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Many restless spirits are said to lurk among us here in San Francisco, and a lot of them love to wander the rooms and hallways of some of the city’s most lavish hotels (wouldn’t you?!). Here are five of the most haunted hotels in San Francisco – sleep at your own risk.

1. Queen Anne Hotel
Queen Anne Hotel, 1590 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
Queen Anne Hotel/Google
The Queen Anne Hotel is thought to be one of the most haunted places in San Francisco This stately spot on the corner of Sutter and Octavia was once home to a school for girls run by Miss Mary Lake. Her school was open for less than a decade before it was sold—the problem was she wasn't ready to let it go. And so she's stuck around, and she may be found lurking in her room, #410.

Check out this creepy experience at the Queen Anne Hotel:

2. Hotel Union Square
Hotel Union Square, 114 Powell St, San Francisco, CA 94102, USA
Hotelunionsquare.com
In the heart of the bustling Union Square area is this storied San Francisco hotel where guests have claimed to see ghosts and have objects mysteriously disappear (or even appear). Stay in room 207 if you'd like to meet 1920s playwright Lillian Hellman, who spent many a night at the hotel with Dashiell Hammett, author of The Maltese Falcon.
3. The Palace Hotel
2 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Andrey Ivanov/Google
San Francisco's swankiest and oldest surviving hotel has seen A-list guests from Oscar Wilde and John D. Rockefeller to President Warren Harding, who died here in 1923 (somewhat mysteriously—the first lady refused to allow an autopsy). And though it may not be the President gliding through the hallways, there has certainly been plenty of paranormal activity reported at The Palace Hotel.

Learn the history of the Palace Hotel:

4: San Remo Hotel
San Remo Hotel, 2237 Mason St, San Francisco, CA 94133, USA
Flickr/Allan Ferguson
Built right after the destructive 1906 earthquake by Bank of America founder A.P. Giannini, this historic, underrated hotel was originally called the New California Hotel. Those working hard to build the city back up were given free room and board at this hotel; artists could even exchange their work for a room. The name changed in 1922 and has since seen several tragic suicides, deaths, and ghostly encounters. You may even spot a little girl wandering the hallways.

Learn about the hauntings at the San Remo Hotel:

5. The Hotel Majestic
Hotel Majestic, 1500 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA
Flickr/Bernt Rostad
Built in 1902 by the Schmitt family, this Edwardian-style hotel in Pacific Heights (an upscale area teeming with spirits) even boasts its haunted reputation on its website. They claim the daughter of Milton Schmitt, who lived in room 207, still resides in the hotel, and several people have seen evidence to prove it.

Some other spots to steer clear of if you’re afraid of ghosts? The prestigious Fairmont on Nob Hill and the Sir Francis Drake Hotel on Powell Street. Have you booked a stay at any of these haunted hotels in San Francisco or been to any of these haunted places? Share your ghost stories in the comments!

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More to Explore

Haunted Northern California

Sara Dager | August 29, 2022

Are there any more haunted hotels in Northern California? 

Another haunted hotel in Northern California is the Hotel Dunsmuir.

If you can't get enough of haunted accommodations, we have got your back! NorCal has lots of spooky spots to sleep (or stay up ghost-hunting.) Of the many haunted hotels in Northern California, there is one in the town of Dunsmuir that may be the absolute scariest. The Hotel Dunsmuir has been around since the 1800s, and boy oh boy does it have a lot of ghosts. You may spot the spirit of a small child named Charlie, or of a young adult named James who tragically killed himself. There is even one room that the hotel refuses to rent out because there has been so much terrifying spiritual activity inside of it.

Are there any haunted hikes in Northern California?

A haunted hike in Northern California is at Stowe Lake.

Of course! If you like to feel chills up your spine while you traverse new terrain, then a haunted hike in Northern California will be right up your alley. You can lace up your boots and explore around the haunted Stowe Lake in San Francisco, it's an easy 2.1-mile loop and there is even a café for your caffeine fix, along with waterfalls, multiple types of terrain, and stunning views. This seems like an idyllic hike on the surface, however, if you dig a little deeper, you will learn that there are many tales of people seeing the ghost of a woman who died on the lake along with her baby. She is said to be soaking wet and may approach hikers to ask about her child. So keep your eyes open, and maybe don't stay too long after dark if you only want to be lightly creeped out.

What abandoned places can I visit in Northern California? 

Abandoned places to visit in Northern California include:

  • Bodie
  • Loma Prieta

There are TONS of abandoned places in Northern California that you can visit. Many have safety regulations or can only be admired from the outside, so make sure to look up the rules before you go galivanting! In the ghost town of Bodie, you will find abandoned cars that are slowly becoming one with nature -- it's gorgeous in a creepy sort of way. Or maybe you're an architecture lover, then head to Oakland to admire the Loma Prieta, a stunning train station badly damaged by an earthquake in 1989. If you want to see a lot of abandoned places at once, then check out our Northern California road trip that fits in ten abandoned spots!

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