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The tiny town of Jerome, Arizona is widely known for its ghostly haunts. In fact, many tales circulate about the haunts and the haunted places in this small town of fewer than 500 residents. But perhaps the most jolting of them all are the ghosts and paranormal occurrences that are seen or occur so regularly at the Jerome Grand Hotel that the ghosts here are almost as famous as the town itself. The history behind this haunted structure is nearly as fascinating as the ghosts. Take a look:
Located near the peak of one of the highest points in Arizona (Cleopatra Hill), the building that became known as Jerome Grand Hotel initially served a very different clientele.
Specifically, those who were sick, or worse yet, sick and dying. The five-story structure was built by Jerome's mining company to nurture and heal the ill people in the town. It (and the three subsequent replacement buildings) served as the hospital until the mines shuttered. And then, in 1944, the hospital shuttered too. In 1993, nearly 50 years later, it was converted into the Jerome Grand Hotel.
Guests at the hotel report all sorts of paranormal activity. Hallways and stairwells are often filled with footsteps and whispers of people who are not there.
And guests frequently report hearing sounds from rooms that are unoccupied. They often report hearing the sound of a newborn baby crying on the third and fourth floors.
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They also report odd smells, like the occasional burning cigar which isn't real.
Other smells often reported by visitors include the smell of whiskey, flowers and baby powder. Guests also report televisions and lights in their room will randomly turn off and on.
This may be the room where legend says a guest threw themself off the balcony in an apparent suicide. But that's not the only possible untimely death in the building; many people met an unexpected death in here when it served as a hospital — possibly leaving their spirits behind for eternity. In addition, a maintenance man hung himself in the engineering room during the hospital days.
And another maintenance man for the hospital, Claude Harvey, was found dead, trapped under the elevator on the bottom floor. The elevator was in perfect working order at the time of the incident and Harvey's death is looked upon now as suspicious.
Harvey, and a variety of different ghosts and apparitions are seen so often in the hotel, that they have become posthumously famous in the eyes of the guests and the staff.
Guests and staff alike report hearing the cat meowing and moving about. Some even feel the cat rub against their legs — or worse yet, laying next to them on their bed. And when they look in the direction of where they sense the cat is laying on the bed, they see a distinct impression on the otherwise smooth bedding!
From its beginnings as a sanctuary for healing, to its current role as a sanctuary for a peaceful (albeit, haunted) getaway, the Jerome Grand Hotel is both eerie and fascinating. Have you stayed at this haunted hotel yet? And did you experience any paranormal activity? We’d love to hear all about it!
Jerome, Arizona is located approximately 70 miles southwest of Flagstaff and approximately 100 miles north of Phoenix. The Jerome Grand Hotel is located at 200 Hill S., Jerome, Arizona 86331. More information can be found in their official website and on their Facebook page.
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