Is Hawthorne Hotel Haunted?

Hawthorne Hotel

From misty apparitions to odd smells of apples, something spooky is happening in this Salem hotel

Paranormal Stories at
Hawthorne Hotel

  • Smells of apples are noted in the lobby and halls
  • A woman’s figure reportedly lingers outside and inside Room 612
  • Unexplained feelings are felt in Room 612
  • A disembodied baby cry has been heard in Room 325
  • Lights in rooms purportedly turn on and off
  • Room faucets reportedly turn on and off
  • A ships wheel in the tavern is sometimes seen turning on its own 
  • Some guests report ghostly hands tugging at their bedsheets at night
  • Furniture is moved by unseen forces in some rooms
  • Disembodied voices are reported throughout the hotel 

Haunted History of
the Hawthorne Hotel

While it might not look as witchy as other spots in Salem, Massachusetts, the Hawthorne Hotel is as quintessentially Salem as it gets.

It may not have centuries of collected history like some of the surviving structures from the Salem Witch Trials, the Hawthorne’s near-century of existence has made it into an undeniable cultural element in the spookiest city in America.

Located just across from the historic Salem Common, the Hawthorne Hotel offers not only beautiful views but also proximity to some of the most haunted spots in Salem. The hotel’s history and hauntings blend seamlessly with the spooky ambiance of the town.

A true contributor to that reputation, the old red brick hotel has collected its share of ghost stories. From phantoms with Witch Trial connections to still unexplained activity in certain rooms, the Hawthorne’s haunts have become part of the hotel’s appeal.

Could the Hawthorne be the most haunted hotel in what’s often considered to be America’s most haunted city?

Timeline of Hawthorne Hotel's History

Swipe or use timeline points to see Hawthorne Hotel through the years

The hotel's restaurant, The Tavern, has its own spooky story—an old wooden ship’s wheel that mysteriously turns on its own, as if controlled by an unseen ship captain, adding a maritime ghostly touch to the dining experience.

1923

In the early 1900s, Salem, Massachusetts was a historic but modernizing community. One modernization project began in 1923, as a group of Salem business leaders hoped to bring a new hotel to the city for business travelers and sales people. The local businesspeople funded the project through rapid stock sales, proving the townspeople’s interest in the project.

In just a single week in 1923, sales teams sold over 500,000 shares of hotel stock. In no time, hotel construction began.

The Hawthorne Hotel hosts an extravagant annual Halloween Ball, where guests can celebrate Salem’s spooky culture in one of the most haunted hotels in America. The event draws in locals and tourists alike, embracing the eerie energy of the season.

1924

Construction started in August, 1924, and moved fast. In less than a year later on July 23, 1925, the Hawthorne Hotel opened and began achieving the goal of the Salem business community. Great fanfare greeted the hotel, with the opening day paired with a celebratory parade through town. The name “Hawthorne” was chosen due to the hotel’s proximity to the original site of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace.

The modern hotel was well placed in the heart of the city, just across from the Salem Common park, and quickly drew in guests.

The hallways of the Hawthorne Hotel are notorious for disembodied whispers and voices. Guests often claim to hear faint conversations or footsteps, even when no one is there, enhancing the hotel’s reputation as a paranormal hotspot.

1970

Over the 20th century, the Hawthorne Hotel changed with the times. By the 1950s, many interior spaces had been renovated to appear more modern, and the hotel got a new name along with that. Rebranded as the Hawthorne Motor Hotel, the ownership hoped to cater to increased automobile traffic through Salem in that era.

In June, 1970, the hotel made an appearance in the popular TV sitcom Bewitched, cementing it as a modern cultural cornerstone of Salem.

A ghostly figure believed to be Bridget Bishop, an accused witch from the Salem Witch Trials, is said to appear in the lobby and hallways of the Hawthorne Hotel, often accompanied by the scent of fresh apples, linking the hotel to Salem’s haunted past.

1989

In the late 20th century, the ‘Motor Hotel’ faded away and the hotel became the Hawthorne Inn. But in 1989, the hotel changed names once more and returned to being the Hawthorne Hotel. Since then, the Hawthorne Hotel has remained a renowned Salem stop and has expanded to a nearby guest house.

With nearly a century of history in the building, ghost stories have become common around the Hawthorne Hotel. In a town full of spooky stories and purported hauntings, the haunting tales at the Hawthorne still manage to stand out.

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The grand entrance of the Hawthorne Hotel welcomes guests to a blend of luxury and paranormal intrigue, where ghostly tales and unexplained phenomena have become part of the hotel’s unique charm in Salem’s haunted landscape.

Is The Hawthorne Hotel Haunted?

The Hawthorne Hotel’s history has been associated with the paranormal for decades. In 1990, a famous seance was held at the hotel in an attempt to contact the ghost of Harry Houdini. The attempt did not succeed. But that hasn’t stopped ghost stories from spreading.

All throughout the hotel, ghostly apparitions appear and other unexplained events are known to occur. It just wouldn’t be a stop in Salem without a few spooky encounters, would it?

Apparitions & Apples

One Hawthorne Hotel ghost story gives the hotel a possible Salem Witch Trials connection. It is said that Bridget Bishop, a woman accused of witchcraft during the trials, had an apple orchard on the land where the hotel now stands.

Today, phantom smells of fresh apples can supposedly be encountered in the hotel’s lobby, as well in upstairs hallways.

In 1990, a famous seance was held at the Hawthorne Hotel in an attempt to contact the spirit of Harry Houdini. Though unsuccessful, the event further solidified the hotel’s connection to paranormal activities and ghost stories.

Some say that where the scent of apples appears, so too does the apparition of Bridget Bishop. But, some people dispute whether the ghost people encounter is really Bridget Bishop, as no one knows whether her orchard did indeed sit on the hotel’s current site.

But, even if it isn’t Bridget Bishop, many people still run into that apple scent and encounter the ghostly figure of a woman in the hotel.

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Guests of the Hawthorne Hotel often come in search of paranormal experiences, whether by booking haunted rooms like 612 or 325, or exploring the hotel’s common areas where unexplained occurrences are frequent.

Spooky Room 612

A woman’s apparition is a frequent ghostly report on the hotel’s sixth floor. The mysterious woman can be seen lingering the hallway aimlessly at times, while at other points her figure will linger just outside the door to Room 612.

People who stay in Room 612 sometimes report her apparition actually entering the room in the night, mostly just to linger and sometimes look at herself in the room’s mirror. Even when she doesn’t appear in the room, guests in Room 612 still note unexplained feelings in the room, like they’re not alone or that they’re being watched.

The Syfy show Ghost Hunters visited the Hawthorne Hotel to investigate its numerous hauntings. Their exploration brought further attention to the hotel’s ghostly reputation and paranormal phenomena.

Phantasmic Tales from Room 325

The sixth floor isn’t the only place to book a haunted hotspot in the hotel. Room 325 is also a well-known spooky room in the Hawthorne Hotel. One of the most common reports is of a disembodied baby cry stirring guests awake in the night.

While a crying baby in the room next door would likely be bad enough, the cries of the ghost baby apparently sound clearly like they’re coming from within Room 325. Also in 325, guests have noted faucets turning on and off, seemingly by themselves. Lights in the room are known for acting similarly. So, while they don’t show themselves in physical form, the specters of Room 325 do seem to like to make themselves known.

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Haunts Down Every Hall

Even if you’re not looking to book one of the Hawthorne’s purportedly haunted rooms, you might still get the chance to experience something spooky in the hotel.

Guests in rooms without long histories of claims have still left reporting the sensation of unseen hands tugging at the bedsheets. Some have even claimed that whole pieces of furniture moved through their rooms.

A vintage room key from the Hawthorne Hotel symbolizes the building’s long-standing history and its ties to both the mundane and the supernatural. Many of these rooms carry ghost stories that have persisted over the decades.

The hotel’s restaurant, The Tavern, has also had some unexplained activity occur. An old wooden ship’s wheel there has apparently been seen turning and swaying back and forth, as if controlled by the unseen hands of a spectral ship captain.

All throughout the hotel’s common areas and halls, disembodied voices and whispers have been heard by guests.

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A Haunted Hotel in Spooky Salem

Oftentimes, doing business in Salem, Massachusetts, means getting a little spooky. As with just about anyplace in Salem, Hawthorne Hotel makes sure to keep space for their ghost stories and haunting lore in their business. Each year, the hotel hosts a popular Halloween Ball to celebrate all things scary and eerie.

In 2007, the hotel hosted Syfy’s Ghost Hunters to investigate and report on the claims of activity through the hotel.

Modern yet haunted, the Hawthorne Hotel’s renovated rooms still retain their ghostly legends. Even in updated spaces, guests report inexplicable sensations like being watched or experiencing strange sounds at night.

While the hotel doesn’t host formal ghost hunts, you can always book yourself a pair of haunted hotspot rooms and see what you can turn up.

Maybe you’ll spot an apparition in the mirror in Room 612, or hear the cry of the ghost baby in Room 325. Or, perhaps you’ll at least get the chance to smell the fresh smell of apples wafting in from the afterlife.