With humble beginnings as a military fort during the War of 1812, the city of Atlanta sports colorful history that includes wars, fires and earthquakes. While the city is not known as a paranormal hotbed -- especially when compared to Savannah 250 miles to the east -- you'll find haunted havens in the city, including hotels with otherworldly guests that may keep you up at night.
You may find yourself tucked into bed by the benevolent ghost of a grandmotherly figure at the Beverly Hills Inn. In the northern part of the city, the European-style hotel originally was an apartment complex for elderly widows in the late 1920s. People have reported orbs, fogs and indistinct apparitions, particularly on the third floor of the hotel. While most ghosts are friendly, some people have reported angry outbursts such as breaking glasses on the floor. Each room comes with hardwood floors, upscale furnishings, a private bathroom, kitchen and private balcony.
Today, the Ellis Hotel on Peachtree Street rates as one of the city's top business hotels, according to US News and World Report, and Convention South Magazine. Upscale boutique amenities such as entire floors are devoted to comforts particularly suited toward pet owners, women and allergy sufferers. Visitors sometimes notice things are inexplicably out of place or hear the sounds of running children or screaming women when none are present. Some attribute the phenomena to ghosts of visitors to a former hotel on the same site where 119 people lost their lives in a 1946 fire. Firefighter ladders only reached up to the eighth floor of the 15-story building, causing panicked guests to jump from the windows or remain inside.
Just outside Atlanta's city limits on its northwest side, the Marietta Museum of History stands in a former hotel dating to the mid-1800s. Originally a cotton warehouse, the building became the Fletcher House Hotel in 1855. During the Civil War, the hotel served as a morgue and hospital before resuming its role as a hotel named Kennesaw House. Visitors to the hotel and present-day museum report seeing Confederate soldiers, blood-spattered doctors and glowing figures. Go ghost hunting in the museum during business hours.
A two-hour drive east of the city brings you to another notable haunted hotel. The Partridge Inn in Augusta is home to the ghost of a forlorn young bride whose fiance was killed on his way to their wedding. She spent her remaining weeks wearing her wedding dress and died of a broken heart. Originally a private residence when it was built in 1836, the hotel was host to celebrities and heads of state throughout the year. The 144-room structure is fully upgraded with modern amenities that include an outdoor pool and a private restaurant.
