Ellis Hotel
Formerly known as the Winecoff Hotel, Atlanta’s Ellis Hotel has a rather dark claim to fame. It is best known for being the site of a horrific fire on Dec 7, 1946, which claimed the lives of 119 people. The scale of the tragedy was such that the hotel was dubbed ‘The Titanic of Peachtree’ – largely down to claims from the owners when it opened in 1913 that is was ‘fireproof’.
Many of those who died in the fire were burned alive or died of asphyxiation, but a large number also lost their lives when they jumped from the windows in an attempt to escape the flame, but ended up killing themselves anyway. The single staircase acted as a chimney and carried toxic smoke to the upper floors.The hotel was immediately closed and lay empty for many years before reopening as The Ellis Hotel.
Given the amount of death that the Ellis Hotel has seen, it is no surprise that it is considered one of the most haunted hotels in Atlanta, GA. Both hotel staff and guests have reported some terrifying paranormal activity throughout the hotel.
There are frequent sightings of various apparitions and it is also common for people to hear what they describe as heartbreaking screaming of women and children which is thought to be residual energy from the past.
Another common occurrence is for the hotel’s fire alarm to be triggered at 2.48 am – the exact time that the blaze broke out in 1946. The fire is one of the deadliest hotel fires in history and it was responsible for a major shakeup of building code.
The Highland Inn
The Highland Inn may often be overlooked by tourists. It is by no means a chic boutique hotel and is very much at the lower end of the accommodation scale. However, it is popular with a certain kind of guest – those with a keen interest in the paranormal!
Some suggest that the tired and at times shabby decor in the hotel is a deliberate ploy to add to the atmosphere and play on the properties haunted reputation, although if you ask them directly the staff usually deny that there is a resident ghost. In fact, more than a few people have noted a striking resemblance to The Stanley Hotel which was part of Stephen King’s inspiration for his haunted Overlook Hotel in The Shining.
The hotel has been around since 1927 and has seen various modifications over the years which have turned it into something similar to a labyrinth of corridors and staircases! This all lends itself to making The Highland Inn an ideal location for a haunting.
Not too much is known about who is haunting the hotel, or why they linger there, but various guests have comments on cold spots, strange noises, and shadows. Room 130 in particular seems to be a hotspot and guests have captured strange anomalies in photographs taken in that room.
This may not be one of Georgia’s many high profile hauntings, but it is certainly one that you may find interesting if you have some time to kill while visiting Atlanta!
Rhodes Hall
Rhodes Hall is affectionately known as ‘the castle on Peachtree’ thanks to its grand appearance. The building was constructed back in 1904 by Amos Rhodes.
These days the upper floors play home to The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, while the lower portion is a very popular choice for some of Atlanta’s most opulent weddings.
However, as beautiful as this house is there is something dark lurking beneath the surface – it is haunted! The majority of the paranormal activity that goes on here has been attributed to the wife of Amos Rhodes who actually died in the property. She is said to play with the lights and there are reports of unexplained footsteps and disembodied voices.
However, she is not alone in her haunting. Some visitors to the house have reported seeing apparitions of giggling children and the basement is said to be home to a much more malevolent presence which witnesses have described as a dark and evil shadow figure.
Rhodes Hall makes no secret of its reputation as one of the most haunted locations in Atlanta, regular tours of the building are available and it has in the past hosted keen ghost hunters!
Read about more places in the original post from : https://www.hauntedrooms.com/georgia/atlanta/haunted-places
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