Haunted Hotels in Cape Cod

Earlier this year I put a call out on HARO for romantic haunted places. I was intending to write a Valentine’s Day article, but that was right when I got sick so that post never happened.

However, that’s how I “met” (online at any rate) Bill, the PR rep for the Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket Chambers of Commerce. He enthusiastically gathered loads of information about the haunted places in his area.

Below is a list of the haunted hotels in Cape Cod that he sent me. I’ve long wanted to jaunt up to that area anyway. The desire was fueled even more upon seeing all the spooky stays I’d have to choose from.

Beechwood Inn – Barnstable, MA

This would’ve definitely fit my article on romantic haunted places. It touts itself as “a romantic Victorian inn.” It looks charming. Bonus that it comes with a ghost. It was even on an episode of Ghost Hunters.

The Inn hosts a resident ghost who is purportedly “an older woman in a white dress with greyish white hair.” Owners and visitors alike have heard footsteps, doors slamming and even doors bolted from the inside. The haunted Rose Room is prime real estate at the Inn.

Colonial House Inn – Yarmouth Port, MA 02675

Bill forwarded me what the owner of this hotel wrote in response to Bill’s inquiry as to whether it could be considered a romantic haunted hotel:

The Colonial House fits those two categories perfectly. There have been many books, videos, and articles written about the paranormal activities observed at the Colonial House Inn. Everything from a rocking chair that always moves so it faces a window that has long since been boarded up, to a woman dressed in 18th century clothes tending to non-existent garden in the middle of the night. I neither confirm or deny this activity. I do keep a record of it. We have had over 20 research teams investigate the Inn over the last 10 years. They always have been very enthusiastic about their findings. “Some believe this building may well have more paranormal activity than any other house on Cape Cod!” is a quote from one book “Ghosts, Myths and Legends”, published by the Historical Society of Cape Cod. If anyone decides to come to the Inn to stay over, all they need is mention their interest and I will assign them to a room where much activity has been reported.

I like the honesty. Even though they don’t actively advertise that ghosts roam here, they are open to letting people investigate. Plus, how cool is it that they’re so accommodating to put you in an active room if you ask? Oh, and did I mention this place is also romantic, just in case you’d like to stay in a romantic haunted hotel?

Among the ghosts thought to haunt the Inn are Dr. John Minot (the house’s builder and first occupant), a Native American woman, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Room 224 appears to be the one with the most manifestations.

Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa – Provincetown, MA (Provincetown’s only AAA 4-diamond hotel)

This is a really intriguing haunted hotel. First of all, it’s pretty swanky. Their Shui Spa sounds amazing. (I love the smell of eucalyptus and they have a “eucalyptus infused steam room” on top of mineral soaking tub and sauna…in addition to the many other non-spa amenities the hotel offers.)

But the very first thing I noticed, and therefor liked about this hotel, was the link Bill included: http://www.crownepointe.com/GhostStories.asp. I love when hotels are open about their ghosts! Here’s an excerpt from their page:

A very old man believed to be the original Inn’s Sea Captain is seen pacing the hallways of the Main Inn. A ghostly image, often spotted on lobby surveillance cameras, shows a person wearing a flowing white robe, briskly strolling through the lobby late at night. A heavy kitchen door that mysteriously opens in the evening and then closes again without human assistance.

Did you catch the part about the ghostly image frequently caught on their security cameras? Oh yeah, this is the kind of haunted hotel I’d love to stay in.

Fairbanks Inn – Provincetown, MA

This historic B&B was built in 1775 by a sea captain. David Fairbanks bought it in 1826. He, too, had a connection to the town’s seafaring history: he established the Seamen’s Saving Bank. In 1985 the house became an inn. Interestingly, it’s not a sea captain or banker whose ghost is reported to still roam here, it’s a Revolutionary War soldier.

Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club – Brewster, MA

This posh haunted hotel boasts rooms for rent in a section they call the Villages, and another in what’s called the Mansion. Where do you supposed you’ll find the ghosts? Where else? The haunted mansion! (Duh! Naturally.)

They believe the ghost is that of a woman named Addie. Addie’s husband was Roland Nickerson. His father built the mansion for the couple in 1906. However, it was destroyed in a fire in 1907. It was rebuilt in 1912. Roland never knew about that, though. He died two weeks after the fire. Addie lived in the house, and the mansion remained in the Nickerson family until 1945. Then it became a seminary.

In 1980 it was sold again to Corcoran Jennison who opened the Ocean Edge Resort and Golf Club in 1986. It is believed Addie still wanders the halls of the mansion, heart-broken. I’m not so sure about that part. Nothing I found in my research indicated she was despondent over the loss of her husband or house. Unnerved by the fire and wary of preventing another one, yes. And I’m sure like any wife she mourned her husband’s death. However, I like to think she’s on fire patrol and wanders to make sure guests stay safe.

I found an article where one year the Ocean Edge offered a “Spooky Mansion” package. Sounded awesome!

Ocean Edge Resort & Club dares ghost hunters to visit its haunted mansion to try and catch a glimpse of the resident ghost, Addie. The “Spooky Mansion” package boasts deluxe accommodations, daily breakfast for two, a jack-o-lantern of treats and complimentary late-night coffee and flashlight for night owls on the lookout for Addie. Those who show “proof” of spotting the capricious haunter will enjoy their entire stay on the house…the haunted house that is.* Ouija boards are available at the front desk for guests who want to have a séance to reach out to Addie.

The Spooky Mansion package is valid throughout the month of October and starts at $189 per room, per night.** Spirit seekers are invited to visit Addie throughout the year with room rates priced seasonally.

Old Yarmouth Inn – Yarmouth Port, MA

Built in the 1600s, this is the oldest inn in Cape Cod. It has seen a lot of America’s history, from the times of the Revolutionary War to the Civil War where it was involved with the Underground Railroad.

What I like is that if you look on the Inn’s site under the About tab, they include a “Ghost Stories” section. They acknowledge there is likely at least one ghost here, possibly more. But they’re Caspers. (They mean no harm.)

The ghost(s) could be any number of former family members who had lived in the inn and called it home to any of the thousands of travelers who have stayed there over the centuries. Reports include lights flickering for no reason, cold spots, even an apparition was spotted in the room called Quisset Harbor. Historic. Haunted. Romantic. The Old Yarmouth Inn fits it all!

Orleans Waterfront Inn – Orleans, MA

Due to reports of lights turning themselves on and off, doors opening and closing by themselves, cold spots and people seeing things (like apparitions), this haunted hotel was one of the places Ghost Hunters went to check out. (They did experience unexplained shadows and voices in unoccupied rooms, by the way.)

Three ghosts are thought to haunt the hotel. They even have names:

1. Hannah lived in the house when it was used as a brothel in the 1920s. She was reportedly murdered.
2. Fred worked as the hotel’s bartender…until he hanged himself in the cupola in the 1950s.
3. Paul was a dishwasher who committed suicide in the inn’s basement.

Hmmm, curious. Two suicides committed by former employees? Interesting. Rumor has it if you want to catch a glimpse of Hannah, sometimes she’s been seen dancing in Room 5.

Simmons Homestead Inn – Hyannis, MA

Cat lover? You’re gonna want to stay here. There are over two dozen here. (If you’re traveling with a dog who tolerates cats –and possibly ghosts– this is also a dog-friendly spooky stay.)

Speaking of the cats, they apparently also might be a trigger for the ghost child said to roam here. Here’s what Bill had to say about that:

The presence of an unusual number of cats might herald in the spirit of the child ghost known as “Susan” who can be seen occasionally in the Owl Room*.  It is said she appears mostly to people who are intuitive or psychic, but take your recorder and try to catch an EVP. This 7-year-old girl drowned in the lake on that property in 1833 and her spirit lives on in the old home. Her name is Sarah and she has long brown hair and wears a white gown. She only appears about once a year, but if you are lucky, maybe she’ll try and talk to you.

*All the rooms are animal-themed, by the way.

Village Green Inn – Falmouth, MA

This looks like a quaint little B&B to stay in. Here was the info Bill sent over about it:

The mysterious image of a man fitting the description of the senior Dr. Edwin Tripp has been seen wandering around the house where he once practiced medicine. Dr. Tripp, who died in 1953, first bought the house in 1913. In his later years, he was known for his stooped posture and for wearing flannel shirts. It is in this guise that Dr. Tripp is seen by guests as he shuffles down the hall.

White Horse Inn – Provincetown, MA

This haunted hotel is located at 500 Commerce Street. It doesn’t have a website, but has had reports of ghost sightings, including a “swirling white presence” and the face of an old man suddenly appearing. The resident cat has even better reported to act spooked from time to time!

READ ABOUT THE HAUNTED PLACES IN CAPE COD

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