One of the most haunted stops in downtown Flagstaff
The Weatherford Hotel has stood at Leroux Street and Aspen Avenue since January 1, 1900, and it has been collecting stories nearly as long. Guests and staff report a dancing figure in the Zane Grey Ballroom, unexplained voices in the halls, and a honeymoon legend attached to Room 54 that locals still argue about. The hotel fills pages of Haunted Flagstaff, the book our co-founder Susan Johnson wrote from primary-source research, and the walking tour pauses at its red sandstone corner. The history comes first below, then the reported lore, with the full stories saved for the sidewalk.
Haunted Weatherford - Historic Hotel in Flagstaff
The iconic Weatherford Hotel has been a part of Flagstaff’s historic downtown since 1900. Its third-floor balcony has supported many a reveler and the witch’s cap cupola makes the hotel a landmark unto itself. Built by John Weatherford above his haberdashery, the hotel opened on January 1, 1900. Weatherford was a Texan who came west to explore the Arizona territories and make his mark. He was part entrepreneur, part politician and every bit a dreamer and visionary. His hotel offered indoor plumbing “on every floor” and a resplendent restaurant inside. At various points in its existence, the Weatherford Hotel boasted a Ladies Parlour and piano room, a Billiards room and even housed the local telephone exchange. Zane Grey was a frequent guest and he’d arrive with his entourage in tow for a prolonged stay. The Weatherford has its share of ghosts and is a popular site for paranormal investigators to stage a search at. The Hotel is also home to three of Flagstaff’s most popular bars, the Zane Grey Ballroom, Charly’s and the Gopher Hole. Local musicians can be heard playing inside and there’s frequently a family-friendly event in the basement bar. You can check out what’s happening at their website, weatherfordhotel.com. The hotel has even published its own history of the steam tunnels that once ran beneath downtown, a story we trace in full on our Flagstaff tunnels page. Be warned, though: by long local report, it is haunted. Weatherford's ambitions did not stop at the hotel: down the street stands the theater Weatherford built twice.
Room 54: the honeymoon legend
Ask a local which room is haunted at the Weatherford and the answer is Room 54. The story goes that a honeymooning couple met a tragic end there in the 1930s, and the tellings disagree on almost everything except the sorrow. In one version the groom is lost to a winter storm and the bride does not wait to learn the truth; in another, a quarrel ends in a murder and a suicide. What every version shares is the couple themselves. Hotel workers and guests have reported waking to a bride and groom seated at the foot of the bed, and low, arguing voices from a closet that is always found empty. The room’s later history says as much as the legend: by most accounts the hotel eventually stopped renting Room 54 altogether and turned it over to storage and laundry work. Whether the bride is connected to the White Lady reported dancing alone in the Zane Grey Ballroom is a question we take up in our White Lady story, and the fuller version of the honeymooners’ tale waits for the tour. We give the legend a page of its own: the full Room 54 story.
Staying the night at the Weatherford
The Weatherford is a living, working hotel, not a museum piece, and it takes its reputation in stride: the hotel’s own website explains how to request a storied room, and its guidance points overnight guests toward Room 42, a king suite, and Room 59, a snug room with a shared bath, as the rooms drawing the most reports today. Book directly with the front desk, then make an evening of it downstairs, where Charly’s, the Gopher Hole, and the Zane Grey Ballroom all welcome the public. Our guide to the haunted hotels in Flagstaff covers how to plan the night: check in, walk the stories at dusk, and end with a nightcap under the pressed tin.
The other haunted hotel, a block away
The Weatherford shares downtown with the Hotel Monte Vista, opened in 1927 and carrying a haunted ledger of its own, from a phantom bellboy to a rocking chair that will not sit still. The two hotels anchor the same few blocks, which is part of why Flagstaff’s haunted history is so walkable. Guests with two nights in town often split them: one under the Weatherford’s cupola, one under the Monte Vista’s neon.
Questions people ask
What is the story of Room 54 at the Weatherford Hotel?
The legend tells of a honeymoon that ended in tragedy in the 1930s, though the tellings disagree on how. Guests and employees have reported a bride and groom seated at the foot of the bed and arguing voices from an empty closet. By most accounts the room is no longer rented to guests.
Can you stay overnight at the Weatherford Hotel?
Yes. The Weatherford is a working hotel in the middle of downtown Flagstaff, and it embraces its history; the hotel’s own website explains how to request one of its storied rooms. Book directly with the front desk.
Does the Flagstaff ghost tour stop at the Weatherford Hotel?
The Flagstaff Haunted History Tour pauses at the hotel’s red sandstone corner on its 75 minute walk through downtown, with evening departures at 7 PM. The stories get told from the sidewalk, and the bars inside are open to the public afterward.
Hear the Weatherford’s stories after dark
Walk past the Weatherford with a local guide on the Flagstaff Haunted History Tour: 75 minutes through downtown, evening departures at 7 PM, $29 for adults, $25 for students, and $22 for children. History first, haunt second, and the ballroom keeps its best details for the walk. 1,000+ five-star reviews. Best of Flagstaff three years running.
