Ghostly Happenings in Arkansas

The Ghost of Ladell Allen

In Monticello, the Allen House is a historic Queen Anne Victorian home known for its beautiful architecture and haunted history. Within the house ghostly spirits have been seen, and strange events have occurred. One of the ghostly inhabitants is Ladell Allen, who took her own life in the house in 1948 due to an unhappy love affair with her former high school sweetheart. Paranormal experts have toured the house and six spirits were identified. Unfortunately, the house was sold in 2024 and cannot be toured.

Haunted Rooms

The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa in Hot Springs was built in 1875 and is a historic hotel with ghostly activity. Guests have seen ghostly figures and encountered strange happenings in Room 824. Room 443 used to be the preferred room of gangster Al Capone. In this room guests experience strange events. The Arlington Hotel is not only a site for ghost stories but also a landmark of the Gilded Age, reflecting the opulence of its time. Its grand architecture and rich history attract both tourists and paranormal investigators alike.

Strange Ghostly Happenings

In Fort Smith, the Clayton House dates from the Victorian era and is now a museum. Visitors have heard disembodied voices and footsteps in empty rooms. Ghostly figures have been seen dressed in period clothing. The house was built in 1852 and once served as a Civil War hospital. Former director Martha Siler experienced unsettling occurrences shortly after starting her role, particularly in a specific bedroom on the second floor that is known to frighten guests. The Southwest Ghost Hunters Association has recognized the Clayton House as one of Arkansas's most authentically haunted properties, citing consistent paranormal activity verified by multiple investigative teams.

Ghostly Hospital Personnel

Located in Eureka Springs, the Crescent Hotel is considered to be the most haunted hotel in the US. In the 1930s this was the Baker Cancer Hospital where an unusual Dr. Norman Baker experimented on patients. Visitors here have seen the ghostly spirits of former patients, Michael and Theodora, and a nurse has been seen pushing a gurney down the third-floor hallway, and I don’t think she was delivering room service.

Ghostly Soldiers

In Fort Smith, Fort Chaffee once served as a military base, and now soldiers who have passed on don’t wish to leave. (pictured above) Over the years the base housed German POWs and Cuban refugees. Onsite there have been hundreds of deaths. This historic site now serves as an Army National Guard station. A notable incident involved a fire in 2011 that destroyed many historic buildings, further adding to the site's eerie atmosphere. Fort Chaffee has appeared on an episode of “Ghost Adventures” on the Travel Channel.

Restless Spirits

In Little Rock, the Mount Holly Cemetery is known as the “Westminster Abbey of Arkansas." There have been sightings of spirits roaming about at night. Statues move on their own, disembodied voices are heard, and visitors have seen unexplained lights and seen photographic evidence of ghosts. Mount Holly Cemetery in Little Rock is one of Arkansas's most historically significant burial grounds and a reported hot spot for paranormal activity, with visitors and investigators documenting ghostly encounters among its moss-covered tombstones and elaborate Victorian monuments.

Haunted by Samuel and Minnie Belle

Located in Bentonville, the Peele Mansion was built by Col. Samuel W. Peele. Former residents of this home have chosen not to leave. Visitors have heard disembodied voices and footsteps, seen objects moving on their own, and have heard someone playing the piano in the parlor, but only no one is there. The mansion is said to be haunted by both Samuel and his daughter, Minnie Belle. The mansion serves as a historic house museum, showcasing the architecture and lifestyle of the era. It features a unique three-story tower and is a prominent landmark in Bentonville.