Is This Century-Old Building Utica’s Most Haunted Location?
You can find angry spirits capable of causing toothaches and eye pain here.
Halloween is almost here, which means only a few hours separate us from experiencing the most haunted day of the year.
However, a trip to downtown Utica will bring you to a place where it feels like Halloween all the time - if you believe in the paranormal.
Built in 1912...
The haunted Hotel Utica, now Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica, opened its doors over 110 years ago. However, some of its original guests still wander its halls. Staff there will tell you of the Tuxedo Man, whom they affectionately call "Charlie," or the White Lady of the Mezzanine.
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There are also rumors of a 12-year-old boy haunting the basement and of disembodied voices occupying the abandoned top floors. So, when a team of paranormal investigators joined several Townsquare employees for a proper ghost hunt - we encountered several things that could not be easily explained.
Multiple Ghosts Haunt the Basement
The basement of old Hotel Utica is, emphatically, the coolest part of the building. Beneath the opulent ballrooms and chandeliers are old machinery, pipes - and the spirits of several young boys.
Using a spirit box, EMF readers and other devices designed to detect ghosts - we were told that a "family" is there "hiding in the dark."
The name Ronald was mentioned twice, while the ghost boxes also relayed the names of Nicholas and Cyrus.
Probably the most interesting event of the night was when BJ, the co-host of the "Unrefined Podcast," used cat toys that would light up when touched. He placed one in the darkest area of the room and the ball went off twice when no one was near it.
Benjamin Keeler, who co-stars on the paranormal YouTube channel Jasko, tested the area to see if the balls would trigger with vibrations. The toy remained inert as he was jumping and tapping his feet around it.
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According to BJ, he's never experienced that.
Another interesting happenstance was when we were trying to elicit a response from the basement spirits. I asked if they wanted to see a photo of my dog, thinking what young child wouldn't jump at the chance, and was humbled. Apparently, they don't like canines because the spirit box warned, "You need to leave."
Room 410
During our tour of Hotel Utica, there was one room that instantly filled the team with a weird sense of dread.
Upon walking inside room 410, which is said to be the most haunted guest room in the building, the team noticed an instant change in temperature and pressure.
There was also a strange, floral smell in certain areas of the room.
According to hotel staff:
In 2012, hotel was renovating room 410 and everything was taken apart in the room including the phone off of the jack. The room would keep calling the front desk even though it was not plugged in. - In multiple rooms guests have experienced heavy pressure on their chest while sleeping and it has woken them up.
It should be noted Keeler chose to spend the night in that hotel room. No details yet on what he experienced.
The "Abandoned" Floors
Our group was lucky enough to check out the building's 12th and 14th floors that were completely gutted and used for storage.
We explored the area around sunset and didn't experience any paranormal activity, such as cold spots or disembodied voices, but things changed at night.
The "Unrefined Podcast" team, as well as members of the Jasko Youtube channel returned to the upper floors hours later and reportedly heard footsteps and whistling.
That audio should be included when they release their respective episodes.
The Mezzanine
Now, this is where things get juicy.
In June, I visited the hotel for the first time and asked a few questions about its haunted history when dining at their Iconic by Chesterfield restaurant.
The waitress was extremely informative and went on about one figure I was most interested in, who is called "The Tuxedo Man."
Per hotel staff:
Guests have noticed shadowy figures on the mezzanine level looking down towards the lobby… It is known in the community that a man in a tuxedo hung himself off the mezzanine railings in the 1950’s and is thought to continue wandering the mezzanine.
This apparition has been affectionately renamed "Charlie" by the hotel staff, and he seems to be a bit of a prankster. "Charlie" has a tendency to make off with jewelry, utensils and other small objects.
Upon hearing that story, I joked that "Charlie" was a klepto -- and I felt immediate pain in my left eye. Soon after, it swelled up Quasimodo-style. I determined that "Charlie" poked me in the eye because there was no other explanation.
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I was sitting and talking at the time, so it was bizarre.
So, when I returned to the hotel a few months later, the equipment detected something on the mezzanine where "Charlie" is known to loiter.
Using a spirit box, we struck up a conversation and I asked if I was talking to the spirit that poked me in the eye in June.
The spirit box responded with ominous laughter - so that was proof enough for me!
I should also note my colleague, Envy McKee, joined us for the first half of the investigation. She is the co-host of Best Mornings on Lite 98.7 and, apparently, she developed an ache in her jaw after leaving the hotel.
I'll let her tell the story, though.
In the end, do I think Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Utica is haunted?
Yes.
And I am so glad I was there to experience some of the weirdness. I cannot wait to see what our colleagues discovered during their overnight investigation.
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