This historic hotel began it’s long and illustrious history back in 1908, when it was built for the many residents of the growing town. Since then, the hotel has narrowly escaped demolishment and is now one of the county icons. The third floor of the hotel is believed to have a resident ghost, who is believed to be a former prostitute who was murdered in the hotel. She has been seen walking around the upper floors, and has even been known to hop into bed with male guests.
(Submitted by Callum Swift)
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Geographic Information
- Address:
- 304 South Main Street
Alturas, CA
United States
Get Directions » - GPS:
- 41.4824013, -120.54202350000003
- County:
- Modoc County, California
- Nearest Towns:
- Alturas, CA (0.3 mi.)
Daphnedale Park, CA (1.8 mi.)
California Pines, CA (8.7 mi.)
Canby, CA (17.2 mi.)
Likely, CA (17.5 mi.)
Cedarville, CA (19.3 mi.)
Lake City, CA (20.1 mi.)
Eagleville, CA (24.9 mi.)
Adin, CA (28.9 mi.)
Fort Bidwell, CA (33.0 mi.)
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Disclaimer: The stories posted here are user-submitted and are, in the nature of "ghost stories," largely unverifiable. HauntedPlaces.org makes no claims that any of the statements posted here are factually accurate. The vast majority of information provided on this web site is anecdotal, and as such, should be viewed in the same light as local folklore and urban legends.
I’ve heard tales the female on second floor. Also third floor was once the location of a satanist church. Mr. Niles has been seen on the grand staircase and of a little boy in restaurant. A friend recently recorded a empty rooms door rattling like crazy with no decerable cuase.
Wait, there was a satanist church? Can I have a picture since my boyfriend doesn’t believe it?
I stayed at the Niles with some family members in June 2014 when we were in Alturas for a memorial service. We lived there for a few years in the 70s, but I’d never been in the building before My then 11YO niece was freaked out by some of the old photos decorating the place, so my sister and I decided it would be fun to freak her out further by staging some “ghost” photos, using a big black piece of cloth (table covering?) we found in one of the sitting areas on the second floor, where earlier we had been practicing the song we were to sing at the memorial the next day.
In the attached photos, that’s me under the cloth, advancing down the hall toward my sister, who was taking the pictures on my phone. We were both laughing hysterically the whole time. When we looked at the photos, we stopped laughing when we got to #5 and saw that skull-looking face that appears right about where my face would be. Then we noticed the swirly/blurry stuff going on in #4. I do not claim to be any expert in these things, but think maybe the swirlies in #4 could be… energy gathering itself toward appearing, if that makes sense?
Every time we went somewhere to eat or shop that weekend, and told people where we were staying, they immediately asked if we’d “seen anything”. I’ll be very interested to hear what you think of these photos.
PS
I want to see the photos.
Hmmm, the photo attachment seems not to be working. I’d love to hear from you if you’re interested in seeing them; surely another way can be found…
I would be interested in seeing these photos please.
Email – Jbrazil04@gmail.com
The prostitute isn’t the only resident.
There was a massacre in the Saloon, which is now the coffee house.
There was also a man who shot his ex wife and himself in the back alley not twenty years ago.
They are friendly ghosts, at least to the locals. But you feel them in the rooms with you.
what was the name of the massacre, what year? Fascinating!
when was the massacre in the saloon? Love to know.
I had visited The Niles about 2 years ago and I was walking around the third floor. When I reached the intersection of the hallway, in the middle of taking photos, I felt a burning sensation on my back and I had lifted my shirt to show my grandmother, who was with me, and there were 3 verticle scratches down my back.
I stayed at the Niles after a concert on the main floor. I was with my fiancé and a friend of ours, and we were staying in the left corner room in the back of the building on the 2nd floor. Our friend ended up hanging out with the band after the show while my fiancé and I decided to go to bed. Between 3-4 am I heard a loud knock at the door, one that woke me from a hard sleep. Assuming it was our buddy returning from his late night jam session, I immediately (drowsily) went to the door and opened it up to let him in. To my surprise, there was nobody at the door. I looked out down the long hallway and did not see a soul. I realized that there is a very real possibility that I could’ve dreamt the knocking sound, but it seemed very vivid to me. I am a hard sleeper, and it takes a lot to wake me up. Either way, I thought it was pretty creepy.
I have lived in Alturas and have been in the Niles several times. I have seen a blonde little boy who walks the third floor. I have also looked through a peep hole in a locked door and seen the front of a Mona Lisa picture. When I looked again I seen the back of it.
My wife and I stayed on the second floor in room 203, September 27 2018. While brushing my teeth in the bathroom where the towels were still freshly hung and untouched, I heard a towel drop to the ground and briefly looked at it when suddenly an intense tingly sensation presented within my back and my arms. I am a medical professional and while I respect the idea that spirit energy exists, I am now certain it does. I was not at all nervous about this as it was not a threatening event but the sensation lasted for some 15 seconds. I told the spirit with a few choice words to leave that she was dead and had to leave the room. Funny but immediately the sensation left me. My wife thought I was kidding around and I did not share the experience with her until the morning so she could sleep. The good news is I did not have to pay extra for the experience or for having a third someone in the room.
There is also the room on the third floor known as the Black Church. it hs this title do to its unchangeably dark paint (it is unchangeable due to the fact that on multiple occasions it was painted pure white and despite it being the work of a professional painter, within a few days faded to its original black colors), and the demonic carvings in the wall that cant be filled in due to a supposed power to repel all fillers. Its church title comes from the fact that it was the place where the original owner Mr. Niles held seances and cult meetings alongside the other two founders of the town of Alturas. Another location in alturas with large amounts of paranormal activity is the Gibson house, built by aother town founder Mr. Gibson.
Hi Wyatt, this is fascinating. Where did you hear this about Mr. Niles?
Hi Wyatt, love to know where you learned this about Mr. Niles and the Seances and cult meetings. Fascinating.
Me and my fire crew stayed there last night and some girls experienced some pretty creepy stuff such as their beds shaking, seeing something walk by the mirrors “wearing a white hood” when there was no one or nothing there. Another girl had her sleeping bag roll off the bed and start to move, closet doors opening and closings throughout the night. As well as the washer room being freezing cold when the rest of the hotel was rather warm. We had no idea it was haunted until we left this morning and googled the hotel on the road to a fire
Where are you from Alondra? I’m a producer with Travel Chanel and would love to hear more.
My great grandfather became the manager of the Niles around 1920. His wife had died in childbirth so he decided to move to Alturas and take a new job. My great grandmother lost her fiance in a trolley car accident in SF and then decided to move into the Niles with her mother to rest from the shock. There my great grandparents met and married. Of course it has nothing to do with ghosts but an interesting part of ithe Niles history.