THE PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE       ALASKA   ALASKAN HOTEL & BAR (JUNEAU) BACKGROUND: In 1880, just 13 years after the US purchased Alaska from the USSR, two men, Joe Juneau and Richard Harris discovered gold in the Silver Creek Basin and in short order, the Alaskan Gold Rush began. A small tent city named after one of these men was located along the Inner Passage and eventually became the capital of the territory, Juneau. The McCloskey brothers, who struck it rich during the gold rush brought in an investor named Jules B. Caro and built the 3-story Alaskan Hotel near the steamship docks there in 1913. PHENOMENA: After renovations in 1978, paranormal activity increased. One of the spirits is named Alice who local legend states went there during the gold rush with her husband. Promising he would return in 3 weeks, he never returned, leading Alice to believe he was dead. Desperate for money, she was forced into prostitution, but within a few weeks her husband did return and, enraged at what she had become, killed her in one of the back rooms. Present day staff and guests report encountering Alice's ghost on many occasions with her presence most common in Rooms 218 and 219 where staff members claim they are always uncomfortable. Housekeepers say they often discover towels or other items moved or misplaced in these two rooms and several have witnessed Alice's ghost sitting on one of the beds or walking up and down the hotel’s staircase or seeing her in the hotel bar. One patron experienced a “time slip” when she used a restroom that appeared old and outdated, but hours later returned to find it in its current, modern state. TRIVIA: The hotel was featured on Travel Channel’s Portals To Hell. ALEYESKA SKI RESORT (ALYESKA) BACKGROUND: The Alyeska Ski Corporation was founded in 1954, and the first chairlift and day lodge were opened in 1959. The Roundhouse ski lodge and ski patrol station at the top of the mountain began construction in 1960. It is an octagonal building. The Alyeska Resort is the largest ski area in the state. PHENOMENA: Because of accidents on the slope and mysterious happenings inside, the hotel sees more than its share of paranormal activity. In 2001, a stock broker visiting the hotel committed suicide in room 721. Since then, the room is plagued by flickering lights and televisions, doors that open and close on their own, blankets ripped off guests and faucets that turn on and off in the middle of the night. The furniture from there was moved to room 723 after the suicide but the activity moved there with it. Two floors down, the door to room 515 opens and closes on its own and throughout the resort reports of other unusual occurrences are quite common. It’s further said a Dr. Wiiliam Mills, a victim of a skiing accident and another unnamed man who lost his life in a 3rd story jump from a balcony may be two of the most prominent spirits there. TRIVIA: Olympic gold medalist Tommy Moe sharpened his racing skills at Alyeska as a teenager in the 1980s. AUGUSTUS SEABERG HOUSE (ANCHORAGE) BACKGROUND: August Seaburg immigrated to the United States from Sweden in 1909 at the age of 28 and found work in Anchorage on the Alaska Railroad. He married Christina Nelson Seaburg and the couple had 4 daughters, Helen, Hazel, Eleanor, and Beryl. PHENOMENA: This historic house was built in the early 1920’s and is believed to be haunted by at least two spirits. The first being former owner Seaburg, who is heard pacing the upper floor of house or seen standing on the landing of the stairs. The second is that of a woman in white, believed to be his daughter Eleanor who has been seen in the parlor as well as the main bedroom of the house. Other occurrences include cold spots, disembodied voices and people being pushed by an unseen force. BADARKA ROAD (CHUGIAK) PHENOMENA: One of the best-known tales of the supernatural in Alaska is the story of a five-year-old girl who was helping her father chop wood to bring back to their cabin. Her father embedded the ax into a tree to make sure the child did not fall on it, but when he turned his back she decided to try and impress him by pulling the ax out and chopping some wood on her own. Tragically, she ended up striking herself in the head and was instantly killed. Her father was totally distraught and refused to leave his little girl alone in the woods. He sat out there for weeks on end cradling her lifeless body, eventually dying of hypothermia. Urban legend alert >> Legend has it that if you drive down Badarka Road in Chugiak somewhere around 3:30am, a man can be seen sitting by the roadside cradling the lifeless corpse of his daughter. BARANOFF CASTLE (SITKA) BACKGROUND: Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the area, Castle Hill was occupied by families of the Kiksadi clan of Tlingits. Alexander Baranov, a leading figure in the Russian-American Company, arrived in the Sitka area in 1795, and sought to establish a trading post on the hill. He ended up establishing Redoubt St. Archangel Michael several miles away in 1799; this trading post was destroyed by the Tlingit in 1802. Baranov returned to Sitka in force in 1804, seized Castle Hill, from which the outnumbered Tlingit had withdrawn. After the six-day Battle of Sitka, the Tlingit formally ceded Castle Hill to the Russians. PHENOMENA: There is said to be a beautiful princess whose ghost haunted the Castle for many years. As the story goes, her lover was sent away (or killed) on orders from a high-ranking officer who sought her hand in marriage. On her wedding night she disappeared from the ballroom in the midst of the festivities and after a long search was found dead in one of the small drawing rooms. Her ghost returned at six- month intervals to haunt the northwest chamber of the castle where she had either been murdered or took her own life. The swishing of her wedding gown was heard as she wandered the corridors in despair, mourning their fates. Accompanying her visits was the fragrance of roses. When the new castle was built in 1837, and the lighthouse placed in its crown, the ghostly princess continued her visits. Those who tended the light complained that weird noises would occur on certain nights and sometimes their fire would inexplicably extinguish as she was heard walking through the corridor below the tower. BEGICH TOWERS (WHITTIER) BACKGROUND: The area where modern-day Whittier sits was developed during World War II, when it was chosen as the place to build a military harbor and a logistics base for the US Army. After the war, the military planned to develop a large complex in the area. What is now the Begich Towers was part of that plan. Whittier is such a small community that almost all of its 215 residents live in Begich Towers Condominium. The 14 story tower contains  a post office, general store, hospital, the Whittier Police Department, and the mayor's office. There is also a small Methodist Church, a grocery, laundry, a small hotel, conference room, and a play area with an indoor pool. PHENOMENA: It is also reported to be one of the most haunted places in Alaska. One of the ghosts who call Begich Towers home is particularly fond of whistling as he strolls through the building while another is often heard stomping up and down the stairs. On one occasion the city manager woke up to hear rustling noises in his kitchen, but when he checked, there was nobody there. Locals say that activity at Begich Towers is at its most frightening in the winter when heavy snowfall often makes leaving the condominiums almost impossible. TRIVIA: In 1972 the building was renamed in memory of Nick Begich, a Congressman from Alaska who disappeared in the area and is presumed to have died in a plane crash. BIRCH HILL CEMETERY (FAIRBANKS) BACKGROUND: Laid out on a hillside overlooking the city in 1938 as a secondary option to the Clay Street Cemetery. The cemetery is divided into different sections, including some set aside for Alaska Natives and Catholics, as well as fraternal organizations like the Eagles and Masons. For many years, the municipally run cemetery was known for its collection of folk monuments and natural landscape, both in some ways expressions of Alaskan notions of individualism and freedom from the regulations common in cemeteries elsewhere in the United States. PHENOMENA: Rumored to be haunted by a young boy and girl dressed in 1900s clothing who are seen wandering the cemetery as if searching for someone or something. The girl is commonly referred to as “The White Lady of Birch Hill”. It is surmised these youngsters might be victims of the 1918 influenza epidemic that hit the city. Many died being isolated in the Arctic with lack of medicine when the epidemic struck. Some visitors to the cemetery have spotted a small shadowy figure floating above the ground as if searching or just wandering through the site. Motorists driving along Chena Hot Springs Road who look toward Birch Hill often see strange glowing orbs hovering or dancing in the sky above the cemetery. BIRCHWOOD SALOON (CHUGIAK) PHENOMENA: A popular hangout for local residents is also home to the friendly and mischievous spirit of a man named Jack who is well- known for playing around with pool balls and messing with lights. Employees claim he's the son of a previous owner and was electrocuted trying to install an antenna during a windstorm on the rooftop of a building next door. Staff and patrons have reported seeing him dressed in jeans and a flannel. Footsteps are heard on the roof and the pool balls he is said to manipulate are only those on a specific table that existed while he was alive. Bartenders and customers have heard disembodied voices and a jukebox that plays by itself. TRIVIA: In April of 2018, a break in resulted in the theft of the saloon’s safe. BUCKNER BUILDING (WHITTIER) BACKGROUND: During the early stages of World War II, General Simon Buckner commanded the defense of Alaska and was concerned they would be attacked by air. To protect the troops, General Buckner recommended a facility that was independent of local power plant, bomb proof, and that had sufficient storage spaces. Whittier was the perfect place to have this military base. First, the bay area around Whittier, Alaska has deep-water ports that stay ice-free year long. With Whittier being one of two all-weather railroad ports that supplied Anchorage with military necessities, it was important that it stay functioning and safeguarded. Second, the almost constant cloud coverage would protect the facility from air strikes. PHENOMENA: Considered the “Strangest town in Alaska”, many people in Whittier are reluctant to tell of their own paranormal experiences there, but those who have entered the building to investigate it are willing to tell of theirs. Orbs and white lights are said to float through the corridors and apparitions ranging from spirits in military attire to civilian dress have been reported. Many residents in the apartment block have reported a weird shadowy apparition roaming its hallways late at night, as well as strange voices, the rattling of chains and the sounds of whistling. CHATANIKA GOLD DREDGE (CHATANIKA) BACKGROUND: Chatanika was one of over a dozen small communities in the vicinity of Fairbanks whose prosperity was tied to gold mining during the Fairbanks Gold Rush. A mining settlement established about 1904, it received a railroad station when the Tanana Valley Railroad was completed in 1907. The Chatanika post office was established in 1908. The Chatanika gold dredge was a historic relic of gold dredge #3 owned and operated by F.E. Company between 1928 and 1958. The dredge was private property and off-limits to the public. In August 2013 an accidental fire destroyed the dredge. PHENOMENA: Staff and visitors report strange sounds and mysterious voices from the structure through its open windows sounding as if its engines are still running and workers still on the job. On certain nights the dredge becomes enveloped by a weird, luminescent fog and on the rare occasion when people receive permission to explore the site, they report apparitions of ghostly miners from a bygone era, one of whom has been seen standing on a hill overlooking the site gazing down on the dredge. Another reported spirit is that of a man murdered and his body thrown into the reclamation pit in the 1970s by his wife’s brothers for cheating on her. CHENA HOT SPRINGS ROAD (FAIRBANKS) BACKGROUND: Chena Hot Springs was founded over 100 years ago by two gold mining brothers, Robert and Thomas Swan. In 1905, Robert Swan suffered from rheumatism and needed a place to relive his pain and be comfortable so the brothers set out to find the hot springs. It took them a little over a month to reach them after searching interior Alaska’s harsh landscape. In 1911, twelve small cabins were built to accommodate visitors and they became one of the most famous resorts in the interior of Alaska. Chena Hot Springs became so famous that the United States Department of Agriculture sent chemists to analyze the water. The characteristics of the water are very different from other American hot springs. PHENOMENA: It’s said that in winter time at 7 pm or later, between miles 8 and 12, one might see blue, white, and orange orbs of light, resembling headlights. They appear in the sky and locals warn they may even follow your car. At the resort the kitchen staff have often heard an unexplained noise from the a back room and pantry described as an incessant whistling. In other areas, footsteps can be heard and objects have flown off the walls. The chandeliers in the lobby have been seen moving on calm days with no upstairs human movement as an explanation. In one incident, a California teacher visited brandishing a video camera and made his way upstairs through the main building, saying he sought a "confrontation" with the ghost of Emma Leach who is said to haunt the building’s third floor level. When he got to the fourth floor, the windows were closed but he filmed the doors opening by themselves.  TRIVIA: A crew from The Dead Files, the Travel Channel paranormal TV show, visited to film an episode in 2012. CLARK MIDDLE SCHOOL (ANCHORAGE) BACKGROUND: The building underwent extreme renovations in 2008 and serves students in the 6th through the 8th grade. PHENOMENA: Said to be haunted by a woman in a white dress who goes by “Nancy”. She will sometimes play with the instruments in the music department room, turn lights on and off and appear in empty hallways in the summer when school is not in session. Urban legend alert  >> She’s considered harmless and teachers will actually tell their students of the woman who “comes up through the floors” and will off- handedly warn their students not to go to the band room alone. Still, many faculty members and administrators maintain there is no ghost here and it’s merely the stuff of urban legend. COURTYARD ANCHORAGE AIRPORT (ANCHORAGE) PHENOMENA: This hotel is home to a ghost cat and two men who reportedly died on the property. One haunts Room 201 where his body lay undiscovered for several days (or so the story goes). The other ghost, named Ken, hangs around the parking lot, startling guests as they walk to and from their cars. Management is allegedly aware of the problem and makes a sincere effort to keep the spirits from disturbing their guests. Two other rooms - 103 and 107 - are also reportedly haunted by a single or possibly  multiple spirits. One review from a guest stated, “I saw people on the walls and there were sounds from the room next to me and there was no one in the room. I changed rooms because something was staring at me at night. This was in room 106. Rooms 103 and 107 were empty and yet when I walked by, the door would click as if someone was going to open it from the other side. The management did state that there are "issues" that they have tried to solve.” DIMOND CENTER MALL (ANCHORAGE) BACKGROUND:  It is the largest enclosed mall in the state of Alaska. Dimond Center opened in 1977 with Safeway and Pay 'n Save as its anchor stores. It underwent a major expansion in 1981, adding a replacement Pay 'n Save drug store and other stores. In 1982, a competing development, the Great Northern Mall, was announced for the tract of land across the Old Seward Highway from the mall. A refrigerant leak on May 20, 1991 resulted in the death of the skating rink's assistant manager and injured 33 others, including six whose injuries required hospitalization. PHENOMENA: Rumored to be built on sacred burial ground, it’s reported to be haunted by the ghosts whose graves were disturbed when it was built. Although construction crews unearthed several small graves, it was decided because they were small and few in number, the development continued. The spirits are said to be seen by people who are alone in the restrooms or in the mall’s smaller hallways. People also share stories of hearing flute and drum music and seeing the transparent figures of wolves inside the mall as well as ghostly people dressed in native garb roaming the hallways. Some people say they’ve heard and felt a fearful presence in one particular room that hisses in visitors’ ears and pinches them if they linger too long. EKLUTNA CEMETERY (CHUGIAK) BACKGROUND: The graveyard outside of the St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Eklutna is filled with more than 100 colorful spirit houses built to cover burial sites. The miniature buildings combine Russian Orthodox tradition and Native American practices. Spirit houses, an Athabascan tradition, are believed to provide a place for the deceased soul to dwell during the 40 days it is thought to linger in the physical world. It has existed there since the 1650s. PHENOMENA: Legends say despite the variations in religions, the spirits here exist in harmony. Apparitions of people from all walks of life have been reported to sing, laugh and dance together. Footsteps have been heard as well as strange lantern-type lights moving across the grounds. FAIRBANKS MEMORIAL HOSPITAL (FAIRBANKS) BACKGROUND: Fairbanks Memorial Hospital opened its doors in 1972 thanks to the voluntary efforts and monetary contributions of the citizens of Fairbanks. A 152-bed hospital, FMH serves patients from throughout the Interior of Alaska and provides care in more than 27 specialties. PHENOMENA: It’s said that whenever an infant is close to death, mysterious spirits will appear in the nursery wing. Nurses from the hospital have suggested that these are angels sent to guide the children to the next life and are generally perceived to be benevolent. Other strange phenomena include the sound of babies crying coming from empty rooms. Staff there will respond to these cries but find the infants in the pediatric ward peacefully and quietly asleep. They also experience cold spots inside the well-heated hospital that are so extreme they say they can see their own breath. FOURTH AVENUE THEATER (ANCHORAGE) BACKGROUND:  Built beginning in 1941 and completed in 1947 after a halt during World War II, somewhat after the heyday of these styles, it was a large 960-seat first-run theater until the 1980s. As the Lathrop Building, the complex included facilities for Lathrop's radio and television stations, a restaurant, and a penthouse apartment added in 1959-1960. PHENOMENA: Locals tell of strange sounds, objects moving on their own and the smell of old perfume from the ghost of an unknown woman who presents herself mainly during full moons as a green mist or a shadowy silhouette. All who have encountered her claim she appears quite friendly. A highly respected local businessman described in great detail looking up from the street one night at his locked office on the second floor of the theater and seeing a man staring back down at him. As he got closer, he recognized the man as Cap Lathrop who had originally built the theater and had been dead for 35 years. It is also said that the spirits of deceased former actors will appear when the building is empty to reenact scenes from some of their favorite plays. THE GOLDEN NORTH HOTEL (SKAGWAY) BACKGROUND: Built in 1898 and is considered to be one of the oldest hotels to operate in the Alaska area. Around 1908, the hotel was moved to the area where it currently stands. Once the move was completed, another story was added as was its distinctive golden dome. In 1997, the hotel underwent further renovations. PHENOMENA: At least two hauntings reported at the hotel with the first and most popular that of a spirit which many refer to as “Scary Mary”. In the early days of the hotel, prospecting for gold was a popular activity and it’s believed Mary’s fiancé was in the area seeking his own fortune. Apparently he experienced quite a bit of good luck at it, so he sent for Mary to join him. When she arrived he reserved a room for her at the hotel. Unfortunately, while he was away, she developed pneumonia. As her sickness progressed, she laid patiently in room 23 waiting for his return. Eventually, her sickness overwhelmed her and she passed away. Today, guests claim to see the spirit of Mary in this room with several who have stayed overnight often awakened by the sensation of choking. The other alleged haunting occurs in room 14. Individuals who stay in this room, as well as the housekeeping staff and other employees, claim there is a strange light that manifests in the room. It is most evident late in the evening and early in the morning, just before dawn. To some, it appears like a sparkle, or a small light that twinkles on and off. To others, it appears as an orb of light. The light does not appear to be threatening to anyone who sees it, but it is actually quite startling to those who are able to view it. HISTORIC ANCHORAGE HOTEL (ANCHORAGE) BACKGROUND: The building was originally a wood frame structure until a man named Frank Reed upgraded the building to a luxury hotel in 1917. The hotel outgrew its original building due to Anchorage's growth in the 1930s, so the Anchorage Hotel Annex was built in 1936 to house additional guests. PHENOMENA: One ghostly occurrence concerns the first police chief of Anchorage, Jack Sturgus, who died just a few steps away from the Anchorage Hotel from a bullet in the back. It’s said that he visits the scene of the crime every year on the anniversary of his murder to search for his killer, as the case remains unsolved to this day. Several guests have reported seeing the apparition of a young girl walking the second floor hall. The televisions in room 217 and 215 turn on and off by themselves and faucets on the sink and tub run on their own, despite regular checks by plumbers. There is also a ghost of the woman who hung herself while wearing her wedding dress. It is believed she was heartbroken when her groom failed to show on their wedding day. Guests have reported seeing pictures fly off walls and various faces and figures appearing in the hotel’s halls. Employees so often witness these phenomena that they took to keeping a diary to log all of it. HOTEL CAPTAIN COOK (ANCHORAGE) BACKGROUND: Captain James Cook helped define Alaska in the 18th century by mapping its jagged coastline for the first time. Walter J. Hickel, a Kansas native who arrived in Alaska in 1940 at the age of 20 with only 37 cents to his name, was a longtime Alaskan, entrepreneur, hotelier, author, and served twice as Alaska's governor. Hickel was a real estate developer, building and operating hotels, business and shopping centers for decades in Alaska. In 1964, an earthquake leveled much of downtown Anchorage, and many were hesitant to rebuild. Never one to think small, Hickel reacted to the earthquake by pledging to build Alaska's biggest and best hotel in devastated downtown Anchorage. Since 1965, the Hotel Captain Cook has defined luxury in Alaska by offering an unparalleled level of elegance and comfort. PHENOMENA: Guests and staff have witnessed the apparition of a woman in a white dress who lingers in the area of the hotel’s restroom. She is said to be responsible for opening and closing doors and turning lights on and off. According to local legends, in the early 1970s, she committed suicide in one of the hotel restrooms, and since then, some guests have reported sightings of her spirit dressed in white. The operations manager sometimes has to intervene and calm the troubled spirit. IGLOO CITY HOTEL (CANTWELL) BACKGROUND: The Igloo City Hotel sits on an isolated stretch of the Parks Highway in Cantwell, Alaska. It is distinctive in that it is shaped just as the name suggests. It was built back in the 1970s, but the four-story structure was never completed. It is not exactly clear why – perhaps it failed to meet building codes, or maybe the developers simply ran out of money. Whatever the reason, it ended up being left to weather the harsh Alaskan elements. PHENOMENA: Now alleged to be haunted by those driving past it at night who report seeing strange lights coming from inside the hotel. There are also regular reports of a woman in white looking out of one of the windows. JESSE LEE HOME (SEWARD) BACKGROUND: Prior to 1926, the Methodist Church operated children's homes in Nome and Unalaska. The facility at Unalaska, established in 1889 and also functioning as a boarding school, was called the Jesse Lee Home. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, the Spanish flu pandemic was particularly deadly in remote native villages, leaving more displaced children. The old missions were overfilled, in disrepair, and transportation of supplies and children to these remote locations was unreliable and expensive. Seward was selected as a new location because at that point in time, it was Alaska's largest port and transportation point. Transportation costs would be lower due to regularly scheduled routes directly from Seattle. PHENOMENA: The property suffered a massive amount of damage in 1964 during the Great Alaskan Earthquake and it’s been said several of the resident children were killed. It is possibly these poor souls who are now said to haunt the deteriorating property. Those who visit the home have reported feelings of dread and despair upon entering the building. It is common for visitors to hear giggling children even though none are present. The sound of jump ropes and bouncing balls can often be heard and small shadowy figures are seen flickering past the windows by those standing outside of the building. KENAI CEMETERY (KENAI) PHENOMENA: There are said to be multiple spirits here with one being an older, heavyset woman who goes by the name “Marie” and an older gentleman named “Arthur Johnson”. Arthur has been seen maintaining his grave site as well as those of others buried there. In the back part of the cemetery are several unmarked graves containing the remains of servants brought to Alaska to help dig for gold. When the gold ran dry it was deemed too expensive to house and feed them so it’s been said they were killed and buried in graves outside the main section. KENNECOTT MINES  BACKGROUND: The land where the mine sits was discovered in 1900 by two prospectors who had stopped there to allow their horses to graze. Discovering the rich copper deposits there they moved quickly to form a mining company with nine of their friends. When rich quantities of iron ore were also found in the surrounding mountains, a mining engineer named Stephen Birch bought the prospector’s land with $250,000 borrowed from rich Northeast investors. The rate of copper extracted from the land exceeded that of anyplace in the world. In 1916 alone over $32 million in copper was mined and sold. Soon a town grew around the mines and prospered until the 1920s and 1930s when eventually the mines dried up and resulted in a mass exodus from the town. PHENOMENA: The mines are said to be extremely haunted with one hot spot being the railroad which ran through Valdes where people have seen the apparitions of old miners following the line as if they are heading to their former place of work only to vanish when approached. In the mining area, visitors have reported everything from orbs of light to ghostly mists and the voices of miners shouting for assistance from each other. The spirits of the miner’s families are also said to inhabit the town, particularly Main Street. KETCHIKAN GRAVEYARD (KETCHIKAN) BACKGROUND: Bayview Cemetery is located just off Steadman Street in the main route through town. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> Legend says a headless woman appears to those brave enough to visit at night. As they attempt to leave, the woman’s severed head will then terrifyingly appear on the roadway, eyes bulging with the mouth stretching into a silent scream. KETCHIKAN HIGH SCHOOL (KETCHIKAN) BACKGROUND: Ketchican is one of the larger cities in Alaska with a population of about 7,300 citizens. The city is named after Ketchican Creek which flows through the town. Ketchikan High School, often referred to as Kayhi, is the principal high school for the Southeast Alaska community of Ketchikan and the Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District. PHENOMENA: Students claim that a ghost haunts the catwalk with weird sounds including disembodied voices and other strange noises. According to locals, a young boy fell from the catwalk to his death and it is his ghost that haunts the school. The ghost of the boy has been affectionately named “Boochie” MCCARTHY ROAD (CHITINA) BACKGROUND: There was a 30-year mining boom in nearby McCarthy, a town adjacent to Kennecott, which offered "colorful diversions" for miners, including a red light district. Many lives were lost between the railroad construction, the mining boom and the inevitable bust. Practically overnight, the once-bustling communities surrounding Kennecott mines turned to ghost towns. McCarthy almost joined them but hung on thanks to a determined few who continued to work other area gold mines. PHENOMENA: McCarthy Road is a gravel roadway that is an otherwise pleasant drive but after dark it is said to be the stuff of nightmares. Legend has it that some of the land it was constructed on was home to ancient burial sites of both native and foreign deceased. A wide range of paranormal activity has been reported by drivers and hikers that include shadowy apparitions swiftly moving through the trees, the sounds of ghostly children playing and disembodied voices that fluctuate between laughter and anguished screams. Some claim to see gravestones through the trees that suddenly vanish in plain sight. NIGHTMUTE HIGH SCHOOL (NIGHTMUTE) PHENOMENA: A little girl is said to haunt the school’s bathrooms and is known to flush toilets and flick the lights on and off. She has also been heard wandering around the school humming and often plays with basketballs if they are left unattended in the gym. Unfortunately, nobody is actually sure who this ghost girl actually is, but a grave was discovered underneath room number 106 which might explain how Nightmute became one of the most haunted schools in Alaska. NORTHERN LIGHTS HOTEL (FAIRBANKS) BACKGROUND: Built in 1965 as the Gold Rush Motor Lodge. In 1970, an tragic arson fire killed five guests, which might account for the ghost stories that followed. It was rebuilt in the same year and the building still stands today. In its heyday, it was noted as the first hotel in the city to offer color television. PHENOMENA: A little girl died on the third floor of the structure, after which the hotel closed off that part of the building. Yet the front desk has reported getting phone calls from room 303 with a little girl on the phone saying she's looking for her mother before hanging up. No one was on the third floor when the call was made. It was closed by the Anchorage Fire Department in 2002 because of more than 60 fire code violations and stands in need of new ownership and a total face lift. NORTHWEST ARCTIC HERITAGE CENTER (KOTZEBUE) BACKGROUND: Opened in 2009, the center provides visitors with park information, orientation and advice about travel logistics. Interestingly, bear-resistant food containers are available for loan. It's also home to a museum related to the Arctic ecosystem and Inupiaq culture. PHENOMENA: The NAHC is also home to a tragic event when a young boy named Alex was playing basketball by the center and the ball rolled underneath the building. It was swept away by water from the nearby snowfall runoff and as the boy went to chase the ball under the building he was trapped by the water and drowned. Today people will find small footprints in the snow, the sound of a child giggling and the sound of a bouncing ball. Urban legend alert >> It is said that if you bring a basketball into the center and call out "come get your ball" that you will hear another basketball bouncing in the background. Some have been sent running in fear as a basketball rolled to them out of the dark. OLD COPPER RAILROAD (CHITNA) BACKGROUND: The railroad that ran between Cordova and Valdez was eventually closed, covered over with dirt and used as as an access road along the Copper River. PHENOMENA: The now-deserted railroad is said to be very haunted and to this day spirits have actually hindered efforts to redevelop the area. Travelers on the road and visitors to the present-day historical landmark claim to have seen tombstones just off the dirt path that runs alongside the CR & NW, the Old Copper Railroad, but the same visitors claim that on their return, the tombstones are nowhere to be seen, as if they vanished into thin air. Construction workers have also reported seeing the stones as well as hearing the screams of long-dead miners. Some also claim that their tools will go missing, sometimes right out of their belts. This was enough to bring renovation attempts to a screeching halt. RED ONION SALOON (SKAGWAY) BACKGROUND: Built in 1897 and opened for business one year later. It was widely known as the finest bordello in Skagway during the Klondike Gold Rush and the original structure of the old “cathouse” still remains today. Back then there were were 10 dolls placed behind the bar that represented each of the 10 ladies who plied their trade on the second floor.  If the doll was laid flat on her back, it meant she was “busy”. If the doll sat upright, it meant that the lady is available. The museum inside is filled with antiques and relics from back in the gold rush days. PHENOMENA: There are some old gowns displayed there and some claim that mysterious lights will appear behind them from time to time. The lights will start flickering and will sway back and forth. The spirit of a former madam known as Lydia sometimes appears inside the brothel museum. She supposedly also waters the plants inside as the soil in the planters has been found to be moist as if someone had just tended to them. Footsteps are heard on the second floor and a strong smell of perfume will linger in the air accompanied by a significant cold spot. ROOKIE’S CORNER (SITKA) BACKGROUND: The Kiksaadi Club used to be a popular watering hole in southeast Alaska, but one night, an intoxicated woman was struck and killed by a vehicle just outside the bar. She apparently had staggered into traffic and was hit by a truck driven by a inebriated young man. Somehow she staggered to her feet and continued stumbling around, screaming in pain, until she finally succumbed to her injuries. PHENOMENA: The club is now a sports bar called Rookies Pub, where patrons report seeing a ghostly figure in the road at night looking so real that they have questioned their own sobriety. Sometimes in the early hours of the morning, moaning and crying can be heard from the bushes lining the corner where she was struck. THE RUSSIAN BISHOP’S HOUSE (SITKA) BACKGROUND: Built between 1841 and 1843 by Finnish laborers brought in by the Russian American Company, to provide housing for Reverend Ivan Veniaminov, who had been appointed the first Bishop of Alaska by the Russian Orthodox Church. From his seat in Sitka, Veniaminov oversaw the spread of Orthodox missionary and educational work to the indigenous peoples of southern Alaska, nearly doubling the number of Orthodox worshipers in the region between 1841 and 1860. Missionary efforts were continued after the United States purchased Alaska in 1867, and were only significantly cut back after funding cuts in the wake of the Russian Revolution in 1917. The seat of the Russian diocese was relocated the San Francisco in 1872, and the Bishop's House was re-purposed to provide housing quarters for priests. PHENOMENA: Strange occurrences have been reported on the grounds including otherworldly winds that kick up inside the building when all the windows are closed, unexplained chills and the overwhelming feeling a of presence in the room. The most common apparition is that of a lady in a blue dress who is known to follow guests through the house, startling them, before vanishing before their eyes. SHIP CREEK (ANCHORAGE) PHENOMENA: It’s said that in 1987 an unknown assailant murdered a native Alaskan woman near Ship Creek. Now the victim called “Marie” reportedly haunts the area to warn drifters about the dangers of loitering. Some maintain she appears only to other native Alaskans and others claim she extends her kindness to all, going so far as to pull a blanket over homeless men or women sleeping near the creek. Marie appears to favor the area between the old ANS Hospital and the railroad terminal. WENDY WILLIAMSON THEATER (U. OF ANCHORAGE) PHENOMENA: The Wendy Williamson Auditorium is only just over 40 years old but nonetheless there is no absence of paranormal activity reported there. One particular spirit is an angry male with an apparent dislike for brunettes as women with long brown hair are often pushed by this unseen presence in the auditorium. There are also reports of a woman in white appearing during a performance with the audience assuming she was a part of the show until she disappeared in full view of the patrons. The are also claims of the sound of children giggling as well as the spirit of a teenage boy that haunts the theater. WEST HIGH SCHOOL (ANCHORAGE) PHENOMENA: It’s said a lady in white haunts the old auditorium. She's been seen on occasion for decades, sometimes standing silently among the seats, running through corridors, appearing backstage or in the basement halls. Her description remains consistent no matter who reports it as many people including school administrators, teachers, students and visitors have reported seeing her. Two assistant principals and a security guard were startled when a figure in white flashed by them in narrow corridor behind the balcony. In the theater prop room, a girl assisting with a show opened a door leading into a tiny side room and was shocked to see a strange man glaring at her. On another occasion someone asked their companion who the girl was staring down at them from the balcony. When they both looked up she had vanished from sight. Another spirit that haunts school is said to be a former custodian who has been seen sweeping up the lobby. There claims of footsteps tip-toeing around empty halls, slamming doors and lights turning on and off.       BACK TO PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE