S3 E23 Spirits of the Past: Exploring America's Most Haunted Places

Get ready for a haunting journey across America’s most spine-chilling locations! In this episode, we’ll dive deep into the eerie history of three iconic haunted places: the blood-soaked fields of Gettysburg, the unsettling Crescent Hotel in Arkansas, and the infamous Emily Morgan Hotel in Texas.

First, we visit Gettysburg, where the echoes of one of the Civil War’s deadliest battles still resonate, and ghostly figures of fallen soldiers continue to roam the battlefield. Then, we’ll check into the Crescent Hotel, often dubbed "America’s Most Haunted Hotel," where a sinister history of medical fraud has left restless spirits wandering its halls. Finally, we venture to the Emily Morgan Hotel, a towering structure near the Alamo, where countless guests have reported terrifying encounters with apparitions and mysterious happenings.

Join us as we uncover the chilling tales and restless spirits that refuse to fade away, turning these locations into some of the most haunted in the country. This episode will make you question what lingers just beneath the surface of history.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Opening Music
• 0:16 Hello And Welcome
• 2:17 The Crescent Hotel
• 12:05 Little Break/Smart Labels Ad
• 13:33 Gettysburg
• 21:46 The Emily Morgan Hotel
• 27:53 Thank You For Listening
• 30:12 Exit Music

Transcript

Spirits of the Past: Exploring America's Most Haunted Places

Hi everyone and welcome back to the dark history podcast where we explore the darkest parts of human history. hope everyone is well I’m Rob your host as always. Welcome to season 3 episode 23 Spirits of the Past: Exploring America's Most Haunted Places. Tonight, we’re taking a deep dive into the dark, haunted corners of America—places where the past is more than just history. It’s a presence. These are the locations where the echoes of what once happened haven’t quite faded. Places with blood-stained histories, unsolved mysteries, and lingering spirits that seem to defy the passage of time.

From haunted hotels where guests check in but never seem to leave, to battlegrounds where the fallen still march at night, these sites tell stories not just of history, but of something... beyond. They are steeped in tragedy, loss, and the unknown—places where the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.

Whether you’re listening from the comfort of your home, walking alone on a quiet street, or driving down a long, dark road, tonight we’re going to take you on a journey into America’s most haunted places. But be warned: some of these stories are not for the faint of heart. History may have written its pages, but the spirits of the past seem determined to rewrite their own.

So, grab a blanket, dim the lights, sit by the fire and let’s begin this eerie adventure together as I bring you more Dark history.

Crescent Hotel

We’ll begin our journey in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, at a place that stands not only as a monument to history but to something much darker. Welcome to the Crescent Hotel, located in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Built in 1886, the Crescent started as a lavish resort for the wealthy—offering its guests the serenity of the mountains and the finest luxury that the 19th century could offer. But like many grand dreams, this one soured, and what it became over the years is something far more sinister.

The Crescent Hotel’s history is a slow descent from opulence to horror, as if the very foundation of the building was cursed. By the 1930s, the once-grand resort transformed into the stage for one of the most grotesque medical frauds in American history. Enter Norman Baker—a man whose name still conjures disgust. Baker wasn’t a doctor. In fact, he had no medical training whatsoever. He was a con man, a radio host, and a snake oil salesman, but his true legacy lies in the suffering he inflicted upon desperate people seeking a cure for cancer.

Baker wasn’t just a charlatan—he was a predator. He preyed on the hopeless, promising them a cure for their illness with a concoction that was nothing more than a toxic mixture of carbolic acid, corn silk, and watermelon seeds. His so-called "hospital" within the Crescent Hotel became a place where hope was twisted into despair. People came to be healed, but they never left—alive, at least.

It wasn’t just death they found. It was suffering. Imagine the horror of these patients—men and women whose bodies were already ravaged by cancer, subjected to painful, useless treatments, all while being assured they would recover. Some of them spent their last days in agony, their hopes shattered. Baker’s hospital didn’t heal anyone; it was more like a death factory. And when patients finally succumbed, Baker had them quietly transported to the basement, which he had turned into a makeshift morgue.

Think about that—beneath the luxury, beneath the ornate staircases and grand ballrooms, there was a place of death. Bodies were stacked in that basement, stored in cold rooms, and prepared for burial. But some say not all the bodies left. It’s as if the basement itself absorbed the despair, the final cries of the people who had their hopes ripped from them. The Crescent Hotel became a tomb in its own right. It’s no wonder that many believe the spirits of those patients never left.

And the hauntings? They began soon after Baker’s operations ended. Guests, staff, and visitors have reported seeing apparitions wandering the hallways, often appearing as shadowy, gaunt figures, lost in their own misery. It’s believed these are the spirits of the patients who died under Baker’s care. They still roam the halls, perhaps searching for the cure they were promised or maybe seeking justice for the deception that stole their lives.

The most infamous room in the hotel, Room 218, has a particularly chilling history. During the hotel’s original construction, a young Irish stonemason named Michael fell to his death while working on the roof, his body crashing through the ceiling into what is now Room 218. And that’s where the strangeness begins. Guests who stay in that room often report bizarre and unsettling occurrences. The door slams on its own, lights flicker, and furniture moves as if some unseen force is playing tricks on them.

And then, there’s Michael himself. People who’ve stayed in Room 218 often speak of waking up in the dead of night to see his shadowy figure standing near the window, staring out at the Ozark Mountains. Sometimes, guests feel a cold hand brush against their face, as if Michael is still there, lingering in the room that became his grave. But Michael isn’t the only spirit in the Crescent.

The energy in the hotel is thick, especially in the basement—the old morgue where Baker kept the bodies. It’s been decades since it was used for that purpose, but the coldness that lingers there is unnatural. Many visitors have described a suffocating sense of dread when they step into that part of the hotel, as if the walls themselves are watching, remembering what happened there. Paranormal investigators often experience technical malfunctions—cameras die, batteries drain, and strange, electronic distortions are recorded. It’s almost as if something wants to keep the secrets of that basement hidden.

One of the most unsettling spirits is Theodora, a former patient. Her ghost is often seen near Room 419, tidying her belongings as if she’s still preparing for her stay. But there’s something deeply sad about her presence. Some have described her as lost, forever trapped in a loop, waiting for a cure that never came. Guests have reported seeing her materialize in the hallway, only to vanish a moment later, as if she’s caught between worlds.

It’s almost as if the spirits of the Crescent are tethered to their final moments. These aren’t just ghosts—they’re echoes of people whose lives were stolen from them, bound to the trauma they experienced within those walls. But it’s not just Baker’s victims who haunt the hotel. There have been reports of Baker himself wandering the halls. It’s as if the man who caused all this suffering is condemned to walk the corridors of his own creation, forever haunted by the consequences of his actions.

There’s a chilling story of a guest who woke up in the middle of the night to see an old man standing at the foot of her bed, dressed in an old-fashioned white suit—the same type of suit that Norman Baker used to wear. He didn’t say anything. He just stood there, watching. When the guest blinked, he was gone. It’s as if Baker’s spirit is still overseeing his twisted operation, refusing to leave the very place where he ruined so many lives.

And the hauntings don’t stop at the rooms or the basement. Even the grounds of the hotel seem to pulse with energy. The gardens, once a place of beauty, have a strange stillness about them, as if the spirits of the dead are watching from the shadows. The energy of the Crescent Hotel is oppressive, like the hotel itself is alive, feeding off the sorrow and fear that fills its halls.

The Crescent Hotel isn’t just a building—it’s a wound. A place where history, tragedy, and deception have created an atmosphere so thick with darkness that it seeps into everyone who steps through its doors. Visitors today come seeking luxury and relaxation, but many leave with stories of something else—something far more disturbing. Some have claimed that the Crescent leaves an imprint on you, as if the spirits have reached out and left their mark, a reminder of the place you can never truly escape.

And that’s the real terror, isn’t it? The idea that the hotel itself is more than just haunted—that it’s cursed, forever stained by the evil that took place within its walls. A place where the past refuses to stay buried, and the dead refuse to rest. The Crescent Hotel might offer a beautiful view of the Ozark Mountains, but beneath its charm, there’s something darker. Something that’s waiting.

Gettysburg

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is a place where the echoes of one of the bloodiest battles in American history still resonate through time. Over three days in July 1863, this quiet town became the stage for a battle that changed the course of the Civil War. More than 50,000 soldiers were killed, wounded, or went missing during the Battle of Gettysburg, and the land was left soaked in blood, forever marked by the unimaginable horrors of war.

It’s hard to imagine the sheer carnage that took place on those fields. Over 160,000 men clashed, with artillery booming, bullets tearing through flesh, and soldiers dying where they stood. The emotional intensity of that moment—the fear, the pain, the desperation—seems to have imprinted itself on Gettysburg. And where such intense suffering occurs, it’s no surprise that the spirits of the dead still linger.

Gettysburg is considered one of the most haunted locations in America, and for good reason. The land, the buildings, even the trees seem to hold on to the energy of those three horrific days. There are stories of ghosts everywhere—soldiers who never left the battlefield, wandering in eternal torment, searching for their comrades or reliving the moments of their deaths. Let’s start with one of the most famous places in Gettysburg: Devil’s Den.

Devil’s Den is a rugged outcropping of rocks where some of the most brutal fighting took place. During the battle, it became a strategic point, with Union and Confederate soldiers clashing in close combat, fighting tooth and nail to control the area. The chaos that ensued there was unimaginable. The rocky terrain became a graveyard as soldiers fell, their bodies trapped among the stones. To this day, visitors report seeing the apparitions of soldiers still wandering the area, as if they’re stuck in the moment of their final battle.

One of the most famous ghost sightings at Devil’s Den is the spirit of a Confederate soldier. Described as a man with a large, floppy hat, barefoot and ragged, he’s been seen by numerous people over the years. He often appears to tourists as they explore the site, only to vanish before their eyes. Some say they feel an eerie, almost overwhelming sense of being watched while standing among the rocks, as if the soldiers who died there are still looking on, guarding the land they fought for.

It’s not just Devil’s Den, though. Across Gettysburg, the dead seem to have left their mark. Take Little Round Top, for example. It was here that Union forces, under Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, famously held their ground in a desperate bayonet charge against the Confederates. The fight for Little Round Top was fierce and bloody, with bodies piling up in the chaos. Many believe that the spirits of the soldiers who fought and died on that hill still haunt it to this day.

Visitors to Little Round Top have reported seeing shadowy figures standing on the hill, dressed in Civil War uniforms, looking out over the battlefield as if they’re still on guard. Others have heard disembodied voices, whispers that seem to drift through the air, or the distant sound of cannon fire and musket shots, as if the battle itself is still playing out on some spectral loop. It’s as if time doesn’t quite function the same way at Gettysburg. The past and present seem to overlap.

And then there’s The Gettysburg Orphanage, another location with a tragic and haunted history. It was originally established in 1866 to care for the children who had been orphaned by the Civil War. But over time, the orphanage’s purpose darkened under the cruel rule of its headmistress, Rosa Carmichael. She was notorious for mistreating the children—locking them in a dark basement and subjecting them to brutal punishments. The basement itself became a dungeon of despair, and the scars left on those poor children seem to have created something far more disturbing.

The basement of the orphanage is one of the most active paranormal hotspots in Gettysburg. Visitors often feel an overwhelming sense of sadness and fear when they enter. Some have heard the cries of children echoing through the dark, and others have seen shadowy figures darting across the room, as if trying to escape some unseen terror. There are even reports of people being physically touched—scratches appearing on their skin, or a chilling hand gripping their arm.

It’s as if the suffering of those children never left that place. The basement still holds on to their pain, and the spirits trapped there are trying to tell their story. But perhaps the most famous haunted building in Gettysburg is the Farnsworth House Inn. During the battle, it was used as a makeshift hospital for Confederate sharpshooters, and the attic served as a sniper’s nest. The building saw a lot of death, and the spirits who died there don’t seem to have moved on.

Guests at the Farnsworth House have reported all sorts of paranormal activity—doors that open and close on their own, lights flickering, and the sounds of heavy boots pacing the hallways. One of the most famous spirits said to haunt the inn is that of a little boy named Jeremy. He’s believed to be the ghost of a child who died in a tragic accident, and many guests have seen his playful spirit wandering the halls, sometimes tugging at their clothes or moving small objects.

But it’s not just Jeremy. There are other, more sinister spirits as well. People have seen the ghost of a Confederate soldier standing in the doorway, his eyes filled with anger, as if he’s still defending the house from unseen enemies. The spirit of a woman, believed to be a nurse who tended to wounded soldiers, has also been spotted, moving silently through the rooms as if she’s still caring for the dead and dying.

The sheer number of ghost stories in Gettysburg is overwhelming. It’s as if the entire town is haunted—not just by individual spirits, but by the battle itself. Even on quiet days, visitors have reported hearing the distant rumble of cannon fire, the sound of marching feet, and even the faint cries of soldiers calling out for help. It’s as if the town is locked in time, forever replaying the horrors of those three days in 1863.

The Emily Morgan Hotel

Our next stop takes us deep into the heart of Texas, to a hotel that stands in the shadow of one of the most famous battle sites in American history. Welcome to The Emily Morgan Hotel in San Antonio. It’s a striking, Gothic Revival building that stands right next to the Alamo, a place forever etched in the bloody history of Texas. But the Emily Morgan isn’t just another historic building. Some say it’s one of the most haunted hotels in the United States.

And it’s not just the proximity to the Alamo that makes the Emily Morgan so chilling. The building itself has a dark and eerie history. Originally constructed in 1924, it wasn’t always a hotel. It started out as a medical facility—a hospital and, get this, a morgue. The tower that now houses guests once held operating rooms, psychiatric wards, and, yes, the bodies of the dead awaiting burial. The energy left behind from its time as a hospital seems to have seeped into the very bones of the building.

Think about it: a place where life and death were constantly intermingling, where pain, suffering, and despair were everyday occurrences. It’s no wonder that some of the spirits who died there never left. The Emily Morgan Hotel is a place where the line between the living and the dead is razor thin, and guests have been reporting ghostly encounters for decades. From strange apparitions to cold touches in the night, the hotel has a reputation for the unexplained.

One of the most famous ghost stories involves the elevators. Visitors report that the elevators at the Emily Morgan often behave… strangely. They seem to have a mind of their own. People step in, press a button, and find themselves whisked away to random floors—usually the 7th or the 9th, which were once part of the hospital’s psychiatric ward and morgue, respectively. Imagine stepping into the elevator late at night, thinking you’re heading to your room, only to find yourself on one of these haunted floors.

And it doesn’t stop there. Guests who end up on the 9th floor often describe a heavy, oppressive feeling as soon as they step out of the elevator. Some say they’ve heard the faint sound of a hospital gurney being wheeled down the hallway, the clinking of metal as if an old operating room is still in use. Others have seen shadowy figures in hospital gowns wandering aimlessly, as if they’re still trapped in their final moments.

It’s the 9th floor that seems to hold the darkest energy. Remember, this was the morgue, the last stop for those who didn’t survive the hospital’s care. Some guests have even reported waking up in the middle of the night to find their room ice-cold, with an unshakable sense that someone—or something—is watching them. There are reports of doors opening and closing on their own, lights flickering, and even the feeling of invisible hands brushing against their skin.

And let’s not forget the apparitions. People have reported seeing a spectral woman wandering the halls, believed to be a former patient who died during surgery. She appears as a pale figure, dressed in an old-fashioned hospital gown, her face emotionless, and her presence is always accompanied by a chilling drop in temperature. Some guests claim they’ve seen her standing at the foot of their bed in the dead of night, only to watch her slowly fade away into the darkness.

That’s the thing about the Emily Morgan—it’s not just about the building’s past as a hospital. Its location, right next to the Alamo, adds another layer of haunting energy. The Battle of the Alamo, fought in 1836, was one of the bloodiest and most tragic events in Texas history. Over 200 men were killed in that battle, and the ground beneath the Emily Morgan Hotel is believed to have been part of the burial site for many of those fallen soldiers. The entire area is steeped in death and sorrow.

The spirits of those soldiers are said to roam the area even today. Guests and staff have reported seeing the ghostly figures of soldiers in old military uniforms walking the streets outside the hotel or standing near the walls of the Alamo. Some say you can hear the faint sound of gunfire or the cries of men fighting for their lives, as if the battle itself is still playing out in the afterlife. And being so close to the Alamo, the Emily Morgan Hotel seems to act like a magnet, drawing in these restless spirits.

No matter how much time passes, the Emily Morgan Hotel seems to hold on to its history. The building is like a sponge, soaked in the energy of what it used to be—a place of healing, but also a place of death and suffering. It’s a hotel that wears its history like a shroud, and the ghosts that linger within its walls are a constant reminder of the pain and tragedy that occurred there.

once you step through its doors, you’re never quite sure which world you’re in.

End

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to listen to this long and dark episode. And there you have it—another chilling journey through the haunted landscapes of America. We’ve wandered through halls where the restless dead roam, and stood on battlefields where the cries of the fallen still echo in the night. These places are more than just haunted—they’re windows into the past, places where history refuses to stay buried.

The ghosts we’ve talked about tonight are more than just shadows in the dark; they’re reminders of the people who lived, fought, and sometimes died tragically in these very spots. It’s almost as if their stories were too powerful, too painful, to simply fade away with time. Instead, they linger... waiting for someone to listen. Next week is our Halloween special episode this will be out on Halloween so don’t worry if tere isn’t and episode next Wednesday.

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