd story balcony of my room was amazing.

The ghost tour was super informative and a lot of fun. Ken & Carroll were great. The photos I took during the ghost tour didn't turn up anything unusual, however, the photos I took on the day I arrived in the hotel lobby and in my room had "orbs" in them. I was thrilled and have shown everybody I know! I WILL be back. I felt safe and secure in this hotel and totally comfortable. Thanks to the Crescent owners & staff.

Knocking at the Door

June 27, 2005

I have stayed at the magnificent Crescent Hotel many times, and when visiting the Ozarks I will stay no place else. I adore the ambiance and history that surrounds the grand hotel.

When I was 14 years old I met a girl whose father drove a tour bus. She came to see me at the hotel the next day and gave me the grand tour, ghost stories and all.

This was of course way before the hotel had the ghost tours. I was and still am fascinated. As badly as I wanted to I did not see anything out of the ordinary.

However, my mother heard a knocking at the door at about 2:30 in the morning that woke her up. When she went to check it out there was no body there but once the door shut it immediately started again. Neither my father or I heard anything at all.

My last trip to the Crescent was at least 12 years ago and next summer I plan to take my husband and two girls to experience the wonderful hotel. Now I just have to figure out how to explain to my nine year old daughter that the place is haunted without freaking her out. Can't wait to be back.

Running Out of the Room

June 22, 2005

My husband, our two sons, myself, my mom and dad, two sisters and two nieces stayed at your hotel on June 20th.

My sister, her two daughters, and my other sister stayed in room 205. They had taken the lamp shade off the lamp so they could see better while they were eating and set it on top of the TV About 10 minutes later they came running out of the room telling us that the shade had "jumped" up and spun around and then fell on the floor.

Then that night they said that the phone started ringing about every 30 minutes and nobody was on the line when they answered.

My husband, our two boys and I stayed in room 210. Our toilet would not stop running so my husband took the back off the toilet and saw that the chain was off. He put the chain back on and the toilet was fine for about an hour and then it started running again.

He took the back off again to find that the chain was off again so this time he twisted the end on so that it wouldn't slip off anymore. We then went to bed and the next morning when we woke up the toilet was running, he looked in the back of the toilet to find that the chain had been twisted back the other way and it was off. We decided that we'd just leave it alone since someone wanted that chain off so bad.

My Mom and Dad stayed in 209. Everyone except for my Mom and Dad went down to walk in the garden, they stayed in their room. When we got outside we looked up at my Mom and Dad's window and saw them looking down at us so we started waving at them.

We then walked all around the motel which was beautiful. We all then went back up to my Mom and Dad's room to tell them good night and to ask them if they had seen us waving. They told us that they were never looking out the window and we thought they were just trying to play a trick on us until we looked at their window and saw that it was way too tall for them to have been looking out.

Did You Feel That?

June 8, 2005

I just wanted to send you a quick note thanking your ghost tours for being one of the highlights of our trip. My 14 year old daughter and I attended your tours the last week in May of this year. We are from Iowa and stayed in your beautiful state for a week. The rest of our family declined to attend the ghost tours because they do not believe in "such things." After spending some time in Eureka's beautiful hotel, I will tell you that I am a believer. Because it happened to me.

We have always been fascinated by the paranormal and we came to the tours with an open mind, not expecting anything out of the ordinary, yet welcoming anything that might cross our paths. Secretly hoping we would have something exciting to bring back home with us, as in a story, but just as content by soaking up the beautiful scenery of the hotel and the wonderful people of Arkansas.

We just returned home late last Sunday, and therefore haven't had a chance to get our photographs developed yet... however, on our digital cameras you can see several splashes of light that were not visible to the eye when the pictures were taken. These splashes occur on the 2nd and 3rd floors only. I'm no photography expert, therefore there could very well be a valid explanation due to the flash of the digital camera or something else that scientifically contributed to the lights we see.

My daughter and I also wanted to share with you this. At the very beginning of the tour, when we were all gathered around the ghost tour office door, you were sharing much education with us regarding our upcoming evening. If one were looking at your office door face on, we were standing at the furthest left one could stand and still hear your presentation. Behind us was the small set of steps that is in front of the former asylum. The evening weather was very warm and beautiful... no storms, and we remember dressing in sleeveless blouses to accommodate the warm weather.

Long story short, as we were standing there, my daughter and I kept feeling a freezing sensation on our arms. We were standing shoulder to shoulder and she constantly felt the ice on her right arm ONLY and at the same time I felt it on my left ONLY. It did not hurt, however it was very much an attention getter. I would compare it to leaving the warmth of your home and running outside in below freezing weather in only a sleeveless shirt. The cold would come and my daughter and I would look at each other in puzzlement and then the cold would leave as quickly as it came. Then the cold would come moments later, stay a bit and pass. This happened about 4 times. There was no breeze and as I looked around, everyone else seemed comfortable and no one else was noticing the freeze. I didn't want people to think we'd lost it or were making up stories, so that early on we kept it to ourselves. It was only after these cold sensations were felt that you educated us about someone taking the photograph of a being, sitting on the steps, in the same direction of where our cold came from. Then you explained to us that we might feel something, or smell, or hear, or see something and that it was all right and not to be scared.

I don't know what it was... but I guarantee you, something was there. It was as if something were toying with us... and getting a kick out of my daughter and myself whispering back and forth to each other... "did you feel that? what is that?" It was very close to "Michael's" room and I'm leaving it all to his playful spirit that he was flirting with two ladies in sleeveless blouses who kept quietly asking him "what is that?" He was a tease and if it's our attention he wanted, he sure got it.

Michael, may you someday rest in peace. And in closing, thank you again for your fantastic ghost tours and the education you gave us on the hotel and life itself. It will not be forgotten. We look forward to watching your upcoming event on the sci-fi channel and wish you the best of luck in dealing with whatever is in your home as well. Stay safe.

A Full Figure Standing in the Mirror

April 16, 2005

I stayed at the Crescent November 2003 and 2004. We stayed in Theadora's room. I went to turn the handle of the closet door and it was as bolt locked. Startled, I jumped back and laughed in a nervous way. That moment we heard the door click, I tried the door again and it opened with ease. I inspected the door. At one time it did have a lock, but it had been sealed with paint, impossible to lock. On that day it did.

Inspired by our 2003 trip we booked for the next year, and room 218. This room is known for unexplained activity, so we had to have it. We were dying for something to happen and nothing did, so we thought.

When we got our photos back we had several orb pics but in 218 we took a pic with a full figure standing in the mirror. The man is totally see-through, much detail, arms, hands, etc. Also what appears to be a long sleeve shirt that has been rolled up at the elbow, and perhaps overalls.

This is one of the most interesting "ghost" pictures I have ever seen, so we sent them the people whom run the ghost tours and hopefully you will soon see them on their site.

By the way, the hotel is great, the staff is great, what a wonderful piece of history, and I know some of that history has remained behind.

The ghost tours are wonderful and the people connected to them are very nice, the tour is worth every penny. I have taken it 3 times and will take it again when we return for our November 2005 trip.

The bath was over

Written March 16, 2005

Jason and Mandy stayed at the Crescent on March 12th. We were in room 310. We had something unexplainable happen and we were wondering if you could ask Boyd (bellhop) and the gentleman in charge of the Ghost Tours to see if that specific thing had happened before. Here's what happened:

We were laying in the bathtub relaxing, and I felt a bunch of bubbles under my right armpit. I was laying towards the back of the tub and she was laying towards the front of the tub where the drain is. I asked Mandy if she saw them and she said no.

So, I kind of sat up and after that, the bubbles started again. It wasn't like a bloop, bloop, it was a rapid boil type of bubbling. The second time it bubbled for about 6-7 seconds, long enough for Mandy and I to talk about it and watch it happening.

Needless to say the bath was over. We also heard a muffled metal banging in the room but that could be explained a million different ways, possibly.

Anyway, I can't say I believe in the paranormal, but it's hard to be a nonbeliever when things like that are happening right in front of you.

Disclaimer: I didn't create the bubbles, there were no cracks in the tub, there was no jets because it wasn't a Jacuzzi tub, there was no visible explanation for the bubbles.

A Hooded Figure

January 7, 2005

We stayed at the Crescent for two nights last March 2004 for our honeymoon. The first night I awoke to hear a child crying (there were no children on our floor). We later found out that many years ago a child had fallen on the stairs just outside our door and died a few days later.

The morning after the second night, while in the dining room, my husband began making fun of the ghosts. As we paid for breakfast and walked out the French Doors that were locked open, one of them slammed shut, hitting him in the back.

The dining room was empty that morning so we were allowed to video tape inside. When we got home and watched the video we noticed that I zoomed into the mirrors (I was unaware at the time that I spent so much time on the mirrors) and as we watched, there are ghostly apparition - one of a lady with a beautiful hat and another of a man with a slightly crooked smile who looks like he might be German.

There is also a hooded figure who moves in and out of the mirror as I was filming. We took about 15-16 rolls of film during our stay. The pictures were all very clear and very nice. We were disappointed that there was no ghostly activity with our camera. Until we got to the last roll of film - in the middle of that last roll were four consecutive very very blurred pictures. We loved our visit are looking forward to returning.

Someone Was Watching

My Wife, my Daughter and I stayed at the Basin Park on Sunday Night May 26th and Monday Night May 27th. We went to visit the Crescent of course being the sister of the Basin Park.

I have to tell you that people who don't believe in Ghost have not been to the Crescent. It was raining really hard the night we drove up there from the Basin Park, so we decided to hang around a bit since the weather wasn't cooperating.

We had taken the little tour train earlier that day and were aware that the place was haunted. We sat outside when it was raining lightly on the back porch facing the Christ of the Ozarks Statue. I had a feeling that someone was watching us the whole time.

We then went up to the 2nd Floor and took some pictures in the hall and the door of room 218. Well lo and behold we got our pictures back and we have a little light in one of our pictures that resembles the pictures everyone has seen of ghost and on the 2nd floor the curtain at the end of the hall was turned back and when we took this picture it was not like this. By the way the picture we took of the door on room 218 never came out.

Strange Balls of Light

My husband and I always stay in your hotel. We once stayed in room 223. That night, we became fascinated with a loud banging noise coming from what we now know to be the annex.

We ignored it for a little while and then decided it was time to investigate. We opened our door and walked out into the hallway. We turned the corner and looked down the other side of the hall and realized that the noise was coming from a spooky, dark entrance.

As we walked down the couple of steps into the annex, the banging got louder. We paused for a moment and I remember whispering to Scott (my husband) Who or what would be making all of that noise at this hour in the dark. We walked further down the hall.

It was difficult to see so we kind of felt our way around. All we could feel were doors with padlocks on them. Then the banging stopped then we heard footsteps stomping towards us, we ran as fast as we could back up the hall I was literally screaming my head off because the stomping was right behind me. We ran in our room and quickly shut the door.

We were attracted to the idea of what had happened. We have strange balls of light flying around us on our video camera footage. We love to have people over and show them.

One year we stayed in the governors suite (which as you know has 2 rooms, a parlor and and little hallway entrance). Our friends slept in the blue room and we chose the pink room.

We awoke to our door opening and closing. Thinking that our friends were trying to pull a stunt. We quickly got out of bed, tiptoed over to the other door that leads into the parlor so that we could catch them in the entrance messing with our other door. We jumped into the entrance and yelled "got ya!" We instantly turned pale and looked at each other as our door continued to slowly open all by itself.

We grabbed our video camera to film and it stopped. We thought great! No one is going to believe us! But, when we turned the video camera on and filmed the entrance we got excited again. The lights in the entrance were flickering and fluttering! You could not see this with your own eyes you could only see the lights flutter through the camera lens! Almost as if it were electrical impulses.

More Than We Bargained For

My Daughter and I stayed a couple of nights at the Crescent Hotel, November 6th & 7th 2003. We had heard the rumors of ghosts but we were unaware of any details.

We did not have any spooky experiences while staying at the hotel, at least that we knew of. I had brought my camera and took a couple of shots of our room, and a few more around town.

Our room # 313, had a door to the balcony and I wanted to have the doorway in the picture so the curtains were open. A couple of days after we got home I printed the pictures off our computer and got a surprise.

Peering through the middle pane of glass on the door was a ghostly image. You can very clearly see the eyes and mouth of the specter. We did not stay in the Hotel looking for ghosts, we just wanted to experience a little of the history. I think we got more than we bargained for.

My Sister Was Being Tormented

I took my mother, sister and niece for 2 nights stay in June-03. We had all day pampering in The New Moon Spa.

My sister was being tormented by some ghost or something that was scaring the life out of her. She would not finish her hydrotherapy bath because of the eerie feeling she was getting in the dark, candlelit room.

We all went to the dinning room to eat breakfast and as we were leaving, the latch in the floor that was holding the door open came up, then the door slammed hard, right in her face.

She shared a room with my cousin and woke up having the most horrible nightmares, then she said someone got into bed with her. She thought it was my niece and then soon realized it wasn't! She ran over to my niece's bed and crawled into bed with her.

Then, I was out walking around the grounds just at sun rise, taking pictures. I was down at the bottom of the castle, on the road right in front of the entrance to the catholic church. I was taking some great pictures and took one of the back of the castle there. When I got my film developed there was a flash of light in the third floor suite window. The room right across the hall from where my mother and I were staying!

Pushing Something Down a Hallway

December 30, 2004

I took the ghost tour on 12/18/04. I took many pictures and when I got them developed I have 1 picture of the back of a nurse who appears to be pushing something down a hallway.

I Kept Hearing Noises

November 12, 2004

My sister and daughter and myself and a friend stayed at the Crescent June of 2004. We were very excited about staying there.

The first night was uneventful... but the second night was quite different. I kept hearing noises, someone walking around the room, and the curtains kept swaying back and forth.

I made the comment OMG if there is anyone in here will ya just do something. Well, the covers at the end of my bed were suddenly just jerked off my feet. I was so startled I jumped up out of bed got dressed and went downstairs and stayed there till almost daylight. I do agree this hotel has many haunts... MANY!!

I had taken the ghost tour a year before and got many orbs in the pictures. I don't know if I will stay there again but its a distinct possibility. This hotel has got a great history... a lot of it still lives there.

Something Touched His Leg

September 12, 2004

This summer my husband & I went on the ghost tour, my husband was very skeptical until we went on the historic tour a few days before and we stopped at the hotel and got out to look around, my husband went down stairs where the spa is and went into the restroom where he said he saw a man standing by the sink.

Then the night of the tour we all went down into what used to be the morgue and then he felt what our guide called "Raymond" touch his hair and as he was walking around snapping pictures he said something touched his leg. I feel there is something there without a doubt.

The "Spirit" Kept Trying to Shove Him Out of the Bed

August 26, 2004

Hello from Ridgeland, MS, My name is Shelia Bowden. My husband John and I spent our honeymoon at the Crescent Hotel 25 years ago. Our anniversary was August 18. We're planning a return trip to your area at the end of October. I have all our original receipts from your hotel. I am especially interested in your Ghost Tours.

You see, we had a ghostly experience while there on our honeymoon. We told our families about it when we got back home. A few months after that, my sister-in-law read a newspaper article about the different ghosts that inhabit the Crescent.

We enjoyed our stay there immensely, but John says he doesn't want to spend the night there again. (The "spirit" kept trying to shove him out of the bed one night!)

We can hardly wait until we get back to your wonderful area. We love to visit the Ozarks. We watched a show on HGTV in the past that told about the restoration project. I was so happy to hear that it continues to be so well taken care of.

I fell in love with the Crescent Hotel as a child. My dad heard about it, and on one of our many family vacations to the Ozarks we came to stay there. We came back many times and brought other family members with us as well. It was always my favorite place to go. That's why John and I chose it for our honeymoon.

I've always wanted to see the Ozarks in the fall, just never had the chance with family obligations. So now in celebration of our silver anniversary we are making the time to come!

The Playful Bathroom Spirit of Room 221

August 22, 2004

"To stay or not to stay" was the question on our minds when we visited the Crescent Hotel on Sunday August 22nd. We had wanted to see this grand hotel since we moved to Arkansas roughly a year ago from California.

We, both being history and antique buffs, thought it would be a nice experience to stay at this historical place. We found out that it would be more memorable than we could have ever imagined or planned. No apparitions, orbs in photo’s or thumping headboards, no we had to get a ghost or spirit with a sense of humor.

Strange occurrences began happening a couple of weeks prior to our stay. We planned on staying at the Crescent for our anniversary. Valerie had made reservations for the weekend,; meanwhile I researched the hotels history on the Internet. From reading articles on hauntings at the hotel we ruled out certain rooms that were commonly known to have ghostly activity.

Later when reading stories regarding the dark days of the hotel with Norman Baker and the victims of his Cancer clinic and so called resort; we decided not to stay and Valerie called to cancel the reservations. This is where the strangeness begins.

When my wife called to cancel our reservations, the front desk commented that it had already been canceled. This was strange due to the fact that neither one of us had called earlier. We just thought "oh well, guess the ghosts knew that we were not coming" We joked about it and even told friends and coworkers for a laugh.

You see, we had decided to not stay at the hotel, as we have had ghost experiences prior in California as well as Arkansas. We thought that we wanted to rest and have an enjoyable time on our trip. I don’t consider interactions with spirits or ghost to be very restful. Seems like since they are restless, they like to pass it on to us.

Later in the month we decided to take a trip to Eureka Springs from our residence in the Bentonville area. We thought we’d stop off first at the Crescent Hotel prior to antique hopping and give it a look and feel. Valerie agreed that if I felt good about the hotel we’d stay the evening.

We walked around a bit and decided to make reservations for the evening, still making sure to avoid rooms 218, 202, 820 and 424, just to be safe. We got room 221, just down the hall from 218 where a worker apparently fell to his death during construction, apparently haunts. We thought it strange to be near this room, but thought that the spirit might be a homebody and keep to his room. Now we think that he might have gotten a little bored and wandered. Down the hall to our room.

We were too early for check in, so we took a spin around town, came back to the hotel and had a nice dinner in the hotel dinning room. Later we took photos of the lobby and said haunted areas, hoping to get some ghostly images on the pictures and even joked around about the hauntings. In the room while jesting about ghosts she finally got tired and asked me to stop, so I did, as any fine "and smart" husband would do.

Our room, 223, seemed peaceful and had a great view. We watched some TV, my wife carefully avoiding the X-Files, and retired for the evening, with the bathroom light on of course. Valerie had a hard time sleeping, as she does in unfamiliar rooms and later turned off the light. I, like normal slept like a baby.

We awoke the next morning to the alarm clock as to not miss the breakfast. While in the bathroom she asked me if I had done something to the towels. I peeked around the door from the closet and observed that the two bathing towels that were hanging on the rack had been tied around with the smaller hand towels to form a knot, with a washcloth lying atop both towels.

The bathroom had been noticeably rearranged from the night before and items had been moved around. In addition, the garbage can that had been just under the sink had been moved inside the tub. Also our toothbrushes had been neatly tucked into the towel on the back of the toilet and toothpaste laid beside. My black t-shirt had moved from the edge of the tub to the shower curtain rail, hand towels moved from the sink to the edge of the tub.

We of course questioned weather the other had done this and thinking that the other one had played a joke. Neither one of us had, so we laughed and took photos for family to see and realized that the joking the night before might have made a ghost or spirit play a prank on us. Wow! That really capped off our weekend! Undeniably these things do happen. Though I have had experiences in the past that most people have never seen, I had never seen a poltergeist haunting like this.

Later we shared the experience with staff in the dinning room, the front desk and Linda Mock, the Concierge. She asked that we write up the experience and send photos; So here they are. Think what you will as we know many will be skeptical, even friends and family.

We know what we have seen and will laugh about it for years to come. You may ask if we will spend the night again at the Crescent Hotel? Why yes of course, but most likely not in the same room, as we have added one more room to our list of rooms not to hang a hat in.

Being a businessman, and thinking of the best interest for the hotel owners, I think that the ghosts should pay for their own keep. No free room and board here. The staff should train them to launder the towels and clean the toilets too. It’s the least they can do since they’re just hanging around and annoying the guest. And no tying the towel in knots! Rather, this should evoke banishment from the premises. Bad ghosty! No dinner.

Is this photo of the woman very common?

Written August 4, 2004

We were at your hotel last weekend for an overnight stay. We had heard the stories about your hotel, but did not think that we would experience anything unusual.

We had a great time, and really there was nothing unusual about our stay... until I got home to download my photos. I have the enclosed pictures: The first we counted around twenty six "orbs" in the photo, this is during the Ghost Tour that evening.

The second is a picture taken in one of your hallways. I am not sure if this is the second or third floor. No one except my husband and I were even near this camera, and I am not the person in this photo. It was taken at about one thirty in the morning. Maybe you could help me identify her? Is this photo of the woman very common?

There Are Orbs Galore

August 3, 2004

On July 17th, your hotel provided the most beautiful setting for my passage into being a married woman. We took the ghost tour 2 nights before and I made the mistake of saying, "Wouldn't it be funny if the spirits were watching us on our big day?" Not only were they watching us, I think some of them wanted to participate.

I got my hair done in the New Moon Spa, and on every picture that was taken of me, there are orbs galore. In one particular picture, there were 3 good sized ones right behind where I was sitting. My bridesmaids and I stood on the main staircase right before the ceremony to take a picture and out of 3 cameras that were aimed at us, all 3 pictures show a misty area right above and behind me. I feel that they were happy for us, at least I hope they were.

Everyone kept commenting, how when they were alone, wherever in the hotel they were, they felt as if someone was watching them, but there was never anyone there that they could see. Thanks Misty , Roanna, Page, and everyone else who helped make that day wonderful for my husband and I.

Be Careful What You Say

July 20, 2004

Thank you for the wonderful service. My dear friend and I took a little vacation and stayed the night of July 11th in room 213. We thought it would be fun to take the ghost tour after a day of shopping.

When we checked into our room we were joking about welcoming ghosts everywhere but the bathroom. Within 30 minutes of being in the room, I went to the bathroom to freshen up my make-up before going to the Crystal Dining Room for a fabulous dinner. I heard someone (I thought my friend) tap her finger nails on the door.

I turned around and found my make-up bag moving side to side on the hook on the back of the door. I just thought the tapping on the door caused the movement.

I answered "yes" and Jane didn't reply. I then opened the door and saw her over by her bed and then I asked her if she heard that or had knocked on the door. She of course replied "no".

I guess by the look on my face, she could see my shock. I eventually told her what had happened as I fought back the tears. We eventually laughed it off and then it was her turn to freshen up.

Again, she retreated from the bathroom a bit white. She said, "Tracey, your make-up bag hasn't quit moving the entire time I've been in there." We left the room, not discussing it and even kept quiet about the situation until midway through the ghost tour. Other than a lot of orbs in the digital camera, and Jane smelling cigar smoke in the basement, it was pretty uneventful.

Oh, my make-up bag never moved again, not that night or the next day. I guess, be careful what you say and what you truly don't want to see. We're planning on returning for a "girls weekend" next year. Our husbands have no interest in joining us or the guests in the rooms. Ha!

A Glowing White Orb

May 19, 2004

I stayed at the Crescent Hotel on May 12th in Room 307. I had heard so much about the hotel and had checked out the web site; I wanted to see it for myself.

I did not have any experiences in my room that night. The only strange thing that happened that evening was when I tried to take a picture of the door of Room 218, my digital LED was so dark I could barely tell if I even had the door in the frame. But the next day, when I checked back through the photos in memory, the two pictures were clear enough to plainly see.

HOWEVER, when I got home and downloaded all of the photos, I really got a surprise. I have a photo of the right side of the lobby (front desk & hall to the dining room) in broad daylight and there is a glowing white orb floating across the front of the wood column next to the hallway entrance.

I also took a photo of the back of the hotel and, when you zoom in on the upstairs dormer windows, there is the image in one of what looks like a man wearing a clerical collar and white vestments. There was nothing visible in the window during the daytime when I took the photo.

Now I have several friends who want to come back to the Crescent Hotel with me! It's definitely a wonderful place to stay, with very friendly staff, great food and an air of elegance about the place.

A Grumbling Male Voice

March 24, 2004

Hello! I stayed at the Crescent for the first time last summer, and will be back in April. I was skeptical of the ghost stories, but let me tell you... My friend, her brother, and I walked the grounds late at night to explore and take pics.

About midnight we were walking down a hallway that I shall leave undisclosed, and noticed a light over the door and heard the distinct sound of tools being dropped on a plywood surface, along with a grumbling male voice. As we reached the door it stopped. Her brother peaked over the door, but saw nothing. We checked the knob and it was not locked. As the door was being opened, I snapped a pic.

There is a large face with a bowler-type hat floating over the person opening the door. It is out of proportion to any person present at the time. I also have a pic of my friend in front of room 218 with a fairly large football-shaped orb present.

We stayed in room 216, and I awoke to the sound of a person in a dress walking through the room very quickly, and the sound of the main door squeaking open and closed. I didn't realize what the noise was until we opened the door to leave for breakfast, and it was exactly the same.

Also, the most amazing, was when I attempted to take a pic of room 218 with my lens under the door (large enough gap). The camera lens retracted and then shut off by itself not once, not twice, but TWELVE times! It was 1am, and I thought I was doing something wrong or pushing the wrong button, but not twelve times! The history, beauty, charm, and the uncanny events all roll into a very enchanting visit.

I Have Over 37 Orbs

March 10, 2004

I went to the Crescent hotel on the 14th of February. I wasn't a guest because I had never been to Eureka Springs before, and didn't know of it's history. I, however, did spend most of my time at the Crescent. I was very fascinated by it, and do plan on going back to stay. Even if I have to go by myself!

I really enjoy the experience of feeling people from the other side. I did take the ghost tour to spend more time there, and to hear more of the history. I just took random shots of pictures up and down the halls, and in one picture I have over 37 orbs, in others I have big bright orbs.

While going to the morgue, we were in that last leg of it, and I felt a tap on my head. (I was one of the last two in line, my boyfriend being the last). We were standing there listening to the story, and he has a bad ear, but out of that ear, he heard "excuse me" and there was no one else behind him, and I didn't hear it.

I never realized what those orbs were, but, now that I've seen them, and know, I came home and looked through my pictures here, and see so many more orbs in pictures all around here.

A Man In the Hall

February 29, 2004

We stayed at your Hotel the weekend of February 20th, Myself, my husband and our two small boys. We had a great time, we saw nor heard anything strange while we were there but we do have a few strange pictures.

One we took outside of the back side, looks like a face in the upper window. Our video shows a man in the hall standing to the side, but no one was there when we were filming! We were in a parlor suite, room 302, We loved it and so did the kids.

We did not take the ghost tour because the children are small but we plan on it our next visit. Thanks to everyone.

The "Perfect Honeymoon"

My new husband and I were looking forward to the "perfect honeymoon" stay at the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas over July 3-4, 1995.

We arrived, unaware of its reputation for being "haunted" and took up our room on the third floor. After being there only a few hours, we both felt terribly uncomfortable, as if we were being watched. It became so bad that neither of us wanted to leave the room, even to get ice.

We ignored it with a shrug and a laugh, and the next day, as we were going down to dinner, I, in typical enthusiastic bridal fashion trotted down the stairs a full flight ahead of my husband. Perhaps it was only natural that I fell, but I will say that it felt as if I had been actually pushed. I only nearly missed breaking my neck, and as it was, my ankle was badly sprained.

Maybe it was only an effect of the terrible pain, but all through dinner (we were the only guests eating in the dining room at the time) I heard music and voices nearby. Partly as a joke we asked the employees if the place was haunted. Their sour response made us wonder, "No, this hotel is not haunted. We are not allowed to discuss that topic".

I asked around after we left the next morning, and later did more research at the library. I talked to a few other people who had had experiences of their own. The people of Eureka Springs itself were quite helpful, though the employees were not.

Apparently a doctor and his wife spent their honeymoon there and the man, having second thoughts, pushed his wife down the same set of stairs I fell down. I could have been an accident or merely chance, but the many other stories I have heard seem to imply that something is going on there. And, hey, nothing feels quite like getting pushed.