Elms Hotel & Spa – Haunted Hotel in Excelsior Springs, Missouri

The Elms Hotel & Spa stands as a monument to elegance in downtown Excelsior Springs. But beneath its luxurious facade lurks something far more sinister than pampered guests.

This grand hotel has welcomed travelers since 1888 with its healing mineral waters. Yet some visitors from the past have never truly checked out of their rooms.

The Elms has earned its reputation as one of Missouri’s most actively haunted locations. Guests and staff report paranormal encounters with alarming regularity throughout the historic building.

From phantom footsteps echoing through empty hallways to full-bodied apparitions appearing in guest rooms, the hotel pulses with supernatural energy. The spirits here seem as much a part of the establishment as the famous springs themselves.

Historical Background

The original Elms Hotel opened its doors in 1888 as a destination spa resort. Wealthy guests traveled from across the country to experience the town’s miraculous mineral waters.

The hotel quickly became a playground for the rich and famous during America’s Gilded Age. Mobsters, politicians, and celebrities all sought refuge within its elegant walls throughout the early 1900s.

Tragedy struck on May 20, 1898, when a devastating fire consumed the original structure. The blaze started in the early morning hours and rapidly engulfed the entire building.

Guests fled in terror as flames tore through their rooms. Some barely escaped with their lives while clutching whatever possessions they could grab.

The hotel was rebuilt in 1908 with even more grandeur than before. Architect Louis Curtiss designed the new structure in the Renaissance Revival style with fireproof construction.

The rebuilt Elms featured 110 guest rooms and stunning architectural details throughout. It quickly regained its status as the premier destination in Excelsior Springs.

During Prohibition, the hotel became a notorious hideout for Kansas City mobsters seeking refuge. Gangsters including Al Capone allegedly frequented the establishment to lay low between criminal activities.

The basement tunnels connected to underground speakeasies where illegal liquor flowed freely. These secret passageways still exist today beneath the hotel’s foundation.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Guests consistently report unexplained cold spots appearing suddenly in specific locations throughout the hotel. These frigid areas persist even when heating systems function properly.

The most common paranormal occurrence involves phantom footsteps heard pacing the hallways during nighttime hours. Witnesses describe heavy boots walking with purpose when no one is visible.

Elevator malfunctions plague the building with disturbing frequency despite regular maintenance and modern updates. The lifts often travel to floors unbidden and open their doors to empty corridors.

Doors lock and unlock themselves throughout the hotel with no logical explanation. Guests frequently find their room doors standing wide open after securing them moments before.

Shadow figures dart along the peripheral vision of both guests and employees. These dark shapes move with intelligence and purpose through walls and closed doors.

Disembodied voices echo through empty conference rooms and banquet halls. Staff members hear conversations and laughter when they know the spaces are vacant.

Objects move on their own accord in guest rooms and public spaces. Housekeeping staff discover items relocated to impossible positions overnight.

Several distinct ghostly figures haunt specific areas of the property with remarkable consistency. The most famous spirits have been encountered so frequently that staff members recognize them.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most frequently encountered spirit is known simply as “the Senator.” This distinguished gentleman in early 1900s formal attire appears primarily in the lobby area.

Witnesses describe him as an older man with a thick mustache and expensive clothing. He watches guests check in before vanishing into thin air without warning.

Legend identifies him as a Missouri state senator who died at the hotel in 1910. He suffered a fatal heart attack while visiting for the healing mineral baths.

His apparition seems friendly and curious about modern hotel operations. Staff members report feeling watched from the exact spot where he historically collapsed.

Room 402 harbors the spirit of a young woman in a flowing white nightgown. She appears standing near the window overlooking Regent Street below.

Her face shows deep sadness and longing as she stares out into the night. Guests who encounter her report feeling overwhelming grief wash over them.

The woman allegedly jumped to her death from that very window in 1912 after receiving news of her fiancé’s death. Her body was discovered on the street below by horrified morning pedestrians.

She continues her eternal vigil waiting for her lost love to return. Some guests refuse to stay in that room after learning its tragic history.

The basement tunnels host the most menacing paranormal activity in the entire hotel. Dark entities lurk in the passages that once connected speakeasies during Prohibition.

Employees avoid the tunnels whenever possible due to feelings of being followed by malevolent presences. Several staff members have quit after terrifying experiences in the underground corridors.

Some researchers believe gangsters murdered rival mobsters in these secret passages during the 1920s. The violent energy from those brutal deaths may have imprinted on the location.

Security guards report hearing gunshots echo through the tunnels when making their rounds. The sounds blast through the darkness despite no weapons being present.

A child’s spirit plays eternal games in the second-floor hallway near the grand staircase. Guests hear giggling and running footsteps during the late evening hours.

The young boy appears briefly before darting around corners and disappearing completely. He seems to enjoy startling guests as part of his ghostly games.

Historical records indicate a seven-year-old boy named Thomas drowned in the hotel pool in 1923. His parents were attending a gala when the tragedy occurred.

His innocent spirit apparently never left the place where he spent his final happy moments. Staff members have grown fond of their playful permanent resident.

Most Haunted Spot

The third-floor hallway between rooms 300 and 310 experiences the most concentrated paranormal activity. Guests refuse to walk this corridor alone after dark due to intense supernatural encounters.

Every reported phenomenon occurs with magnified intensity in this specific section of the hotel. The energy feels thick and oppressive according to sensitive visitors.

Room 307 stands as the epicenter of the haunting activity on this floor. At least a dozen guests have checked out in the middle of the night after terrifying experiences.

Apparitions manifest fully in this room with alarming frequency during the hours between midnight and 3 AM. The spirits appear so solid that guests initially mistake them for living people.

One guest reported waking to find a man in 1920s clothing sitting in the room’s chair watching her sleep. He vanished when she screamed for help.

Another couple fled the room after their belongings were thrown violently across the space by invisible hands. Management no longer assigns Room 307 to guests who request quiet accommodations.

Can You Visit?

The Elms Hotel & Spa operates as a fully functioning luxury hotel open to the public year-round. Guests can book overnight stays or simply visit the restaurant and spa facilities.

Room rates vary depending on season and accommodations but typically range from $150 to $400 per night. Special paranormal investigation packages are sometimes available through the hotel’s events coordinator.

The hotel does not offer regularly scheduled ghost tours of the property. However, private paranormal investigation groups can arrange special after-hours access with advance permission.

Photography is allowed throughout public areas and within your own guest room. Flash photography is discouraged in certain historic spaces to preserve delicate furnishings and artwork.

The lobby, restaurant, and spa areas are accessible to non-guests during normal business hours. Hotel guests have 24-hour access to all areas of the building.

Visiting hours for non-guests are typically 7 AM to 10 PM daily. Overnight guests enjoy unrestricted access to explore the historic property at any hour.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity spikes dramatically during the late autumn months of October and November. Staff members report increased encounters during this period every year without fail.

The hours between midnight and 4 AM produce the most frequent and intense supernatural manifestations. Guest reports of apparitions and unexplained phenomena occur most commonly during these witching hours.

Full moon phases correlate with heightened spiritual activity according to longtime employees. The spirits seem more active and willing to interact during these lunar cycles.

Weeknights from Sunday through Thursday tend to be less crowded with living guests. The quieter atmosphere allows for better paranormal investigation conditions and clearer encounters.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Sarah Mitchell from St. Louis stayed in Room 402 during October 2019 for her anniversary celebration. She woke at 2:30 AM to see a woman in white standing at the foot of her bed.

The apparition remained visible for nearly thirty seconds before fading away like morning mist. Sarah’s husband slept through the entire encounter despite her terrified gasps.

Hotel maintenance worker Robert Chen experienced a chilling encounter in the basement tunnels during his shift in 2020. He heard his name called from the darkness ahead while checking electrical panels.

When he investigated the source, footsteps ran directly past him through the narrow corridor. No one else had access to the locked tunnel system that night.

Wedding photographer Jennifer Torres captured an unexplained figure in several photos during a 2021 reception. The transparent man in vintage clothing appeared in the background of multiple shots.

The figure was invisible to the naked eye but showed clearly in her digital images. She had photographed hundreds of weddings at the venue without similar occurrences.

Night auditor Michael Patterson quit his position in 2018 after repeated paranormal experiences during his shifts. He reported seeing shadow figures almost nightly moving through the lobby.

The final straw came when elevator doors opened to reveal a man in 1920s attire. The stranger stepped out, walked through a solid wall, and disappeared completely.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Kansas City Paranormal Society conducted a comprehensive investigation at the Elms in March 2017. Their team documented numerous EVP recordings and unexplained electromagnetic fluctuations throughout the building.

Their most compelling evidence came from Room 307 where cameras captured a door slamming shut by itself. The footage clearly shows no draft or person near the door when it violently closed.

A local paranormal team called Midwest Ghost Hunters investigated the basement tunnels in 2019 with sophisticated equipment. They recorded temperature drops of fifteen degrees within seconds in specific locations.

Their thermal imaging cameras captured humanoid heat signatures moving through areas with no living people present. The shapes appeared to walk through solid walls without pause.

While the hotel has not been featured on major television programs like Ghost Adventures, local news stations have covered its haunted reputation. Several Halloween specials have included interviews with employees about their supernatural experiences.

The hotel management embraces its ghostly residents while maintaining professional hospitality standards. They neither promote nor deny the paranormal activity occurring within the historic walls.

Local Legends & Myths

Local folklore claims that Al Capone himself stays at the Elms during visits to the Kansas City area. Some believe his spirit returns to Room 503 where he allegedly hid from authorities.

No historical documentation confirms Capone’s presence at this specific hotel despite the persistent legend. The story remains popular among tour guides and paranormal enthusiasts nonetheless.

Another legend involves hidden money left by gangsters in the walls during Prohibition. Supposedly, spirits guard these hidden caches and harass anyone who searches for the treasure.

Construction workers renovating sections of the hotel have reported tools going missing and reappearing in strange locations. Some believe the protective spirits want the building’s secrets to remain undisturbed.

A third myth suggests the healing mineral waters themselves opened a portal to the spirit realm. The unique geological properties supposedly thin the veil between worlds beneath the hotel.

Psychic mediums who visit claim to sense an unusual concentration of spiritual energy near the mineral springs. They describe it as a beacon drawing spirits from across the region.

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