Best Haunted Hotels: Mount Washington
Looking to hang with a Victorian Princess? Mount Washington offers mountain serenity, friendly foxes and cheeky spirits.
We’ve visited Mount Washington a few times, and it’s never a disappointment. The area is absolutely serene. The hotel sits at the foot of a picturesque mountain range that remains snow capped well into April. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a moose. If you simply take a walk on the hotel grounds, you’re sure to run into at least a few foxes. The property is famous for its friendly wildlife. You’ll be stunned by just how close the many fox that roam the grounds will get to you without a hair of hesitation.
But the hotel is also famous for its star spirit. The Princess. A lovely lady who marries a European Prince who built the hotel for her. And turns out, she’s still there. Happily spending at least a part of eternity in the hotel she enjoyed in life. But don’t go thinking this Princess is utterly proper. If you want to get her attention, ask to spend some time in her room. Bring a cocktail, some humor and a guy if you’ve got one. This one is a flirtatious spirit.
For ghost hunting, I use a mini maglite that twists on and off. This is important, as a click on/off doesn’t work. I twist it so that it’s just barely turned off, but easy for a spirit to use energy to jump the circuit and turn the light on and off at will. I use yes and no questions and allow the spirit to use the light to answer — yes (light on) and no (light off). Read more on my method of ghost hunting in this post.
The Mount Washington Spirit: The Princess
On the night we met the Princess, we were part of a group ghost hunting event. In the Princess’ bedroom with us was about twenty other people eager to see some action. But it turned out my cheeky husband was to be the one to draw out the Princess that night. His utter impropriety and zany humor brought her out in fun fashion and the entire group was given a night they’ll never forget.
It had been about fifteen minutes since we’d all filed in, sat down and set up the myriad of flashlights and K-2 meters everyone had brought with them. We’d just been in the attic staff quarters and had a light show where a spirit had turned on five K-2 meters at the same time, as well as answered a number of questions from our experienced TAPS guides. So we’d all already had a very successful night. It was getting late and we were all starting to get a bit tired.
Until the light turned on and the Princess made her appearance. The flashlight on a dresser on one side of the room was her chosen instrument. She began answering basic questions like did she stay at the hotel often, did she love the area…. boring really.
Then my husband, sitting on her bed, started the fun. He’s never one to take anything serious and to be honest, whenever he’s ghost hunting with me, the spirits love his antics. It makes sense if you really think about it. I mean, if you had passed, and suddenly were able to chat with someone, would you want to be serious and boring? Or would you want to have a little fun.
He started making jokes about her grand bed and pillows. “Princess, is this your pillow? Would you be angry if I put my foot on your pillow?” The light turned on bright, a strong yes. “Princess, really? Would it be so bad?” The light began blinking as thought she was talking very strongly to him, though we couldn’t hear what she was saying.
“How about a drink Princess? Would you like to share one?” He went on and on, being silly and goading her. “Princess,” I chimed in, “Is Howie annoying you?” To that the light once again blew up brightly. The entire room erupted in laughter.
“Oh Princess, you love me and you know it. Are you flirting with me?” The light answered in blinks and spirts again chastising him silently. “A proper lady would never flirt with someone as lowly as you,” I said. And the light once again lit up in agreement.
For almost an hour, the fun continued. With people chiming in, asking questions, making jokes. We laughed together and by the end, it was as though the Princess was just one of the group, chiming in and out, laughing with us and having a grand time.
The Spalding Inn Spirit: Lost Lover
Not far from the Mount Washington resort is a small inn called the Spalding where we encountered a very friendly spirit with a very sad story. We were staying in the carriage house next to the main inn and in a room on the ground floor with the daughter of the owner and a few friends on the night this ghost came to tell us her sad story.
She was a guest there years ago in the heyday of the inn and had fallen in love with a man that worked there. Because he was so far below her status, they knew they could never marry.
She came back to visit the inn because it was the place where she had experienced the greatest happiness in life knowing and loving him. Her spirit was sweet but sad and her story heartbreaking. But she was very happy to be able to talk to us and share her story.
