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Northern California is definitely a great place to be if you’ve got an interest in the paranormal. The list of haunts in our region of the Golden State is seemingly endless and contains everything from abandoned towns to haunted campgrounds. Located in the historic town of Benicia, the Union Hotel definitely has some ghost stories to tell. Around for nearly 170 years, this allegedly haunted hotel is a living reminder of the town’s colorful past and it makes for a fantastically creepy place to stay.
The Union Hotel in Benicia has been welcoming guests with open arms since it first opened in 1852. Conveniently located in the heart of town, it acts as a living reminder of Benicia's history as a way station during the Gold Rush.
With nearly 170 years of history, you can bet there's been a lot of unexplained activity at the Union Hotel over the years. After all, all sorts of debauchery took place during the hotel's time as a rowdy saloon.
There have been all sorts of paranormal events reported at the Union Hotel, but the most well-known is the story of a female spirit named "Crying Mary." As the legend goes, one of the hotel's "ladies of the night" fell for one of her customers. When he left her for his wife, she allegedly hung herself in a hotel room.
Guests have reported seeing Mary gazing out the hotel room windows, perhaps wondering if her love will ever return to her (or at least say sorry.) Some people have even reported to hear her talking or crying during the night.
Some paranormal experiences aren't so clear cut and are actually downright creepy. Guests and staff alike have made claims of hearing growls, seeing dark figures, and feeling intense emotions of sadness and anger.
Nobody knows exactly what's been sticking around the Union Hotel all these years, but many have tried to find out. Several paranormal enthusiasts have conducted investigations are the hotel, and the television show "Ghost Adventures" even paid it a visit in 2019.
The Union Hotel is an amazing piece of history in the waterside city of Benicia, but it's also proven to be one of the most haunted spots in Northern California. Do you have what it takes to spend the night here sometime? Check out the Union Hotel website to learn more about this historic spot.