Idaho
love Halloween and everything scary ! If you mention a location is haunted , or start telling ghost stories , I ’ m immediately curious . Why does the prospect of encountering ghosts or exploring creepy , and most definitely haunted buildings , appeal to so many ? Bestselling author , Michele Pariza Wacek , postulates , “ Ghost stories are a metaphor for all the ‘ ghosts ‘ we ’ re dealing with in our lives , or they help us explain the unexplainable , and sometimes we just want a good scare ( and there ’ s nothing wrong with that !).” Me , I just want a good scare !
Back in 2021 , my husband and I enjoyed a staycation at the historic and glamorous Davenport Hotel located in Spokane , Washington for our 25th wedding anniversary . Because of the pandemic , there were very few guests , and we felt like we practically had the hotel to ourselves . The Davenport is rumored to have a few ghosts , and Room 1105 , where the original owners of the hotel had lived , is reported to be a hotspot of paranormal activity , so of course , that ’ s the room we had to stay in !
After checking in , we deposited our luggage in our room , checked out the suite , which was truly lovely , and went out to do a little shopping . Upon returning , I noticed the lampshade next to the bed was tilted when it had previously been upright . I checked to see if maybe it was just loose , but the clip that held the lampshade onto the lamp harp was snug , so it didn ’ t seem like it would simply slide off . I reattached it correctly , made sure it was snug , and then we left for dinner . When we returned later that evening , the lampshade was once again tilted . I fixed it again , but I made my husband sleep on THAT side of the bed , just in case . Ghosts ? Maybe . Creepy ? Definitely ! Fortunately , nothing else happened during the night , but you can ’ t tell me there ’ s nothing going on in that room .
Other guests have also reported strange happenings in the same suite , as well as seeing the ghostly figure of Ellen McNamara , who fell through the hotel skylight back in the 1920s , and staff have seen a man in the basement dressed in formal attire with a towel over his arm . Servants of wealthy guests used to stay in rooms located in the basement , so perhaps this is a plausible explanation , if you are prone to believe such things .
Is your skin crawling yet ? I mean , ghost stories are just that … stories , or are they ? Whether you believe in ghosts or not , there ’ s no better time than Halloween , when the veil is questionable between the two worlds , to explore the ghost stories and urban legends you may have heard whisperings about . Why not do something extraordinary and take a haunted road trip ? I have gathered a list of some of the most beautiful hotels and theaters around the Northwest , so even if you aren ’ t a believer , they are sure to delight even the most logical minds among you . I ’ ve also sprinkled in a few other points of interest in case you can ’ t get enough . I must warn you , though , that the very nature of hauntings is predicated on some truly morbid and sometimes heartbreaking events .
Idaho
Enders Hotel & Museum
Enders Hotel & Museum
Soda Springs , Idaho www . endersonmain . com /
As one of the oldest hotels in Idaho , it originally housed several businesses and restaurants , and was used for weddings , balls , and other social gatherings . The second floor , where the museum is located , is where guests say they feel a presence , hear voices , and see items moving by themselves . These can possibly be attributed to previous owners or guests , or , allegedly , a man who was shot and killed at the bar . Perhaps the man who fell to his death down the stairs is the guilty party .
Lewiston Civic Theatre
Lewiston , Idaho www . lctheatre . org /
This castle-like structure was built in 1907 , and is the place you ’ ll want to visit to up
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