8 Haunted Hotels for a Spooky Getaway Near DC

Photo courtesy of the Jefferson Hotel.

The ghost who likes to clean

The Wayside Inn

Ellicott City

Wayside040-scaled-down - Washingtonian — A housekeeping ghost is said to roam the Wayside Inn in Ellicott City. Photo courtesy of Wayside Inn.

Meet “Jenny,” the housekeeping ghost who once cleaned up the third floor of this 1780 stone-clad bed and breakfast. Although she hasn’t been seen for a long time, previous guests have spoken of a woman’s face peering down at them from the wallpaper before heading back.

Amenities for the Living: Take a ghost tour of historic downtown, a city considered the most haunted city in Maryland. The tour takes place in front of the Howard County Welcome Center and covers 250 years of history, from the Quaker founders to 19th century prisoners who shocked generations.

Spooky beach vacation

The historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club, autograph collection

Virginia Beach

Big names like F. Scott Fitzgerald and Judy Garland have stayed at this chic 1927 hotel on a hill overlooking the Atlantic. But the well-known name that sticks in the mind is beer founder Aldoph Coors. The tycoon is said to have jumped to his death from the sixth floor in 1929, and some visitors claim to have encountered his ghost. Far more common are encounters with a phantom cat scratching on doors, a World War II veteran in the hallways, and a piano playing in the ballroom itself.

Amenities for the Living: The in-house spa SeaHill is inspired by the sea and offers, among other things, a treatment in which algae and sand are incorporated into a body peeling.

Depression-era suicide pact

Lord Baltimore

Lobby-Prime-scaled-down - Washingtonian — The Lord Baltimore, whose 19th floor is said to be haunted. Photo courtesy of the Lord Baltimore Hotel.

Just blocks from the inner harbor, this hotel, built in 1928, boasts historic grandeur with an original Murano chandelier and frescoed ceiling. Despite this beauty, more than 20 people are said to have thrown themselves to their deaths during the Depression, including a couple who took their young daughter with them. Although many hauntings have been reported, the most common involves a small child wandering around the 19th floor penthouse.

Amenities for the Living: LB Skybar, which happens to be located on the enchanted 19th floor, is one of the city’s most unpretentious rooftop bars, serving shareable dishes like Old Bay Honey Wings.

George Washington stayed here

The Robert Morris Inn

Oxford, Md

Photo-courtesy-of-Talbot-County-Economic-Development-and-Tourism_by-Peter-Guttman-scaled-down - Washingtonian — Photo courtesy of Peter Guttman/Talbot County Economic Development and Tourism.

Built in 1710, the Eastern Shore Inn was home to a signer of the Declaration of Independence and hosted George Washington. Guests have reported everything from fall leaves dumped on the floor to a ghost singing in the kitchen. I wasn’t expecting to have an encounter of my own, but I did when the bathroom door kept opening and closing throughout the night.

Amenities for the Living: The atmospheric restaurant serves Chesapeake Bay specialties in front of the fireplace or on a veranda overlooking the coast.

Presidential horror, close to home

Mayflower Hotel

A few blocks from the White House, this hotel has hosted thousands of politicians, but it is President Calvin Coolidge who has been linked to ghost sightings. The paranormal occurrences are attributed to his teenage son, who died of an infection at Walter Reed Army Hospital shortly before the presidential inauguration in 1925. According to hotel staff, every year on January 20, the lights flicker and the elevator stalls on the eighth floor, where Coolidge lived.

Amenities for the Living: Guests can have treats delivered to their room before check-in, including popcorn and sodas for a movie night (we recommend a scary movie for maximum atmosphere), the hotel’s banana nut bread, or a luxurious selection of truffles and wine.

Witness from Wanda Sykes

The Jefferson Hotel

This Golden Age hotel has welcomed high-profile guests like Barack Obama and the Rolling Stones, but it’s comedian Wanda Sykes who went public with her own ghostly encounter. To The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The actress claimed she saw a woman in her room and the figure was “happy to see her.”

Amenities for the Living: An indoor pool and terrace flanked by potted palms provide a retreat from which to order lunch or cocktails delivered poolside.

Make yourself comfortable with colonial travelers

The Brick House Tavern, Colonial Williamsburg Resorts

Built around 1770, this inn in the heart of colonial Williamsburg was unusual for its time – women were welcome on the ground floor while male travelers were relegated to the second floor. Visitors have told of female ghosts climbing into bed with them in the basement and turning on the sinks by themselves – perhaps curious 18th-century spirits who can’t imagine running water indoors.

Amenities for the Living: Step back in time at the King’s Arms Tavern a few steps away, where you can order Virginia peanut soup and Cornish chicken inspired by 18th-century recipes. The cocktail menu features a drink made with champagne and sugar cubes, which was apparently a favorite of Thomas Jefferson.

Three centuries of apparitions

Gen. Warren

Malvern, Pennsylvania

History-1910-scaled-down - Washingtonian — General Warren, built in the 18th century. Photo courtesy of General Warren.

This charming inn in suburban Philadelphia was built in 1745 and is said to be home to dozens of ghosts from the 17th century through the Civil War to the early 20th century, according to paranormal experts who were on site. Guests report experiencing unexpected movement and a chilly atmosphere in their rooms.

Amenities for the Living: The inn’s general store sells cakes and confections made by the resident pastry chef, including tins of chocolate fondant.

American Gothic

The writer Edgar Allan Poe, the master of the macabre, figures prominently in my family tree. No wonder I searched all the Poe-related websites in his hometown. Here are the must-see places and events on a Poe-themed day in Baltimore.

VISIT_BALTIMORE_poe_house_2017_credit_justin_tsucalas_15-scaled-down - Washingtonian — Poe’s house. Photo courtesy of Visit Baltimore.

Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum

Unlike many ghost bar tours, this isn’t just an excuse to drink more alcohol. As you stroll through the narrow streets of Maryland’s capital, learn about the spooky side of its history, which dates back to the mid-16th century. Pause for a sip at three haunted taverns, including the Ram’s Head, a music venue known for a 19th-century apparition named Amy, whose bedpost is mounted in the bar.

Westminster Halland Burying Ground

The peaceful region is home to some of the East Coast’s most active phantoms. Eleven tours cover a total of 130 macabre locations, including a nighttime walk through an eerie forest and a sunset spectral cruise in Ocean City. A few times a year, visitors can accompany paranormal investigators as they attempt to contact ghosts.

The horse you came across in the saloon

Flickering gas lamps and charming brick walkways belie the horror that characterizes the old town. At dusk, Alexandria Ghosts takes you to a dank Civil War-era train tunnel where murder victims are said to lurk, to docks reportedly cursed by formerly enslaved people, and to the clock tower of City Hall, where some residents swear that a “Devil Bat” is alive.

Edgar Allan Poe Festival

Join us for a free three-day event commemorating Poe’s death at the Edgar Allan Poe House & Museum from October 4-6. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Poe House with film screenings, discussions with literary scholars and performances.

This article appears in the October 2024 issue of Washingtonian.