A Creepy Night at the Crescent Hotel

TRAVEL THERE: CRESCENT HOTEL GHOST TOUR, EUREKA SPRINGS AR

Last week I told you the set up. This week I’ll take you along on the Crescent’s Ghost Tour. After the intro, a guide wearing a period costume, took us to an observation deck just past an odd looking time capsule. That’s where the lady of the mist performs.

Lady of the Mist

According to some folks, a lady surrounded by mists periodically glides down to the ground from the deck.  The guide had a picture he said proved it, but what looked like a reflection in the window to me, true believers say is actually the lady in the mist.

By chance, an actual suicide coincides with the tale.  Remember the women’s school that used the hotel during the winter months.  Well, one of the young women found herself in the family way and committed suicide rather than face the consequences.

The unfortunate woman’s tale was supplemented with a description of the method a young man in love might have used for a clandestine rendevous – a basket on a rope that was supposed to be for laundry.  Apparently, a well-timed whistle would get you whisked right up for a little TLC.  Talk about room service.

More Ghost Tales

The next tale was related to the women’s college, also. It’s also sad.  As the guide pointed out, most ghost stories are.  The banister of the the old stairwells would not meet today’s building codes.  It would be too easy for a small child to go over the top or climb through the balusters.  A child did and fell to her death five stories below.  An EMF meter went haywire when laid upon the solid wood filial above the newel post at the top, but it goes even crazier at handrails at the bottom of her fall.

One of my favorite tales was of the woman who assisted Dr. Evil.  Apparently, she was a little OCD.  In the many years since then, she hasn’t found a cure.  If a messy person stays in the room that was hers, they find things have been tidied up for them without the assistance of housekeeping.  If they’re really messy, they’ll find their bags packed for them when they return to the room.

The most popular room in the hotel is Michael’s room. It’s sold out for month’s at a time and if you want to stay for Halloween, be patient – the line forms about five years out. Micheal was a handsome young Irish stone mason come from the Mother Country to build the Crescent Hotel.  Seems he was distracted by a pretty little thing  and fell to his death.  Michael’s still fond of the fairer sex.  Stay in his room and you’ll find you’re not staying alone.  Oh, and guys, you’re not welcome there.   Fall asleep in Michael’s bed and he’ll kick you out.

Ending Up in the Morgue

There are other stories to titillate and tease your imagination, but I guess you’ve gotten the drift of things.  The tour ends in the morgue.  I’m not much on morgues under any circumstances, but I certainly wouldn’t want to hang out in this one.  To make it even spookier, this where T.A.P.S. had their very paranormal experience which I mentioned last week.Word had it that on the tour previous to ours (they have more than one tour on busy nights) a guest of the hotel was scratched on his arm by an unseen hand.  He checked out and wouldn’t stay the night.  I think I’d be getting a tetanus shot.

So that’s the ghost tour.  I went back to the Inn at Rose Hall, because I was on my way to Crystal Bridges the next morning.  Join me next week and I’ll tell you all about it.