CRESCENT HOTEL HAUNTED PRESS

October At The Crescent: More Ghostly Than Ever

(EUREKA SPRINGS, AR) - The results are in and they are ghostly. The month of October for The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa, located here on the historic loop at 75 Prospect Avenue, proved most successful in the area of the paranormal.

The Winning Photo

The month began with guests checking into both The Crescent and The 1905 Basin Park Hotel as part of the "Paranormal Pair o' Nights" promotion where guests enjoyed a one-night stay in each hotel. Each received a "ghost gift pack" upon registration as well as a list of noted "sightings" for both properties.

"The reaction to this promotion was overwhelming," said Jack Moyer, general manager at both hotels. "We thought we had a ghost appeal but when we sold nearly 100 ghost packages in one month this fact was truly confirmed."

That confirmation came at the same time the hotel launched its new web site www.americasmosthauntedhotel.com. This site pulls together dozens of stories and photo images supplied by hotel guests and employees through the years offering up an eerie peek into the hotels' hallways.

Julie Kahn Valentine

"With the interest in our paranormal side of life at The Crescent, we thought we would make it easy for interested parties to find out more about those guests who checked out but never left the hotel," Moyer said. "Our national exposure on NBC's Today Show , The Travel Channel and The Arts & Entertainment Network increased the interest exponentially."

Then the big explosion of interest came on October 19 when on the Sci-Fi Channel a program called Ghost Hunters featured this quaint, Ozark, Historic Hotel of America. A show known for debunking claims of ghosts actually captured on thermal imagery videotape an apparition in what used to be the morgue when "Dr." Norman Baker operated the hotel as a cancer hospital.

Kathy Attwood

"The TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) team, who videotaped the program in June of this year, was excited, aghast and overwhelmed by their discovery," Moyer added, "and we were pretty happy too. Our phone received a record number of calls, our web sites took a huge volume of hits, and ghost Michael, who I think was the spirit captured, finally could be 'seen' by the world."

Douglas Nörrgard

The local pièce de résistance was a "ghost contest" where entrants could enter an artistic image, a photographic image or a ghostly story that was inspired by a close encounter of the paranormal kind at The Crescent Hotel. Those entries have been judged and the results are now in: Photo Image - Alan Lowe of Roland, Arkansas; Story - Rachael Raintree of Eureka Springs, Arkansas (see below); Artistic Image - Julie Kahn Valentine of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. "Best of Show" Grand Prize Winner - Alan Lowe

Individual category winners received $250 each and the grand prize winner netted an additional $750.

John Willer

"Our judges also wanted to give special recognition to three other artistic image entrants," noted Moyer. "Honorable Mention designation in this category was given to John Willer, Kathy Atwood and Douglas Nörrgard, all of Eureka Springs."

For more information, one may contact Moyer at 800-342-9766, extension 122, or go to
www.crescent-hotel.com .

A CRESCENT HOTEL GHOST STORY

by Rachael Raintree
(Reproduced just as written/submitted.)

As I recall, it was the full moon eclipse in the Spring in the early 80's. I was waiting tables in the hotel dining room that year. It was before opening in the evening and I was all set up so I wandered out into the Lobby, just looking around. I noticed four ladies dressed to the 9's in fifties clothing, walking down the staircase to the Lobby laughing and talking. They weren't quite substantial so I knew that they were spirits. When I got closer I realized that I knew two of the ladies, both who had lived in Eureka in the early 70's and had passed on. Well, you know my jaw dropped and I stared. Meg (one of the ladies) exclaimed "Why I believe she can see us." I said "Hi Meg, how are you doing?" She said they had been playing cards and were headed for the "salon" for afternoon cocktails. Well, that was Meg for sure. Meg and her best friend May. I didn't know the other two ladies although they too nodded and smiled. I asked Meg if she had gotten caught between worlds and she told me that, no, she had passed on and this was her "heaven" living at the Crescent and that the hotel was was [sic] full always with lively people who liked it here and lived here until they were ready to come back to this life. This was one of many levels of life superimposed on the Hotel and Eureka and there were many more. It depends on your vibration what or which level you see. I saw the ladies a few more times for a few years and now they seem to be gone.

Back in this world, probably Eureka, growing up.