Northern Arizona is one of my favorite places in the west. It has the Grand Canyon, dope. Stunning and dramatic landscapes, love it. Forests that, I kid you not, have the density of the Pacific Northwest, really. And most importantly, a bunch of ghosts. Most of which are apparently hanging out at the Jerome Grand Hotel. Jerome is a quirky town, it’s a you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it kind of place.
The Jerome Grand Hotel opened in 1927 as a hospital. A hospital was needed to accommodate the large town, especially because it was a mining town. When it opened, it was the nicest hospital in the state. It sits at the top of town. The views from it are incredible. Today it’s recognized as the most haunted hotel in Arizona.
Jerome is a Wild Town
Getting to the Jerome Grand Hotel is crazy. Jerome is a super vertical town, and the roads wind up and down, plus they’re super old. At many points I thought I was going to fall off the side of the road down a very steep hill. My map app didn’t seem to really know where to take me, so it took a while to get there.
The lobby is small, but it wasn’t built to be a hotel. The staff is very used to guests asking about the hauntings. They even had a printout that gave some history as well as common hauntings. I’ve said before I love when a place is open about hauntings. The first thing that really surprised me was the elevator. It was so old and has literally been operating since day one. You have to slide back a gate to get on and then lock it back in place, otherwise the elevator won’t operate. It’s also really slow, but it’s all part of the experience.
The Troubled Past of the Jerome Grand Hotel
It’s estimated that around 9,000 people died in the Jerome Grand Hotel during its time as a hospital. That’s a lot of potential for hauntings. Since I already mentioned the elevator, I’ll start with that. In 1935, the elevator maintenance mechanic Claud Harvey was found dead. His head was stuck under the elevator. Many believe this was not an accident but a murder, and his body was placed under the elevator as a cover-up. No autopsy was conducted, as the hospital didn’t want to be held liable. Today the elevator moves on its own. Staff will see a shadow figure in the boiler room and walking up and down stairs. They believe it to be Claud still working.
Common Hauntings at the Jerome Grand Hotel
Many guests hear gurneys rolling down hallways. When they open their doors to look, no one is in the halls. Also, phantom coughing and sneezing are commonly reported by both guests and staff. Some guests even report seeing apparitions of nurses wandering the halls. Like all good haunted places, the Jerome Grand Hotel has a ghost cat. People report the feeling of a cat brushing up against their leg. Guests will hear a cat meowing outside their room, even scratching at their door.
Other hauntings reported are children laughing and crying. Guests even see apparitions playing in the halls. Some people staying there will wake up to a small figure at the foot of their bed. When checking in, I asked the front desk attendant about their experiences. They said the most common thing they encountered was a woman in the boiler room. They said she isn’t a malevolent entity but does scare a lot of the staff. She will appear almost like the girl from The Ring, with long hair covering her face. It sounds like she is just kind of hanging out; she just kind of pops up.
A Ghosts Hunters Paradise
I get my key and head to my floor. The first thing I noticed was the sound of wind. It wasn’t windy outside, so maybe this was like an HVAC thing, but the ambiance it created was fantastic. The hallways are very tall and filled with antiques and old furniture. I loved my room, it had tall ceilings and a Victorian vibe. All rooms face the same direction, so wherever you stay in the Jerome Grand Hotel, the view is stunning.
I started my ghost hunt and noticed a couple of other people with ghost hunting equipment walking around too. I said hello, and we started talking about ghost hunting and what brought us here. Apparently they ran a YouTube channel about exploring haunted places. They were from LA and were headed to New Orleans. The Jerome Grand Hotel was one of the stops along the way. We hunted together for a bit, then split up. In all the ghost hunting I have done, I’ve never run into other ghost hunters while investigating. It just goes to show how iconic of a haunted location the Jerome Grand Hotel is.
Friendly Staff at the Jerome Grand Hotel
What was really nice about this ghost hunt is the staff was fine with it. They said as long as we were quiet and didn’t disturb other guests, it was fine. Other places I have stayed at will admit the hotel is haunted but are like, “no, it’s not ok to ghost hunt.” But the Jerome Grand Hotel was so used to this and the hotel’s reputation, it was totally normal.
Wandering Ghosts
I did a few spirit box sessions, one in my room and one in the dining area by the lobby. Again, the staff didn’t care I was ghost hunting, so they left me alone. Also, I did an EVP session in my room. Neither of these produced any results, but they’re always fun. My room was on the second floor, but the third floor is known to be the most haunted. Up there, along with my new ghost hunting buddies, is where we got a lot of EMF activity. All three of us had one, and we noticed something up there walking around. We would spread out along the hall, and a few times our EMFs would light up in sequence, like something was wandering between us down the hall. A lot of my investigations are done alone, so seeing this was super cool.
Put the Jerome Grand Hotel on your Bucket List
I loved staying at the Jerome Grand Hotel. Every part of the experience was top notch for a paranormal investigator. Even if you are not going for the ghosts, it’s an amazing place to stay. I also recommend everyone just go to Jerome and experience the town. Few places in this world have resonated with me the way Jerome did. Check out a haunted tour in Jerome if you want more information on the hotel or the towns hauntings.
Happy Hunting.
Thanks for reading! Check out The Witches Wardrobe to grab some spooky merch. Your support goes to fund the adventures of The Forgotten Grimoire.