The Blackstone Hotel – Haunted Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska

The Blackstone Hotel stands as an elegant guardian of Omaha’s cultural history. This towering landmark has witnessed nearly a century of glamorous events and mysterious occurrences.

Presidents, mobsters, and celebrities have walked through its ornate doors. But some guests from the past apparently never checked out.

The hotel’s reputation for paranormal activity has grown steadily over the decades. Staff members and visitors consistently report unexplained phenomena throughout the building.

Shadow figures glide through hallways where dignitaries once strolled. Disembodied voices echo in rooms that should be empty.

The Blackstone’s haunted reputation makes it a destination for ghost hunters nationwide. Yet the hotel continues operating as a luxury establishment despite its spectral residents.

Historical Background

The Blackstone Hotel opened its doors on December 27, 1915. Construction cost approximately $2 million, an astronomical sum for that era.

Architect George B. Prinz designed the eighteen-story structure in Baroque Revival style. The hotel immediately became Omaha’s most prestigious address for sophisticated travelers.

The original purpose was to serve as Omaha’s premier luxury accommodation. Businessman Eugene C. Eppley developed the property to attract wealthy guests and business leaders.

The hotel quickly became a political powerhouse during the early twentieth century. Every sitting president from Eisenhower through Reagan stayed at The Blackstone.

President Gerald Ford announced his vice presidential pick from The Blackstone in 1974. The hotel earned its nickname as “The White House of the Midwest.”

Tragedy struck multiple times throughout the building’s long history. Several guests died within the hotel’s walls under various circumstances.

The hotel fell into decline during the 1970s and 1980s. It closed completely in 1976 after years of financial struggles.

A massive restoration project began in 2013 to restore the property’s former glory. The hotel reopened in June 2016 after a $75 million renovation.

Workers during renovation reported numerous unexplained incidents during the restoration process. Construction crews often felt unseen presences watching them work late into the night.

Paranormal Activity Summary

Guests frequently report sudden temperature drops in specific hotel corridors. These cold spots appear without any logical explanation from the HVAC system.

Elevator malfunctions occur with disturbing regularity at The Blackstone. The lifts often stop on floors where no one pressed the button.

Doors throughout the hotel open and close on their own. Housekeeping staff members have witnessed doorknobs turning when no one stands nearby.

Disembodied footsteps echo through empty hallways during late night hours. Security personnel conducting rounds hear these phantom footfalls behind them constantly.

Shadow figures appear in guests’ peripheral vision throughout the building. These dark shapes typically manifest near stairwells and service corridors.

Electrical anomalies plague certain rooms more than others at The Blackstone. Lights flicker without cause and televisions turn on by themselves.

The smell of vintage perfume and cigar smoke appears spontaneously. These phantom scents manifest in areas where smoking has been prohibited for decades.

Objects move from their original positions overnight in locked rooms. Hotel staff arrive to find furniture rearranged and personal items relocated.

Several notable ghostly figures haunt The Blackstone’s elegant spaces. The most famous spirit is allegedly a woman in a red dress.

Ghost Stories & Reports

The Lady in Red remains The Blackstone’s most frequently encountered ghost. Witnesses describe her as a beautiful woman wearing a 1920s-era crimson evening gown.

She allegedly appears on the sixth floor near the ballroom. Her story involves a tragic romantic encounter that ended in heartbreak.

Legend suggests she was jilted by her lover at The Blackstone. Some versions claim she took her own life after the devastating rejection.

Others believe she was murdered by a jealous suitor. Her spirit supposedly searches for her lost love throughout the hotel’s corridors.

Guests report seeing her gliding through walls near Room 615. She never acknowledges witnesses and vanishes when approached directly.

The spirit of a former hotel manager haunts the lobby area. Staff members describe encounters with a distinguished gentleman in an outdated suit.

He appears most frequently during evening hours near the front desk. This ghost seems protective of the hotel and concerned about its operations.

Employees have reported receiving helpful warnings from this presence. The spectral manager allegedly alerts staff to potential problems before they occur.

Several deceased mobsters reportedly haunt The Blackstone’s basement levels. Omaha had significant organized crime activity during Prohibition.

Underground tunnels once connected The Blackstone to other downtown buildings. These passages allegedly facilitated illegal liquor transportation during the 1920s.

Security guards report hearing angry voices and scuffling sounds from empty storage areas. The basement exudes an oppressive atmosphere that makes people deeply uncomfortable.

A child’s spirit manifests on multiple floors throughout the hotel. Witnesses describe hearing childish laughter and seeing a young boy running.

This ghost reportedly died during the hotel’s early years. Some believe he fell down an elevator shaft during a family stay.

He appears playful rather than frightening to most witnesses. Guests report finding their belongings arranged in strange patterns after encounters.

The ghost of a jazz musician haunts The Blackstone’s former nightclub area. Big band sounds and trumpet music echo from spaces now used differently.

This spirit allegedly performed at the hotel during its 1940s heyday. He died suddenly during a performance and apparently continues playing eternally.

Most Haunted Spot

Room 615 experiences the highest concentration of paranormal activity. Guests in this room report overwhelming feelings of sadness and despair.

The Lady in Red appears most frequently in and around this space. Electronic devices malfunction constantly when brought into the room.

Many guests request room changes after spending just one night there. The hotel’s sixth floor generally has more reported incidents than other levels.

The basement storage areas generate fear and unease in everyone who enters. Staff members avoid these spaces whenever possible due to oppressive sensations.

Cold spots concentrate near the old service elevator shaft. Phantom voices and unexplained banging sounds emanate from this location regularly.

The grand ballroom on the sixth floor hosts numerous ghostly encounters. Witnesses report seeing full apparitions during events held in this space.

Catering staff refuse to work alone in the ballroom after sunset. They describe feeling watched by invisible entities from the balcony area.

Can You Visit?

The Blackstone Hotel operates as a fully functional luxury accommodation. Guests can book rooms and experience the property firsthand year-round.

Room rates vary depending on season and room selection. Standard rooms typically start around $150 per night before taxes and fees.

The hotel does not currently offer official ghost tours. However, the property welcomes guests interested in its paranormal reputation.

Photography is allowed throughout most public areas of the hotel. Guests should respect other visitors’ privacy in shared spaces and hallways.

The lobby, restaurants, and bar areas remain open to non-guests. Visiting hours for public spaces typically run from early morning until late evening.

Room 615 can be specifically requested when making reservations. The hotel staff understands that some guests seek paranormal experiences.

No entry fee exists beyond standard accommodation or dining costs. The hotel treats its haunted history as part of its unique character.

Best Time to Visit

Paranormal activity increases significantly during late night hours after midnight. The period between 2 AM and 4 AM produces the most reports.

October through December sees heightened supernatural occurrences at The Blackstone. The anniversary of the hotel’s 1915 opening in late December is particularly active.

Weeknights typically offer more paranormal encounters than busy weekend periods. The hotel’s quieter atmosphere during midweek seems to encourage spiritual manifestations.

Some staff members believe activity increases during full moon phases. However, this pattern has not been scientifically documented or verified.

First-Hand Accounts & Eyewitness Reports

A hotel security guard named Marcus reported a chilling encounter in 2017. He witnessed the Lady in Red walking through a solid wall near the ballroom.

Marcus followed the apparition and found himself in an empty corridor. He immediately reported the incident to his supervisor and requested a different patrol route.

Sarah Martinez stayed in Room 615 during a 2018 business trip. She woke at 3 AM to find her belongings moved across the room.

All her cosmetics had been arranged in a perfect circle. The door chain remained fastened from inside, eliminating any human explanation.

A housekeeping supervisor named Jennifer documented repeated experiences throughout the sixth floor. She photographed doorknobs turning on their own using her phone camera.

Her footage shows handles rotating a full ninety degrees without human contact. The video went viral on social media and brought attention to the hotel’s hauntings.

Wedding photographer Tom Chen captured an unexplained figure during a 2019 reception. His images show a transparent woman in red standing behind wedding guests.

The figure appears in multiple shots taken seconds apart. No one at the event remembers seeing this person during the celebration.

Construction workers during the 2013-2016 renovation experienced constant disturbances. Foreman David Kowalski kept a log of unexplained incidents throughout the project.

His documentation includes over forty separate paranormal events during the restoration. Tools disappeared and reappeared in impossible locations almost daily.

Paranormal Investigations & Findings

The Midwest Ghost Hunters Society conducted an extensive investigation in 2017. They documented multiple EVP recordings throughout the hotel’s sixth floor.

Their electronic voice phenomena captured what sounds like a woman saying “help me.” The team also recorded dramatic temperature fluctuations without environmental cause.

A local paranormal research group spent three consecutive nights investigating in 2019. They used electromagnetic field detectors that spiked repeatedly in specific locations.

Their infrared cameras captured unexplained shadow movements in the basement. The footage shows dark shapes moving against walls with no physical source.

Several psychic mediums have visited The Blackstone over the years. They consistently identify the sixth floor and basement as spiritually charged areas.

Medium Rebecca Thornton claimed to communicate with seven distinct spirits in 2018. She described residual energy from traumatic events imprinted on the building itself.

While major television shows have not featured The Blackstone extensively, local broadcasts have covered the haunting. Omaha news stations have produced multiple segments about supernatural occurrences at the hotel.

Local Legends & Myths

One persistent legend claims President John F Kennedy’s ghost haunts the hotel. However, Kennedy never actually stayed at The Blackstone during his lifetime.

This myth likely stems from confusion with other presidential visitors. The story persists despite having no historical basis whatsoever.

Local folklore suggests the basement tunnels contain a sealed room. This chamber allegedly houses evidence of Prohibition-era murders by organized crime figures.

No architectural evidence supports the existence of this hidden space. However, the story continues circulating among Omaha’s paranormal enthusiast community.

Some believe the hotel sits on sacred Native American burial grounds. Historical records do not support this claim in any way.

The legend appears to be a modern fabrication without cultural basis. It represents a common but often inaccurate explanation for hauntings.

Safety Warnings & Legal Restrictions

Guests should respect all posted signs and restricted areas throughout the property. Staff-only sections remain off-limits to visitors for safety and legal reasons.

The basement areas are not accessible to the general public. Attempting to enter restricted spaces could result in immediate removal from the property.

Anyone conducting unauthorized paranormal investigations faces potential trespassing charges. Always obtain proper permission from hotel management before any ghost hunting activities.

The hotel’s structure remains sound and safe after extensive renovations. However, visitors should exercise normal caution in unfamiliar spaces during late hours.