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Haunted Hotels: The Queen Anne

By Charlyn Keating Chisholm, About.com

9 of 10

Second Thoughts About Staying Overnight

Hallway of the Queen Anne Hotel

Hallway of the Queen Anne Hotel

(c) Charlyn Keating Chisholm
Despite what you've seen in the movies and on television reenactments, hauntings are subtle. People report felling cold spots or having the hairs on their arms stand up, feeling as if they're being watched, or smelling perfume or cigar smoke. Generally, you don't see a translucent figure in turn-of-the-century dress float past you saying, "Boo."

So, if you're not paying attention (or perhaps have your eyes closed and your ears covered), you could miss the whole experience. Since I'm here to hunt ghosts, I have no choice but to be as aware of my surroundings as possible, and remain calm. If I'm too nervous, I could let my imagination take over.

One of the stories of the hotel's haunting centers around a male guest who came in late one night and passed out on his bed, fully clothed. When he awoke, he has covered in a blanket that was tucked in around his body, his arms pinned inside. People speculate that Miss Mary Lake worried he'd be cold, and took care of him just as she took care of her students in life.

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