The Hermosa Inn

The Story:

Back in the 1930s, a cowboy/artist named Lon Megargee bought a beautiful patch of land in Paradise Valley. He built a home himself, even making the adobe bricks by hand. To help pay for the house's upkeep, he rented out rooms to travelers. But by 1941, he was forced to sell his "Casa Hermosa" ("Beautiful Home") along with its furniture and most of his artwork. Pictures of Lon, along with much of his original art, still hang in the Inn.

The Haunting:

Lon apparently didn't want to ever leave his home, even after his own death in 1960. The tall, lanky, fun-loving cowboy often appears to guests in his Stetson hat, but never seems to frighten them. Lon is also believed to flush toilets and break bottles and glasses (perhaps during late-night poker games).

By Charlyn Keating Chisholm

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The Hay-Adams Hotel

The Story:

Clover Adams was married to the owner of one of the two side-by-side mansions that make up the Hay-Adams Hotel. Henry Adams was finishing the construction of the mansion in 1885 when Clover reportedly took her own life. Although she was occasionally depressed and had just lost her father, people whispered that it may have been a murder.

The Haunting:

During the two weeks of December before the anniversary of Clover's death, she is very active in the house. The fourth floor of the Hay mansion, where the couple resided at the time of her death and where her death took place, is where she is most likely to be heard from. The staff reports locked doors of empty rooms opening and closing, the sound of a woman crying or asking "what do you want?" in an empty room, or being hugged and called by name by an unseen person.

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Hassayampa Inn in Prescott, Arizona

The Story:

The ghost in the Hassayampa Inn is named Faith. Faith and her husband checked into the inn in 1927 on their honeymoon. They were to stay in the balcony suite. The husband went out to buy a pack of cigarettes and never came back. Faith waited for three days, then, distraught, hung herself in the room.

The Haunting:

Since that tragic event, there have been numerous sightings of Faith throughout the inn. She has been seen crying at the end of a bed, holding flowers, dressed in a pink gown in the hallway, and disappearing into rooms.

In the Kitchen:

The inn's kitchen staff report that when they feel Faith's presence, all the gas burners on the stove go out. Once, a staff member was mentioning she'd like to go to the library to research Faith's story. The cup of coffee she was holding in her hand jumped and spilled coffee all over her.

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Delta Queen Steamboat

The Story:

Mary B. "Ma" Greene was one of the co-founders of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, and a big supporter of the temperance movement. She was one of the first licensed riverboat pilots, and she forbade the sale of liquor aboard the steamboat.

The Haunting:

After she died in 1949, the crew installed a saloon aboard the Delta Queen. Just after the first drink was sold, a barge crashed into the riverboat and smashed the saloon's bar. The barge was named the "Mary B." after Ma Greene. She apparently wasn't too happy about the new addition and decided to make her feelings crystal clear.

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