THE STORY
Reported Haunting
The historic National Exchange Hotel has a longstanding reputation for paranormal activity, with guests reporting apparitions of men dressed in late-19th-century clothing. Witnesses have also described ghostly figures smoking cigars or studying maps, along with other unexplained activity throughout the Gold Rush-era hotel.
This is considered to be the oldest operating hotel in California, and possibly all of the West. Established in 1856, it has been in continuous operation except for a brief period where it was closed down due to fire damage and repaired. People have reported seeing full body apparitions of men dressed in old-fashioned clothing sitting in the lobby and smoking cigars which would be odd if only for the fact that there is a no-smoking policy at the hotel. Some claim to have seen the figure of a woman in Victorian era dress gliding through the bar area. The piano is said to sometimes play at night and people have reported hearing other strange noises and to have felt cold spots.