Alaskan Hotel – Haunted Hotel in Juneau, Alaska

The Alaskan Hotel stands as a weathered sentinel along Franklin Street in downtown Juneau. Its Victorian facade has welcomed travelers since the gold rush era, though some guests never truly checked out.

This historic establishment carries the weight of over a century of stories within its creaking walls. Whispers of spectral residents have made it one of Alaska’s most notorious haunted locations.

Staff members and visitors alike report unexplained phenomena throughout the building’s four floors. The encounters range from subtle cold spots to full-bodied apparitions wandering the dimly lit hallways.

Despite its eerie reputation, the hotel continues to operate as a working establishment today. Guests can book rooms knowing they might receive more than just a comfortable night’s sleep.

Historical Background

Construction of the Alaskan Hotel began in 1913 during Juneau’s prosperous gold mining boom. The building officially opened its doors to guests in 1914 as a premier accommodation.

Gold miners, fishermen, and adventurous travelers sought refuge within its walls during Alaska’s harsh winters. The hotel quickly became a social hub where fortunes were won and lost nightly.

The basement once housed a notorious bar that catered to rough-and-tumble prospectors fresh from the mines. Violence erupted frequently in those early days, with fistfights and knife fights breaking out regularly.

During Prohibition, the hotel allegedly operated a speakeasy in its lower levels. Secret gambling rooms and illicit liquor sales drew dangerous characters from across the territory.

The establishment changed hands multiple times throughout the decades, enduring periods of prosperity and neglect. Each era left its mark on the building’s atmosphere and contributed to its haunted legacy.

A devastating fire swept through portions of the hotel in the 1920s, claiming at least one life. The tragedy left permanent scars on both the structure and its spiritual energy.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Guests frequently report the sensation of being watched while alone in their rooms. Shadows move independently of any light source along the vintage wallpapered corridors.

Room doors open and close without explanation, even when securely locked from the inside. Heavy footsteps echo through empty hallways during the quiet hours between midnight and dawn.

The scent of old perfume and cigar smoke manifests suddenly in various locations throughout the building. These phantom aromas disappear just as quickly as they arrive, leaving witnesses bewildered.

Electronic devices malfunction regularly within certain rooms, draining batteries and shutting off without warning. Cameras and phones experience unexplained technical difficulties when attempting to capture evidence.

Cold spots appear randomly, dropping room temperatures by fifteen to twenty degrees in isolated areas. Guests have measured these temperature anomalies with thermometers, confirming the dramatic fluctuations.

Objects move from their original positions overnight, particularly personal belongings left on dressers and nightstands. Coins, jewelry, and small items vanish only to reappear days later in impossible locations.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The most famous spirit haunting the Alaskan Hotel is a woman known only as Alice. She allegedly worked as a lady of negotiable affection during the hotel’s early years.

According to local lore, Alice fell deeply in love with a gold miner who promised to marry her. He departed for the goldfields, vowing to return with enough money for their wedding.

Alice waited faithfully in Room 315, watching from her window for his return each day. Months turned to years, but her beloved never came back to claim her.

Some say he died in a mining accident, while others believe he simply abandoned her. Alice eventually died of heartbreak and despair, still waiting in that third-floor room.

Guests staying in Room 315 report seeing a translucent woman in period clothing standing by the window. She gazes out onto Franklin Street as if searching for someone in the crowds below.

Alice’s apparition appears most frequently during the winter months, particularly around the holidays. Witnesses describe her as wearing a high-collared dress with her hair pinned in an old-fashioned style.

Another entity reportedly haunts the hotel’s basement and original bar area. This male spirit is believed to be a miner who was killed during a violent altercation.

The basement ghost exhibits aggressive behavior, reportedly pushing visitors and creating overwhelming feelings of dread. Several people have fled the lower level after experiencing his threatening presence.

A child’s spirit has been encountered on the second floor near Room 219. This young presence giggles and runs through the halls, though no child is ever seen.

The identity of this playful ghost remains unknown, though staff speculate it may be the daughter of a former owner. Her laughter brings both comfort and unease to those who hear it echoing through empty corridors.

Room 245 harbors its own mysterious entity that manifests as a dark shadow figure. This being appears at the foot of the bed, silently observing sleeping guests.

Multiple visitors have awakened to find this shadowy form looming over them in the darkness. The figure vanishes the moment lights are turned on or the witness fully awakens.

Most Haunted Spot

Room 315 stands as the most actively haunted location within the entire Alaskan Hotel. This is where Alice’s spirit maintains her eternal vigil, waiting for her lost love’s return.

Guests who stay in this room report feeling profound sadness and overwhelming emotions without apparent cause. Many have requested room changes in the middle of the night after experiencing unexplainable phenomena.

The temperature in Room 315 fluctuates wildly, even when the heating system functions perfectly. Window curtains move and sway despite closed windows and absent breezes.

Impressions appear on the bed as if someone invisible sits on the mattress’s edge. The bathroom faucet turns on by itself, running cold water at full pressure.

Visitors photograph unusual orbs and light anomalies throughout this room with remarkable consistency. Some images reveal a misty female figure standing near the antique window frame.

Can You Visit?

The Alaskan Hotel remains open to the public as a fully operational lodging establishment. Guests can book overnight accommodations and potentially experience paranormal activity firsthand.

Room rates vary by season, with winter months offering the most affordable options. No special paranormal tour fees exist since the hotel functions as a working business.

The hotel does not offer structured ghost tours of the property at this time. However, staff members willingly share haunted stories with interested guests during check-in.

Photography is permitted throughout public areas and within your booked room. Management encourages ghost hunters to document any unusual experiences they encounter.

The front desk operates daily, with check-in available from early afternoon until late evening. The historic bar on the ground floor welcomes visitors even if they aren’t staying overnight.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity intensifies during Juneau’s long, dark winter months between November and February. The extended darkness seems to energize the spirits residing within the old building.

Most supernatural encounters occur between midnight and four in the morning. These early morning hours provide optimal conditions for those seeking genuine ghostly experiences.

Weekdays see less foot traffic than weekends, creating quieter environments conducive to spirit communication. Tuesday and Wednesday nights historically produce the most compelling reports from witnesses.

The anniversary of the 1920s fire in late March brings heightened activity throughout the hotel. Staff members anticipate unusual occurrences during this emotionally charged time period each year.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A traveling businessman named Robert Chen documented his 2019 experience in Room 315 on social media. He described waking at three in the morning to find a woman in vintage clothing standing beside his bed.

The apparition stared at him with sad eyes before fading away like dissipating smoke. Chen’s photographs captured strange light anomalies and unexplained shadows throughout the room.

Hotel employee Martha Davidson has worked the night desk for seventeen years. She reports hearing phantom footsteps descending the main staircase almost every evening around two in the morning.

Davidson investigated the sounds countless times, never finding anyone walking the stairs. She now accepts the ghostly footfalls as a normal part of working the graveyard shift.

In 2021, a group of college students staying in Room 245 fled in terror at midnight. They claimed a dark shadow figure approached their beds with menacing intent.

All four witnesses provided consistent descriptions of the entity’s appearance and behavior. The students refused to return to the room, sleeping in their car instead.

Paranormal investigator Jessica Morales visited the hotel in 2018 with professional recording equipment. She captured electronic voice phenomena in the basement asking “Who are you?”

Her thermal imaging camera detected unexplained cold spots moving through hallways. Audio recordings revealed whispered conversations in empty rooms during the late-night hours.

Local Legends & Myths

Local folklore suggests that Alice’s lost miner actually struck it rich in the goldfields. According to this version, he intended to return but was murdered for his gold dust.

His body allegedly lies buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in the Alaskan wilderness. Alice’s spirit continues waiting, unaware that death has already separated them permanently.

Another legend claims the hotel sits atop old Tlingit burial grounds. Native elders supposedly warned against construction in this location during the early 1900s.

The builders ignored these warnings, leading to spiritual disturbances that plague the property today. This story remains controversial and unverified by historical records.

Some locals believe the basement fire was no accident but rather arson committed during a robbery. The fire supposedly killed the arsonist, trapping his violent spirit in the building forever.

This tale attempts to explain the aggressive male entity that terrorizes visitors to the lower level. Whether truth or fiction, the basement remains the hotel’s most unsettling location.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Alaska Paranormal Research Society conducted a three-night investigation at the Alaskan Hotel in October 2017. Their team detected significant electromagnetic field fluctuations throughout the third floor.

Electronic voice phenomena recordings captured a female voice saying “He’s not coming” in Room 315. The investigators believed this represented Alice’s spirit acknowledging her abandoned state.

A regional television crew filmed a paranormal documentary at the location in 2016. Their footage included unexplained light anomalies and doors moving without physical contact.

The production team experienced equipment malfunctions that defied technical explanation. Camera batteries drained completely within minutes of entering certain rooms.

Ghost hunting enthusiasts regularly visit the hotel to conduct informal investigations. Many post their findings online, contributing to the location’s growing supernatural reputation.

Evidence varies in quality and credibility, but the sheer volume of reports suggests genuine activity. Skeptics and believers continue debating the authenticity of the documented phenomena.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

The Alaskan Hotel is private property operating as a commercial business establishment. Guests must book rooms or patron the bar to access most areas legally.

Trespassing in restricted areas like storage rooms or employee-only sections is strictly forbidden. Violators face ejection from the premises and potential legal consequences.

The building’s age means certain structural elements require careful navigation. Watch for uneven flooring and low doorframes common in early twentieth-century construction.

Visitors should respect other guests by keeping noise levels reasonable during paranormal investigations. Disturbing paying customers results in complaints and possible removal from the property.

The basement contains areas with low ceilings and exposed pipes that present head injury risks. Exercise extreme caution when exploring these historically significant but potentially hazardous spaces.

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