Arizona
Jerome Grand Hotel, Jerome Arizona
The small defunct mining town of Jerome sits atop a hill. At the tippy top of the hill, sits the ominous Jerome Grand Hotel. Originally constructed in 1926 as the "United Verde Hospital". In 1930, United Verde Hospital became the most modern and well equipped hospital in Arizona and possibly all of the western United States. However, by 1950, the hospital closed as the mining operations started to peeter out. The building stood unused for the next 44 years until the rehab plans began in 1994.
After the United Verde Hospital became the Jerome Grand Hotel, the alleged hauntings began to occur. Due the extremely high level of activity in the hotel, it's a popular destination for amateur ghost hunters. Guests that have stayed the night in the hotel reported to hear coughing, labored breathing and even voices coming from empty rooms. Guests also reported smells coming from rooms, such as flowers, dust, cigar smoke and whiskey. Others report light anomalies and the televisions turning themselves on with no explanation. The have also been reports of apparitions of two ladies, one in a white gown and the other in a nurse's outfit. Many deaths have been reported at the site, including the death of Claud Harvey, who was crushed to death by the elevator, the suicides of two maintenance people, both by hanging and the deaths of many patients during the United Verge Hospital stage of the hotel. The hotel has been featured on Ghost Adventures and Paranormal Challenge.
I've been to the Jerome Grand Hotel a number of times and would certainly recommend it. I did a little amateur ghost hunting myself when I stayed at the Jerome Grand Hotel. I brought along an EMF reader and it was going crazy while in my room which shared a wall with the elevator shaft. It went off all night long. Overall the place has a creepy vibe and you can still certainly see glimpses of the hospital it once was. The hallways are small and dark and the elevator ride up to the room was a unnerving.
Be sure to visit the hotel restaurant, "The Asylum" for a delicious meal.
Hotel San Carlos, Phoenix, Arizona
On May 7, 1928, The Arizona Republic reported the death of Leone Jensen. The articles headline read "Pretty blonde jumps from San Carlos early today". Based on what she wrote in her suicide note, it could be assumed that the 22 year old women was physically abused by her boyfriend, a bellboy at the Westward Ho. Speculations have be made as to whether Jensen was pregnant and/or her boyfriend was having an affair with another hotel worker. Because of these theories, the way she died is also debated. While most evidence pointed to suicide, many said that she could have been pushed off by her boyfriend or his other girlfriend.
Another ghost frequently mentioned by hotel employees is that of a little girl, possibly around six to nine years old, who is rumored to visit the hotel rooms at night and sit crying. Ghost believers think she was probably one of the area children affected by the school's closing or the flu epidemic.
Next time you are in downtown Phoenix, be sure to stop into the Hotel San Carlos for a drink at the Ghost Lounge.
The Domes, Casa Grande Arizona
"The Domes" are a large collection of abandoned, dome-shaped buildings. There are four structures, including three that are long caterpillar-like structures, and one separate, flatter dome that resembles a flying saucer. Underneath the domes there are tunnels. The domes were built in 1982 by a company that manufactured circuit boards. They intended to move their headquarters to Casa Grande. The larger building were for manufacturing and the saucer dome was going to be the office. The tunnels were supposedly for ventilation of the fluids used in the manufacturing process. When the company went under, construction on the domes ceased and they were never completed.
It has been widely rumored that these buildings have been and continue to be used for black magic and Satanic worship, animal sacrifices and several acts of rape and murder. Often, evidence is found supporting these claims. The thing that most often scares trespassers away from the domes is a dark, shadowy figure said to lurk in the back dome.
For me, the creepiest part of this place was the high likelihood of running into an unexpected (live) inhabitant.
Terror Trader, Chandler Arizona
Terror Trader in Chandler Arizona is Arizona's only year-round horror marketplace, filled with dark antiques and oddities.
It's definitely worth a stop if you are in Chandler, Arizona.
