Hello everyone! It’s always spooky season at the Omni Mount Washington Hotel in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The haunted Mount Washington Hotel has a reputation for being one of the spookiest hotels in America, and after 50+ visits I can definitely say that, in my opinion, this is true!

In addition to its ghost-filled history, the Mount Washington Hotel has become a paranormal paradise, with guests and employees experiencing ghostly encounters.

Do you like ghost stories and reading about paranormal encounters? Keep reading to discover what exactly makes the Mount Washington one of America’s most haunted hotels.

BONUS: This post also includes stories from former employees, who share their most haunting experiences at the hotel!

Note: As a family, we love the Mount Washington Hotel, especially because of its history and haunted vibes. Some of my family members have worked at the hotel, and all of us have had spooky encounters.

Whenever I visit the Mount Washington, I’m on a ghost hunt. I’ve explored the abandoned towers and stayed in the most haunted room in the hotel, #314 – the Princess’s Room. Needless to say, this is one of my most favorite locations.

Mount Washington Hotel Haunted History

The Mount Washington Hotel was built in 1902 by Joseph Stickney. The hotel, which was originally only open during the summer months, became a paradise for those who were looking to summer in the countryside.

Joseph died shortly after the hotel was built, and his wife Carolyn then remarried to a French Prince. Although she had remarried, Princess Carolyn continued to spend summers at the hotel.

It is believed that Carolyn now haunts the hotel that her first husband built. Specifically, multiple sightings and spooky occurrences have been recorded in her old suite, now guest room #314. What further adds to the haunted feel of this room, is the fact that it still holds Carolyn’s original bed for guest use.

Carolyn Stickney is now the most prominent and active Mount Washington hotel ghost.

Present Day at the Mount Washington

Today, the Mount Washington retains much of its historic charm, and it’s a lovely place to stay year round. They have a wonderful spa and golf course; and since being purchased by Omni, all of the guest rooms have been beautifully redone.

In 2008 Ghost Hunters visited the Mount Washington Hotel (Season 4, Episode 7) – and, not surprisingly, they discovered paranormal activity. They specifically visited the Princess’s Room, #314, as well as the towers of the hotel, which are known as another hotspot for paranormal activity.

Paranormal Activity – Hotel Room 314

There have been many reports from both guests and employees of seeing the ghost of Princess Carolyn sitting on the edge of her bed in room #314.

In addition, guests have noted instances of lights turning on and off on their own, as well as items disappearing and reappearing in strange locations. Other guests report smelling a floral perfume in the middle of the night.

In addition to the Princess’s room, there are many reports of spooky occurrences in the hotel’s ballroom. In this room specifically, many people share stories of music playing on its own.

These stories all contribute to the Mount Washington Hotel being widely considered as one of America’s most haunted hotels!

Visit for yourself and see what you experience!

Photo From Omni Hotels Website – Princess Carolyn’s Suite

Ghost Stories + Spooky Occurrences – as told by Employees

All of the below accounts are from former hotel employees, who will remain anonymous. The accounts were gathered by my cousin, who worked and lived at the hotel as a young adult.

A Princess sighting

On more than one occasion, I would be walking in the main lobby and would see out of the corner of my eye what seemed to be a lady looking out over the mezzanine. Each time, I would glance up and the image was gone. But A LOT of employees and guests have had that same experience. We all agree it was Princess Carolyn who was married to Joseph Stickney.

A scary encounter

In 1997 I was working as a housekeeper and had to clean room #314, the Princess’s room. I went to service the room, that newlyweds were staying in, and I knocked on the door and there was no answer. I opened the door went in and there was a little girl sleeping on the bed.

Immediately, I went to the hallway to see my inspector, and told her I couldn’t clean the room because a little girl was sleeping. She said that was odd because the guests were newlyweds and nobody else was registered. She asked me to leave a note that I was coming back in an hour to service the room. I went back in the room to leave the note by the table. I walked in the room quietly to not to wake the little girl up. When I looked at the bed, instead of a little girl there was a woman staring right at me with the most scary smile on her face. She had black hair and was wearing a white dress. I got chills down my spine and I just stood there frozen. She sat on the bed and kept staring at me.

I ran out of the room and told my friend who was also a housekeeper. We both went back in the room and there was no one there. I still have a hard time remembering that incident and I get chills every time I speak about it. I have many friends that have worked there and I heard a lot of scary things that happened. Oh, the day before this happened my friend and I took pictures of ourselves on the Princess’s bed; everybody tells me that I made her upset by doing that.

A Ballroom Visitor

In the late eighties early nineties when the hotel was still only seasonal. I was working alone in the ballroom late in the fall just before shutdown. That time of year always seemed to have more ghost activity, like they knew we were all leaving soon.

I had been working on the floor and was resetting the room for a large meeting. The ballroom had super heavy curtains on the windows at the time, and I had closed them all. I was moving chairs from the other side of the room, and at one point the curtains started flowing as if someone had a hold of them and was waving them back and forth.

I checked all the doors and windows and nothing was open. It made me wonder if someone was messing with me. I set a down chair and stood back up, and clear as day I saw a woman standing there in a hoop style dress. Without even thinking about it I started to leave, but then halfway to the door I went back to see if it was someone playing a trick. I went back out into the middle of the ballroom and was facing towards the lobby of the hotel when it felt just like someone brushing past me. I guess it wasn’t a trick. 

A haunted orchestra

As I walked into the ballroom late one evening on a night where there was no performers I heard the faint sounds of an orchestra playing. I thought a rehearsal was going on and I went to see who it was. There was no one there. No one. As I walked away from the side of the stage, the lights suddenly went out and the music got louder. It was surreal and very, very scary. I ran to the light switch and saw that it had been turned off. I turned it back on and the lights went on for a second and then the switch turned down on its own! The entire time the music kept playing. I ran out and found security and told them what happened. They went in to investigate and found nothing — no music and no problem with the lights.

An inexplicable crash

I had a few experiences, but this is one that stands out the most: A few summers ago I was bartending in The Cave (hotel bar). It was just after we opened and I was standing on the side of the bar. No one was near the other end of the bar. The only people in the room were me, the other bartender, and the two guests that we were standing and chatting with.

All of a sudden we heard a loud thud at the opposite end of the bar, and a stack of tea cups and saucers we had stacked underneath the bar came flying out at least 4 feet and smashed all over the place. No doubt in my mind there was a spirit in the room. The guests we were chatting with quickly finished up the conversation and left for the night. They never came back for a drink. 

If you would like to read more spooky employee stories, let me know in the comments below! There are so many more stories that support the Mount Washington being one of America’s most haunted hotels.

Mount Washington Myths

In addition to the “factual” haunted history of the hotel, there are also many myths surrounding the paranormal nature of the Mount Washington.

Growing up I was always told that the hotel was haunted by Princess Carolyn; but I was also told that she had committed suicide in the hotel’s elevator shaft. I’m not sure where this myth regarding her death started, but it has been disproven.

There are also rumors that The Mount Washington inspired Stephen King’s “The Shining.” Unfortunately, this is inaccurate. However, The Stanley Hotel, that inspired the movie, does indeed resemble the Mount Washington. This rumor definitely fuels the haunted reputation of the hotel.


The Mount Washington Hotel is consistency ranked as one of America’s most haunted hotels. It is the perfect place to visit if you believe in ghosts and enjoy paranormal experiences.

If you’re feeling extra brave, I highly recommend booking hotel room #314 – and trying your luck in the Princess Carolyn’s room. I also suggest asking the concierge to show you the photo of the ghost that is kept at the reception desk – in my opinion, this will convert any non-believer!

Have I convinced you to visit the Mount Washington Hotel? Click here to see room rates and to book a room at the hotel (maybe room #314)!

I hope you enjoyed reading about the Mount Washington Hotel, and the many spooky occurrences that have taken place there over the years. Let me know your paranormal experiences in the comments below; and please save and share this post if you enjoyed it!

Lastly, check out my post about fun things to do in the White Mountain region, to include on your trip to the haunted Mount Washington hotel!

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Pinterest Pin of the haunted history of the Mount Washington hotel in Bretton Woods, NH
Haunted Mount Washington Hotel Pinterest pin.

♡Kate

Note: This post includes affiliate links. Read our disclosure here.

38 Comments

  1. Kate, you are so brave – I would never have the courage to stay in that hotel, much less in room #314! Very interesting read. Happy Halloween! mgb

  2. Mount Washington looks like such a cool hotel! I would so stay here. I would like to experience the Haunted Orchestra you did. I think I would freak!

  3. hehehe, I do notttt think I’d have the guts to stay at a haunted hotel, let alone one of the most haunted rooms, so props to you! I’d definitely consider visiting one!

  4. I actually have a paranormal experience on my own, that was quite scary.
    But although it was scary doesn’t mean we won’t stay there again and also doesn’t mean that we won’t stay in her room, I’ve read a couple of different comments on different cites that were mean and not true, the hotel was beautiful and the staff was really pleasant this was honestly the best hotel I have ever stayed at. Now lit’s get on with the story, so my dad and I were heading up to the hotel, I loved paranormal stuff as a kid so when he surprised me that it was haunted I was so excited, I looked up about the hotel and were it’s most haunted spots were, everything kept on coming up room #314 so my dad and I called the hotel to see if we could stay in that room, unfortunately it was booked for the whole week, so as we were going up I learned The whole backstory to this paradise hotel, when we got up there we noticed a horse and a carriage, which the stables are said to be haunted by a man and a little boy, and my dad got a a call from the hotel saying that we could stay in room #314 my dad surprised me with it, ow the room was gorgeous and if you get to stay up there ask the front desk to see the picture of Carlyons ghost in the window, now when we got in the room the tv was acting quite strange and it took a while to get it to work, then we decided to head off to the pool, so my dad was on the bed and I was walking into the bathroom with my back turned to my father, then he started yelling for my name and when I turned I saw the bottom drawer of the left side of the bed opened (this bedside table seems to be where the most paranormal al stuff happens in the room) now I didn’t really believe him so I just carried on with my dad, so I changed in the bathroom, and as we went down to the pool I met these kids about my age and told them all about the room and they were really curious so my dad and I showed them and there family the room, and when we got up there the drawer was opened again, the when the family left we were laying down watching tv (I was laying next to the bedside table that was acting strange) then I started to feel uncomfortable, like I was being watched and I turn my head and I see ever so slightly the bottom drawer opening, I was super scared, me and my dad decided to leave the room for a while, when we got in the lobby we were telling a bunch of people all about this room when a bartender comes up and asks us if we are staying in room #314 and when we replied yes he said oh my gosh you’re not going to believe it two ladies just checked out sayainf that the drawers kept opening and they kept Ed getting tapped in the leg when they slept, that was freaky, after that we were telling more family’s now I specifically the only person standing in a specific way I was the only one standing were I could see everyone perfectly no one was by my side, and I was talking about a specifically was talking about the beautiful portrait of her in the lobby when I felt a hand move across my hair really fast, almost like my mother was playing with my hair, I turn around and no one was there, I was in total shock, I couldn’t believe what just happend,after that I started looking around on websites to see if I could see if anyone felt there hair being touched like that but no, I was the only one, I was pretty freaked out by then so we decided to go back into the room, now I was sitting near the fire place with some chips so I go to the bed and lean over the bed so I could put the chips over there, I turn around and the two drawers are open that was SO FREAKY. In the morning as we were saying goodbye I sat near that bedside table saying goodbye to princess Carlyon, as I was saying goodbye the drawer opened as if she was saying good,bye to, overall the hotel was amazing and I would definitely stay there again!

    1. Wow, this was amazing to read! Thank you so much for sharing your paranormal experience with us! Room 314 certainly lives up to its reputation!!

  5. More stories please One! One spooky story that I have at a local hotel that is known to be haunted. An employee was in the kitchen alone, when all of a sudden a REALLY heavy object sitting on a counter nearby flew across the room at him at full speed. No one was around to throw it at him!

  6. I was so scared just by reading it! I would never, ever do it! I know the hotel sounds lovely, but I couldn’t sleep in it, not even if the hotel was to pay me! 😅😨

  7. Oh wow, you’re so brave for staying there! I love reading about these kind of stories but I’m not sure if I’d ever dare to stay at such a hotel myself. I would worry about these scary encounters constantly 😉

  8. Tell me more stories. We are going there soon – I’d like to read more about the haunted hotel – Mt Washington and Carolyn’s room. Thanks

    1. Amazing! I’ll definitely start compiling more stories for a part 2! I hope you have an incredible stay at the Mount Washington. Please let me know if you have any spooky stories to share after your stay, I’d love to hear them!

  9. I’d love to hear more stories from the hotel employees!
    I stayed my honeymoon in the sweet across the hall from 314. In the tower.

    I stayed up all night feeling like there was a presence watching me in the chair. Also when I showered I felt like I was being watched. It was a heavy experience. Unfortunately I was very excited to leave. Only to find out room 314 was our neighbor. With its history. I had no clue prior to my experience

    1. Oh wow! That is such a spooky experience. Would you ever consider going back now that you know the hotel’s history? I’ll definitely try to get more stories to get a part 2 up before Halloween this year!

  10. What a gorgeous hotel! I love the idea of staying there (although, maybe not in room #314…I’m not *that* keen to see a ghost!) But apart from the gorgeous surroundings, the White Mountain region looks incredible!

  11. When I watch shows about haunted locations, a few stories make it where I do research. Mount Washington Hotel is one of those locations. The rumor’s about the “Princess” killing herself in the shaft is false (no proof). But there was in FACT a elevator death, a female guest was killed after the elevator attendant lost control. There’s also a possibility a worker could be roaming around, he got hit and dragged by a car on the way to the hotel. I only started my search 20 minutes ago going on certain sites, but there is proof on these two. By seeing the beauty of the hotel, it’s not surprising a few chose to stay after death.

    1. Very interesting! Perhaps the death of the female guest in the elevator developed into, or contributed to, the myth of the princess’s suicide.

  12. I. Stayed there. Wen I. Was 12. Years. Old. All. Kinds. Of. Weird. Things. Happy. Over those 4. Days. I. Also. Believe. Many. Immigrants. Who. Built the. Hotel. An. We’re. Stayin. On. The. Property came. Down. W. Sickness. An. Died. Many. Lights. In. Towers. Off. An. On. Women. Elevator. Operator. Looked like. Woman. From. Pic. On. Hotel. Wall. From. The 30(s. Weird. Place

  13. I worked there during the summer of 74 as a telephone operator. Not many of the workers especially teens liked staying up in the towers in the workers quarters. That was one of the paranormal hot spots.

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