October 2026: Things That Go Bump in The Night
There is a peculiar danger in researching the unexplained. You start looking for answers, and sooner or later, you find a question you just can't put down.
As a paranormal investigator, there are places that just call to you, and refuse to be silent. This month, I visited the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, AR, and there's definitely something going on there.
The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa has lived several lives since it opened as a luxury resort nearly 140 years ago. First, it was a luxury retreat, promising access to the healing waters of the many springs in the area. In 1902, it became a Women's College, offering a comprehensive curriculum and providing educational opportunities for young women. Sadly, the college closed its doors in 1934.
In 1937, things took a dark turn when Norman Baker, a charismatic snake-oil salesman, acquired the hotel and embarked on an ambitious venture to transform the hotel into a cancer treatment center. Despite his grandiose claims, Baker's treatments held no credibility in the legitimate medical world. His unethical practices ultimately led to his downfall.
This hotel is reported to host a number of spirits who linger in the halls and rooms of the hotel:
Michael, an Irish stonemason in room 218
Theodora, a cancer patient near room 419
Breckie, a 4-year-old child who died from appendicitis
Dr. John Freemont Ellis, the in-house doctor whose presence is sensed near room 212
Morris, the hotel cat and long-time general manager who still roams the halls...
The Monster In the Morgue
Norman Baker, the con-man behind the Baker Hospital secured fame, as well as state and federal prison terms for promoting a false cure for cancer.
His so-called "cure" was a concoction of corn silk, watermelon seeds, clover, water, and carbolic acid (aka phenol -- a mild acid that is toxic, corrosive and can cause chemical burns) that was injected into unwitting patients.
His efforts caught the attention of the American Medical Association (AMA), which he publicly referred to as the American Meat-cutter's Association.
While not a licensed physician himself, he claimed that the AMA offered him one million dollars for his cancer cure. He also sued RKO Pictures for $1.1M after the March of Time newsreel portrayed him as a quack.
As the state of Arkansas was unable to close down the Baker Hospital (which had revitalized the Eureka Springs economy), the Federal Government brought charges against him. In 1940, he was arrested and imprisoned for mail fraud -- the best thing they could charge him with, since he sent out thousands of flyers with fraudulent claims by US Mail -- thus putting an end to his reign. He was sentenced to 4 years in jail and $4,000 in restitution, despite the fact that his "hospital" brought in an average of $100,000 a month.
Baker served his full sentence in Leavenworth, KS, after being denied early release. He tried going back into the "healing" business by establishing a research foundation in Muscatine, Iowa, for the purpose, but the state of Iowa refused permission "in the public interest".
Baker retired in ostentatious comfort in Miami, FL where he died on September 10, 1958, of cirrhosis of the liver.
Archeologists Bring Past To The Surface
In 2019, a landscaping discovery led to an archeological excavation that uncovered hundreds of bottles associated with Baker's operation, along with jars containing what were described as "medical specimens". The discover added to the physical evidence to a story that had circulated for decades.
Many of these samples remain in the morgue, which was once a basement kitchen. The walk-in freezer was used to store the bodies though Baker claimed no one ever died at the Crescent Hotel.
Fortuantely, the past didn't stay buried. Archeologists were happy to help dig it up, thanks to the property's helpful landscaping crew.
My Experience
On the evening of October 7, 2026, my husband and I took part in the public tour offered nightly at the Crescent Hotel. There were about 30 people in the group so to call this an "investigation" might be a bit of a stretch. However, our tour guide provided a great deal of insight into the hotel's history, and some of the spooktacular sightings that have happened in the Hotel, including his own personal encounters.
Having investigated several haunted hotels, I found some of the stories interesting, and others, I suspect could be easily debunked.
I took a lot of photos and waited until I returned home to get them uploaded onto my computer. One stands out. We were on the 2nd floor, as the tour guide told us about Michael, the stonemason who died on the job at the Crescent Hotel.
Michael was working in the area of room 218 when he fell to his death. Michael's spirit is said to linger near this spot. Visitors and guides report hearing noises and footsteps, tapping (like a metal hammer on stone), and other unexplained sounds. Women in particular report feeling nauseated and dizzy in Room 218.
This photo I took directly outside of room 218 caught my attention. The tour guide was holding an iPad with a photograph with an image of a man who witnesses claim is the spirit they observed in the area. This is said to be Michael.
While the green "orbs" in the image can be explained as the light reflecting off the tour guide's pocket watch (I caught several other pictures with the green "orbs"), the image behind the iPad made he hesitate. While I could easily write it off as a blurred image, or pareidolia, it's given me reason to question and goes up on my list of "things I cannot explain."
What do you think? Is it a ghost -- or just wishful thinking?
Want More Ghost Stories?
If the Crescent Hotel's haunted history has piqued your curiosity, why not take the next step into the paranormal?
My friend Lara Bernhardt explores the ghostly side of the mystery in The Haunting of Crescent Hotel.
And if you love a good haunting, don't stop there! Explore Lara's Wantland Files series for more mysterious adventures.
Because sometimes, the best way to spend a chilly October evening is with a good book, a few unanswered questions, and the delicious suspicion that you might not be alone.
Plenty of Adventure Left in October
I'll be at the Arkansas Paranormal Expo, October 24-25th at the McArthur Military Museum in Little Rock, and you can find me at Books & Stuf in Mena, AR on Halloween!
Come out and see me!
Until next time...
Stay curious, always! Betsey Kulakowski
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