“It was a dark and stormy night…”
Which is never far from the truth in Oregon, at least in the wintertime. Do you believe in ghosts? I suppose you do, lest you would not be reading this article.
The entire state of Oregon is filled with some of the world’s most notorious haunted houses and hotels, creepy roads, and hellish haunted tales. While there are lots of fake stories out there, I have delved deep into my state’s sordid past to dig up genuine hauntings that will make the hair stand out at the back of your neck.
Oregon haunted houses are a thing. For real. Let’s get started.
Geiser Grand Hotel – Baker City
An exquisite and stately hotel which holds a commanding place in the center of eastern Oregon’s Baker City. I spent two nights here and while my room was utterly amazing, alas, I experienced no ghosts. But then I seem to not exactly attract them, so you may have a very different experience! There were, however, questionable moving shadows on the wall as I was trying to sleep, and the hotel itself is definitely on the stylish creepy side, so you decide! Read more about my experience here.
The most requested room is 302 (no I didn’t stay there) where many guests have seen Annabell, otherwise known as “the Lady in Blue.” She once lived in the hotel and has been known to take a liking to the male guests in the adjacent bar area. Some men have reported a lingering hand at their backside, only to turn around and see no one there. And then they go up to their room and see her whispy figure in the corner.
Fort Stevens, near the Lewis and Clark Trail
No, the ghosts of Lewis and Clark are not here (I don’t think), but plenty of deceased army men are! Just south of Astoria near the town of Warrenton, Fort Stevens Military Reservation was the post to the Oregon coast during World War II. There have been several accounts over the years of ghostly apparitions in 1940’s military garb in and around the fort, which is a nice attraction in itself for you history buffs, not to mention Fort Stevens State Park. One of the most famous abandoned places in Oregon is a shipwreck right on the beach!
Heceta Head Lighthouse. What better haunted spooky space can you think of than a still-in-use lighthouse full of mystery and romance? The resident ghost, Rue, does not take kindly to changes of any sort. And since there have been quite a few over the years, Rue is not happy! Known also as “the gray lady,” the precarious apparition has been the culprit of random events such as setting off a fire alarm, and moving random objects about at the keeper’s house. One worker had a recent encounter with her in the attic which psychologically scared him for life. So much so that he has refused to enter the room since.
The lighthouse is located about 12 miles north of Florence, not far from the sea lion caves.
Oregon Caves. Back in 1909, this spectacular monument was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987, and is supposed to be one of the state’s authentic hot spots for numerous hauntings. A woman named Elizabeth hung herself here from a pipe on her wedding night when she caught her new husband with a chambermaid in what is now the Oregon Caves Chateau. Her tortured spirit is seen wandering the lonely halls to this day. The room where she died, #301, is particularly disturbed, with mysteriously rearranged furniture, and guests reporting that when they return to their room, their suitcases have been repacked.
Talk about not being welcome!
Most Haunted Places in Oregon (Portland)
Rimsky-Korsakoffee House. This is a Portland institution and one of the more well-known haunted houses in Oregon, serving incredible desserts in an old renovated Portland home. See my blog post about it here. Regular visitors to the dessert oasis have reported their tables suddenly levitating mid-way through their chocolate-filled foray into dessertland.
There is a piano in the corner where local pianists occasionally come to tinkle the ivories, but when they aren’t there, it is not unknown for the piano to mysteriously play itself when no one is looking!
Pittock Mansion. Situated in the heart of Forest Park, Portland’s largest urban park, it is the most famous haunted house in Oregon (16,000 square-feet of awesomeness). Once the home of media tycoon Henry Pittock in the early 1900’s, today it is a museum chronicling his life and times. He and his wife, Georgiana, both passed away within a year of each other around 1918-1919, but their descendants lived there through 1964. While the mansion is not particularly spooky in itself, there have been several reports of a strange woman reflected in mirrors and in photos when no one else was in the room
Portland’s Best Ghost Tour
Portland Ghost Tour. I have been on this fantastic ghost tour of Portland – the best in the city. Their knowledgeable guides will lead you through the seedy darkness of Old Town/Chinatown and downtown Portland. Be prepared for exceptionally bone-chilling tales of human trafficking through underground tunnels, tragedy in darkened saloons, and hauntings in some of Portland’s most famous landmarks. Some of the spots you will visit are the Roseland Theater, The Benson Hotel, Kells Bar, Erickson Saloon, and HooDoo antiques. A truly fascinating tour and tickets are less than $20!
McMenamins Hotel Oregon, White Eagle Saloon and The Edgefield
The McMenamins empire, which is an amazing local chain of pubs and hotels, have made it their mission to acquire old, unused buildings and transform them into wonderful places to stay with charm up the yin yang. I have written an entire post about my love for the McMenamins brand. Needless to say, buying an old building and renovating it sure does bring out the ghosts, and many of their properties are straight-up haunted!
My partner and I have experienced this first hand. During our stay in Hotel Oregon, I felt someone (or something) touch my foot multiple times throughout the night. No, it wasn’t my partner. Then he also swore that he awoke in the middle of the night to a dark figure going through his wallet. No, it wasn’t me, and everything in his wallet was intact the morning after. Thank goodness!
The White Eagle Saloon is a great bar built in 1905 with live music, and a tiny hotel attached to it. This is probably the most haunted of McMenamins properties, and definitely very spooky! Back in the early 20thcentury, it was a popular watering hole and brothel. Rose, who was a prostitute back in the day, is still a regular resident, as she was killed in the hotel and apparently does not want to leave. Guests have reported falling down the rickety stairs of the hotel as if someone pushed them from behind.
Do you suppose that was how Rose was killed?
The Edgefield Hotel and Spa in Troutdale, Oregon is a wonderful resort and I have stayed there many times. Formerly a working poor farm where many workers perished, there are tales of hauntings in this large property that today has a golf course, a spa, 9 bars and restaurants, and all manner of creepy looking rooms. Room 215 seems to be the most haunted, and guests can even record their haunting experiences in a log book at the front desk!
The Heathman Hotel. The resident ghost here is partial to rooms with numbers that end in 03. Room 703, in particular, has seen clean towels mysteriously used, furniture rearranged, and glasses of water disappear. In room 803, reports say an apparition floats at the end of the bed, and years ago someone committed suicide by jumping to their death from the higher floors, passing by all of the 03 rooms on their way down.
Are you into ghosts and macabre stories? Have you come across anything nefarious in your wandering throughout Oregon? Leave a comment below – I’d love to hear it!
