At the Shanley Hotel, ghosts check in but never check out

Shanley Hotel (photo courtesy of Central Indiana Paranormal)

The Shanley Hotel stands as testimony to the grand times of American history where elegance, ambiance, and culture melded naturally with the atmosphere of a home-away-from home.

Today, remnants of that atmosphere remain, not only for new visitors but also for numerous ghosts who have decided they never want to leave.

Located in Napanoch, New York, the building consists of 35 rooms, hidden basement rooms, and secret passageways. Guests might hear music, voices or laughter, or be awakened to the smell of a southern home-cooked breakfast. Yet within the blink of an eye, things go quiet. The smell fades. They soon realize these are mere memories of lives long past but only a few samples of ghostly experiences that await.

Shanley Mini-Timeline

• Built in 1845 by Thomas Rich as the Napanoch Hotel
• Became the Hungerford’s Hotel in 1851
• Burned to the foundation in 1895. Rebuilt by November of that year and was back in business.
• Purchased by James Louis Shanley in 1906
• Bowling alley, billiard room, and barber shop added in 1908.

Suzette Arostegui(top) and Norma Forteza (photo by PASTintel Research Team)

Under Shanley’s ownership, the hotel blossomed into its heyday of fabulous parties and special events. It became a favorite of the rich and famous.

James and Beatrice Shanley were personal friends of such people as Thomas Edison and Eleanor Roosevelt, two of the frequent well-known visitors to the hotel. Yet all that glittered was not enough to protect its owners from tragedy, which included the death of all three of the Shanley children within nine months of birth.

Read the Shanley Hotel's fascinating history, documentation of paranormal activity, and information on booking a room at their website.

The Shanley Hotel today

Current owners, Salvatore and Cynthia Nicosia are determined to carry on the tradition of the Shanley’s home-style atmosphere, and the PASTintel Research Team of Suzette Arostegui, Norma Forteza, and Billy Muncey, who recently researched Shanley Hotel, think their efforts are successful.

A room in the Shanley Hotel (photo by PASTintel Research Team)

 

 

“At first when I saw the website, I had to admit I was skeptical, especially of its claims of having so many spirits residing there,” said Norma. “I also was concerned about the kind of spirits that may be there if the claims were true. All my concerns, however, were put to rest immediately after I arrived. What fascinated me is the ambiance of the place. It is very welcoming! I felt I was ‘home.’ Never once did I feel a heaviness that sometimes is felt in other locations. All in all, it was a positive experience.”

During their overnight investigation, the members of the team felt they were being followed and watched at all times.

“I never felt I was in danger,” said Norma. “In fact, I felt that the spirits wanted me to feel their presence, nothing more.”

On this visit, the team experimented with Paranormal Investigator John Sabol’s P.O.P. Method in which props are used to recreate a timeframe in history. They threw a party of the era (1944), dressed in period clothing, and invited all of the spirits to attend as if they were guests in the hotel.

"We had lot of fun getting dressed up and inviting all of the spirits to join the party," said Suzette. "Of course, we played old music, sipped champagne, and had a blast. Needless to say, we were able to feel the spirits all around us, especially while we danced. Even the K2 meters went berserk when we said we were stopping."

Watch the video of the party.

With so many invisible eyes watching, how does one get a little alone time for those private moments? According to Suzette, the spirits are quite cooperative.

"When I was about to take a hot bath in Rose’s room, I stood by the door and announced, 'OK guys, you MUST give me some space here. I am about to take a bath, and I do want some privacy. No one, and I mean NO ONE, is allowed to come through this door once I close it. I am a lady!' Then I had to laugh because I could feel them leaving the room and waiting outside until I came out."

One of the most compelling stories of a spirit at the Shanley is of a little boy they call Jonathan. In 1915, a 6-year-old boy was hit by a car backing out of the alley between the hotel and the house next door. He sustained severe head injuries and died. Could the spirit of a little boy that likes to bounce a ball down the stairs be Jonathan?

Trigger objects of a ball, toy soldiers and cars were set up in one room to entice the spirit of this young boy to appear on camera. Although the camera was set up to monitor the area for eight hours, nothing happened. But when the camera was taken away and they returned to clean up, the toy soldiers were moved. No one had been in the room.

All the spirits at the Shanley appear to be somewhat camera shy.

 “I learned that the 'spirit residence' does not like video cameras.” said Norma.  “They prefer we try to “sense” them and that we talk to them directly rather than invading them with video cameras.”