The Crescent Hotel - America's MOST HAUNTED Hotel

Perched above Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa stands as a triumph of 19th-century craftsmanship and a monument to some of the darkest chapters in Ozark history. Once celebrated as the grandest hotel in the state, today it is just as famous for its ghostly guests as its architectural grandeur—and this Halloween season, the nearby Eureka Springs Zombie Crawl keeps the town's spooky spirit alive and well.

Eureka Springs' Healing Waters

Long before the Crescent was built, Eureka Springs was known for its abundant natural springs, which early settlers and Native Americans believed held powerful healing properties. By 1881, word of the "miracle waters" spread nationwide, drawing thousands seeking cures for ailments ranging from arthritis to tuberculosis, making Eureka Springs the fourth-largest city in Arkansas.

As crowds poured into the Ozarks, the small mountain town rapidly transformed into a booming Victorian health resort. Wooden boarding houses and bathhouses sprang up around the springs, but demand quickly outpaced supply. Wealthy visitors and dignitaries arriving by rail expected grander accommodations—and so, the vision for the Crescent Hotel was born: a luxurious mountaintop retreat built to accommodate the throngs of visitors coming to the Ozarks.

The Birth of the Crescent Hotel

When the Crescent Hotel opened its doors on May 20, 1886, the Daily Arkansas Gazette said, "a grander occasion than the holiday festivities with the formal opening of the Crescent Hotel in this city has not been witnessed in Arkansas." The project cost a staggering $294,000 to build, the equivalent of over $10 million in today's dollars. The architect, Isaac S. Taylor of St. Louis, later gained international fame for his leadership in the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair (read more about that in our post about the Gateway Arch).

Designed in a distinctive blend of French Renaissance and Richardsonian Romanesque styles, the limestone used was quarried nearby in Beaver, Arkansas, brought by horse-drawn wagons, and assembled so precisely that no mortar was required at the time. Irish stonemasons hauled and stacked 18-inch-thick blocks, creating what is essentially a five-story castle in the Ozarks.

The Crescent quickly became a beacon of luxury and leisure for wealthy travelers drawn to Eureka Springs' healing waters. However, as the decades passed, the hotel's fortunes rose and fell—transforming from resort to conservatory to college, and eventually into something much darker.

The Baker Cancer Clinic: The Crescent Hotel's Darkest Era

In 1937, the Crescent entered its most notorious chapter under the ownership of Norman Baker, a radio personality and scam artist from Iowa. Baker was no doctor, but claimed to have found a cure for cancer. Armed with a powerful radio station—KNTN, "Know The Naked Truth"—and a flair for showmanship, Baker lured desperate patients from across the country to the newly christened Baker Cancer Clinic.

His so-called remedy, Formula 5, was a concoction of alcohol, carbolic acid, glycerol, ground watermelon seed, corn silk, and clover leaves. It offered no real cure—only false hope. Many patients spent their life savings at the Crescent, only to die within its walls. Baker's empire started to fall in 1931 when he lost his radio station after upsetting the American Medical Association for his outlandish claims. It finally unraveled in 1939 when he was convicted of mail fraud for promoting his fake treatments and sentenced to four years at Leavenworth Prison. Though he failed to sell the Crescent Hotel as a tuberculosis sanatorium upon his release in 1944, he retired to Florida, where he lived on a yacht until his death in 1958.

It was reopened as a hotel when it was purchased by Marty and Elise Roenigk in 1997.

Though Marty has passed away, Elise remains the current owner of the hotel.

In 2019, a shocking discovery reignited the hotel's macabre legacy: workers unearthed hundreds of glass bottles buried behind the Crescent—some containing human remains and mysterious medical specimens, believed to date back to Baker's time.

Haunted Past to Living Legend

Despite its grim history, the Crescent Hotel endured. After a fire in 1967 and several changes of ownership, it was lovingly restored by Marty and Elise Roenigk in 1997. Though stories of the hauntings were originally taboo to mention for fear of losing business, it was also under their leadership that the hotel finally embraced the stories they once hid. They've since launched the Crescent's famous ghost tours, which now attract thousands of visitors each year.

Today, guests and paranormal investigators alike report encounters with the hotel's many spirits:

• Michael, the Irish stonemason who fell to his death during construction, is seen in Room 218.

• Theodora, a former cancer patient, is often seen searching for her keys outside Room 419.

• Breckie, a 4-year-old boy, bounces his ball down the halls.

• Dr. John Freemont Ellis, the hotel's in-house doctor during the late 1800s, is seen—or more often smelled—with the lingering scent of cherry pipe tobacco near Room 212.

• Morris the Cat, the hotel's beloved mascot and "general manager" for 21 years, is said to occasionally make his presence known. He is also buried on the property.

Today, the Crescent proudly bears the title "America's Most Haunted Hotel." Its story, one of transformation, tragedy, and resurrection, mirrors the town of Eureka Springs itself.

Spooky Season in Eureka Springs: The Zombie Crawl

This weekend, the spirits won't be the only ones walking the streets. On Saturday, October 25, 2025, downtown Eureka Springs will host its annual Zombie Crawl Parade, an event that draws thousands of undead visitors for a night of frightful fun.

Starting at 12 PM, the town transforms with spooky music, a Macabre Market, a Thriller dance lesson, and the famous Brain Buffet—all leading up to the Zombie Parade at 6 PM. Families, ghost hunters, and horror enthusiasts come to celebrate the city's haunted heritage in true Eureka fashion.

Whether you’re traveling to Eureka Springs for the architecture, spirits, or events, remember that Interstate Signways made the signs the guided the way!