Anna Lehman
What do you imagine when you picture visiting a haunted location? Perhaps a vision of an old, abandoned building from a horror movie floats into your head. Maybe you envision a cold cobwebbed-filled house that hasn’t seen a touch of human hospitality for years. What if I told you that you could stay in a cozy inn or even a luxurious mansion and still experience the thrill of possibly encountering the paranormal? You can do just that in the Midwest! Nebraska is the home of four famously haunted hotels that are open to the public, ready to be investigated.
Our first haunt is located in the northwestern corner of Nebraska. Formerly known as the Chadron House, the Olde Main Street Inn is often described as old and rustic, yet comfortable. According to one Tripadvisor reviewer, omatraveldog, the place is kind of like “staying with your favorite Aunt” (“Old Main Street Inn”). As Regulski describes, the Olde Main Street Inn is a unique bed and breakfast with paranormal activity. This historic building once served as the site for General Nelson Miles’ headquarters during the Wounded Knee incident (Lefevers). However, the paranormal activity here is reportedly not anything from Wounded Knee.
According to Lefevers, friendly ghosts named Jack and Anna are said to haunt the Old Main Street Inn, Anna appearing in a red satin dress. Guests claim to hear footsteps and one even reportedly had a glass of water move during the night from the bedside table to the other side of the room (Lefevers). Regulski adds that once when the hotel owner went to pour a beer, the beer came out green. The owner checked the keg, and two more beers came out green before returning to normal. The hotel owner figures it was just a prank played by the ghosts of Jack and Anna (Regulski). According to Tripadvisor, Olde Main Street Inn offers kitchenettes, family rooms, free wi-fi, and even has a bar in the hotel (“Olde Main Steet Inn”). This cozy inn has a one-of-a-kind atmosphere and promises to be a comfortable stay with a possible phantom-filled night!
The next hair-raising haunt is located right in the middle of Nebraska. The Arrow Hotel is a quaint hotel that features both family rooms and suites. This building was the first three-story building in Broken Bow (Stephen). Tripadvisor lists the room from $107 to $125 on a given night and shows such amenities as free breakfast and free wi-fi. It’s pet friendly and even has an attached restaurant that features a formal dining room. The hotel also has a pub and a historic cigar room. In fact, the Arrow Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic places in 1986 (“Arrow Hotel”). According to Bebensee, Anne and R.J. Thomas invested in the Arrow Hotel in 2005. Anne began hearing stories from the current staff, different guests, and community members about strange occurrences at the hotel, so she contacted the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, NE to find someone serious about investigating the paranormal activity and, as Anne Thomas put it, “not just doing it for fun” (Bebensee). A team called RIPA, Research and Investigation of Paranormal Activity, was one of those teams that were able to investigate the Arrow Hotel. They captured numerous audio clips, heard the sound of a cat meowing, and even say they saw an apparition of a man in the hallway (Stephen)!
Anne herself has had a paranormal experience in the hotel. While on the first floor with the housekeepers she claims they heard a door across the hall shaking and when they went to investigate further, they opened the door to find all the pillows in the room stacked on the bed (Bebensee). Abby Mattox is the manager of the attached restaurant, the Bonfire Grill, and has also had her own paranormal experiences. She claims to have seen a man on the camera system in the cigar room smoking inside, which was not allowed. When she went to put a stop to it, no one was in the cigar room and all that remained was smoke rolling on the camera. She even investigated further to see if she could catch the man leaving the building but there was no trace of the smoking man (Bebensee). Some guests have reported hearing voices talking, voices singing, being touched, and seeing a ghost cat (Stephen).
Other guests have heard strange noises and one even reported her son sitting on a sofa bed talking to someone who wasn’t there (Bebensee). According to Lefevers, one of the former owners is said to have died at The Arrow and his apparition can be seen traveling along the stairs to the kitchen. There have also been reports of apparitions of a grey-haired man and a red-haired woman (Lefevers). The Arrow is open for business and located at 509 S 9th Ave. in Broken Bow, NE (“Arrow Hotel”). There are so many reasons to consider a stay at the Arrow Hotel. Whether you plan to go alone, bring the whole family or just your pet Fido, the Arrow Hotel is ready to accommodate your stay. Who knows, perhaps you’ll also encounter something a little more spiritual!
Our next haunted hostel is no hostel at all but rather a luxurious mansion. The Cornerstone Mansion is the only bed and breakfast in Omaha, NE. According to Tripadvisor, it is historically known as the Offutt house, built by Charles and Bertha Offutt with no expense spared on this 10,200 square foot home. The bed and breakfast offers family rooms, suites, free wi-fi, and free breakfast (“Cornerstone Mansion”). However, this luxurious mansion holds a few extra surprises. Disembodied footsteps are said to haunt the Cornerstone Mansion from dusk to dawn. The apparition of a young man is sometimes witnessed and what is thought to be the spirit of a previous owner can often be seen rocking in a chair in the mansion’s parlor room (“Cornerstone Mansion Bed and Breakfast”). There is reportedly a poltergeist that makes its presence known during special events while there is more activity on premises (“Cornerstone Mansion Bed and Breakfast”). On the side of the house, there is a small structure called the Carriage House. There are stories that a woman known as Emily was beaten to death there by her husband after an argument and she is said to haunt the grounds to this day. Emily is also said to have a strong dislike for any male presence (“Cornerstone Mansion Bed and Breakfast”). The Cornerstone mansion is located in the eastern part of Nebraska at 140 N. 39th St. in Omaha. Whether you experience some spooky spirits or ancient apparitions, you’re sure to have a lavish stay at the mysterious Cornerstone Mansion Bed and Breakfast.
Our final petrifying property is the Historic Argo Hotel Bed and Breakfast located in the northeastern corner of Nebraska. This hotel in Crofton is perhaps one of the most well-known haunted hotel attractions of Nebraska. Even the tv show Ghost Hunters covered an investigation detailing the hotel and, according to Hytrek, the episode, entitled “Lost Bones of the Argo”, will most likely “bolster the Argo’s ranking as Nebraska’s number one haunted hotel” (2B). During the Ghost Hunters episode, guests and employees describe seeing a child-like presence, a middle-aged man wearing both a hat and a long black coat on the second floor, a woman crying, doors slamming, and a player piano turning itself on. They have seen drinking glasses falling from the bar area and breaking on the floor. Even a female presence in Room 1 has been known to occasionally touch people (“Lost Bones of Argo”). According to Lefevers, The Argo was once a medical clinic and, during a renovation, a burlap bag of bones was found that could possibly explain the sounds of a baby crying. LeFevers speculates that the spirit of the mother of the possibly deceased baby still roams the Argo searching for her baby. The Historic Argo Hotel is located at 211 W Kansas Steet. According to Tripadvisor it features a lounge, family rooms, suites, free breakfast, and free wi-fi. Like the Arrow Hotel, this quaint building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the hotel has also been fully restored, making this location the perfect getaway (“The Historic Argo Hotel”). So, a stay at the Historic Argo Hotel Bed and Breakfast is sure to be a memorable one.
Who says that ghost hunting must be inhospitable? Whether you are interested in a quaint bed and breakfast, a fully renovated historic location, an upscale mansion, or more rustic lodging, you can still comfortably ghost hunt during your stay. If you decide to dip your toes into the world of specter sightings, these four hotels offer the perfect setting for perusing the paranormal. Regardless of whether you encounter eerie apparitions or not, you are still sure to have a memorable experience.
Works Cited
“Arrow Hotel” Tripadvisor, 2022, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45461-d248768-Reviews-Arrow_Hotel-Broken_Bow_Nebraska.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2022.
Bebensee, Ashley. "4 Places (Rumored to Be) Haunted in Central Nebraska." The Grand Island Independent, 31 Oct. 2018. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/16F6D14F72D58CC0.
“Cornerstone Mansion Bed and Breakfast-Real Omaha Haunt.” Nebraska Haunted Houses, 25 May 2017, https://www.nebraskahauntedhouses.com/real-haunt/cornerstone-mansion-bed-breakfast.html.
“Cornerstone Mansion” Tripadvisor, 2022, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g60885-d79071-Reviews-Cornerstone_Mansion-Omaha_Nebraska.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2022.
“The Historic Argo Hotel” Tripadvisor, 2022, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45512-d1026395-Reviews-The_Historic_Argo_Hotel-Crofton_Nebraska.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2022.
Hytrek, Nick. "'Ghost Hunters' probe tales of Crofton hotel 'Ghost Hunters' investigate haunted tales of Crofton hotel." Omaha World-Herald, 23 Jan. 2022, p. 2B. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/187B47C56D872E90.
Lefevers, Delana. “These 5 Haunted Hotels in Nebraska Will Make Your Hotel Stay a Nightmare.” Only In Your State, 17 Aug. 2022. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nebraska/haunted-hotels-ne/.
“Lost Bones of Argo.” Ghost Hunters, season 14, episode 3, A&E, 30 Apr. 2022. Discovery +, https://www.discoveryplus.com/show/ghost-hunters-us.
“Olde Main Street Inn” Tripadvisor, 2022, https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g45485-d269779-Reviews-Olde_Main_Street_Inn-Chadron_Nebraska.html. Accessed 22 Nov. 2022.
Regulski, Elisa. “Ghosts Named Anna and Jack Roam the Halls at Olde Main Street Inn, A Haunted Nebraska Hotel.” Only In Your State, 19 Oct. 2019. https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nebraska/olde-main-street-inn/.
Stephen, Kamie. "On the Hunt for Ghostly Haunts." The North Platte Telegraph, 31 Dec. 2016. NewsBank: Access World News, infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=AWNB&docref=news/161A4A552992C2E0.
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