Haunted Stays V: Sagamore Hotel in Bolton Landon, New York

The Sagamore Hotel

Most paranormal investigators agree locations such as prisons, hospitals and schools are places of high emotion. Due to this, they are more likely to retain some tragic memory that replays as a haunting. There is one other establishment you can add to that list, hotels. They often see the wide spectrum of emotion and human tragedy like murder, suicide, and even unrequited love. Upstate New York’s Sagamore Hotel certainly fits within this criteria.

Built in 1883 by Myron Brown, along with several wealthy investors, the Sagamore was intended to be a sportsman’s paradise. To fit this purpose, the hotel was constructed on Green Island in scenic Lake George in the Adirondack Mountains. The Sagamore offered hunting, fishing, hiking and an award-winning golf course. If you had a desire for outdoor adventure, the Sagamore Hotel was the place to find it.

Although the Sagamore was considered the poshest hotel in that region of New York State, it was not without its difficulties. Two fires, the first in 1893 and the second in 1914, almost burned the hotel to the ground. The hotel was significantly damaged, but it was the loss of life that threatened the upscale hotel. A number of guests and staff met their fates in the blazing infernos.

In the 1930s, the Sagamore was completely rebuilt despite the country feeling the economic pain of the great depression. Countless Americans were out of work and those who once knew power, wealth and prestige found themselves penniless and destitute. Due to this, the Sagamore fell victim to the financial collapse and the sportsman’s haven was forced to close its doors for good.

The Sagamore sat empty for fifty years as nature slowly reclaimed the land and what was left of the decrepit building. That changed in 1983, when a businessman from Philadelphia saw promise in the old hotel and snatched it up at a very reasonable price. The new owner spared no expense in resurrecting the Sagamore. And after extensive renovations the hotel was ready to take in guests. But not all was well with this upstate New York resort and it was anything but empty. Guests and employees would soon discover that the Sagamore was haunted.

Not long after reopening its doors, guests and employees reported encounters with the spectral occupants of the hotel’s past. And one of the more curious hauntings appears to be a violent echo from the hotel’s early history. 

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People have claimed to watch as a young couple clothed in fine dining attire from the 19th century descend the stairs. When they reach the dining room, a violent fight breaks out between the man and his companion. Guests, shaken by the uncouth display watch in horror as he grabs her and shoves her to floor. When she hits the floor, she melts into the carpet and vanishes. No one has ever been able to ascertain who the couple were or what caused the fight. All they know is the scene is disturbing to behold.

The violent scene between the man and his female companion is believed to be nothing more than a moment captured in time, a residual haunt as some would fall it. Nevertheless, there is another phantom said to lurk in the hotel’s dining room. The apparition of a lady in white appears and strolls among the tables. A former chef had a bone chilling encounter when the women appeared and passed through him. The chef was so frightened by his experience, he walked off the job and never returned.

Employees and guests of the Sagamore will tell you that the restaurant isn’t the only haunted room in the hotel. According to those who have experienced it first-hand, the Sagamore is brimming with supernatural activity that defies the rational. One of these ghostly inhabitants is a somewhat rude ghost the staff call Walter.

Walter, when he is seen, is commonly described as a rather portly man in a dark suit from the early days of the previous century. The feature that makes him particularly memorable is a large mustache that almost makes him look like a walrus. Walter is known to stand silently in an elevator until the car reaches a floor and he rudely pushes past people to get off. As he exits, Walter takes four steps and simply fades away.

So far, the many ghosts of The Sagamore appear to be benign in nature. Nevertheless, there are two ghosts that take a great deal of pleasure in causing mischief. One spirit, an elderly woman, enters guest’s rooms and lays down next to them in bed. When the guest awakens, the phantom woman stares at them with the cold dead eyes of a corpse. And before vanishing she breathes an icy cold breath in their face.

Our last spirit is perhaps the hotel’s most mischievous and enjoys causing problems on the Sagamore’s award winning golf course. As the story goes, in the 1950s, a young teenage boy was struck and killed by a car as he chased down an errant golf ball.  Since that day, golfers teeing off have reported the apparition of a teenage boy suddenly appearing and stealing their golf balls. When the angry guests chase him down to retrieve their ball, they find that no teenage boys are nearby.

The Sagamore Hotel is the outdoor sportsman’s paradise and can be found on Green Island near the town of Bolton Landon. The scenic Adirondack Mountains that rise majestically all around this hotel is a perfect backdrop for one of New York’s most haunted hotels.

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About Rick Hale 106 Articles
Rick Hale became interested in anomalous phenomenon at an early age after encountering an apparition in his grandparent's home. Rick is the author of "The Geek's Guide To The Strange and Unusual: Poltergeists, Ghost and Demons," and "Behold! Shocking True Tales Off Terror...And Some Other Spooky Stuff." Rick has been published in Haunted Times Magazine, Paranormal Underground Magazine, The Supernatural Magazine, Spookyisles.com and Legends Magazine. Rick appeared in Ghost Tapes 2 and Ghost Tapes: The Series found at YouTube.com.

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