Is the Palace Hotel in San Francisco haunted? From encounters with friendly poltergeists to terrifying sightings of the infamous Lady in Red. The hotel’s guests often report experiencing something paranormal during their stay.
If you would like to learn more about the haunted history of the Palace Hotel, as well as its many ghostly inhabitants, keep reading!
Table of contents
What You Need to Know about the Palace Hotel in San Francisco
Located on the corner of Market and New Montgomery, the Palace Hotel has been a grand jewel of San Francisco (SF) since 1875.
At the time of its construction, the Palace Hotel was advertised as the largest, most luxurious hotel in the world. With 755 rooms, 804 fireplace mantels, and its own brick factory, it did not disappoint.
Today, the Palace Hotel is the oldest surviving hotel in San Francisco. It has seen its fair share of strange happenings, and it shows!
Where to find it: 2 New Montgomery St, San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
Is the Palace Hotel in San Francisco Haunted?
All the signs are there. Visitors often report feeling strange sensations and seeing shadows moving across their rooms.
Some even describe encounters with the hotel’s most famous ghostly inhabitants.
1. The Ghosts of The Palace Hotel
Perhaps the most famous ghost of the Palace Hotel is the Lady in Red.
Some say she is simply a woman looking for revenge, others have called her a succubus.
She is rumored to roam the hallways and walk through walls, looking for businessmen traveling alone.
We don’t know what happens to her victims, but when morning comes, they are found in their beds paralyzed with fear.
The Lady in Red is not the only spirit who has taken up residence at the hotel, though.
A mysterious French girl, dressed in clothes from centuries long past, has been seen asking for soup at the hotel’s kitchen more than once.
A somewhat friendly poltergeist has made a game out of freaking out the visitors of the Pied Piper Bar by tapping them on the shoulder. Another spiritual jokester likes to lock himself inside the dining hall on a regular basis, scaring the hotel’s guests and annoying the employees.
2. Why is the Palace Hotel So Haunted?
The hotel must be a magnet for paranormal energy for a reason.
The construction of the hotel was funded by William Ralston, a banker whose financial empire collapsed shortly before the hotel’s opening.
Ralston drowned himself in the San Francisco Bay on the same day, but his business partner went ahead with the opening of the hotel anyway.
If that wasn’t enough bad luck, the Palace Hotel was completely devastated by an earthquake and fires in 1906.
It is also where President William Harding mysteriously passed away in 1923.
Four different doctors were unable to agree on the cause of his death. And there was even speculation of murder by poison.
The circumstances of President’s death are still unclear. But who’s to say he is not one of the spirits haunting the Palace Hotel?
The Haunt Experience
The Palace Hotel is not the only haunted location in San Francisco. The city seems to be a magnet for spiritual energy, and there are plenty of paranormal spots for an aspiring ghost hunter to explore.
If you’d like to learn more about the haunted history of San Francisco, our Haunted San Francisco Ghost Tour will take you on an unforgettable journey through the most haunted locations in the city.
Ready to discover the dark side of San Francisco?