124-year-old Arizona hotel is said to be haunted by an Irish miner’s ghost. Tourists may hear whispers and laughter in empty rooms. But there’s more…

If you are a fan of horror, then the idea of exploring haunted locations might excite you. If your answer to it is yet, then Arizona is the place to be. Reason? A 124-year-old hotel in the beautiful and historic town of Oatman is said to be haunted by multiple spooky entities. Durlin Hotel, now named the Oatman Hotel, has become a popular tourist attraction for its paranormal sightings, creepy decor and an overall eerie atmosphere. Oatman Hotel is perched amongst the Black Mountains off a stretch of road known as Route 66 or ‘Bloody 66’.

All about the haunter Oatman town

The town of Oatman was named after the Oatman Family, who were murdered by protective Native Americans 280 miles away, according to the National Park Service (NPS). Back in the 1800s, it was a thriving gold rush town and a prominent vacation spot. But as the mines started fizzling out and Route 66 was shut down, Oatman fell into disrepair. Meanwhile, the Oatman Hotel, built in 1902, was named after founder John Durlin.

In 1908, prospectors struck a gold vein valued at $13 million, with another $14 million discovery following in 1915. Altogether, gold worth almost $40 million was extracted during those years, equivalent to around $2.6 billion today. The rush transformed Oatman into a thriving mining settlement, drawing 3,500 residents in its early boom. By the 1930s, its population had soared to 10,000, cementing the Arizona town’s place on the map.

Ghosts inside the Oatman Hotel

The 8-room Oatman Hotel, rebuilt after a fire in 1924, enjoyed a prosperous business with local miners. Dated and signed 1 dollar bills adorned the walls and ceilings of the hotel’s saloon, a practice where miners searched for their dollar bill when they ran short on cash to pay for drinks. In 1939, a newly married couple, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, stopped at the hotel for their honeymoon.

The husband fell in love with Oatman and often returned to play poker with local miners. The Gable/Lombard honeymoon suite is now a special attraction, with the hotel’s owners claiming that their ghosts still occupy the building and are often heard whispering and laughing in empty rooms. Not just that, another friendly ghost, Oatie, believed to be an Irish miner, William Ray Flour, who died behind the hotel, also roams the place. Among the other friendly spirits said to inhabit the hotel are playful ghosts in the saloon.

What remains of the Oatman Hotel

In 1924, United Eastern Mines, which provided much of Oatman’s employment, brought its local operations to an end. Nearly two decades later, in 1941, the U.S. Government halted the town’s last mining activities to support the war effort. Workers were redirected to mines producing metals considered more critical to the conflict. Today, the hotel no longer welcomes overnight guests, but its ground floor still operates as a bar and restaurant, while the upper levels house a museum. The property joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.