These 10 Haunted Indiana Hotels Have Terrified Guests Reporting Ghostly Encounters For Decades

I have always been fascinated by places where history and mystery collide, and Indiana has more than its fair share of both.

From grand resort hotels with shadowy sixth floors to Victorian mansions where whispers follow you down the hall, this state holds some of the most genuinely unsettling overnight destinations in the country.

I spent time researching each of these locations, and the stories I found are not the kind you easily shake off. Whether you are a seasoned ghost hunter or simply someone who loves a good spine-tingling tale, these ten haunted hotels will make you think twice before turning off the light.

1. French Lick Springs Hotel

Few hotels in Indiana carry the weight of legend quite like the French Lick Springs Hotel at 8670 W State Road 56, French Lick, IN 47432. Staff have reported disembodied voices echoing through the corridors and mysterious phone calls ringing from guestrooms that have been confirmed empty.

Flickering lights and shadowy figures moving along the hallways round out the nightly routine for employees brave enough to work the late shift.

The most talked-about spirit is Thomas Taggart, the hotel’s former owner, who reportedly appears near the service elevator during peak hours as though conducting a quality inspection.

Guests and workers alike describe catching the unmistakable scent of phantom cigar smoke on the sixth floor, a fragrance long associated with Taggart.

Some witnesses claim to have seen him riding a horse down that very hallway, which is the kind of detail that makes even the most skeptical traveler pause.

Nearby, Wilstem Wildlife Park at 4229 US-150 W, Paoli, IN 47454 offers a welcome daytime escape, and the French Lick Scenic Railway at 8594 W. SR 56 provides historic rides through Hoosier National Forest for those needing a break from the supernatural.

2. West Baden Springs Hotel

Known as the Eighth Wonder of the World for its breathtaking dome, the West Baden Springs Hotel at 8538 W State Road 56, West Baden Springs, IN 47469 shares more than architecture with its sister property next door.

Guests have reported echoing footsteps in empty corridors, shadowy figures drifting past doorways, and lights that flicker without explanation.

The spirit of Thomas Taggart is said to roam here as well, as though his devotion to these linked properties never faded after death.

One of the hotel’s most intriguing mysteries is the Angel Room, a small cylindrical space discovered during renovations in the 1990s. It contains oil paintings of angels whose artist and date of creation remain completely unknown, which adds a genuinely eerie layer to an already atmospheric property.

No one has ever been able to explain where those paintings came from or who placed them there.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 left a dark mark on the hotel’s history, with reports of guests facing financial ruin leaping from balconies.

One particularly tragic story involves a bride who discovered her husband’s body and took her own life in a bathtub, leaving behind a red stain that staff say cannot be removed.

For a lighter experience nearby, El Compadre at 8345 W State Road 56, West Baden Springs, IN 47469, offers a warm meal before another restless night under the dome.

3. The Story Inn

Indiana’s oldest country inn at 6404 State Road 135 S, Nashville, IN 47448 has a guestbook unlike any other. Visitors have filled its pages with paranormal encounters spanning decades, and the inn’s current owner, once a committed skeptic, now openly says the hauntings are real.

That kind of conversion speaks louder than any ghost tour script ever could.

The Blue Lady is the star of the show here. Believed to be the wife of Dr. George Story, the town’s founder, she appears most often in the Blue Lady Room, hovering at the edge of the bed or reflected in mirrors and windows.

Guests say her visits are announced by the faint smell of cherry tobacco, and that turning on the blue light in her room is a near-certain way to invite her presence.

Other phenomena at the inn include a metal coffeepot tumbling on its own, a plate exploding in a waitress’s hand, and a cold presence near the basement stairs dressed in flowing white robes.

Paranormal investigators have captured orbs and unexplained motion on camera, pointing to at least two distinct spirits in residence.

Brown County State Park at 1405 S.R. 46 W, Nashville, IN 47448 sits right at the inn’s edge, offering miles of hiking trails for guests who prefer their thrills in daylight. The Brown County Music Center at 200 Maple Leaf Blvd, Nashville, IN 47448 is also worth an evening visit.

4. The Roads Hotel

Built in 1893, The Roads Hotel at 150 E Main St, Atlanta, IN 46031 has lived many lives as a hotel, boarding house, and brothel, and it seems the occupants of those eras never fully left.

Paranormal investigators have made this one of Indiana’s most-visited haunted destinations, drawn by a roster of named spirits and a documented history of deaths and tragedy within its walls.

Guests report feeling watched, seeing objects shift without being touched, and experiencing electronic malfunctions that defy explanation.

During one investigation, a feminine voice was captured on audio saying the words you wish in direct response to a request for contact, which is the sort of evidence that stays with you.

Everett Roads, the teenage son of original owner Newton Roads, died of tuberculosis in Room 5 and is still felt there today. The attic carries the energy of Lester Pore, a preacher who died there under circumstances that remain disputed.

Visitors have reported clothes being tugged, hair pulled, and shadowy figures moving through the living room. Dolls in an old bedroom have been found thrown across the room by unseen hands.

Nearby, Mr. Muffin’s Trains at 165 E Main St, Atlanta, IN 46031 offers a surprisingly delightful model train experience for those needing a lighter afternoon activity.

5. Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown-Union Station

America’s first Union Station found a second life as the Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown at 123 S Illinois St, Indianapolis, IN 46225, and the building brought its entire history along with it.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it once served as a route on the Underground Railroad, and that layered past gives the property a weight that newer hotels simply cannot manufacture.

Staying here feels like sleeping inside a living museum.

The hotel’s signature feature is its collection of life-sized white fiberglass ghost statues placed throughout the space.

These artistic figures depict characters from the station’s heyday, including train conductors, flappers, newspaper boys, nuns, and hobos, and they are genuinely startling to encounter in a dimly lit corridor at midnight.

They were originally sourced from a local mall and now serve as reminders of the thousands of lives that passed through this building.

Twenty-six Pullman train car sleeper rooms rest on their original tracks within the station, each themed around a notable personality from the early twentieth century. The muffled rumble of passing trains still vibrates through the walls at night, adding an authenticity that no renovation could replicate.

Lucas Oil Stadium at 500 S Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225 is nearby, and The Old Spaghetti Factory at 210 South Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46225 makes for a great pre-exploration dinner.

The Indiana Repertory Theatre at 140 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 is also within easy reach.

6. Canyon Inn

Canyon Inn at 451 McCormick Creek Park Rd, Spencer, IN 47460 sits inside Indiana’s first state park, and its natural beauty is matched only by its unsettling reputation.

Rumors have long circulated that the property once served as an insane asylum or sanitarium before becoming a hotel, and some locals believe the land itself holds older energy tied to its history as an Indian burial ground.

The inn consistently ranks among Indiana’s top five most haunted hotels.

Guests frequently describe being jolted awake by disembodied screaming with no traceable source.

Phantom footsteps pace the hallways through the night, and the sounds of a child crying or screaming have been reported by multiple unrelated visitors who had no knowledge of each other’s experiences.

One guest described the hallways as feeling exactly like something out of The Shining, which is not the kind of comparison that inspires a peaceful night’s rest.

Flickering lights and a persistent sense of being watched have been reported across multiple room types. One visitor described a strong presence standing directly in front of them in an otherwise empty space.

McCormick’s Creek State Park, accessible at 250 McCormick Creek Park Road, Spencer, IN 47460, offers Wolf Cave, Twin Bridges, and cascading falls to explore during daylight hours.

The park’s Saddle Barn provides guided horseback rides, and over ten miles of hiking trails give guests a healthy reason to stay until dark, if they dare.

7. The Slippery Noodle Inn

Indiana’s oldest bar, The Slippery Noodle Inn at 372 S Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46225, has operated since 1850 and has served as a roadhouse, Civil War barracks, a stop on the Underground Railroad, and a brothel. That kind of history does not pass quietly into the present.

Multiple deaths have reportedly occurred within its walls, and the building’s many former identities seem to have left behind a rotating cast of permanent residents.

George, a former caretaker known for wearing overalls, is most often spotted in the basement. Keg delivery drivers have reportedly been startled by his sudden appearances, which is not the kind of welcome anyone expects on a routine job.

The spirit of a male cowboy, believed to have died in a knife fight during the brothel era, is also said to roam the building, and female entities on the second floor are known to make their displeasure toward male visitors very clear by slamming doors and appearing as apparitions.

In the basement, a small nook that once sheltered freedom seekers on the Underground Railroad still carries a heavy, unsettled energy. Visitors report an overwhelming sense of unease in that corner, as though the spirit there is still hiding and does not want to be found.

Wine bottles have been discovered open with no explanation, and strange sounds drift from empty rooms. Lucas Oil Stadium at 500 S Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46225 and the Indiana Repertory Theatre at 140 West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 are both nearby.

8. Ashley-Drake Historic Inn

The Ashley-Drake Historic Inn at 668 E Jefferson St, Franklin, IN 46131 brings the warmth of a true bed and breakfast to the heart of historic downtown Franklin, with four beautifully appointed rooms and a full breakfast each morning.

Widely documented ghost stories specific to this inn may be quieter than some of its Indiana counterparts, but the building’s age and its location within a city layered with documented paranormal history create exactly the kind of atmosphere where things tend to happen after midnight.

Franklin’s historic district has long been associated with local ghost tours and folklore.

The Johnson County Museum of History at 135 N Main St, Franklin, IN 46131, housed in a former Masonic Temple, offers rich context for the region’s past and is a short walk from the inn.

The Historic Artcraft Theatre, an Art Deco beauty built in 1922 at 57 N Main St, Franklin, IN 46131, still hosts community events and has its own whispered history.

Franklin College’s picturesque campus at 101 Branigin Blvd, Franklin, IN 46131 adds another layer of historical depth to the surrounding neighborhood.

Province Park at 389 E. Monroe St., Franklin, IN 46131 provides green space and walking trails for a relaxing afternoon.

Hoosier Cupboard Candy, Snacks and Ice Cream at 370 E Jefferson St, Franklin, IN 46131 is practically next door for a sweet detour.

The Willard Restaurant at 99 N Main St, Franklin, IN 46131 is a former hotel with ghost stories of its own, making it a fitting dinner spot before returning to the inn for the night.

9. Artists Colony Inn and Restaurant

Opened in 1992, the Artists Colony Inn and Restaurant at 105 S Van Buren St, Nashville, IN 47448 is younger than most properties on this list, but its design pays deliberate homage to an older era.

Reproduction nineteenth-century furniture fills every room, and each space is named for a member of the early Brown County Art Colony, creating a sense of timelessness that blurs the line between past and present.

That atmosphere alone is enough to make a solo traveler glance twice at an empty hallway.

The inn sits at the corner of Franklin and Van Buren Streets, placing guests within easy reach of Antique Alley and the surrounding Artist Colony Shops. Downtown Nashville is walkable and alive with galleries, boutiques, and restaurants that carry their own stories.

While specific documented hauntings at this property are not widely published, the broader Brown County area has a long tradition of mystery, and the inn’s historic aesthetic keeps that energy close.

Brown County State Park at 1405 S.R. 46 W, Nashville, IN 47448 offers Indiana’s largest collection of hiking and mountain biking trails, along with horseback riding for those who want to spend the day outdoors.

The Brown County Playhouse at 70 S Van Buren St, Nashville, IN 47448 is steps away for evening entertainment.

Art lovers will appreciate the T.C. Steele State Historic Site at 4220 T.C.

Steele Rd, Nashville, IN 47448, where the legacy of the Brown County Art Colony comes to life in a genuinely beautiful setting.

10. Whispers Estate

Whispers Estate at 714 W Warren St, Mitchell, IN 47446 earned its name the hard way. Guests began reporting disembodied whispers throughout the Victorian mansion almost immediately after it opened for overnight stays, and those reports have never stopped.

Built in 1894 and purchased by Dr. John and Jessie Gibbons in 1899, the home absorbed a century of tragedy that paranormal investigators say has left it permanently charged with restless energy.

Rachael, the Gibbons’ ten-year-old adopted daughter, burned severely in a parlor fire on Christmas and died two days later upstairs. Her spirit is frequently seen running through the house, and a doll left in her room by visitors was later found at the base of the stairs, faintly smelling of smoke.

Baby Elizabeth, who died in the master bedroom at ten months old, announces her presence through the scent of baby powder and the sound of infant crying.

Jessie Gibbons herself died of double pneumonia in that same room, and guests sleeping there report waking to labored breathing, a suffocating sensation, and a closet door that opens on its own.

A massive shadow figure called The Big Black moves through Dr. Gibbons’ former office and has been reported in nearly every room. Physical attacks including scratching, pushing, and biting have been documented by multiple guests.

Spring Mill State Park at 3333 IN-60, Mitchell, IN 47446 offers a Pioneer Village, cave tours, and the Virgil I. Gus Grissom Memorial for daytime recovery after a night that most visitors describe as genuinely terrifying.