Our interview about Ozark weather magic with Debra Burris is on YouTube:

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About the guest: Debra Burris

After years of practicing witchcraft while simultaneously studying astrophysics and teaching meteorology, Dr. Debra Burris is a delightful sparkling prism of unexpected juxtapositions. She is an author, a physicist, and a professor at the University of Central Arkansas. Beyond her academic prowess, Debra also practices as a witch, a farmer, a master naturalist, a bone artist, and a Reiki healer.

Debra Burris’ recent book, “Weather Magic: Witchery, Science, Lore,” explores the connection between ancient weather folklore and modern meteorological science. Burris examines traditional weather predictions and rituals alongside contemporary scientific knowledge. The book covers topics such as interpreting natural signs for weather forecasting through both scientific and folkloric lenses, and using magic to control the weather. It provides a detailed guide to the mystical aspects of meteorology and how they complement scientific understanding, giving a subtle middle finger to those who say science and magic don’t mix. Keep up with Debra on YouTube, TikTok, IG, or FB, and try to catch her live at the following events: Harmony in the Hollow, Austin Witchfest, Mystic South. You might catch her speaking or signing books at Strange Brew Occult Shop in Fort Smith, AR, or Nature’s Treasures in Oklahoma City, OK.

Mystical Meteorology

Debra takes us on a shallow dive into the principle of quantum entanglement and its implications in modern physics. But we know you want more.

Some Light Reading on Quantum Entanglement

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum physics where pairs or groups of particles interact in ways such that the quantum state of each particle cannot be described independently of the state of the others, even when the particles are separated by large distances. As a simple analogy, imagine two smart light bulbs that are set to always display the same color light simultaneously, regardless of the distance between them. When one light bulb is switched on and it glows red, the other bulb, no matter how far away it is, will instantly glow red as well. If you change the color of one bulb to blue, the other bulb instantly switches to blue too.

This reflects quantum entanglement where the state of one particle instantly determines the state of another linked particle, over any distance. Yet when talking about entangled particles, their inexplicable mirroring of states is not based on prior agreement or a programmed sequence, but on a profound and fundamental connection established between them at the quantum level. This instantaneous connection defies the classical law of physics dictating that information cannot travel faster than the speed of light.

TLDR? Well, my takeaway is this: if physics is still contradicting itself about the very nature of the universe, why not believe in magic? Even just for now; until physics gets its shit together.

Weather Lore and Magic

Wind Magic

Can whistling really draw the wind? Or can tying knots in a rope calm it? Sailors might whistle to encourage a breeze to fill their sails, yet also cautiously avoid overdoing it to prevent summoning storms. Conversely, tying knots in a rope was thought to control wind intensity, with each knot capturing a degree of wind power; untying a knot would release the wind as needed. These practices demonstrate the fear of and desire to control the wind in various maritime traditions.

Wind Casting in Weather Magic

Wind casting is an ancient divination practice using the direction and characteristics of the wind to gain insights into future events. East wind represents air and intellect; South, fire and creativity; West, water and emotion; and North, with earth and stability. Practitioners work in a place where the wind’s influence is palpable, while tossing something biodegradable into the wind. They use the wind’s direction to interpret its symbolic meanings, combined with the shapes that form in the scattered objects for context.

Storm Magic

Debra talks about the granny woman tradition of mystically cutting a storm with a knife. Just make sure the blade is pointed in the direction of the storm!

Tornado Lore in the Ozarks

Have you heard that tornadoes always move southwest to northeast? Or that they can’t cross a river or a mountain? While these rules aren’t hard and fast, they do seem to reflect common meteorological patterns of tornado behavior in the Ozark mountain range. Debra also recounts personal paranormal tornado stories of life-saving premonitions, and how to unwind tornadoes with magic to protect your home and family.

What are Hagstones?

Also called Odin stones or witch stones, hagstones are stones with naturally occurring holes worn through them, often found in rivers or coastlines. They have mystical protective properties: hanging a hagstone on a string near a home’s entrance can ward off negative energies. They are also used in healing rituals and as talismans for good luck. Sailors historically carried these hagstones as well, for protection against drowning. Finally, peering through the hole in a hagstone may reveal the faerie realm. In this episode, Debra teaches us how to make a lightning protection charm using a hag stone.

Predicting Weather with Signs and Folklore

How can a persimmon seed forecast winter weather patterns? Debra tells us that this folk wisdom has held true 75% of the time, based on her experiences. Here’s how it works:

1. Collect Persimmon Seeds: First, gather ripe persimmons. Be sure they’re locally-grown, as folklore suggests that local seeds reflect local weather.
2. Cut Open the Seed: Carefully split the persimmon seed open. Inside, you will find a small kernel.
3. Observe the Kernel’s Shape: The kernel inside can vary in shape, and each shape portends different winter weather.
   • If the kernel is shaped like a spoon, it suggests that there will be a lot of snow. The shape symbolizes that you will need to shovel snow.
   • If it resembles a fork, expect a milder winter with powdery, light snow and a fair amount of wind. The fork shape suggests that you can “fork” or push through the winter without much difficulty.
   • If the kernel looks like a knife, brace for a cutting, icy, and bitterly cold wind that cuts like a knife. This shape foreshadows a very harsh winter.

Fascinating Weather Physics Phenomena

• What is Saint Elmo’s Fire?
  Saint Elmo’s fire describes a visible glowing halo from pointed objects in a strong atmospheric electric field. The blue-violet glow looks like a flame, but is actually a corona discharge creating luminous plasma. It typically appears on the masts of ships and the wings of airplanes (and sometimes on longhorns) during thunderstorms. Historically, sailors saw Saint Elmo’s Fire as a good omen, believing it a sign from the patron saint of sailors.
• Fulgurites: When Lightning Strikes Sand
  During a lightning strike, the bolt creates an intense heat exceeding temperatures of 30,000 Kelvin—that’s hot! This temperature rapidly melts the silica in sand. When the molten sand cools, it solidifies into a glass-like structure, tracing the path of the lightning underground. The resulting shapes vary from smooth, hollow tubes to intricate branches, capturing fleeting lightning as unique natural sculptures.

Plus, for more entertaining physics content, check out the music video Debra mentioned: “We Are All Connected.”

More of our ghost stories from Oklahoma

Did you know the Oklahoma college Debra talks about is also haunted? Oklahoma is more haunted than we let on. Here are more episodes with ghosts from Oklahoma.

• The Cursed Parking Lot at Tulsa Freedom Fest
• Finally, Diana’s Haunted Basement Ghost Story!
• The Possessions in D-Hall Dorms
• Tiny Terrors in Tulsa
• There’s an extra person in this room.

Ozark Weather Magic

We loved by this intersectional journey through physics, magic, and folklore. If you did too, you’re going to love Debra’s book, “Weather Magic: Witchery, Science, Lore.” If you have your own weather magic practices, or have heard some especially interesting or useful lore about weather signs and omens, tell us about it! All the signs point to a spooky day!

The post Live by the Signs: Weather Magic appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Our interview about Ozark folk magic with Brandon Weston is on YouTube:

Or listen right here:

About the Guest: Brandon Weston

Brandon Weston is a guardian of Ozark traditions in three dimensions: he’s a folklorist, an author, and a spirit worker. His books, including the recent “Granny Thorneapple’s Book of Charms,” delve into Ozark folk magic. His writings can be explored further on his official website or through his Twitter and Facebook profiles.

Charms and Spells: The Heart of Ozark Magic

The Art of Secrecy in Spells

In Ozark folk magic, the effectiveness of a spell hinges on its secretive recitation. Practitioners often whisper the incantations or speak them behind their hands to protect their power. Traditionally, a charm can only be shared with three individuals before it loses its potency for the original holder. Charms are only passed from older to younger family members, across genders. This practice seems similar to ancient customs like the concept of the “seventh son of the seventh son.”

Tokens and Omens

Brandon defines “tokens” as omens or signs within the Ozark tradition, where natural occurrences carry messages from the spirit world. For instance, a butterfly signifies a visit from a deceased loved one, and a red bird pecking at your window warns of a looming death of a loved one. Encounters with these signs often necessitate specific counteractions to mitigate their foreboding messages.

The Ozark Spirit World and Its Inhabitants

The Ozark Spirit World

In addition to haints, the Ozark spirit world encompasses fairies, land spirits, and demonic entities. Individuals gifted with ‘second sight’ have the ability to perceive these spirits. He believes, however, that anyone can develop the ability to recognize the tokens they present.

Nature magic is usually highly regional, because it is dependent on the regional flora and fauna. When the early European settlers arrived in the Ozarks, they were excited to see that the red cedar trees grew there as well. Back in the old country, Scotts and Germans used this wood like we might use sage for cleansing. Strangely (or obviously, depending on your worldview), settlers discovered that the Native Osage people were already using red cedar for the exact same spiritual purpose, without any prior crossover communication.

Folk Exorcisms using Ozark magic

Haint lore in the Ozarks encompasses a variety of spirits, from mischievous fairies and land spirits to more malevolent entities. Brandon has refined techniques of “rehoming haints,” which he calls “a kinder exorcism.” Ever practical, he uses a mason jar with graveyard dirt as a haint trap. He tells us that graveyard dirt attracts spirits because it smells like death. He advises collecting this dirt from the edges of cemeteries, avoiding graves, and seeking permission where possible. Apparently, a little bit of graveyard dirt is all you need to catch a ghost.

Boogers in Ozark Folklore

In Ozark folklore, ‘boogers’ are described as elusive, ghostly creatures that challenge conventional understanding. Brandon says boogers are nocturnal, unusual, and have a solid black appearance without features. They also leave no physical traces such as prints or indentations. Brandon uses divination to uncover the desires and intentions of these mysterious beings, but says he’s still trying to figure out their exact nature and how they differ from ghosts, hell hounds, or cryptids.

You’ve heard a few of our guests talk about boogers before. The subject has always seemed shrouded in mystery, for some reason. Boogers also appear in Appalachia paranormal folklore, but they’re never well-defined. Perhaps it’s part of their elusive nature to be mysterious? Do you believe you’ve seen a booger, or truly understand their nature? Please let us know, as we’re still trying to figure them out!

Cryptids of the Ozarks

Speaking of cryptids, the Ozark region is also home to a variety of other creepy critters.

• Gowrow: A formidable monster reputed to dwell in caves and capable of consuming entire cows. Its presence is steeped in local lore, suggesting a creature of significant strength and mystery. Learn more here.
• Side Hill Hoofer: This unusual creature resembles an armadillo-sheep hybrid. It has legs of different lengths, allowing it to navigate the hilly terrains of the Ozarks. The key to overcoming a Side Hill Hoofer is to tip it over; its uneven legs prevent it from righting itself.
• Underwater Panther: From Muskogee origin myths, this aquatic cryptid is depicted as a formidable black panther. Oddly, it is an amphibious panther, lurking in bodies of water, attacking its prey from beneath the surface.

Ozark Folk Magic

If you find these Ozark folk magic practices intriguing or have your own stories to share, join the discussion at Homespun Haints Facebook Group. Or, consider submitting your story to Homespun Haints for a chance to be a guest on the show. And next time you’re out on the lake, pray that you don’t spot a large, dark, lithe, furry body speeding at you just under the surface, or you’re sure to have a spooky day!

The post How to Train Your Haints: Boogers and Tokens in Ozark Folklore appeared first on Homespun Haints.

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Summary of today’s stories of first-hand paranormal experiences

When you were a child, did you ever get in trouble for something that a ghost did? Can you imagine not only being tormented by a nasty entity, but then getting blamed for the havoc that it wreaked?

Our guest today grew up with something sinister in her attic. Something that liked to creep, to crawl, to make loud noises in the middle of the night…and to create endless nights of horror. Let’s hear her terrifying personal ghost stories, today, on Homespun Haints.

What is dowsing?

We’ve always heard the word dowsing used to refer to the very specific and uncommon practice of using a pair of rods or sticks held laterally in the hands in front of the body. Asking a yes or no question may result in the dowsing rods moving. A different meaning can be assigned to various rod movement patterns. Rods moving towards each other could be a “yes;” crossing an emphatic “YES!” And away from each other a “no.”

Rods specifically manufactured for the explicit purpose of dowsing have their handles encased in a low-friction tube, so they rotate freely. They’re designed to allow spirits to communicate without expending too much energy.

When Danielle talks about dowsing in this episode, she’s referring to the pendulum technique. You know, like the time Becky used a pendulum to speak with the spirits of soldiers in a haunted Civil War Battlefield in Nashville. In the great tradition of thrifty witchcraft, Danielle’s college friends used whatever they had on hand to ask yes or no questions of unseen entities. We guess anything dangly that moves back and forth without influence from a significant force can be a dowsing tool. A pendant necklace, a spider on a silk thread, a tube sock half-full of frozen corn…hell, get creative.

Can a haunting cause sleep paralysis?

Most people caught in the throes of sleep paralysis report seeing shadowy humanoid figures and experiencing fear. Some say that this stage between wakefulness and sleep causes hallucinations, and that the fear is a side effect of not being able to move. One of the most common causes of sleep paralysis is stress, coupled with sleep deprivation.

But this is the 21st century; we’re pretty much all stressed and sleep-deprived a lot of the time, no? So how come only some people experience sleep paralysis? And only in some situations, not every time they’re sleep-deprived and stressed?

Danielle’s theory, based on her own teenage first-hand paranormal experiences, is that sleep paralysis may have a third cause: ghosts. She believes that the shadow people were there in her childhood bedroom all the time. But she believes she could only see them when she was experiencing sleep paralysis. When the haunting subsided, and her entire family stopped noticing strange noises in the house, Danielle’s sleep paralysis demons resolved.

Are child ghosts or elderly ghosts more likely to be demons?

It’s a theory we’ve heard before; when you see an unidentified supernatural entity who is presenting as the spirit of a deceased child, it’s probably a trick. We’ve heard that this might be because children are so innocent that their souls immediately cross to a better place when they pass away. Therefore, they never become earthbound spirits.

This would imply that there are no real child ghosts. Every representation of a child ghost is something else disguised as a child ghost. Whether this is the case exclusively for nefarious reasons, or just because the entity enjoys identifying as their childish self, we have no way of determining.

Why do demons disguise themselves as child ghosts?

Because the living see children as innocent, they might be a good costume for a sneaky evildoer to get into one’s good graces. Danielle might be the first to tell us that the same is likely to be true about entities who present as the spirit of a very elderly person.

This seems counterintuitive at first. Children may be arguably innocent, but by that logic (e. g. if time lived begets corruption), why would we see an elderly spirit as innocent? Danielle’s theory is that, in addition to displaying innocence, a nefarious presence would also want to present as something or someone physically harmless.

If you think about it, maybe some of these entities really do see themselves as physically harmless. Since they’re non-corporeal, perhaps the harm they cause is only psychic harm. Indeed, psychic influence could manifest into physical injury, but perhaps these entities can only use roundabout ways to influence the physical realm. Maybe that’s why Danielle’s college friend group spent nearly 6 months interacting with a demon without experiencing serious harm?

Have you had any first-hand paranormal experiences like these?

Have you ever owned a haunted antique? Do you have haunting-induced sleep paralysis? What’s the weirdest thing you use to dowse with? If you were a ghost, would you prefer to communicate through dowsing rods, a pendulum, or a Ouija board? What percentage of child ghosts and/or elderly ghosts do you think are actually demons in disguise? Join the discussion in our Facebook Group, or on Patreon.

Speaking of sharing personal paranormal stories, let’s all cross our fingers that Danielle sees some spooky things at the haunted Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, and comes home with more haunted Arkansas stories to share. But most importantly, make sure to say goodbye when you finish dowsing, or you’re gonna have a spooky day.

The post Rocking Chair Man Can’t See You appeared first on Homespun Haints.

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Personal paranormal stories from Colorado

What would it take for your parents to believe that your childhood friend is actually a ghost? Would growing up in a haunted house lead you to fear entities from the other side, or would you go chasing after them, even voluntarily sleep in the same rooms as them?

Today’s guest is an artisan, a podcaster, and a ghost hunter, and her thirst for knowledge of the unseen began when a little ghost girl started braiding her hair.

About our guest: Angela Hartshorn of My Haunted Life

Angela Hartshorn of My Haunted Life Podcast loves finding things. You might find her gently paging through old newspapers, avidly researching her latest curiosity. But she also loves making things. Angela is a spooky haberdasher and seamstress. She has a lovely collection of witchy hats and fine leather hair accessories called Hart and Horn Wearable Art and Witchery. She also sells some of her hats and hairslides through a friend’s shop in Colorado Springs, Cronk Art and Curiosities.

Much to our delight, we stumbled across the Hart and Horn shop display at Midsummer Scream last week in Long Beach, CA, where we were able to corner her and coerce this interview out of her. And we think you’ll be glad that we did, Hainted Loves, because hoo boy, does Angela have some eerie personal paranormal stories. If these beauties aren’t enough for you, go follow My Haunted Life Podcast on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Patreon, and/or Facebook for more.

Also, check out Angela’s recent episode on The Pine Barrens!

Haunted places in Colorado and California mentioned in this episode

• The Black Monarch Hotel in Victor, CO.
• The Lumber Barron Inn in Denver, CO.
• The RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA, where yourses trulies recently stayed.

Ghosts named John on the RMS Queen Mary

The Queen Mary is a permanently docked luxury cruise liner from the 1930s that is now a haunted hotel in Long Beach, CA. The ship itself boasts 600 ghosts, a lot of whom seem to be named John. Two ghosts named John (John Pedder and John MacKenzie) died nearly a decade apart by being crushed in two by the watertight Door 13. Both ghosts hang around that door and grab women’s butts.

John Henry was a welder whose body was found around the time of the Depression during the boat’s construction. His ghost also likes the ladies and hangs around what is now the Green Room. And Captain John Treasure Jones who can still be seen around the bridge. He’s not known as frisky, however.

Of course, yours trulies are no strangers to staying in haunted hotels or on haunted boats, so we thoroughly enjoyed swapping stories with Angela about our experiences on the Queen Mary.

Stay tuned for more about the haunted Queen Mary, including Amber’s strange experience in the engine room, where she had a spooky day!

The post Three Frisky Dead Johns On A Boat appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Episode Summary: Paranormal Investigations and Ghost Tours in Downtown Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Being a professional paranormal investigator and ghost tour guide sounds like an amazing job. But does it come with risks? Because this is the type of job where you don’t want to take your work home with you, no matter how badly your ghostly coworkers want to follow you back to your house.

Today, we speak with lead paranormal investigator Diane, who works at both the Crescent Hotel and Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs. She’s had quite a few encounters both on the clock and off the clock, and she’s sharing them all. Let’s hear about some haunted hotels and ghost tours in Arkansas, today, on Homespun Haints.

About the Guest: Diane Newcomb

Diane has been leading paranormal investigations at the Basin Park Hotel and Crescent Hotel for years. The pair make up the most haunted hotels in the state of Arkasas. She’s such a fixture on these sites that the ghosts follow her home looking for her when she tries to take time off.

Diane has curated a vast collection of photos sent to her mostly by tourists who caught ghosts on camera during her tours at the two historical buildings. She was a fabulous guide for the Basin Park Paranormal Investigation, energetically sharing fascinating history and people’s true ghost stories despite the late hour. We loved her style from the moment the haunted doll greeted us at the beginning of the investigation. We were honored and thrilled when she offered to come on our show and tell some of the real ghost horror stories she’s collected over the years!

How to protect yourself from ghosts while paranormal investigating

This is a topic many a paranormal investigator has felt was very important to bring up in past interviews. We have heard many suggestions for how to protect against spirits. The methods Diane uses include a “spirit dump,” which we’re picturing is like a colonic for dead things that may be clinging on to you or intend to follow you home.

She also taught us an Aramaic prayer for protection, which one of her investigation participants shared with her. We found the following Hebrew version at keysofenoch.org: “KODOISH, KODOISH, KODOISH ADONAI ’TSEBAYOTH.” That website translates this prayer as “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of Hosts.”

Sorry, but your princess is in a different castle

Interestingly, many of the ghosts at the Basin Park Hotel are actually not haunting the Basin Park Hotel, per se. Diane could not confirm if anyone has ever died on the property in its current iteration. Before the hotel was built, a lodging called the Perry House stood at the same spot. Well, where the South Wing now stands, at least.

Diane tells us that newspapers at the time reported that nobody perished in the fire that claimed the Perry House. But that doesn’t mean there were never any deaths on the property. If any cowboy died on the land to become one of the numerous ghosts photographed at the modern day Basin Park, they would’ve likely done so during the Perry House years. Given the time frame during which the Perry House stood, it’s a lot more likely someone would’ve died due to accident, injury, illness, or even murder, while lodging at the Perry House. The many ghosts that tourists spot walking through walls on the current property supports this idea. There’s a theory that, when an earthbound spirit walks through a wall, it is actually passing through an area that would’ve been open and passable during that person’s lifetime.

Healing water and snake oil

Diane tells us that the healing waters that founded the town were actually well-known to the Osage people. Once word spread that the waters could cause miraculous cures for multiple illnesses, the wagon stop became a tent settlement, which then became a town. Given the rampant risks and shenanigans that happened in 19th century medicine, it’s no surprise that sick people were willing to travel by wagon up a windy mountain road just to drink some spring water. Hell, people still do things like that.

At the height of the expansion of Eureka Springs, enter the Crescent Hotel. At a budget several times what a normal luxury hotel would cost, in a remote, mountainous area almost impassable in the icy dead of winter, the Crescent almost instantly became somewhat of a money pit. It repeatedly changed hands, and even purposes, attempting to stay in the black. The most notorious part of its history was the late 1930’s. The so-called Baker Hospital subsumed the entire hotel. This serial fraudster claimed a 100% cure rate for all forms of cancer. It wasn’t until very recently that the details of the ruse finally came to light.

In 2019, excavation on an undeveloped part of the hotel grounds lead to the discovery of both creepy human remains and the actual formulas used in their cancer treatment. Diane tells us that the first people to really get their hands on these new discoveries were the guys from Ghost Adventures. Analyzing the nearly century-old samples, local university labs found ingredients like corn silk, red clover, ground watermelon seeds, and carbolic acid.

Diana has a little more to tell about it in her recent stay at the Basin Park Hotel:

Wait, those supplements sound familiar.

Now, to be fair, as only a couple generations removed from Appalachian granny witches, we do appreciate the value of nutraceuticals. According to clevelandclinic.org, corn silk is a traditional supplement that is traditionally used for fighting inflammation. (Fun aside: corn silks are basically corn fallopian tubes! We like how corn just lets it all hang out like that.) Red clover does actually contain isoflavones that can influence sex hormones, according to nccih.nih.gov, an imbalance of which could be related to several forms of cancer. The lycopene in watermelon seeds also influences sex hormones and is currently undergoing research as a potential anti-cancer agent.

So these “cures” weren’t just a random assortment of cheap local plants that someone blended together haphazardly. The continued modern use and study of these exact nutraceuticals supports the notion that, at some point, someone at the Baker Hospital potentially had good intentions and a justifiable plan to enact those intentions.

You know what we appreciate more, though? That it’s illegal nowadays to claim that a natural supplement has a 100% cure rate for cancer. Bizarrely, some of the nutraceutical components Baker used may have potentially been sincerely beneficial in some ways. The accompanying lies, secrecy, and abuse were pretty obviously not.

It’s not a tumor

And all the strange human tissue samples in bottles labelled as “tumors”? Those were apparently displayed in the lobby of the hospital. They served as “proof” to visitors that the tumors were no longer inside the patients. But all treatments performed at the hospital were non-surgical (thank you, Jesus). So…how’d those tumors get out, then? Perhaps they were remnants from psychic surgery? If so, what do you think they really were?

Would you stay in a hotel room haunted by a cowboy ghost?

If you’re planning a trip to Eureka Springs, and you want to stay in a haunted room at the Basin Park hotel, book in advance! None of the most haunted rooms were available when Diana visited. Diane suggests you stay in one of the following.

• Room 310, which the spirit of famous cowboy John Chisum haunts, and where kids see ghosts of other children.
• Room 308, where guests report getting touched.
• Room 408, where the notorious “ladies’ man ghost” may give you a sexy foot massage.
• Rooms 514 and 515, where more nameless cowboy ghosts apparently share a suite.
• The entire third floor, where the paranormal investigators get constant readings on their EMF meters all over. The rampant beeping and flashing suggests the presence of some sort of fear cage on the floor. A fear cage may cause false positives in ghost hunting. It is also thought to feed spirits energetically.

In fact, Diana stayed in room 506, and two nights of her stay, a loud furniture scooting sound woke her up right around the witching hour. The sounds were coming from the floor above, which was unoccupied and locked. In fact, right above her room was a locked-up, apparently haunted bathroom. So no matter which room of the haunted Basin Park Hotel you stay at, you’ll probably have a spooky day!

The post The Building Full of Cowboy Ghosts appeared first on Homespun Haints.

Getting to the Crescent Hotel Ghost Tour

The main thing to remember driving there is that GPS is less helpful when you’re driving in the 3rd dimension. In other words, many travelers’ GPS can’t tell if it’s on a road at the top of the mountain, or a parallel road at the bottom. Because of that, you’ll want to look carefully for street signs guiding you to America’s most haunted hotel.

The main touristy area of Eureka Springs is along Spring Street, which you’ll take out of town to the northeast. Make a right at the post office to stay on Spring. Turn left on steep Howell at the bottom of the hill, then keep heading uphill. Turn right at the stop sign on Prospect, which you’ll stay on until you arrive at the 1886 Crescent hotel parking lot. Free parking is almost always pretty easy, except during major festivals.

There is also public transit available if your car isn’t brave enough to drive up the side of the mountain. For visitors staying the night at one of the Basin Park Hotel‘s guest rooms, there’s an on-demand free shuttle to the Crescent Hotel.

Welcome to the Eureka Springs Crescent Hotel

The hotel front desk where guests checked in was just to the left of the entrance, as was the crystal dining room. But you’ll actually turn right when you enter to get on the hotel elevator to the 4th floor.

Sometimes, I feel like the elevator is the first spooky attraction at the haunted hotel. It has definitely been there much longer than one lifespan. The dim light within after the dark lacquered doors close is reminiscent of The Shining. Perhaps enough to make you wish you’d hiked the many creaking stairs instead. 

Entering the Crescent is a special experience for me personally, since I used to visit so often making lifetime memories in my childhood. I still see each detail with a glint of the fantasy it imbued to my younger self. In front of the enormous fireplace sits the EXACT antique brass fireplace screen I grew up with in my home. Seriously. My mom sold it to the Crescent Hotel at an antique road show many years ago. But most importantly, I always look for Morris’ special exit. 

An adorable mascot for a Haunted Hotel

Morris was an assistant manager that worked at the hotel during the 1990’s. He wasn’t supposed to be there, given that he was a cat, but the hotel staff gave him a job so that he could stay. I’ve been a hard-core cat lady since birth. Many days in my childhood, I’d follow that fluffy orange tail around the hotel’s crystal dining room and lobby, until he slipped out his personal tiny exit door.

Nowadays, there’s a plaque in the lobby of the Crescent hotel dedicated to Morris’ lifetime memories. There’s also a sweet grave located between the back door and the swimming pool. You can read about the famous kitty while you wait to tour one of America’s most haunted hotels. Delightfully, I spotted a new fluffy black and white feline manager snoozing under a table in front of the fireplace. 

The Crescent Hotel Ghost Tour Review

Finding the ghost tour within the Crescent Hotel

Upon entering the fourth floor corridor, turn left and head past the bar. You’re going to a little sitting room on your left, where they’ll take your tickets. In that room, you’ll meet your guide.

Our guide was a serene, slight young woman with a wide-brimmed hat, reminiscent of a cheerier Lydia Deetz in technicolor. She was the perfect combination of animated and excited telling people’s true ghost stories, yet placid and patient with questions from participants. She spoke loud enough to hear perfectly. Plus, she waited until everyone could see her before starting each new story as we made our way through the Crescent hotel. We didn’t run into many hotel guests, but it was a Thursday evening.

Accessibility on the ghost tour of the 1886 Crescent Hotel

Before the pilgrimage started, we gathered in the sitting room to hear the history of the 1886 Crescent Hotel. Maybe I’m getting old, but I love sitting comfortably for the backstory. Some tours seem to think it’s a great idea to stand for 2 hours straight. I think most tourists would disagree. When I’m in tourist mode, I’ve been pounding the pavement constantly for multiple days. I’d like to have a seat as often as possible during the storytelling parts. That being said, the the hotel lobby carpets are padded and pretty comfortable to stand on. The elevator is very close to the stairs, so those who choose to take it won’t miss the ghost stories.

The main bathroom is around the corner from the staircase, but it’s a tight squeeze. You may want to ask ahead about other options if you have a chair. There may be accessible bathrooms downstairs in the New Moon Spa. There is also a ramp up to the front door which isn’t too steep. The place was built a century ago, so you can expect some narrow hallways. The group doesn’t really go through any narrow doorways. Watch your head in the morgue, where the ceilings are low and the lighting is dim. 

Crescent Hotel History: MILD SPOILERS, but you’ll want to take the ghost tour to get the full stories

Aside from just ghost stories, we heard the whole history of this Eureka Springs lodging. We learned that the 1886 Crescent hotel was several times grander than just about every other luxury hotel in America at the time. It was built for the many guests who crowded the Victorian village in its heyday for the local spring water with mystical healing properties. But despite recently becoming a stop on the Frisco Railroad, the mountain passes entering Eureka Springs, Arkansas, were still difficult for travelers to access in the winter. Thus, the Crescent hotel had many vacancies for half of each year.

The perfect solution was to make the Crescent hotel a college during the colder months. From 1908 to 1924, it was rebranded as the Crescent College and Conservatory for Young Women (and later a junior college until 1934). And this is where we get our first ghostly tales. According to our guide, recent guests have seen the apparition of a beautiful woman whom some suspect was a scandalously pregnant student from the conservatory.

Let the true horrors begin

For a couple years in the late 1930’s, Norman Baker purchased and turned the Crescent Hotel into the Baker Cancer Curable Hospital. The new owner boasted a 100% cure rate for all cancers. The extraordinary reputation of Eureka Springs healing water helped buoy Baker’s reputation. Given the limitations of the medical field at the time, a late-stage cancer patient likely had little hope of recovery in a standard hospital. The Baker Hospital might seem like a reasonable last resort.

Unfortunately, Baker was a charlatan. He had no medical training, and purportedly gave the cancer “patients” nothing useful, not even for pain relief. Instead, he locked those nearing death away in a distant room in a separate wing to suffer into madness. 

After these poor swindled people died, a nurse would wheel them right past the new guests, down to the morgue. There on the autopsy table, their tumors would be removed, preserved in alcohol, and displayed in the lobby of the Baker Hospital as “proofs of success.” Unfortunately for many cancer patients, the general public knew so little about medicine and anatomy at the time, that the excised tumors were used as proof that cancer was being cured without surgery. Because Baker didn’t perform surgery…on the living.

Justice served…or was it?

Fortunately, Baker was eventually shut down and convicted. But not for fraudulently practicing medicine, only for mail fraud, so the sentence was a pittance. Apparently, the same charlatan committed the same atrocities in other towns as well. Nobody was able to make the connections until it was far too late. I’m really glad I live in the age of the internet and facial recognition software. 

After Baker went to prison in 1940, the Crescent Hotel actually stood empty for six years. But those tumors stayed on the property until at least the 1970’s. The ghost tour guide speculated that, some time after that, someone must have carelessly buried the tumors on the grounds of the hotel without reviewing the contents.

Rebuilding the 1886 Crescent Hotel

Marty and Elise Roenigk purchased the Crescent Hotel and the Basin Park Hotel in the late 1990’s. Philanthropists and preservationists, the Roenigks repaired significant damage from a 1967 fire, carefully restoring the Crescent Hotel and health resort.

Our guide told us that the previous owners weren’t too thrilled to be known as America’s most haunted hotel, and tried to downplay the spooky ghost stories. The new owner seems much more open, and now the Crescent Hotel hosts ghostly events nightly.

A gory discovery

Now, one exciting new development has occurred since my last time taking the 1886 Crescent Hotel ghost tour. In 2019, an excavation on the hotel grounds uncovered a large cache of preserved tumors.

Because of the alcohol preservation techniques and the haphazard disposal, some of the specimens were pretty useless by their unearthing, seventy years later. A local Arkansas university took the well-preserved samples for study and analysis, but you’ll still see many specimens as part of the ghost tours at the Crescent hotel. The hotel still owns hundreds of bottles of shriveled human tissue, etc. These are displayed in the morgue for your morbid inspection. Because yes, the hotel does indeed still have a morgue below the kitchens and honeymoon suites, a macabre sight which you’ll likely only see on this official tour. 

Diana took a mysterious photograph

The entrance to this death wing is also where we snapped this picture of something that we didn’t see until examining the photographs later. I snapped photos every time the tour guide pointed out another location where previous guests had spotted a spirit. I tried to take several burst shots in a row, a technique that allows for quick comparison and helps with noticing things that are there one moment and gone the next. You can see by comparing the photos below that nothing has significantly changed position between the two moments caught on camera. Well, nothing living, at least.

I was beyond thrilled when I saw this bizarre blur on my camera roll late that night! I’ve been on dozens of ghost tours in historic hotels in AR and around the world, and I’ve NEVER caught anything remotely paranormal on camera on a ghost hunt before. What do you think that is? Does that look like Morris the cat to you?

More Paranormal Things To Do at the 1886 Crescent Hotel

• CRESCENT HOTEL Eureka Springs Paranormal Weekend: An annual 48 hour conference with a professionally-guided ghost hunt. Occurs both on January 26-28 2024 and February 2-4, 2024 this year. ESP Conference guests get discounts on guest rooms at the Crescent Hotel.
• Overnight Paranormal Investigation Lockdown: 65 guests will be guided through a private paranormal investigation at the haunted Crescent Hotel on January 9, 2024. Over night room required.
• Haunted Crescent Hotel Kids Ghost Tour: A mini, 45 minute, not-so-scary intro to ghost tours for children ages 5-12. Accompanying adult admission is free.

Want to see more ghost tour reviews?

Was this review of America’s most haunted hotel ghost tour helpful or interesting? Was there anything that left you wanting more? Have you taken any other good ghost tours around Eureka Springs? If you’ve been on the Crescent Hotel ghost hunt yourself (or stayed the night in a haunted room there), was this review accurate? Did you catch any ghosts (or ghost cats) on camera?

If you’re planning a haunted Ozarks road trip, there are hundreds of back episodes of our paranormal podcast to stream on your ride there. Perhaps you could start with this regional episode about Ozark folk magic. We’ve interviewed everyday people with true ghost stories about the paranormal from all over America and the world. Please drop us a comment on our Facebook page letting us know if there are other spirit tours you’d like us to review. We love an excuse for a road trip, and a spooky day!

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