THE STORY
Reported Haunting
Douglas' historic Gadsden Hotel is widely reputed to be haunted, with Room 333 especially associated with the spirit of a young boy. Guests and staff have also reported unexplained voices, apparitions and other lingering presences throughout the century-old hotel.
The Gadsden Hotel opened in Douglas, Arizona, in 1907 and quickly became an important stop for ranchers, miners, businessmen and travelers. After a devastating fire in 1928, the hotel was rebuilt in 1929 under architect Henry Trost. Its grand lobby, marble staircase, ornate columns and stained-glass artwork have made it one of southeastern Arizona's best-known historic hotels. The Gadsden also has a long-standing paranormal reputation. Room 333 is perhaps its best-known haunted location and is traditionally associated with the ghost of a young boy said to have fallen from a window. Hotel employees, guests and paranormal visitors have reported additional unexplained activity, including apparitions, disembodied voices and the presence of a mischievous child spirit. Other ghost stories have developed around the property over the years, though the identities and histories assigned to individual spirits are best treated as local legend rather than established fact.