The Hawthorne Hotel – The Haunted Hotel

The Hawthorne Hotel glows warmly against the Salem night, its red brick facade illuminated by elegant exterior lighting.

Six stories of Colonial Revival architecture rise above Washington Square, windows reflecting the lamplight from the historic Salem Common below. Lace curtains hang in the guest room windows, and behind them, shadows seem to move even when the rooms are empty.

Tourists stroll past on their way to the witch museums and ghost tours. They admire the stately building, perhaps noticing the statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne standing watch nearby.

What they might not notice is the figure in the upper floor window. A woman in a long dress, standing still, watching the street below.

Blink, and she’s gone. If she was ever there at all.

The Hawthorne Hotel is generally regarded as one of the most haunted hotels in the United States due to countless, unexplainable experiences by guests and staff.

This is the Hawthorne Hotel, where luxury hospitality wraps around a core of unsettling supernatural history. Where more than a million guests have checked in over the past century. And where some guests, it seems, have never checked out.

The Hawthorne Hotel is ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America. Guests have frequently reported moving furniture, sightings of a ghostly woman, unexplained noises and crying and more.

Welcome to Salem’s grand hotel of ghostly guests.

A Hotel Built on Haunted Ground

The Hawthorne Hotel didn’t create Salem’s haunted history. It simply built upon it. Literally.

Built on the site of the historic Franklin Building, the hotel was envisioned as a “modern hotel for the business traveler” by Frank Poor, founder of the Sylvania Lighting Company. Designed by architect Philip Horton Smith, it opened in 1925 as a beacon of progress.

Before the hotel’s construction, the location the hotel sits on used to be the site of the Franklin Building, built in the early 1800s. The building soon became the headquarters of the Salem Marine Society, acquired by sea captain Thomas Handasyd Perkins in 1838.

The site chosen for the hotel was originally owned by the Salem Marine Society. They sold the land with a stipulation that the group maintain a presence at the hotel. To this day, an exact replica of a cabin from the Taria Topan, an East India trade vessel, stands on the rooftop where the Salem Marine Society still meets.

By 1923, prominent members of the Salem community agreed that the city needed a modern hotel to house the increasing travelers for business. Construction began in 1924, and on July 23, 1925, the hotel opened with a grand celebration including a flag-raising ceremony and city-wide parade.

But the land has even older connections to Salem’s dark past.

The hotel’s location is noteworthy as well. It’s built on land that once held an apple orchard. Rumor has it that Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, owned this orchard.

According to various reports, Room 325 and 612 are the most active at the Hawthorne Hotel.

While most historians argue against this point, saying instead that it is common knowledge that Bishop’s apple orchard actually existed where the Lyceum Restaurant is now, the legend persists. And so do the unexplained scents of apples that drift through the hallways.

In a strange twist of fate, the Hawthorne continued the Franklin Building’s legacy in 1997. That October, amidst preparations for the hotel’s annual Halloween ball, a small fire started in the basement.

Baltrusis disagrees, believing that six fires which have occurred at the hotel have obviously spurred on some sort of haunted energy at the property.

Whether the hauntings stem from the witch trials, the fires, or the countless souls who have passed through this land over centuries, one thing is certain: something lingers at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Room 325 — Salem’s Most Active Hotel Room

Reports from Guests

Of the 1 million guests who have stayed within the hotel’s walls, it seems quite a few of them have their own stories of strange experiences, especially if they stayed on the third or sixth floors. For guests wanting to experience a spectral sighting, there is one room that is most requested: 325.

Room 325 has earned its reputation through decades of consistent paranormal reports.

Room #325 is home to stories of the sounds of a child crying, invisible hands touching guests, and the bathroom lights and plumbing turning on seemingly of their own accord.

Room 325 is home to a baby or young child spirit, who often cries in the middle of the night, jolting the sleeping guest up in a panic. If a cry doesn’t wake them up, the feeling of their sheets getting ripped off them will instead.

The activity doesn’t stop when guests are awake.

Odd things also happen when the guest is awake. The faucet will mysteriously turn on when no one is near it. Lights will turn on and off on their own. One guest smelled a strong scent of perfume that wouldn’t seem to fade away.

One woman staying at the hotel awoke in the dead of night to find her son cowering. When she asked him what was wrong, he claimed to have heard the disembodied voice of a child sobbing. It goes without saying that they were alone in the room.

One visitor shared their experience: “I stayed in room 325 and I must say it was an amazing experience. I did not get touched or anything but there was a consistent smell of perfume in the room. And I left two recorders on in the room and both caught some evp’s.”

Sleep Disruptions and Shadow Figures

There is also a common experience of feeling watched while alone in the room.

Guests report waking to the sensation that someone is standing at the foot of the bed. When they open their eyes, they sometimes catch a glimpse of a figure before it disappears. Others see shadows passing quickly across the wall, moving against the natural flow of light with no apparent source.

A vent opposite the foot of the bed might be what causes some people to report feeling “a presence” in the room. Rushing water through the pipes behind the thin walls also could impart a sense of the supernatural.

Yet these explanations don’t account for everything. The crying child. The perfume. The sheets pulled away by unseen hands.

Many believe the room is home to the ghost of a baby or a toddler because they wake to hear the sounds of a child crying in the wee hours of the morning.

Who is this child? Why does it cry in Room 325? No one knows. But the reports continue, year after year, guest after guest.

The Ghost of Bridget Bishop

Salem’s First Executed “Witch”

Bridget Bishop was a midwife and the first person executed for witchcraft during the Salem witch trials in 1692.

Turbulent, tempestuous, tenacious! Accused of bewitching pigs, possessing poppets, and effecting out-of-body experiences, Bridget Bishop was, if not a witch, an unwelcome woman.

Although Bishop had been accused by more individuals of witchcraft than any other witchcraft defendant, it was not so much her “sundry acts of witchcraft” that caused her to be the first witch hanged in Salem, as it was her flamboyant life style and exotic manner of dress.

She was described as wearing, “a black cap, and a black hat, and a red paragon bodice bordered and looped with different colors.” This was a showy costume for the times.

Bridget was hanged on June 10, 1692, becoming the first of twenty victims of Salem’s witch hysteria.

The Olivers made their home in Salem Town. The property fronted Washington Street, on the southeast corner of Washington and present-day Church Street and included orchards that extended to the east past the location of the Salem Lyceum building, which today is Turner’s Seafood.

Though historians debate whether her orchard actually extended to where the Hawthorne now stands, the connection has become part of the hotel’s haunted legend.

Her Apparition

Bridget Bishop, the first woman executed during the trials for the practice of witchcraft, was said to have owned an apple orchard upon which this hotel was later built. Many guests maintain that they have encountered her very spirit within the hotel.

Some folks have detected the unexplained smell of apples, perhaps serving as verification that the Hawthorne was built over Bridget’s orchard.

Visitors report catching whiffs of fresh apple blossoms in hallways where no flowers are present, no air fresheners deployed. The scent appears suddenly and fades just as quickly.

Some guests have reported seeing a woman in colonial-era clothing near the lobby and on the main staircase. She appears briefly, a figure from another century, before vanishing.

Is this Bridget Bishop, still lingering near the land she once owned? Or another spirit entirely?

The hotel’s connection to Salem’s witch trial history creates an atmosphere of possibility. Every unexpected scent, every fleeting shadow, might be evidence of those who suffered three centuries ago.

The Woman Who Wanders the Third Floor

Mysterious Sixth Floor Guest

A woman’s apparition is a frequent ghostly report on the hotel’s sixth floor. The mysterious woman can be seen lingering the hallway aimlessly at times, while at other points her figure will linger just outside the door to Room 612.

This is not Bridget Bishop. This apparition appears in more modern clothing, leading many to speculate she is a guest from a later era.

In front of the sixth floor’s room 612, the apparition of a woman is often seen standing still. From time to time she will wander up and down the hallway where room 612 is located.

One guest watched a woman in a long, white dress walk up to door 612. She didn’t seem well, so, after unlocking her own door, the guest turned to check on the woman. Yet, there was no one there.

People who stay in Room 612 sometimes report her apparition actually entering the room in the night, mostly just to linger and sometimes look at herself in the room’s mirror.

Who is she? Some speculate she was a guest who died in the hotel decades ago. Others suggest she may be connected to the Salem Marine Society members who used to meet in the building before the hotel was constructed.

Even when she doesn’t appear in the room, guests in Room 612 still note unexplained feelings in the room, like they’re not alone or that they’re being watched.

Guests have reported hearing her crying softly behind closed doors. The sound is faint, mournful, as if she carries a grief that has followed her beyond death.

For those brave enough to stay in 612, there is a common experience of feeling an icy hand touch their body or even tug on their hair. Is this the woman in white, trying to force them out? Or could she be warning them about something even worse?

Elevator Encounters

The elevators at the Hawthorne Hotel have their own strange history.

The show Bewitched even filmed an episode in one of the elevators during the 70s.

But beyond television magic, guests report genuine supernatural experiences in these confined spaces.

Elevators stop on floors where no one has pressed a button. The doors open to empty hallways where cold air rushes in. Guests standing alone in the elevator feel the sensation of someone else present, even when they can clearly see no one is there.

The sixth floor seems particularly prone to these unexplained stops. The elevator arrives, doors open, and nothing is visible in the corridor beyond. Just empty hallway. And cold.

Always cold.

Objects That Move and Lights That Think

The Hawthorne Hotel’s paranormal activity extends far beyond specific rooms and apparitions.

One worker, who was responsible for rearranging furniture in a first-floor room to make space for a group meeting, came back minutes later to find all the furniture back in the original places in the room.

One particular employee refuses to work nights ever again. During his evening shift, after cleaning a room, he went to get supplies and returned to find the room’s entire configuration changed around.

This is not an isolated incident. Staff members throughout the hotel’s history have reported similar experiences. Furniture that refuses to stay where it’s placed. Chairs turned to face windows or doors when they had been arranged differently.

Guests in rooms without long histories of claims have still left reporting the sensation of unseen hands tugging at the bedsheets. Some have even claimed that whole pieces of furniture moved through their rooms.

The hotel’s restaurant, Nathaniel’s, has its own unexplained phenomena.

Also, the hotel’s restaurant, The Tavern, has a ship’s wheel on display. Used in the steering of a seafaring vessel, this display will often turn back and forth, as if being controlled by one of Salem sea captains mentioned earlier.

Many have claimed that the wheel seemingly moves on its own. When physically stopped, it resumes the movements.

Could this be the spirit of one of the Salem Marine Society sea captains, still navigating some ghostly vessel?

Flickering lights have plagued the hotel even after extensive rewiring and renovations. TVs and radios switch on in the middle of the night. Some guests report their electronics behaving erratically, batteries draining far faster than they should.

Guests who stay on floors other than the third and sixth aren’t immune from ghost encounters either. One guest on the fifth floor woke up to a finger poking them, as well as knocking on their door when no one was outside. Another guest on the fifth floor experienced what felt like a cat walking across her legs and settling down by her feet. Of course, when she looked down, she saw nothing.

One hotel guest was jolted from sleep by an incredibly loud bang, only to find nothing amiss. After trying to recreate the sound, they determined that it was their door lock being thrown open against the wall.

Paranormal Investigations and Media Spotlights

The Hawthorne Hotel’s reputation has attracted serious attention from paranormal investigators and media outlets.

In 2007, Syfy’s popular paranormal show, Ghost Hunters, visited the hotel to investigate.

So fabled is the Hawthorne’s haunted history that the SyFy Network’s television series Ghost Hunters visited the hotel in 2007 to film an investigation. And the hotel itself held a séance in 1990 to try and contact the spirit of legendary magician Harry Houdini.

The Ghost Hunters investigation produced interesting but inconclusive results.

When the TAPS team from Ghost Hunters investigated the Hawthorne Hotel to determine if the haunted stories held any validity, they were unable to obtain evidence. However, it was stated that pushing ghosts to act on cue is a difficult endeavor.

Sitting with the manager, Grant and Steve say that not all cases yield paranormal evidence. TAPS can’t produce sightings on command. While there was little that could be debunked, there was also little that could be counted as true supernatural phenomena.

The General Manager at the time of the show’s airing, Juli Lederhaus, concludes at the end of the show that “The mystery still remains”.

Despite the television investigation’s lack of dramatic evidence, guests continue to report experiences that defy explanation.

On our first night, we explored the hotel’s most haunted spots using a range of equipment, including a REM pod, a spirit talker app, and a voice recorder. While the night started quietly, there were moments that gave us chills, particularly in Room 325 and the sixth-floor hallways. The second night was far more eventful. Using the same equipment, we captured four EVPs that defy easy explanation.

While TAPS’ investigation for the television show “Ghost Hunters” came up empty-handed, they did say that situations like this are rarely conclusive, and that entities do not perform “on demand”.

Guests have continually reported furniture moving independently, strange sounds and smells, and ghostly sightings. The Hawthorne Hotel is often ranked as one of the most haunted hotels in America for a good reason.

The hotel has also hosted other notable paranormal events.

An unsuccessful séance was performed in 1990 in an effort to summon the spirit of Harry Houdini. In 1991, the very first Halloween Party was held at the haunted hotel.

The séance failed to contact Houdini, but the Halloween tradition continues to this day, with the hotel hosting elaborate balls that celebrate Salem’s supernatural side.

Staying at the Hawthorne Hotel Today

What Guests Can Expect

The Hawthorne Hotel offers a blend of historic elegance and modern comfort.

The Hawthorne Hotel is a historic hotel in Salem, Massachusetts named after local author Nathaniel Hawthorne. The hotel is a six-story Colonial Revival-style building that was first constructed in 1925 and originally featured 150 rooms but has since been remodeled and now has a total of 89 rooms.

Established in 1925, the historic Hawthorne Hotel is situated in the heart of Salem, and a proud member of the Historic Hotels of America. To date, over 1 million guests stayed at the hotel and many generations held their weddings, anniversaries or prom parties in the Grand Ballroom.

The hotel has hosted an impressive roster of famous guests over its century of operation.

Such is its well-renowned grandeur that many famous people have elected to stay here, including Johnny Cash, Liza Minnelli, Bette Davis, former president George Bush, Colin Powell, Walter Cronkite, and the cast from the 1970s sitcom “Bewitched,” which also featured the hotel in one of its episodes.

In 2015, Joy, a Hollywood blockbuster with Robert De Niro and Jennifer Lawrence, was partially shot in the hotel’s Grand Ballroom, Mezzanine, and in one of the guest rooms. Both of them stayed on the property while filming.

By day, the Hawthorne is a beautiful historic property with attentive service and charming period details. By night, the atmosphere shifts. Old wood creaks. Narrow hallways stretch into shadow. The soft lighting creates pools of darkness between fixtures.

Some guests love this atmosphere. Others find it unsettling.

The Best Rooms for Ghost Seekers

For visitors hoping to experience paranormal activity, certain rooms are more likely to deliver.

Room 325 remains the most famous and most requested haunted room. The ghostly child, the self-activating faucets, the overwhelming sense of being watched make it the obvious choice for serious ghost enthusiasts.

Room 612 on the sixth floor offers encounters with the mysterious woman in white. Guests report her appearing both in the hallway and sometimes entering the room itself.

The sixth-floor corridor in general is worth exploring for late-night ghost seekers. The woman wanders this hallway, and the elevators often stop here unbidden.

Rooms overlooking Salem Common provide beautiful views and occasional reports of unusual activity. The proximity to the historic square, with its connections to witch trial history, may contribute to the energy.

Tips for Visitors

Visit during October for peak atmosphere. Salem transforms into Halloween central, and the Hawthorne hosts elaborate events. However, book well in advance since rooms fill quickly.

Bring recording equipment. I left two recorders on in the room and both caught some evp’s. The hotel is known for EVP captures, and many guests have recorded unexplained audio.

Request specific rooms when booking if you want to maximize your chances of an experience. The front desk is accustomed to such requests, though they cannot always guarantee availability.

Join nearby haunted tours that begin right outside the lobby. These tours provide context for Salem’s supernatural history and often include the Hawthorne in their itineraries.

Be patient. Pushing ghosts to act on cue is a difficult endeavor. Not every guest experiences something paranormal. Some stay multiple times before having an encounter. Others experience nothing at all.

Keep an open mind but maintain healthy skepticism. Old buildings creak. Pipes rattle. Not every unexplained sound is supernatural. But some experiences truly defy explanation.

The Hawthorne Hotel celebrates its milestone 100th anniversary this year.

The Legacy of Salem’s Haunted Hotel

Why does the Hawthorne Hotel remain spiritually active after a century of operation?

Many of the haunted stories seem to surround the captains who were part of the Salem Marine Society prior to their deaths. These sea captains met on this land for decades before the hotel was built. Perhaps their spirits still gather here, forever drawn to their old meeting place.

The Salem Marine Society was razed to give the hotel more space. Other paranormal activities in the hotel have been attributed to the sea captains who were returning to their gathering place.

Perhaps the land itself holds memory. Centuries of Salem history have unfolded on this ground, from colonial settlement through witch trial hysteria, from maritime prosperity through modern tourism.

Visitors often refer to Salem, Massachusetts as one of the most haunted places in the world, which might explain some of the ghosts walking the Hawthorne Hotel.

The hotel sits at an intersection of tragedy, triumph, and transition. It has witnessed countless arrivals and departures. Weddings and funerals. Celebrations and sorrows. All that emotional energy, accumulated over a century, creates an atmosphere that feels charged.

The most current General Manager, Claire Kallelis, states: “There is something about the Hawthorne Hotel that is unique.”

The contrast between the hotel’s warmth and hospitality and the chill that lingers beneath creates a strange tension. Elegance and eeriness coexist. Luxury and legend intertwine.

Whether it’s the lingering energy of Salem’s dark past or something more supernatural, the Hawthorne Hotel remains a fascinating and mysterious place to explore.

Closing Scene: A Knock on the Door at 3 AM

The hallway stretches long and empty at three in the morning.

Soft lighting casts warm pools against the wallpaper, but between them, shadows gather. The old building settles and creaks. Somewhere, a pipe rattles in the walls.

Then, a knock. Soft. Deliberate. Three times.

You’re in Room 325. You were finally drifting off when the sound jolted you awake.

You lie still, listening. Waiting.

Footsteps. Faint but distinct. Approaching down the corridor outside your door. They grow louder, closer, then stop.

Right outside your room.

You wait for another knock. For the footsteps to continue. For any explanation.

Nothing.

Just silence now. Heavy silence that presses against the door.

And then, drifting under the door, the faintest scent of apples. Fresh and sweet and utterly impossible at three in the morning in a hotel hallway.

You pull the covers tighter. You tell yourself it’s nothing. Old buildings make noise. Scents carry strangely through ventilation systems.

But you don’t get out of bed to check. You don’t open the door.

Because some part of you knows what you might find in that hallway. Some part of you understands that at the Hawthorne Hotel, the line between guest and ghost blurs after midnight.

The footsteps resume, fading now, moving away down the corridor.

In the morning, you’ll tell yourself it was a dream. You’ll check out and go on with your trip and eventually stop thinking about that knock, those footsteps, that impossible scent of apples.

Or maybe you won’t.

Maybe you’ll return. Request Room 325 again. Leave your recorder running through the night.

Because once you’ve stayed at the Hawthorne Hotel, something calls you back. Something about this place gets under your skin.

At the Hawthorne Hotel, some guests never check out. They simply fade into the wallpaper.