The Most Haunted Hotel Shanley

Often considered the most haunted hotel in the world, Hotel Shanley in New York is the only place in the world where you have to sign a waiver, in case you suffer any unfortunate incident.

A dwelling so brutally haunted that the children are prohibited from spending the night and Ouija boards are completely banned.

Shanley’s History and Unfortunate Deaths

Built-in 1895, it has been a home of many tragedies, including the deaths of infants. In 1906, James Shanley bought the inn and soon after married his longtime beloved, Beatrice Rowley.

They had three children, Kathleen, James, and William but the joy was short-lived. All three children died in the inn, all three before their first birthday. And they were not the only children to die on the property.

A hotel worker’s daughter, Rosie, fell down a nearby well to her death. Within these walls, an entire generation of the Shanley family lost their lives, yet numerous claim their spirits still remain.

With all of Shanley’s children gone, the hotel’s other floor was converted into a prohibition-era comfort house.

To this day, guests of the hotel claim to see the spirits of children running through the halls and surroundings.

The Hauntings

Childlike giggle echoes in empty chambers, and a weeping woman, likely Beatrice Shanley, is seen drifting the hotel in quest of her lost sons and daughter.

But these dearly departed are not the only spirits frequenting Shanley’s halls. Some claim the workers and patrons still visit the Shanley from beyond the grave.

One woman, Anna, has been seen and heard in the second-floor room she formerly inhabited. And the laughs of Claire, a woman who took her own life in the late 1800s, are heard echoing around the third floor.

While the specter of Sweet Thing, the hotel’s former cat scampers around the house. Upon entering the premises, the visitors reported feeling lightheaded, shortness of breath, heaviness, and feeling of sadness.

Some Paranormal investigators have confirmed the visitors’ experiences with photographs and EVPs showing orbs and mysterious figures.

People have encountered empty rocking chairs moving on their own, mysterious clock chimes which don’t exist, cold spots, mysterious footsteps and whistling (said to be from the deceased owner James Shanley) in the hotel.

A creepy woman in a white Victorian dress is seen wandering around. Also, people experience giggles, hair being pulled and getting pinched, pushed or slapped.

Real Encounters

In one incident, the barmaid went to the back room to bring some pretzels, and the very next moment everyone saw her running out the front door screaming in sheer horror. She never returned back to the hotel.

In another incident, a man was seen rushing out of the bathroom terrified, with his pants still down, and vowed never to come back to the bar again.

He probably saw a woman in a white Victorian dress smiling at him from a corner. There are numerous accounts of the people who have been spooked out of the hotel and and never returned.

Claire, Anna, and the Shanleys, are not alone. Dozens more ghosts have been observed on the premises, leaving numerous to wonder, are there more ghosts than guests in the Shanley Hotel?

The Burn Brae Mansion

There’s another hotel that bears a similar resemblance to that of the Shanleys.

The Burn Brae Mansion, is a dream home that turned into a living hell. At Burn Brae, children’s giggle rings through the halls. But the children have not lived here for a long time.

Margaret Ross Elkin, a descendant of the president of Singer Sewing Machine company, constructed the sprawling manor to house her growing family in 1907.

Tragically, Margaret outlived numerous of her own children and few grandchildren. She died in 1951, and before her death, Margaret already buried her daughter Elsie, son Charles, and grandson Levi to forever rest on the property.

The Eerie Hauntings

But numerous claim their spirits never left the nursery. Part of that nursery still stands untouched, walled in behind a bedroom on the second floor.

No one knows exactly why the room was sealed shut, but guests frequently hear the sounds of children laughing and playing through the walls.

There’s a closet in the hall, which still houses plenty of dolls of the children who previously lived and died on the property. And the children at Burn Brae Mansion aren’t alone.

Testimonials claim a woman in white haunts the hallways and staircases, pacing back and forth, calling to the other spirits. Could it be Margaret searching for her lost children or the children’s nanny refusing to abandon her post?

Outside, the family coachman, William, has been seen meandering the forest, still wearing the dark suit he wore the night he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Indeed the family pets appear reluctant to leave. Animal noises, particularly a cat’s grieving disembodied meowing, are frequently reported at the house.

With such a rich history, the Burn Brae Mansion was recently restored following its 100 year anniversary.

Shortly after the renovations, the haunted mansion was opened to the public and soon the guests began reporting mysterious sightings and supernatural events.

Certainly, at Burn Brae Mansion, the family that haunts together stays together, forever.