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For those visiting Bethesda for Malice Domestic or any other reason, here are a sampling of haunted accommodations, restaurants, and ghost tours to enjoy while you’re in the area. I’ve collected listings within 50 miles; they are listed from closest to Bethesda (DC is only around 7 miles away) to as far as 50 miles away (as is the case with Boonsboro and Stephensville.) The Baltimore, Ellicott City, and Annapolis locations are between 35-40 miles from Bethesda. You can read more when the Mid-Atlantic edition of Vacations Can Be Murder is published.
Accommodations: Washington DC Hay Adams Hotel 800 16th Street NW, Washington DC 202-638-6600 https://www.hayadams.com Socialite and photographer Marian “Clover’ Hooper, who was married to the grandson of John Quincy Adams, committed suicide here by ingesting th potassium cynanide she used in her darkroom. If you smell an almond fragrance on the fourth floor in conjunction with doors unlocking on their own, or a woman’s wails, it might be her ghost. Mayflower Hotel 1127 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 202-347-3000 https://www.themayflowerhotel.com/ The resident ghost is said to be that of President Calvin Coolidge or his son. Coolidge was to host his inaugural ball here in February of 1925. He chose not to attend the ball because he was mourning the loss of his teenage son. The party went on without him. From 1925 until 1981, presidential inaugurations have been held at the hotel, and every year starting on January 27, 1937, the hotel was haunted on that day (even though the ball is held every four years.) The haunting consisted of Grand Ballroom lights flickering at 10:00 pm, followed by an elevator car becoming stuck on the 8th floor, where Coolidge had been staying on inaugural night. The elevator unsticks at 10:15, when Coolidge would have arrived at the ball. Omni Shoreham Hotel 2500 Calvert Street NW, Washington DC 202-234-0700 https://www.omnihotels.com/hotels/washington-dc-shoreham Room 870, referred to at the hotel as the “Ghost Suite” is no longer open to the public. Clerks claim that the spirit of Juliette Brown, one of the resident ghosts, wouldn’t let his key work when he tried to enter. A former housekeeper, Brown supposedly died in the suite, as reportedly did the wife and daughter of the former owner, Henry Doherty. The apartment was abandoned for decades. The ghosts still make their presence known, and if you stay here, don’t be surprised to see lights flickering, or hear vacuums running, piano music, floors creaking, and televisions playing at all hours. The Kimpton Hotel Monaco 700 F Street NW, Washington DC 202-628-7177 https://www.monaco-dc.com Built in 1842 to house the General Post Office, the wails you might hear when staying here could be from the ghosts of the woman who waited for and received bad news here regarding their loved ones fighting in the Civil War. The spirits spotted by guests were wearing period clothing. Manassas The Olde Towne Inn 9403 Main Street, Manassas, VA 703-368-9191 https://theoldetowneinn.com The ghost of Miss Lucy, dating back to the Civil War, makes her presence especially known in Rooms 50-54 and in the hotel tavern. She’s said to have made guests levitate, in case you’re in the mood for an uplifting experience. Ellicott City Lilburn Mansion (Air BnB) 3899 College Avenue, Ellicott City https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16673443?source_impression_id=p3_1664469122_gRgeGZ9euwvJ52Mg Also known as The Castle, Balderstones Mansion, or Hazeldene, the property is over 165 years old. You can rent a two-bedroom apartment here with a pool, but with a twist: after restoration following a 1923 fire, ghosts of children who died in the home are said to have started haunting the premises. Baltimore Admiral Fell Inn 888 South Broadway, Baltimore 410-422-7377 [email protected] Admiralfellinn.com Known as one of the most haunted hotels, not only in Baltimore, but in the country. Room 413, the site of a homophobic murder, as well as Room 218 are hotspots of paranormal activity. Ghosts of sailors can be seen in the halls. Guests have even seen the ghost of a dog. Lord Baltimore Hotel 20 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore 410-539-8400 [email protected] Lordbaltimorehotel.com Thought to be one of the top ten most haunted places in the city, and in the United States. During the Great Depression, over 20 people committed suicide by jumping off the roof after the market crashed. Many of their spirits apparently stuck around. A little girl named Molly, whose parents apparently jumped with her in a murder/suicide, ahs been seen on the 19th floor where they’d stayed. And that’s just a bit of the paranormal activity here. Annapolis (Note: The fact that both of these hotels are listed under the same address is not an accident. There is a large complex where both buildings are located.) Governor Calvert House 58 State Circle, Annapolis 410-263-2641 Historicinnsofannapolis.com/staty/governor-calvert-house Of the many spirits here, beware of the ghost of former employee Dominic, who apparently likes to watch guests undress. The Maryland Inn 58 State Circle, Annapolis 410-263-2641 https://www.historicinnsofannapolis.com/stay/maryland-inn Dating back to the 1770s, a navy captain named Charles Campbell and his intended brid are said to haunt the building. The captain was killed by a horse carriage outside the hotel and his bride committed suicide immediately afterwards. Boonsboro Inn Boonsboro 1 North Main Street, Boonsboro 301-432-1188 Info2innboonsboro.com https://innboonsboro.com/ The building dates back to 1790. No saying when the spirit of a cat appeared, visiting guests at night. If you hear a bell tinkling, perhaps it’s visiting your room. Stevensville Kent Island Resort (formerly the Kent Manor Inn) 500 Kent Manor Drive, Stevensville 410-643-5757 https://www.kentislandresort.com/ Thought to be haunted by former resident Alexander Thompson. He hanged himself in Room #210. Haunted Restaurants/Bars Washington DC Round Robin Bar 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC (202) 628-9100 Located inside the Willard Hotel where guests have included Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr., the ghost of a 13-year-old boy is said to haunt the hotel elevator. Wok and Roll (also a karaoke bar) 604 H Street NW, Washington DC (202) 347-4656 Serves Chinese and Japanese food, but in its former iteration, it was a boarding house owned by Mary Surratt, part of a group that conspired to murder leaders including Lincoln. After becoming the first female executed by the federal government, she took up residence here. Alexandria Gadsby’s Tavern 138 N. Royal Street, Alexandria A former hotel, dating back to the 1880s, is where a couple stayed, and the woman became ill and died. The man made the owner and doctors swear they would never reveal her name, but she reveals her presence by haunting with odd noises in what’s now a tavern. Other haunted restaurants in the area: Ellicott City The Judges Bench 8385 Main Street, Ellicott City 410-465-3497 https://judgesbenchpub.com/ This bar used to be a grocery store named Berger’s Grocery. Mart, the daughter of the owner hanged herself here in 1962 when her parents forbade her from dating a certain boy. She still hangs out at the bar. Baltimore Club Charles 1724 North Charles Street, Baltimore 410-727-8815 This dive bar is haunted by a male spirit named “Frenchie,” who, when alive, used to live in an apartment above the club. The Horse You Came In On Saloon 1626 Thames Street, Baltimore 410-327-8111 https://www.thehorsebaltimore.com/ America’s oldest continually operated saloon, dating back to 1775. This is said to be the last place Edgar Allan Poe was seen in 1849 before his death, and that his spirit has been seen walking toward the saloon, where he drinks cognac left out by the bartenders. Waterfront Hotel, Baltimore 1710 Thames Street, Baltimore 410-537-5055 http://www.waterfronthotelfellspoint.com/ Dating back to 1771, diners hear voices and footsteps from the vacant floors above. Annapolis Galway Bay Restaurant 63 Maryland Avenue, Annapolis 410-263-8333 https://www.galwaybaymd.com Two guests are said to reside here, that of a servant girl seen in the basement and the other, a bootlegger who was shot dead in the building. Middleton Tavern 2 Market Space, Annapolis 410-263-3323 https://middletontavern.com This former private residence that was built in 1740 is haunted by a ghost nicknamed Ronald, wearing Revolutionary War-era clothing. The scent of cigar smoke and the breaking of glasses and plates announces his presence. Rams Head Tavern 33 West Street, Annapolis 410-268-4545 https://ramsheadtavern.com/ The ghost of Amy, a prostitute, haunts this 1830s tavern. She died on the job. Reynolds Tavern 7 Church Circle, Annapolis 410-295-9555 https://reynoldstavern.org Haunted by the ghost of Mary Reynolds, who inherited the building in 1777 from her dead husband William. You can hear her singing Christmas carols and see objects moved without explanation. Paranormal Tours in the Area (click on individual tours for more information, age restrictions, etc.)
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AuthorDawn M, Barclay is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction author. Archives
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