My stay at The Oliver House, aka one of the most haunted hotels in America

My family and I recently stayed at The Oliver House, a 120-year-old adults-only hotel with a notoriously dark past in Bisbee, Arizona. The old mining town is widely regarded as one of the most haunted destinations in America.

What started as a boarding house for local miners in 1908 later became a bed and breakfast in the 1980s. Some of the previous occupants stirred up enough trouble to give the house a hostile reputation. At least 26 documented deaths have occurred at The Oliver House.

Keep reading to learn more about the family-owned hotel’s famous ghost stories, which earned it an episode on Ghost Adventures. I’ll also tell you how to book your own spooky stay at the Oliver House.

Bisbee is famous for its unruly past, making it the perfect place for a haunted stay

Bisbee is one of the most historic towns in Arizona. The community boomed at its start in the late 1800s thanks to large deposits of gold, silver, and copper discovered in the Mule Mountains. It had one of the largest populations in the Southwest by 1910, a fact that’s hard to believe when visiting today’s quaint little Bisbee.

The town’s Wild West background involves its fair share of violent parts, from infamous outlaws to brutal mining accidents. With such a tumultuous history comes many anecdotes. Some of the most well-known are ghost stories.

Unfortunate happenings at the Oliver House…

At least 26 people have died at the Oliver House since its construction in 1908. The speakeasy inside is aptly named 26 Souls, an ode to those who spent their last breaths there. Make sure to grab a drink at the bar during your stay.

One of these instances involved a mass murder sparked by infidelity, where a policeman found his wife in bed with her lover. A killing spree ensued, leaving 13 dead. The “Blue Room,” where the lovers were killed, is considered one of the most paranormally active rooms in the house.

Another man named Nat Anderson has reportedly haunted the hotel since his murder in 1920. He’d been having an affair with a married woman in Room 13 (where I stayed!), where her husband found them and shot him. He died at the top of the stairs outside the room. 

Many guests report strange noises, moving furniture and doors, and even full-blown apparition sightings at the Oliver House. However, few reports claim hostile paranormal activity. At least the ghosts seem friendly! 

We booked four rooms, and I ended up in the most haunted of them all

The aforementioned Nat Anderson stayed in Room 13 and died at the foot of the stairs outside the door. His ghost has been spotted more than any other in the house, a shimmering apparition with a bullet hole between his eyes.

Nobody in my family wanted to stay there, so my boyfriend Michael and I opted to take one for the team. The room was actually very charming with bright windows and a tiny bathroom. There was a clawfoot tub in the corner, something I’d never seen before in any hotel room.

We booked adjoining rooms. My brother and his wife were on one corner, my best friend in the middle, and Michael and me on the opposite corner. We moved freely between the three rooms by opening our connecting doors. My cousins were just across the hall. It was so much fun to have adjoining rooms — it felt like a giant sleepover!

The hotel was unusual and mysterious, yet charming

The Oliver House is nearly 120 years old, and you can certainly feel the history. The hardwood floors creak with every step, the wallpaper is faded, and the antique chandeliers flicker intermittently. My cousins said they kept feeling like someone was watching them. Maybe it was all in their heads, but maybe not!

Despite its haunted reputation, the hotel had fantastic character. There’s something about entering a building and feeling like you’ve stepped back in time. The Oliver House certainly succeeds at transporting its guests to the past with antique furnishings and funky decor.

I enjoyed the second-floor deck with a view of ‘B’ Mountain most of all. The front patio was also a lovely place to enjoy complimentary coffee in the morning. These spots were bright and inviting — not eerie at all.

The Oliver House was also perfectly situated on a hill in the center of Old Bisbee. We were walking distance to the main drag with the best shopping and dining downtown. The location couldn’t have been better for our short stay.

We took a ghost tour around Bisbee to add to the spookiness

Of course, we had to take the Rattlesnakes and Revenants Ghost Tour in town to round out the vibe of our haunted vacation. Our guide met us on Main Street, a short walk down the street from The Oliver House. 

From there, she drove us in a golf cart to all of the most haunted sites in Bisbee — yes, the Oliver House was one of our stops. Our guide’s passion for the town’s haunted history excited all of us even more for our stay. It was so much fun to hear more ghost stories from a local expert.

When we didn’t experience any paranormal activity, something had to be done

I regret to inform you that I didn’t have any spooky encounters during my stay at the Oliver House. Neither did my friends nor family… for the most part.

So, Michael and I took it upon ourselves to amplify the experience. After bedtime, we spent hours tiptoeing the halls, scratching my cousins’ door, and jiggling our neighbors’ door handles. *Disregard that we’re in our mid-20s.* 

My cousins were genuinely terrified. We all laughed hysterically for days after that. Someone had to have a scare, so Michael and I made it happen!

You can book the Oliver House, too, and can even rent out the entire building!

The Oliver House was one of the most affordable stays of my life. The rates are beyond reasonable, especially in the summer (one of the best times to visit Arizona on a budget). We visited in December during the holidays, and we were still blown away by the affordability.

You can even rent out the entire Oliver House. The hotel has 13 rooms and fits 26 guests. Book it for less than the cost of a two-bedroom stay in Los Angeles (I live in LA, so I know the comparison is accurate from recent visitors). 

You could easily fit your entire extended family, and then some. Just remember, it’s adults-only. No guests under 21! Renting out a haunted hotel sure sounds like an unforgettable time to me.

Bisbee is worth the visit, even if you don’t seek a haunted adventure

Some of us don’t like to feel scared on vacation, and that’s fair! But you should still absolutely visit Bisbee. It’s one of my favorite places in Arizona, and it’s an easy day trip from Tucson. You can also stop in nearby Tombstone for a full day of Wild West excitement in Southern Arizona. 

Don’t miss this gem of a town, even if the Oliver House doesn’t sound like your cup of tea. There are plenty of non-haunted stays in town, too!

***

My stay at The Oliver House was one of the most memorable of my life, despite the lack of ghostly encounters. The twisted history of the place was absolutely fascinating. If only walls could talk… though, according to some visitors, they do!

I hope I inspired your own haunted adventure in Bisbee. I’ve also stayed at one of the most haunted hotels in Jerome, another haunted Arizona town. Check it out if you want to plan a weekend getaway or spooky day trip from Phoenix!