The Basin Park Hotel: Haunted Eureka Springs Arkansas
Ever since the doors of the Basin Park Hotel in Eureka Springs opened in 1905, guests have been asking themselves, “Is the Basin Park Hotel haunted?”
The haunted Basin Park Hotel has got more spirits than a speakeasy…Yet another ghost-filled hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, this historic building has welcomed guests for over a century.
Known for its rustic charm and panoramic mountain views, The Basin Park Hotel draws visitors looking for a hotel with a view…and haunting or 2..or 5.
This is your ghostly guide to the haunted Basin Park Hotel in Arkansas:
A Brief History of The Basin Park Hotel
Before the Basin Park Hotel was built in 1905, another elegant hotel known as the Perry House stood on the site of the healing springs that give Eureka its name. Like most other buildings at the time, the Perry House Hotel was constructed completely out of wood.
Although it was spared in the first 3 town fires, the Perry House Hotel fell victim to the final blaze in 1890.
Just 15 years later, William Duncan built the Basin Park Hotel right on the site of the old Perry House, out of limestone.
Currently, the Basin Park Hotel operates as the only full-service hotel in the area, offering 5-star food with a view, bellman services, a shuttle, and, of course, ghost tours of the building.
The Basin Park Hotel, Today
Standing over Spring Street with its breathtaking architecture and historic charm, the hotel is within walking distance of every upscale restaurant, coffee shop, boutique, game store, craft emporium, spa, eccentric gift shop, gallery, and museum in Eureka Springs.
Sit at the 30-seat copper bar area that overlooks Basin Spring Park and have the perfect view of Eureka’s parades like Eureka Springs Mardi Gras Extravaganza and St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The Hotel’s saloon transports you into the vintage mountain lodge that is Jack Rabbett’s Whisky Bar, where classic drinks, craft beer, and gourmet plates reflect the rather fancy name.
Note
The Basin Park Hotel is considered the sister hotel to the Crescent Hotel & Spa due to their proximity to each other, their historical presence in Eureka Springs, and their shared owner/operator.
The Healing Spring
In order to answer the question, “Why is the Basin Park Hotel haunted?”
It’s important to look at the land around it. Located adjacent to the hotel is what’s known as a healing spring, which once attracted the rich (and those looking to get rich quickly and without effort). Gambling, drinking, and prostitution were popular pastimes here, and infamous outlaws like Frank and Jesse James were drawn to Eureka Springs for those reasons.
Before these springs drew people in droves, the Native American tribes living in the area used the springs to heal ailments like kidney disease and eyesight issues. According to passed-down stories, the Sioux Indians brought the daughter of a great Chieftain to Basin Spring to heal an eye infection that had affected her sight. After bathing in the water, her eyesight was restored.
The first white settlers, Dr. Alvah Jackson, also used the water to cure his son’s eyesight issues and later sold the spring water under the name Dr. Jackson’s Eye Water.
Many saw the healing springs as a last-ditch miracle cure. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was almost as if none of them found the cure they were looking for. Whether the healing springs were a marketing tactic or the cure seekers were simply too late, we’ll never know.
Haunted Happenings at the Basin
There’s no shortage of haunted happenings at the Basin:
- Room 310: The spirit of a famous cowboy haunts room 310. Many believe the cowboy to be John Chisum, a wealthy cattle baron in the American West during the mid-to-late 19th century. It’s reported Chisum came to the Basin Park Hotel to recover from surgery but died in 1884 on Christmas Eve. Besides the cowboy, kids report seeing ghosts of other children in Room 310.
- 3rd Floor 6-Shooter: A man in a cowboy hat and white canvas duster, with a 6-shooter strapped to his hip, is said to walk through the walls of the rooms on the third floor, asking startled guests if they have seen his horse. Stories involving moving objects and late-night unfounded shouts of “Fire!” are frequently reported to hotel management. This ghost is also sometimes said to be John Chisum.
- Room 408: The notorious “ladies’ man ghost” may give you a sexy foot massage in this room.
- Orbs: The orbs of the Basin Park Hotel are mysterious and unsolved, but they’re often seen on guest floors, especially the wings of the hotel closest to the limestone bluffs. These orbs are described as transparent to tan circles of light floating slowly through the air.
The Strangled Tour Guide
Perhaps the most intriguing paranormal experience at the Basin Park Hotel is what caused the marks around the throat of a tour guide. A well-known paranormal expert and his wife did a private investigation of the Barefoot Ballroom, where rumor says that human-shaped shadows often appear.
One of the tour guides during an EVP session began feeling pressure on his throat, eventually keeping him from being able to breathe. He ran in hopes of escaping the grasp of whatever had him and eventually returned to the ballroom, where he pulled down his turtleneck to reveal red marks across his throat.
The Basin Park Hotel Haunted Reviews
TripAdvisor user Moonchild said, “We began our bond with The Basin after having stayed elsewhere but taking the ghost tour. The tour was average, but the unmistakable pull of the supernatural permeated the halls. Needless to say, we returned the following night to stay and were not disappointed.”
The second comes from Jim Teeter, who said, “We stayed at the Basin Park Hotel to take in the ghost tour that night. We had an upgrade on our room, and it was fantastic. The ghost tour was interesting and creepy but well worth the money.”
In addition to the above reviews, Redditor LukasRowe was sent 2 photos by a bartender who works at the haunted Basin Park Hotel. The first photo is of a small child who was said to be watched by a housekeeper when the hotel caught fire. The second photo is unidentified, but Reddit users argue whether it could be just a light reflection or if it’s really a photographed ghost.
Ghostadventour: The Basin Park Hotel Ghost Tour
The Ghostadventour combines the excitement of a ghost tour with a true paranormal investigation. During the investigation, you’ll learn the stories of the characters who stayed, worked, died, and stayed forever.
Guests start on the hotel’s rooftop and end in the underground cave that stored bootleg whiskey during the prohibition years. The cave was operated as a Speakeasy and can be accessed privately below Jack Rabbett’s Whiskey bar by a previously hidden door.
Haunt Us
Don’t let your ghost stories go untold. Have you been to the haunted Basin Park Hotel? Share your ghost-hunting experiences in the comments below, visit the forums, and become part of our haunted community.
