BOO! Halloween is just around the corner, folks, and you know what that means:
- It’s time to do the Monster Mash, and
- Things are about to get very spooky.
Kids shouldn’t be the only ones having all of the holiday fun. Professional planners can get into the spirit by organizing a meeting or an event in a haunted venue. Give your attendees a healthy scare at these ghost-filled spots.
Omni Mount Washington Resort (Bretton Woods, New Hampshire)
This luxury historical hotel offers seasonal Nordic and Alpine skiing, 30,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and 200 guest rooms. It’s the perfect set-up, as long as you avoid room 314. In this spooky room, visitors have reported strange occurrences such as the fireplace flickering on and off, and phantom ghost sounds. And apparently, the deceased widow of the hotel’s creator still roams the halls.
Sloss Furnaces (Birmingham, Alabama)
Sloss Furnaces’ origins began in the early 1900s when James “Slag” Wormwood was foreman of the plant’s graveyard shift. He frequently forced his workers to endure dangerous conditions, which were so bad that 47 workers died. But karma looped back around in 1906 when he fell into a pool of melted iron ore. Since his death, reports of ghost sightings, burns and other unexplained injuries continue to marvel paranormal enthusiasts. Despite a grim backstory, the site is an interpretive museum of industry and hosts a variety of events, such as corporate functions and formals, in its six unique rental areas.
The Cuban Club (Tampa, Florida)
In the early 20th century, Cuban Club members enjoyed access to a medical clinic, a pharmacy, a theater, bowling lanes, a gym and a pool, all in the yellow-brick building. The hangout had a dark and spooky side, though. In the 1920s, an actor committed suicide on stage, an 8-year-old boy drowned in the pool and a board member shot another after an argument. According to “experts,” spirits linger in the three-story building. On the bright side, there five beautiful venue options grace the building.
Oakland Cemetery (Atlanta)
Oakland Cemetery was founded in 1850 and serves as the resting place for well-known figures such as Bobby Jones, Margaret Mitchell and Maynard Jackson. The space is also a beautiful area for an event. Impressive sculpture and architecture, a botanical preserve with ancient oaks and magnolias, and other beauties keeps attracting people.
Hotel Monteleone (New Orleans)
The Hotel Monteleone is in central New Orleans, steps away from Jackson Square, the French Market, and the Riverwalk. In keeping with its voodoo roots, there have been reports of elevators randomly taking guests to the wrong floors, with cold hallways. The International Society of Paranormal Research claimed contact with several ghosts during a 2003 investigation, including a boy named Maurice Begere, who died in the hotel. It also has 24,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
