Minnesota’s Palmer House Hotel is a historic hotel, originally hosting over thirty small rooms with a common bathroom.  It now boasts nineteen additional suites and rooms.  The hotel was even added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.  But rooms and titles are not the only claims to fame for this hotel, it is also the most haunted place in Minnesota.

(images:altfelix11/flickr)

The hotel was built in 1901 by Ralph L. Palmer on previous site of the Sauk Centre House, that burned down in a veracious fire in 1900s.  The Palmer House Hotel was the first building with electricity.  It was also one of the first hotels with guests that decided never to leave.

Many hotel clients lived in the hotel full time, living, working, raising families, and even dying.  Unfortunately, after spending so much time together they opted just never to leave.  The Palmer House Hotel management even started doing paranormal seminars in the hotel, starting in 2008, after having so many reports of paranormal activity and occurrences.

One of the most famous residents is Lucy.  While the hotel was primarily filled with families, there were also the days of booze and rowdy young men.  Lucy was a prostitute, popular when the area was filled with brothels.  Lucy was killed, but never left room 17.  While normally not very active, Lucy gets especially aggressive toward male visitors who are present.  Others report feeling a severe drop in temperatures and doors slamming on their own.

Rooms 11 and 17 have been reported to have the most paranormal activity.  In room 17, if it was not Lucy, there have been numerous reports of people seeing an apparition of a man in their rooms.  One very unfortunate newlywed awoke in the middle of the night to see the man, standing over the bed where she and her husband lay, in clothing from the twenties.

(images:dan_anderson/flickr)
Palmer House Hotel Basement

Room 11 commonly has guests heading for the check out guest.  Many have reported feeling fingers stroking their bare legs as they hang out over the sheets.  They’ve had their hair stroked or even felt pushed.  Many visitors who survived those odd exchanges also reported feeling areas of extreme cold and a heavy feeling of dread as soon as they entered the room.

One of the other long time guests of the hotel is a young, blonde little boy.  He died in the hotel at a very early age.  People say they either see or hear the little boy bouncing a ball down the hallway.  The boy is also commonly seen jumping up the stairs from the first floor up to the second floor.  He is also credited for being the source of some of the laughter, talking, and footsteps heard throughout the hotel.

Strange occurrences are nothing new to the visitors of the Palmer House Hotel, besides apparitions, there are strange noises, electronic disturbances, televisions flickering, mysterious knocks, beers sliding across the bar by themselves, books flying off the shelves, doors opening and closing, and ghostly pets.  People have complained about the noisy people above them, only to be reminded they are on the top floor.  Bodies have been found and people have feelings of terror overcome them in the basement.