Skirvin Hotel – Haunted Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The Skirvin Hotel stands as a towering monument to Oklahoma City’s gilded past. This elegant establishment has welcomed presidents, celebrities, and countless guests since its grand opening in 1911.

But beneath the luxury lingers something darker and more sinister than anyone expected. The hotel’s opulent halls echo with the cries of a woman wronged decades ago.

Guests report unexplained sounds, ghostly apparitions, and overwhelming feelings of sadness on specific floors. Even hardened professional athletes have fled their rooms in terror during overnight stays.

The Skirvin’s haunting centers around a tragic love affair and its devastating consequences. What happened within these walls continues to disturb visitors more than eighty years later.

Historical Background

William Balser Skirvin opened his namesake hotel on June 2, 1911. The ten-story structure cost over one million dollars to construct in downtown Oklahoma City.

Skirvin envisioned creating the finest hotel between Kansas City and the Gulf Coast. His dream materialized into a stunning Romanesque Revival building with every modern amenity available.

The oil baron spared no expense on imported marble, crystal chandeliers, and luxurious furnishings. Presidents and Hollywood stars regularly graced the hotel’s elegant dining rooms and ballrooms.

During the 1920s, William Skirvin allegedly began an affair with a hotel maid. The young woman, known only as Effie, worked on the upper floors.

When Effie became pregnant with Skirvin’s child, the situation became complicated and scandalous. Skirvin couldn’t allow the affair to destroy his reputation in Oklahoma City society.

According to legend, Skirvin imprisoned Effie on the tenth floor to hide his shame. He locked the young woman in a room to keep her pregnancy secret.

Effie grew increasingly desperate and despondent as months passed in isolation and confinement. The loneliness and hopelessness eventually drove her to commit an unthinkable act.

She jumped from the tenth-floor window with her newborn baby in her arms. Both mother and child perished instantly on the pavement below.

The hotel prospered for decades despite this dark secret hidden in its history. A major expansion in 1930 added fourteen more floors to the original structure.

The Skirvin closed its doors in 1988 after years of declining business. The building sat abandoned and deteriorating for nearly two decades in downtown Oklahoma City.

Hampton Hotels invested seventy-five million dollars to restore the property in 2007. The newly renovated Skirvin Hilton reopened with modern amenities while preserving historical architectural details.

Paranormal Activity Summary

The most common phenomenon reported involves the sound of a woman crying desperately. These mournful sobs echo through hallways during late-night hours, particularly on upper floors.

Guests frequently complain about mysterious sounds of a baby crying in empty rooms. The infant’s wails seem to come from nowhere and everywhere simultaneously.

Electronic devices malfunction without explanation throughout the hotel, especially televisions and alarm clocks. Lights flicker on and off in hallways when nobody approaches the switches.

Many visitors report sudden drops in temperature in specific locations within the building. These cold spots appear without warning and disappear just as quickly.

A ghostly woman in period clothing appears in mirrors and reflective surfaces throughout. Witnesses describe her as wearing a long dress from the early twentieth century.

Objects move on their own in guest rooms, particularly on the tenth floor. Luggage shifts position, curtains sway without breeze, and doors open themselves.

The elevators sometimes stop on floors where nobody called them or exits. The doors open to reveal empty hallways with no logical explanation.

Guests report feeling watched or followed by an unseen presence in certain areas. This overwhelming sensation makes even skeptics feel uncomfortable and uneasy.

Some visitors experience vivid nightmares about falling or drowning during their stays. These dreams feel unusually realistic and leave people shaken upon waking.

The spirit known as Effie is blamed for all supernatural occurrences. Her restless ghost allegedly searches endlessly for her lost baby.

Ghost Stories & Reports

Effie’s ghost reportedly appears most often on the tenth floor where she died. Witnesses describe seeing a sad young woman in a simple maid’s uniform.

She allegedly enters guest rooms uninvited, searching desperately for something she cannot find. The apparition peers into closets and under beds before vanishing without warning.

One famous incident involved the New York Knicks basketball team during a 2010 visit. Several players reported terrifying encounters that disrupted their sleep before an important game.

The team members heard loud crying sounds and felt unexplained presences in their rooms. Some athletes abandoned their accommodations and slept in teammates’ rooms instead.

The disrupted night allegedly affected the team’s performance in their subsequent game. Sports journalists widely covered the story, bringing national attention to the haunting.

A hotel guest named Sarah Martinez reported waking to find a woman standing silently. The figure wore old-fashioned clothing and stared at the bed with profound sadness.

Martinez described feeling overwhelming grief wash over her during the brief encounter. The apparition faded away slowly, becoming transparent before disappearing completely.

Former hotel staff members report hearing footsteps pacing in empty tenth-floor corridors. The sound of high-heeled shoes clicking on hard floors echoes through deserted hallways.

Housekeeping employees have discovered rooms mysteriously disheveled after being thoroughly cleaned and locked. Bed sheets appear twisted, and personal items move to different locations.

Some workers refuse to service certain rooms alone, especially those facing Park Avenue. They insist on working in pairs when assigned to the most actively haunted areas.

Security footage occasionally captures unexplained shadows moving through hallways late at night. These dark shapes appear humanoid but lack any discernible features or details.

Guests report hearing arguments between a man and woman coming from unoccupied rooms. The heated conversations stop abruptly when security personnel investigate the disturbances.

Local folklore suggests Effie’s spirit becomes more active during Oklahoma City thunderstorms. The intensity of paranormal activity supposedly increases with severe weather patterns.

Some psychics claim William Skirvin’s ghost also haunts the building he created. His spirit allegedly appears in the original lobby area wearing expensive period clothing.

Most Haunted Spot

The tenth floor represents the epicenter of supernatural activity at the Skirvin Hotel. This level hosted Effie’s imprisonment and marked the location of her tragic death.

Room 1003 experiences the highest number of reported paranormal incidents and guest complaints. Visitors frequently request room changes after spending just one night in this accommodation.

The hallway outside room 1003 features a window overlooking Park Avenue below. Many believe this marks the exact spot where Effie jumped to her death.

Guests standing near this window report feeling sudden urges to jump or leap. The sensation proves so powerful that some visitors step back in fear.

Cold spots concentrate most intensely in the corridor leading to the suspected room. Temperature drops of fifteen to twenty degrees occur without any ventilation explanation.

Can You Visit?

The Skirvin Hilton operates as a fully functioning luxury hotel open to everyone. Anyone can book a room and potentially experience the paranormal activity firsthand.

Standard room rates vary depending on season but typically range from moderate to expensive. No additional fees apply specifically for staying in allegedly haunted accommodations.

The hotel doesn’t offer official ghost tours or paranormal investigation experiences for guests. However, the staff acknowledges the haunting and shares stories when asked politely.

Photography is allowed throughout public areas and within booked guest rooms without restrictions. Many visitors attempt to capture evidence of Effie’s ghost on camera.

The hotel lobby, restaurants, and public spaces remain accessible twenty-four hours daily. Guest room access requires proper reservation and check-in procedures like any hotel.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity reportedly intensifies during late-night hours between midnight and four o’clock. Guests staying overnight have the best opportunity to experience supernatural phenomena.

The anniversary of the hotel’s original opening in June sees increased reported activity. Some paranormal enthusiasts specifically book rooms during this commemorative period each year.

Weeknights typically offer quieter conditions than weekends for those seeking ghostly encounters. Fewer guests mean less ambient noise to interfere with detecting unusual sounds.

Stormy weather patterns supposedly trigger more frequent appearances and paranormal manifestations throughout the building. Oklahoma’s spring tornado season brings particularly active supernatural periods according to believers.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

Professional basketball player Lou Amundson described his terrifying 2010 experience to reporters afterward. He claimed a ghostly woman entered his room and created chaos throughout the night.

Amundson reported hearing a baby crying and feeling an oppressive presence watching him. The six-foot-nine athlete admitted feeling genuinely frightened by the supernatural encounter.

Hotel guest Michael Richardson documented his experience in a detailed online review. He described waking repeatedly to sounds of sobbing coming from his bathroom area.

Richardson investigated the sounds but found nothing that could explain the crying. His television turned on and off repeatedly throughout the night despite being unplugged.

A businessman named David Chen reported finding his suitcase unpacked during the night. He had carefully organized his belongings before bed in room 1003.

Chen woke to discover his clothes scattered across the floor in deliberate patterns. Nothing was missing, but the disturbance convinced him to check out early.

Wedding photographer Amanda Cole captured an unexplained figure in her event photos. The misty shape appeared in multiple shots taken in the hotel ballroom.

Cole insists no person stood in that location during the wedding reception. The figure appears translucent and wears clothing inconsistent with modern wedding attire.

Hotel maintenance worker James Patterson reported multiple encounters during overnight shifts in 2015. He described hearing footsteps following him through empty tenth-floor corridors repeatedly.

Patterson also witnessed doors opening and closing by themselves on multiple occasions. He eventually requested reassignment to avoid working alone on that particular floor.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The television show “Ghost Hunters” investigated the Skirvin Hotel in a 2012 episode. The team’s equipment registered unexplained temperature fluctuations and electromagnetic field anomalies.

Investigators recorded several EVP sessions with mysterious voices responding to their questions. One recording allegedly captured a woman’s voice saying “my baby” clearly.

Local paranormal research group Oklahoma City Ghost Club conducted extensive investigations over several years. They documented unusual photographic anomalies and electronic voice phenomena throughout multiple visits.

The group’s founder, Rebecca Luker, published findings suggesting intelligent haunting patterns rather than residual. The spirits appear to interact deliberately with living people rather than replaying events.

Infrared cameras positioned in hallways captured unexplained moving shadows on multiple investigation nights. These shapes moved independently and didn’t correspond with any physical objects.

EMF detectors registered significant spikes near the tenth-floor window where Effie allegedly jumped. These readings occurred without any electrical sources nearby to explain the measurements.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The Skirvin Hilton is private property requiring proper reservation and payment for access. Trespassing or attempting to investigate without booking a room is illegal and prosecuted.

Hotel management requests that guests remain respectful of other visitors seeking peaceful accommodations. Loud ghost-hunting activities late at night may result in complaints or removal.

The tenth-floor windows are secured and cannot be opened for obvious safety reasons. Attempting to tamper with window mechanisms violates hotel policy and safety regulations.

Visitors should never attempt to provoke or antagonize alleged spirits through aggressive investigation methods. Respectful behavior protects both the living and potentially the deceased.