Playful Paranormals Up to "old" Tricks at National Trust Historic Hotels of America

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. October 14, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC, September 21, 2006. If the devil in you still prefers "tricks" over treats and goose bumps are your gauge of a good time, members of National Trust Historic Hotels of America can offer a ghastly good time. Spanning three hundred years of history, these hotels have seen their share of unrequited love, untimely deaths and unsolved mysteries-all ingredients that stir the interest of supernatural specters.

Apparitions range from characters such as "the spoon snatcher" at the General Morgan Inn in Greeneville, Tenn.; Floyd the Doorman at the Windsor Hotel in Americus, Ga.; and Maurice Begere, a young boy at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. Questions remain...Who is drinking the wine at the Napa River Inn in Napa, Calif.? Who is playing the grand old Steinway piano at The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo.? And, who is the "4 o'clock knocker" at The Blennerhassett in Parkersburg, W.Va.?

For a listing of 16 ghost stories and more than 40 stories in our "eerie archives," visit: http://www.historichotels.org/press_release/1/47

For a listing 16 Halloween themed events, visit: http://www.historichotels.org/press_release/1/47#events

Here is a sampling of stories:

The Vanishing Vino

Napa Valley is a region renowned for its wine. It seems only fitting that any otherworldly apparitions would appreciate it as well. A recent guest in room 201 at the Napa River Inn in Napa, Calif., called the front desk to complain that strange noises and "white blobs in the mirror" were preventing her from getting to sleep. Seeking some relaxation, she opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass. When she turned to lift the glass, the wine had been drained from it. Passing it off to absentmindedness, she poured a second glass and carried it into the bathroom. She set it aside and stepped into the shower. Upon emerging, the glass had once again been emptied, although the guest insisted she had not taken a sip.

The Spoon Snatcher

Green Room Grace is a playful spirit said to inhabit the General Morgan Inn in Greeneville, Tenn. Grace, a former waitress in the Grand Central Hotel (predecessor to the General Morgan Inn) seems to have developed a fascination with spoons in the afterlife. For more than 75 years, there have been repeated reports of spoons disappearing from the Green Room, the hotel's restaurant. Never a fork or knife - always just a spoon. Despite diligent sleuthing, none of the missing utensils has ever turned up.

Steinway Spirit

When The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., opened in 1909, founder F.O. Stanley marked the occasion by presenting his wife Flora with a Steinway grand piano. Since that time, the hotel has had a long tradition of bringing great music to the Rockies. In the early 1980s, the hotel's night manager was on duty during an electrical storm. The lobby was deserted on the dark and stormy night, but he was sure he could hear the strains of music. Taking a walk through the lobby, he noticed that the lights were on in the Music Room. As he approached the doorway, he could clearly see the piano keys moving, filling the room with music. Once he crossed the threshold, the music abruptly stopped.

Historic Hotels of America is a program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Historic Hotels has identified 210 hotels that have faithfully maintained their historic integrity, architecture and ambiance. To be selected for this prestigious program, a hotel must be at least 50 years old, listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places or recognized as having historic significance.