4 Most Haunted Places in Phoenix

Phoenix harbors a hidden realm of the supernatural, where tales of ghostly presences and mysterious occurrences echo through historic landmarks and shadowy corners. Thrill-seekers and paranormal enthusiasts alike venture into the city’s most haunted places, seeking encounters with the ethereal inhabitants of the afterlife. Each location offers a unique glimpse into the eerie past and spine-tingling stories that resonate beneath the sun-drenched facade of Phoenix.

If you are doing any kind of paranormal investigation here, you might want to take a look at our ghost hunting equipment list. Locations like this get a reputation because they are high activity and you don’t need much to see for yourself.

Hotel San Carlos

Hotel San Carlos in downtown Phoenix wears its reputation for being haunted like a badge of honor. Nestled in the heart of the city, this historic hotel opened its doors in 1928, quickly becoming a glittering oasis for Hollywood’s elite. However, beneath the glitz and glamour, a somber tale weaves through the hotel’s narrative, casting a long shadow over its illustrious past.

The ghost story that clings to the Hotel San Carlos centers on Leone Jensen, a young woman who met a tragic end shortly after the hotel celebrated its grand opening. On May 27th, 1928, Jensen, described by the press as a “pretty blonde,” plunged to her death from the hotel’s rooftop, creating a ripple of sorrow that still resonates today. Her decision to leap from the seventh story, allegedly due to heartbreak over a failed romance with a bellboy, birthed the legend that now haunts the establishment.

Visitors and staff have reported chilling encounters with a spectral woman in white, believed to be Jensen’s restless spirit. She is often seen at the foot of guests’ beds, lingering momentarily before fading into thin air. While her presence is silent and seemingly benign, the experience leaves witnesses with a sense of the uncanny that hangs in the air like a dense fog.

But Jensen’s spirit isn’t the only one roaming the corridors of the Hotel San Carlos. Tales also tell of a young girl’s ghost, seen sitting and crying in rooms, and the echoes of children’s laughter that dance through the hallways and basement, hinting at the site’s history as a Native American worship ground and the location of Phoenix’s first schoolhouse.

The Hotel San Carlos, standing tall as the only operating historic boutique hotel in Phoenix, doesn’t shy away from its ghostly reputation. Instead, it embraces the stories, inviting the curious and the brave to explore its hallowed halls and perhaps catch a glimpse of the otherworldly residents.

In 1974, the hotel was designated an Arizona State Historic Landmark, and it remains a proud member of the Historic Hotels of America and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A multi-million dollar renovation in 2003 revitalized the hotel while honoring its rich historical roots, ensuring that guests can enjoy modern comforts while stepping back in time.

Hotel San Carlos, located at 202 N Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004, continues to be a beacon for travelers seeking both luxury and a brush with the supernatural. Whether it’s the draw of its Hollywood connections or the allure of its spectral inhabitants, the hotel’s storied past ensures its place in Phoenix’s vibrant history.

I stayed at the Hotel San Carlos and heard about the ghost of a lady named Leone who jumped off the roof long ago; some say she still wanders the halls, which is totally spooky and sad. People have seen her ghost in white just vanishing into thin air, giving everyone the creeps.

Orpheum Theatre

The Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona, stands as a beacon of the performing arts and a repository of spectral lore. Since its inception in 1929, the theatre has not only showcased a plethora of incredible performances but has also played host to ghostly inhabitants, adding a supernatural flair to its historical grandeur.

At the heart of the theatre’s haunted history is the spirit of a little girl named “Maddie.” She is the most famous ghost of the Orpheum and is known for her playful haunts. Maddie reportedly taps unsuspecting visitors on the shoulder, shushes chatterers, and is said to make the balcony area her ethereal domain.

David Cruse, the Theatrical Venue Manager for the City of Phoenix, attests to the presence of at least four different ghosts that have made the theatre their posthumous abode. The Orpheum’s notoriety as a haunted hotspot is such that it often finds itself on “the most haunted places in Arizona” lists. The theatre’s ghost tours offer brave guests the chance to tread its eerie halls and attempt to capture a ghost on camera.

The tours are a spine-tingling invitation to explore the theatre’s supernatural side, taking place over several nights during the Halloween season. Tickets for this chilling experience can be found on the Orpheum Ticketforce website.

With its opulent interior and storied past, the Orpheum Theater is not just a house of performances but also a den of paranormal activity. Those who visit the theatre for its history might get more than they bargained for with a side of haunting. In downtown Phoenix, the Orpheum stands as a testament to the past, its walls echoing with both the applause of yesteryears and the whispers of its ghostly residents.

I heard that the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix is super old and haunted, especially by this playful ghost girl named Maddie who loves to spook people by tapping their shoulders when they least expect it. They even do ghost tours around Halloween, which is pretty cool if you’re into that spooky stuff!

Rosson House

Rosson House in Phoenix stands as a testament to the city’s architectural heritage and its eerie past. Erected in 1895, this Queen Anne style Victorian mansion has become a cornerstone of Phoenix’s historic narrative. The house, originally the abode of the influential Rosson family, has weathered the sands of time, changing hands from one owner to another, until the city of Phoenix took it under its wing in 1974, transforming it into a museum within Heritage Square.

Despite its grandeur and opulence, the Rosson House harbors a dark twist: it has been shrouded in tales of the paranormal since the 1980s, a ghostly legacy that began when a museum caretaker met his untimely end by a gunman’s bullet on the premises. Since then, the house has been awash with reports of uncanny shadows, ephemeral apparitions, and self-operating doors, sending shivers down the spines of both staff and visitors. The once dormant fireplace has also been known to radiate phantom warmth, adding to the house’s spectral allure.

The man behind the mansion, Dr. Roland Rosson, was a figure of stature, having served as an assistant surgeon before embarking on a political career in Phoenix. His contributions to the city were significant, yet his tenure as mayor was cut short by political strife, prompting his resignation in 1896. The Rosson family’s departure from Phoenix in 1897 remains shrouded in mystery, with Dr. Rosson’s death following shortly after in Los Angeles, under a cloud of suspicion.

Ownership of the Rosson House changed hands several times, each new inhabitant leaving their mark. From the Goldbergs and Higleys to the Gammels, the house saw transformations from a stately residence to a boarding house, with its share of renovations to meet the needs of the times. However, by the 1960s and 70s, the grandeur had faded, and the Rosson House had fallen into disrepair.

The city’s intervention in 1974 was a turning point, saving the Rosson House from demolition and restoring it to its former Victorian splendor. Now, as the jewel of Heritage Square, the museum offers a window into late 19th-century Phoenix life for a mere $7.50, guided tours revealing the home’s history and, perhaps, its otherworldly residents.

For those with a penchant for the supernatural, the Rosson House stands as a beacon of Phoenix’s haunted history. From the legendary Superstition Mountains to the spirited halls of the Orpheum Theatre, Arizona’s capital is a treasure trove of ghostly tales, with the Rosson House casting a long shadow as part of the city’s spectral tapestry.

I visited the old Rosson House in Phoenix and, man, it gave me the creeps! Swear I felt a chill and saw a door close all by itself when no one else was around.

Pioneer & Military Memorial Park

The Pioneer & Military Memorial Park in Phoenix stands as a testament to the city’s founders and its early settlers. With history etched into every headstone, the park has become a hotbed for tales of the supernatural and a magnet for those drawn to the paranormal. The park is home to the final resting places of many of the city’s early influencers, including Civil War veterans and the infamous “Lost Dutchman,” Jacob Waltz, a man shrouded in mystery and tales of hidden gold.

Debe Branning, a board member of the Pioneers’ Cemetery Association (PCA) and founder of MVD Ghostchasers, has been at the helm of stirring the cauldron of ghostly interest. With her team of history buffs and spectral enthusiasts, she organizes cemetery walks that breathe life into the stories of those who have long passed. Actors don elaborate costumes and, like vessels for the spirits, deliver monologues that peel back the layers of time, giving voice to the silent tales etched in stone.

The park’s haunted history is not one to be taken with a pinch of salt. The PCA and volunteers like Mark Broadley don’t just scratch the surface; they dig deep into the annals of history, unearthing tales that send shivers down the spine. The annual Dining Among the Dead event, a fundraiser that coincides with an outdoor dinner party, is a prime example of how the living mingle with the spirits of the past, all in a bid to restore and preserve the hallowed ground.

Moreover, the practice of dowsing adds an otherworldly touch to the park’s mysteries. With pendulums in hand, volunteers commune with the unseen, mapping out unmarked graves and tracing the footsteps of those who walked before. It’s a dance with the intangible, guided by the vibrations of history and the whispers of the departed.

The park’s legacy, protected by the noble efforts of the PCA and enshrined in the National Register of Historic Places, is a patchwork of Phoenix’s beginnings. From soldiers to pioneers, each grave tells a story, each marker a clue to the past. And as the PCA continues to shed light on these stories, the park remains a place where the past is always present, where every whisper in the wind might just be the echo of a story from the dead.

I heard that over at Pioneer Park, if you listen real close, the wind carries whispers of the old settlers, and some folks even seen the shadow of the Lost Dutchman wandering, like he’s still hunting for his secret gold.