BACKGROUND: In 1908 inmates finished building and opened the Arizona Prison at Florence. This new prison was to replace the territorial prison in Yuma. The convicts lived in tents while constructing the prison. The new prison featured a death chamber. The chamber was scaffolding above the death row cells that had a trap door for hanging inmates which opened to a room below. Convicts from Florence were a cheap source of labor and the state used them to build roads through the mountains between Bisbee and Tombstone in 1913. Convicts also built a bridge over the San Pedro River and improved the Douglas Highway. There is a concrete monument there commemorating the completion of the road. PHENOMENA: Both prisoners and guards have reported strange phenomena near the death chamber and in the area known as Cell block 3. Among the claims are cold spots and mists that take human shape. There are also disembodied cries and the metallic sound of cell doors opening and closing by themselves. Sometimes doors are found open during inmate counts after they've been locked shut. In 1973, two officers named Buckley and Morey were beaten and stabbed to death in a cell block riot and it’s said their spirits still wander the prison. BIG NOSE KATE’S SALOON (TOMBSTONE) BACKGROUND: Mary Katherine Horony-Cummings, also known as Big Nose Kate, was a Hungarian-born prostitute and longtime companion and common-law wife of Old West gunfighter Doc Holliday. In 1876, Kate moved to Fort Griffin, Texas, where in 1877 she met Holliday. Doc said at one point that he considered Kate his intellectual equal. Kate introduced Holliday to Wyatt Earp. This popular tourist hangout first got its start as the Grand Hotel in September, 1880. Considered one of the finest hotels in the state, the hotel was luxuriously furnished, provided thick carpeting, and its walls were adorned with valuable oil paintings. In those early days, the hotel often welcomed some of Tombstone’s most famous residents including the Earps, Holliday, and the Clanton Gang. Ike Clanton and the two McLaury brothers were registered guests the night before the famous OK Corral gunfight. PHENOMENA: The most notorious ghost here is called the “Swamper.” Staff, locals and tourists have had experiences with the former miner who shows up in photos and roams the halls, stairways, and particularly the basement. It’s been said the “Swamper” hid his silver somewhere in the building and returns guard its location. Ghosts of the Old West variety have been seen at the bar, standing in doorways, and according to a witness account, knocking over cases of beer in the basement. There are claims of phantom singing or talking in empty rooms, objects that fall to the floor of their own accord, doors that open and close, lights turning on and off by themselves and silverware flying off tables. The mannequins set up on the balcony have rearranged themselves and sometimes thrown onto the floor below. Footsteps and whispers are heard coming from the unoccupied basement and extreme cold spots and gusts of cold air are often felt. On the staircase leading to the, female employees claim they have been pushed off the last stair. One terrified female staff member felt the touch of cold hands around her throat. BIRD CAGE THEATER (TOMBSTONE) BACKGROUND: The Bird Cage Theater opened on December 26, 1881. It was owned by Lottie and William "Billy" Hutchinson. Hutchison, a variety performer, originally intended to present respectable family shows like he'd seen in San Francisco that were thronged by large crowds. After the Theater opened, they hosted a Ladies Night for the respectable women of Tombstone, who could attend for free. But the economics of Tombstone didn't support their aspirations. They soon canceled the Ladies Night and began offering baser entertainment that appealed to the rough mining crowd. PHENOMENA: Visitors and staff have heard disembodied whispers and speech with some claiming to hear singing which is at times accompanied by a female apparition that quickly fades from sight. Many ghosts are described as wearing period clothing, causing guests to mistake them for living actors that often re-create 1800s life in Tombstone. Other reports include the appearance of a man in black wearing a visor who wanders around the stage. There are anomalous sounds like as the echo of cowboy boots on the floor when no one is present and the sound of cards being shuffled. Shadows are sometimes seen darting past windows and the smell of smoke will manifest though no fire is ever found. TRIVIA: It was featured in paranormal investigation shows Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures (twice), Ghost Lab, and Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files. BOOT HILL CEMETERY (TOMBSTONE) BACKGROUND: The most notable use of the name "Boot Hill" is at the Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone. Formerly called the "Tombstone Cemetery", the plot features the graves of Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury; the three men who were killed during the famed Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The graveyard is believed to hold over 300 persons, only 205 of which are recorded due to some people (especially Chinese and Jewish immigrants) being buried without record. There is a separate Jewish cemetery nearby with some markers restored, and there are also marked graves of Chinese. However, most of the loss was due to neglect of grave markers and theft of these wooden relics as souvenirs. Some who were laid to rest here had names that were unknown or who only went by a nickname. The Tombstone "boothill" cemetery was closed in late 1886. PHENOMENA: Visitors often report strange lights and unidentifiable noises coming from the old graveyard. Spirits have been seen walking the area on numerous occasions and frequently are said to appear in photographs. Billy Clanton, killed in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral is said to rise from his grave and walk along the road back to Tombstone. CASEY MOORE’S OYSTER HOUSE (TEMPE) BACKGROUND: Built in 1910 by William Moeur, a significant figure in Tempe’s early school development, and his wife Mary. The house continued to be used as a residence or possibly a boarding house with rumors of a bordello being run there until 1973 when it was refurbished as a restaurant called “Ninth and Ash” which closed in 1986 when it was purchased and renamed “Casey Moore’s” Oyster House. PHENOMENA: Residents claim that around 4am, a couple are seen dancing in an upstairs room along with a faint light in the window. Some assume the dancing couple are the Moeurs who continue to enjoy the house that they lived in many years ago. There have been times upon receiving reports of these ghostly dancers that police have been called to the building only to find the alarms are still set with nobody inside. Forks have flown off tables upstairs that manage to hit the same spot on the wall. Tables, chairs and place settings laid out the night before have been found moved and rearranged in the morning. Paintings have fallen off the wall in full display of customers and lamps above tables swing on their own accord. Another spirit seen by customers and staff is that of a young woman with light colored eyes and dark black hair who some suggest was murdered by an aggressive suitor after rebuking his advances while others aware of the bordello story claim it was a “trick” gone bad. She will be seen out of the corner of your eye and remain stationary until you meet her gaze. Then she simply vanishes. CHANDLER HIGH SCHOOL (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: Chandler High School is among the oldest schools in the entire state of Arizona and was founded in 1914, just 2 years after Arizona was declared a state. PHENOMENA: People who have had a paranormal experience in the school includes former and present teaching staff, students, parents, administrators, visitors, and custodians. It seems to be more or less focused on the second floor of the school’s North Wing which is part of the oldest buildings on the school campus. It is said to be so haunted that at least one custodian refused to clean that part of the building after she had an unsettling experience there. COMMUNITY CENTER (JEROME) BACKGROUND: Formerly called Lawrence Memorial Hall, it was named after a major contributor of the Jerome Historical Society. It was once the old J.C. Penney building. However, before the building was built, in its place stood a number of small shacks, referred to as “cribs” used by the “sporting ladies” who lived there and entertained their guests. PHENOMENA: The building is commonly referred to as “Spook Hall” due to the sheer number of strange happenings there triggered by its resident ghost who is said to be a former prostitute who was stabbed to death by a miner as she tried to intercede in a fight. She is said to linger in front of Spook Hall before moving toward the Little Daisy Hotel where she vanishes into thin air. In its early days, the town was quite lawless, including by some estimates, more than 100 prostitutes in residence. The Spook Hall ghost was among those who lost her reputation, as well as their lives, in a mining camp filled with rowdy men. COPPER QUEEN HOTEL (BISBEE) BACKGROUND: Holding the distinction of being Arizona's longest continuously operated hotel, the Copper Queen was constructed from 1898 to 1902 by the Phelps Dodge Corporation to serve as lodging for investors and dignitaries visiting its nearby copper mine. Being a larger, rough and tumble town in the Old West this area was filled nonetheless with numerous bars and places of ill-repute where miners could find female company. PHENOMENA: It’s assumed three ghosts are in residence at the hotel, the first of which is Julia Lowell, a prostitute who committed suicide after being spurned by a customer who she had fallen in love with. The room named for her is one in which she is known to appear to guests at the foot of their bed and is rumored to play with the feet of male guests. The second ghost is a little boy who likes playing tricks on the guests and whose disembodied giggle can be heard in the hallways. He moves jewelry from its; original place and makes himself known when guests run a bath. He remains at the hotel because a relative is alleged to have worked there. The third entity is a distinguished older gentleman wearing a cape and top hat and is accompanied by the smell of cigar smoke. He is normally spotted on the fourth floor in the southeast corner of the building near the Teddy Roosevelt Room. CROOK TUNNEL (BENSON) BACKGROUND: The tunnel was built in 1902, but in 1905 a rock slide in the tunnel struck a passenger train bound for Benson, AZ. The train suffered minimal damage but the track was completely blocked by rocks and dirt. When word got out about the incident, a group of men headed to the tunnel to tend with the fallout. After several hours they cleared the track but it’s not certain if anyone was killed in the accident until a few years when one death was confirmed. PHENOMENA: In 1912, the battered body of Henry A. Marks was found in the tunnel with his arms and legs broken and one of his limbs all but severed from his body. It was thought he had been run over by a train as witnesses reported the man had been inebriated when he left Bisbee and headed home via the tunnel. He is now said to haunt the tunnel and many have speculated that he is angry that his death was passed off as an accident instead of something more nefarious. The phenomena occurring in the disused tunnel includes cold spots, a disembodied voice, and full-body apparitions. DAVIS-MONTHAM AIR FORCE BASE (TUCSON) BACKGROUND: The base was named in honor of World War I pilots Lieutenants Samuel H. Davis and Oscar Monthan, both Tucson natives. Davis, who attended the University of Arizona prior to enlisting in the Army in 1917, died in a Florida aircraft accident in 1921. Monthan enlisted in the Army as a private in 1917, was commissioned as a ground officer in 1918, and later became a pilot; he was killed in the crash of a Martin B2 bomber in Hawaii in 1924. The base is best known as the location of the Air Force Material Command's 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, the aircraft bone yard for all excess military and U.S. government aircraft and aerospace vehicles. PHENOMENA: Security police patrolling the bone yard, a mothballed aircraft storage area, have allegedly seen the ghost of a fighter pilot dressed in World War II-era gear walking among the old aircraft, perhaps searching for his own plane. Some have said the headlights of their patrol vehicles will go out during these encounters and their flashlights won’t function. Others report the ghostly figure walking through the security fence and across Kolb Road before disappearing. DEER VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: The school opened its doors in 1980 with an initial enrollment of 750 students. Today, the campus is housed on more than 60 acres with a current enrollment of about 1,900 students. It has been recognized for student achievements in a range of academics and athletics. The school is run by over 100 teachers, five counselors, one psychologist, four administrators, and numerous other support staff. PHENOMENA: There is a male ghost that makes itself known to students regularly and has been given the name “Dewy”. Most of his appearances happen in the school auditorium where he toys with lights and projectors. Students claim to hear his disembodied voice, sounds of crying and moaning or feel his presence among them. GADSEN HOTEL (DOUGLAS) BACKGROUND: The hotel opened in 1907. Named for the Gadsden Purchase, the stately five-story, 160-room hotel became a home away from home for cattlemen, ranchers, miners, and businessmen. The hotel was leveled by fire and rebuilt in 1929. Since July 2013, the hotel is operated by Peak Hospitality Management of Albuquerque, New Mexico. PHENOMENA: Staff and visitors have seen ghosts in the basement, the first floor mezzanine and on the upper floors. One is a headless man seen both in the basement and wandering the upper floors who is said to be the ghost of Pancho Villa and that the reason he appears headless is because he had tattooed a treasure map on his head and after his death his head was removed to obtain the map. (This is dubious as Pancho Villa was killed in his car in Chihuahua in 1923 but, his skull was stolen, which perhaps gave rise to the ghostly legend.) Another resident spirit is that of  a young Indian boy playing near the Mezzanine who plays jokes on staff and guests. There is also a ghost of a man in military clothing on the Mezzanine and an elderly woman that roams the fourth floor who is said to be benign as she makes her silent rounds. The spirits are said to be at their most active around Christmastime and Lent. TRIVIA: Featured on an episode of Sightings in 1995, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean with Paul Newman, Terminal Velocity  with Charlie Sheen and Nastassja Kinski, and Ruby Jean and Joe with Tom Selleck. The Gadsden was also featured on Hotel Impossible in 2013. THE HERMOSA INN (SCOTTSDALE) BACKGROUND: Cowboy artist Alonzo "Lon" Megargee purchased 6 acres of land in what is now considered Paradise Valley in 1935. He built his studio of adobe bricks in the middle of the site and kept adding to it, calling his home Los Arcos and later Casa Hermosa, meaning "beautiful house." The property was purchased by Fred and Jennifer Unger in 1992. Following restoration of the adobe walls, charred beams, and ironwork in the main building, the property re-opened in 1994, again as the Hermosa Inn, with a restaurant - "Lon's at the Hermosa", named for Lon Megargee - occupying the original building. In May 2015, the Ungers sold the resort to Allred Capital LLLP. PHENOMENA: It’s said Megargee still remains at his beloved home and is believed to be the main spirit haunting the property. Guests and staff have reported ‘a lanky cowboy’ around the inn who is known to break glasses and bottles during the night and flush toilets in an unoccupied rest room. One staff member claims she has also encountered Megargee in the form of a shadowy figure in a cowboy hat. HIGHLAND JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: Highland Jr High School is an above average, public school located in Mesa, AZ. It has 1,232 students in grades 7-8 with a student-teacher ratio of 21 to 1. According to state test scores, 51% of students are at least proficient in math and 48% in reading. PHENOMENA: The locker room is said to be haunted by a young girl who flushes toilets, turns on blow dryers and bangs on the locker doors. She is said to have been killed on the farmland that the school was built on by her own father who accidentally ran her over with his tractor. There is no way of knowing who she is but she’s been given the moniker “Lily”. HOTEL CONGRESS (TUCSON) BACKGROUND: Built in 1918 to satisfy the need for an upscale hotel for travelers and wealthy cattlemen and designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm William and Alexander Curlett as part of an expansion of Congress Street and in conjunction with the Rialto Theater. In addition to being a hotel, the Hotel Congress building also houses a restaurant, bar and music venue. PHENOMENA: There is a friendly male entity thought to be a long-time patron named Vince who makes his presence known by looking out the windows of the upper floors seemingly just enjoying the view and otherwise making himself useful around the property. It’s said when he was alive he would borrow butter knives from the Cup Cafe to use as screwdrivers and staff still find there in second floor rooms. The apparition of another former guest is said to be a WW II vet who is seen sitting at the end of the bar out of the corner of people’s eye. He likes the juke box and turns up the volume on songs he enjoys and turns down the volume on those he doesn’t. The staff will leave change for him to play it. There also exists the spirit of a female who was thought to be mentally ill and committed suicide in room 242. A cold spot outside the door and a dark shadow has been seen there and her blurred apparition has been seen in the bathroom and in the hallway outside the room as well. She whispers in the ears of staff and guests and has frightened many into running for the lobby. Others report hearing strange noises or experiencing nightmares during their stay. Yet another spirit who is dressed in gangster-style clothing has been reported both on the first floor and in front of second-floor windows. A bloody hand print has been seen in room 214 and the spirit assumed to be responsible for it becomes annoyed by the sound of a vacuum and unplugs it. TRIVIA: ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons has said that the Tap Room at Hotel Congress is his favorite bar. The Hotel is also known for being the site of the capture of gangster and bank robber John Dillinger in 1934. After a series of bank robberies, the Dillinger Gang arrived in Tucson to hide out. On January 22, 1934, a fire started in the basement and spread up to the third floor, where the gang resided under aliases. After the desk clerk contacted them through the switchboard the gang escaped by aerial ladders. On the request of the gang, two firemen retrieved their luggage, identifying who they were. After being transferred to a jail in Crown Point, Indiana, Dillinger escaped again and was eventually shot down in Chicago, Illinois. HOTEL SAN CARLOS (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: The site where the hotel sits was the location of the first school in Phoenix. The four room adobe school was inaugurated in 1874. It was replaced with a larger structure in 1879. The school was enlarged several times but was condemned in 1916, with construction of a luxury hotel in mind. In 1919, the land was bought by the Babbitt family (relatives of Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the Interior and Arizona Governor, who intended to build a hotel. The San Carlos Hotel project was finally begun by Charles Harris and Dwight D. Heard who purchased the property from the Babbitts. Construction began in 1927. PHENOMENA: One of the resident spirits here is said to be that of Leona Jensen who checked into room 720, on the hotel's top floor and jumped to her death in 1928. It’s been said she was inconsolable because of a breakup with a hotel bellboy either because of abuse or his affair with another woman. Many have reported seeing her dressed in white standing at the foot of their bed before walking to the door and vanishing. Guests claim to hear hear children laughing in otherwise empty rooms, and three young boys bouncing balls and wandering the halls. Then there is the little girl who is seen standing in an upstairs hall, crying. She is thought to be 6 to 9 years old and possibly a victim of a Spanish Flu epidemic that ravaged the area. HOTEL VENDOME (PRESCOTT) BACKGROUND: Built in 1917, it was originally designed to help with the demand for housing in Prescott. People were moving from the East for the mining opportunities and the health benefits of the dry desert air. People have loved the Vendome throughout the last century and in 1983 a group of investors renovated the old building . A woman named Abby came to Prescott soon after its completion for treatment for consumption. She fell in love with a man only known as “Mr. Byr” and they married. In 1921, they bought the hotel, but then lost it for failure to pay taxes. New ownership generously allowed the Byrs stay in room 16 and hired them to manage the business. One evening, Mr. Byr went out to get Abby some medicine and never returned. It is not known if he simply abandoned her or met an untimely death, but a heartbroken Abby lost interest, her appetite and subsequently was found dead in their room with her cat, Noble, who had been locked in a closet and had starved to death. PHENOMENA: Abby and Noble are said to haunt the building since the WWII era and remain there today. The activity surrounds room 16, though on occasion she will venture out to other parts of the hotel. Closet hangers have been heard moving by themselves along with the sound of a cat toy. Guests claim objects are moved when they are not looking or feeling touched by an unseen entity. They will hear and feel Abby or her cat sitting on their beds coupled with the aroma of perfume and a slight breeze . Maids who turn on the TV while cleaning the rooms claim that Abby will turn down the volume if she disapproves of the program. JEFFERSON PARK (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: Jefferson Park is located just north of US60 and is nestled between a housing development and some apartments and next to Jefferson Elementary School. It is a nice park with a baseball diamond and basketball courts, and quite a few large trees with nice shade, which is mandatory in Arizona. PHENOMENA: Urban legend alert >> The park is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl who was raped and murdered at that location. It’s been said she wanders among the trees and approaches teenagers and adults who pass through who also report hearing terrifying screams. JEROME GRAND HOTEL (JEROME) BACKGROUND: The Jerome Grand Hotel was originally constructed in 1926 under the name United Verde Hospital, owned by the United Verde Copper Company (UVCC), later to become Phelps Dodge Mining Corporation. Some knew it as the Phelps Dodge Hospital and United Verde Copper Hospital. It was the 4th and final hospital in Jerome. Opened in January 1927, the United Verde Hospital was a state-of-the-art medical facility; in 1930, listed as the most modern and well equipped hospital in Arizona and possibly in all of the western states. The hospital, however was closed in 1950, as the mining operations began shutting down and medical services were available in the neighboring community of Cottonwood, where many of the staff transferred to. The building stood unused for the next 44 years. PHENOMENA: Guests have witnessed phantom nurses, cries of distress and blood-curdling screams. Sometime in the mid 1930s a man was found dead in the basement after being pinned under the elevator. The elevator was functioning perfectly leading some to believe the man was murdered. His vengeful spirit wanders the hotel and especially the basement. Guests report the sounds of pacing in the hallways or walking up and down stairs.  A noted hot spot is Room 32 where one man plunged off the building to his death and another who shot himself. Doors open and close by themselves, faucets turn on inexplicably and the sound of someone in agony are common claims. The apparition of a bearded man assumed to be a miner has been seen on several floors. LEE WILLIAMS HIGH SCHOOL (KINGMAN) BACKGROUND: In 1917, Mohave County Union High School opened at this site. It later became known as Kingman High School. In 1993, a new Kingman High School North campus was opened for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Freshmen attended the old ("South") school. As the population of Kingman continued to grow, Kingman North became the permanent high school and Kingman South was converted to White Cliffs Middle School. Kingman High, a campus built for 1,600 students, currently houses 2,059 students. This overcrowding necessitated a second high school. PHENOMENA:  It’s been noted part of the the school sits on the former Pioneer Cemetery, much of it directly underneath the football field and bleachers and close to a memorial that commemorates original settlers. In 2010, construction workers unearthed seven coffins and some artifacts from the paste. Those spirits, seen dressed in Pioneer clothing, are assumed to be unhappy over the disturbance of their final resting place and let their feelings be known at football games and graduations held there. Inside, a man in a bowler hat and a long coat roams the hallways along with the ghost of a little girl calling out in the night claiming she wants to go outside and play. There are also reports of disembodied footsteps and voices, lights that flicker on and off and alarms, hand dryers and motion detectors that turn on at will. MONTE VISTA HOTEL (FLAGSTAFF) BACKGROUND: The hotel was built in 1927 and is a centerpiece of the historic downtown district. The hotel contains 73 rooms and suites on three floors. Many famous people have spent the night at the Hotel Monte Vista, including: John Wayne, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Anthony Hopkins, Esther Williams, and Barbara Stanwyck. PHENOMENA: Oddly, it was John Wayne who reported seeing one of the hotel’s first ghosts in the late 1950’s. He described the ghost who wandered into his hotel room as “friendly”. In the 1970’s three men robbed a Flagstaff bank and one of them was shot during their attempted getaway. Staff and guests claim his spirit still haunts the building. One manager reports hearing a voice saying, “Hello” or “Good Morning” every day when he opened the bar. There are other stories of sensing a ghostly presence in the cocktail lounge. Other phenomena at the hotel include odd noises, furniture moving by itself, apparitions, and items falling from their placements. Staff and guests report band music in the second-floor lobby. In Room 210, the Zane Grey room, a number of guests are awakened by a phantom bellboy knocking on the door announcing room service. There is never anyone found outside. There are also claims of the image of a woman wandering the halls outside that same room. After a maintenance man had made some repairs to another room room, he turned off the light and locked the door. Returning minutes later, the light was back on, the bed linens stripped and the television on at full volume.  In room 305, the ghost of a female apparition has been seen in a rocking chair. It’s been said if the cleaning staff moves the chair, the next day it will reappear in its original place. TRIVIA:  It was also a filming location for the 1942 American romantic drama Casablanca. MORTON HALL (FLAGSTAFF) BACKGROUND:  Morton Hall opened as a women's dormitory in 1918 and is named after Mary Morton Pollock who headed the English department and later worked to provide financial assistance to ensure students finished their educations. Originally built with a music room on the first floor, the institution later converted the space into a small library. The Hall also contained a dining room until 1954. Arizona State Teachers College at Flagstaff connected Morton and Campbell Halls in 1931 with the construction of a small annex. After the completion of North Hall in 1935, Morton became part of the North Quad of women's dormitories. PHENOMENA: The building at Northern Arizona University is said to be haunted by the spirit of a heartbroken student named Kathy who it’s said hanged herself in a stairwell during winter break in the early 1950s. Stories vary in that she was abandoned by her family or had a boyfriend who died in combat. Her ghost has been the focus of phenomena that includes lights turning on and off, radios and televisions malfunctioning, posters flying off the walls and blankets being pulled off beds. OLD TUCSON STUDIOS (TUCSON) BACKGROUND: Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona, it has been used for the filming of several movies and television westerns since then, such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Rio Bravo, El Dorado and Little House on the Prairie TV series of the 1970s-1980s. It was opened to the public in 1960, and historical tours are offered about the movies filmed there, along with live cast entertainment featuring stunt shows and shootouts. PHENOMENA: It’s claimed that at Rosa’s Cantina and the Grand Palace Saloon, a disembodied female voice is heard that has startled visitors and staff alike. The spirit is known as “Rosa”, who calls you by name and asks for help and has been known to pull hair and brush up against people. People hear her cries and attempt to seek her out but find nothing but an empty room where the voice comes from. Staff at the Storyville Theater report blood-curdling screams and claim an aggressive spirit there plays very disturbing pranks on people. OK CORRAL (TOMBSTONE) BACKGROUND: A livery and horse corral from 1879 to about 1888 in the mining boomtown of Tombstone, the site of the most infamous gunfight in the Old West has been portrayed in dozens of western films and books. The gunfight created a legend in Wyatt Earp and brought fame and notoriety to the town. After tensions had built between the Earps and Clanton Gang in Tombstone over time, Marshal Virgil Earp sought to disarm the men on October 26, 1881, resulting in a 30 second shoot out which left Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton dead. Also involved in the gunfight for the Clantons were Ike Clanton, Billy Claiborne and Wes Fuller. In the Earp party were brothers Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan, as well as Doc Holliday. PHENOMENA: The OK Corral is allegedly haunted by the ghosts of the participants and over the years many have reported seeing the blurry apparitions of men dressed in cowboy attire, often appearing with guns drawn, locked in an eternal battle with the Earps. Others have claimed to have felt numerous cold spots in various areas of the corral. TRIVIA: The historic gunfight did not take place within or next to the corral on Allen Street, but in a narrow lot on Fremont Street, six doors west of the rear entrance to the corral. OLIVER HOUSE (BISBEE) BACKGROUND:  Formerly a business office and boarding house for the Calumet & Arizona Mining Company’s executives then, later, the miners, was constructed in the early 1900s has a violent history. Over 20 deaths including some murders, have occurred at Oliver House. PHENOMENA: Legend has it that the former boarding house has been the site of numerous murders related to cases of adultery. One of them involved a policeman who shot and killed his wife and her lover in 1920 before going on a rampage and killing more than a dozen others inside the building. Over the years, guests have reported unusual occurrences like doors and shutters closing, ghostly footsteps in the hallways, feelings of being watched and the sound of gunshots. ORPHEUM THEATER (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: Construction began in 1927 and was completed in 1929 for a total cost of $750,000. In the 1940s the Orpheum was purchased by the Paramount Pictures chain, and renamed, "The Paramount." In the 1960s Nederlander purchased it to add it as a stop on the Broadway circuit. Throughout the 1960s until its restoration, it was renamed, "Palace West."  It underwent a significant restoration in an 11-year span between 1986 and 1997.  PHENOMENA: So many witnesses have reported paranormal activity at the theater that the local news outlet FOX 10, filmed a special segment on the hauntings there. One hot spot is the second story office of original owner Harry Nace who was shot and killed under mysterious circumstances and is said to still haunt the room. People claim male voices call out to them or speak directly to them, sometimes by name. In the balcony, a ghost known as "Maddie" has been seen on a few occasions. The mischievous ghost has interrupted performances, struck patrons on the head and at times appears in photos. It’s also said that a ghost cat roams the premises as people claim to have heard one purring or walking through the building. PALACE RESTAURANT & SALOON (PRESCOTT) BACKGROUND: The saloon was opened in 1877, and rebuilt in 1901 after a disastrous fire swept the district in 1900 and is both the oldest business and oldest bar operating in the state of Arizona. D.C. Thorne purchased the lot on which the saloon would later be built Wyatt Earp was involved in several gunfights behind the saloon, killing two men. Doc Holliday also killed a man in the saloon during a knife fight. PHENOMENA: There is a male spirit in residence named “Nevins” who, it’s thought, lost everything to the town sheriff when he bet his mortuary business in a high stakes poker game. It’s now said that whenever a card game takes place in the saloon, he makes an appearance looking for the chance to win back his property. PIONEER LIVING HISTORY MUSEUM (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: In 1956, a group of history enthusiasts became concerned about the razing and demolition of historical buildings in the state Arizona as a result of new construction by land developers. This group formed the "Pioneer Arizona Foundation, Inc. Among the notable founders of the foundation were former Governor Paul Fannin, Senator Barry Goldwater, Senator Carl Hayden, and Wesley Bolin. The main goal of the foundation was to save some of the historical buildings that were built between the years 1870 and 1910. PHENOMENA: Early on, a caretaker reported hearing the disembodied voices of children singing in the old schoolhouse and seeing a dark shadowy figure darting out of the Opera House. There are also claims of apparitions, ice cold blasts at the height of summer and hearing those disembodied voices. Some visitors report being touched or having their hair and clothing tugged by unseen hands. ROSSON HOUSE MUSEUM (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: Dr. Roland Rosson married Flora B. Murray in Phoenix on August 11, 1880 and they had a total of seven children - Irene, Vivien, Floy, Norma, and Clyde lived to adulthood. Their two other children died in infancy – their first son Roland Lloyd died at age five weeks, and an unnamed daughter died at birth. In May 1882, the Rossons purchased Block 14 in Phoenix, from Flora's half-sister, Margaret A. Richardson and her husband Mark P. Richardson for $1000. A newspaper article indicates that the Rossons spent $275 improving their residence in 1882. The Rosson House was built with modern accommodations such as electric lights, hot and cold running water, an indoor upstairs bathroom, and a telephone. PHENOMENA: The activity here has been attributed to the spirit of that former caretaker who was shot dead just outside the property. Staff and guests have reported strange phenomena that includes phantom footsteps coming down the stairs, items moving around in the museum when no one is present and occasional reports of the caretaker’s ghostly apparition. SANTA RITA HOTEL (TUCSON) BACKGROUND: Built in 1903 by Quintus Monier, the hotel was considered the finest hotel in the Arizona Territory at the time of its opening. The construction of the hotel project was a major moment in Tucson’s early twentieth century history and represented both a major investment into the territory and the introduction of amenities and refinement that would attract Americans from the east. The original 1904 hotel building was closed on April 30, 1972 and demolished as part of a plan to redevelop the property. The 1917 addition was demolished in 2009. PHENOMENA: Just months before its demolition, police were called to investigate the building after a security guard reported hearing footsteps coming from the fourth floor, but a search of the hotel revealed nothing. A week later, another guard reported a light on the fourth floor came on accompanied by sounds inside one of the rooms. A police search yielded the same result. There were claims of rocks thrown down hallways and doors slamming shut. A reporter who walked by the building one night claimed to hear an unnerving laugh from inside the building. He hopped a fence and spoke to a security guard who said the noise didn't come from the hotel. TRIVIA: Spirit medium Amy Allan of the Travel Channel's Dead Files has said the building was just as haunted as the San Diego's Whaley House, which is considered to be one of the most haunted places in America. SUPERSTITION MOUNTAINS (PHOENIX) BACKGROUND: A range of mountains located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. They are anchored by Superstition Mountain, a large mountain that is a popular recreation destination for residents of the Phoenix, Arizona area. PHENOMENA: The legend of the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine centers around the Superstition Mountains. According to the legend, a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz discovered a mother lode of gold in the Superstition Wilderness and revealed its location on his deathbed in Phoenix in 1891 to Julia Thomas, a boarding-house owner who had taken care of him for many years. Several mines have been claimed to be the actual mine that Waltz discovered, but none of those claims have been verified. It’s further said that someone or some thing watches over the mine and perhaps the mountain itself, waiting for the unsuspecting interloper to dare to trespass on what the Apache believed was sacred ground. Indeed, there have been many documented mysterious disappearances of those searching for the mine. THORNTON ROAD DOMES (CASA GRANDE) BACKGROUND: Built by InnerConn Technology Inc. in 1982, the factory was left unfinished on the side of Thornton Road in Casa Grande when the California-based company went bankrupt more than 30 years ago. By and large, however, the Domes reportedly serve as a hub of underage drinking and teenage graffiti. Much of the debris in the structures are broken glass bottles, food wrappers and burned household objects. PHENOMENA: Some spooky stories have sprung up in recent years about shadowy figures scurrying about the property, slamming car doors, kicking around rocks, or unleashing demonic-sounding screams. Though they're still more or less standing as of this writing, Pinal County has ordered the demolition of the domes. VISION QUEST LODGE (EL FRIDA) BACKGROUND: Opening its doors in 1973, the lodge that was known as a “dude ranch” is now a place for troubled teens. PHENOMENA: Legend has it that one night a stable boy went insane and killed the owners and their guests at the ranch. Now, recurring bloodstains appear on a bathroom wall and a woman in white is said to haunt the guest quarters. A second tragedy occurred near the old stables when a young girl was accidentally killed by a horse. Her ghost can sometimes be seen standing in the same area where she died and at other times she can heard heard crying. Yet a third tragedy concerns a two year old that was killed in the old stable. It has been reported that guests have heard sounds of a crying child where the stable used to be along with the apparition of the child standing in that area. Additionally, the ghost of a man riding a white horse in the mountains near the ranch has been seen by guests and visitors. VULTURE MINE (WICKENBERG) BACKGROUND: The Vulture mine began when a prospector from California's gold rush, Henry Wickenburg, discovered a quartz deposit containing gold and began mining the outcrop himself. In 1863, after Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture mine, Vulture City, a small mining town, was established in the area. The town once had a population of 5,000 citizens. After the mine closed, the city was abandoned and became a "ghost town". The deposit was later sold to Benjamin Phelps, who represented a group of investors that eventually organized under the name of Vulture Mining Company. PHENOMENA: Visitors and guides have reported strange occurrences such as apparitions, faint disembodied voices, the distant shuffling of footsteps and dark shadowy forms on the walls when no one else is around. One of the more interesting claims from the miner are the accounts of people hearing someone whispering in German to them which was Henry Wickenburg’s original dialect. It is also said to be haunted by the spirits of dead prostitutes from the bordello, school children and miners who died while at work here. WEATHERFORD HOTEL (FLAGSTAFF) BACKGROUND: Disastrous fires plagued early Flagstaff, like most frontier towns. After a particularly bad series of blazes in 1897, the City passed an ordinance requiring all buildings in the business area to be built of brick, stone or iron. Among the new buildings appearing in the year 1898 was the Weatherford Hotel, built by John W. Weatherford, a native of Weatherford, Texas. The original structure housed a general store on the first floor, and the Weatherford family upstairs. PHENOMENA:  The antique Brunswick bar brought in from Tombstone is where at least one of the Weatherford’s ghosts is said to most often appear. In this same ballroom a ghostly woman has often been seen floating across the room. On other occasions, she darts from one side of the room to the other. Other phenomenon there includes a light over the pool table swaying of its own accord and the sounds of voices coming from an otherwise empty bar. There are ghosts of a bride and groom that also haunt the hotel where according to legend, were murdered in Room 54 in the 1930s. On one occasion, an employee staying in the hotel awoke one night to find them sitting on the foot of the bed. Today, the room is a storage closet, but that hasn’t deterred them, as guests report seeing the couple enter the room. Staff claim to hear their names being called out by an unseen spirit on the fourth floor as well as feeling a presence standing behind them. YUMA TERRITORIAL PRISON (YUMA) BACKGROUND: Opened while Arizona was still a U.S. territory, the prison accepted its first inmate on July 1, 1876. For the next 33 years 3,069 prisoners, including 20 women, served sentences there for crimes ranging from murder to polygamy. PHENOMENA: A little girl is said to surprise, poke and pinch visitors with icy cold fingers. She is attracted to kids or people wearing red. It’s rumored she died when families lived there after its closure in 1909. Items are moved, lights turn on and off, and one day coins from the register in the gift shop flew into the air and landed back in the drawer. John Ryan, who was imprisoned around 1900 for “crimes against nature,” is said to haunt the place. Hated by the staff, he reportedly committed suicide in Cell 14. Tour guides will feel a cold chill when walking by there. A reporter planned to stay shackled to a ring bolt for 48 hours with a jug of water and a loaf of bread, but after 37 hours called for help saying she felt she wasn’t alone. A park manager was in the museum early one morning when he heard a co-worker call out to him, “Did you get it?” He went to the back office to find her but found that she was in another building. There are accounts of conversations in vacant rooms, shadowy forms seen out of the corner of the eye, and a woman who sings in the visitor’s area early in the morning. “Johnny,” another harmless ghost, stays in the gift shop flicking coins in the cash register but for some reason, leaves the bills alone. BACK TO PARANORMAL WORLD DATABASE
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