Dustin Staggs

NWA Democrat-Gazette

Those who sense the pull of the paranormal might once again be drawn to the Crescent Hotel and Spa in Eureka Springs — renowned as “America’s Most Haunted Hotel.” It beckons to them through the 14th annual Eureka Springs Paranormal (ESP) Weekends, scheduled for the last two weekends of January, where guests get a 48-hour immersion into the spooky and unexplainable.

Visitors get a full weekend venture that includes guided ghost hunts, hands-on investigations, seminars and unique behind-the-scenes access to the historic hotel’s most active paranormal hotspots. Discounted accommodation prices beginning at $149 per night allow you to remain where the paranormal activity occurs throughout ESP.

Built in 1886, the Crescent Hotel has a colorful and, at times, frightening past. From its days as a Victorian health spa to its notoriety under Norman Baker, who converted the hotel into a hospital promising miraculous cancer treatments, the hotel has been the setting for successes, tragedies and stories that continue to captivate.

Larry Flaxman, a paranormal theorist, best-selling novelist in the field and the Crescent Hotel’s resident paranormal investigator who is speaking at ESP, believes the Crescent’s history adds to its continued spiritual presence.

“The rich history of the Crescent Hotel, including the unscrupulous acts of Norman Baker and the physical, emotional, and mental pain of his cancer patients who occupied the Crescent during its time as a hospital, has left an indelible mark,” Flaxman said in a 2021 Crescent blog post. “Hauntings are common in locations where there has been extreme trauma and tragedy, and the long history of tragedies at this property has lent itself to producing an environment highly conducive for paranormal activity and making the Crescent Hotel America’s Most Haunted Hotel.”

An ESP Weekend schedule offers a range of events geared for both experienced investigators and interested novices. The Crescent’s very own tour guides and prominent specialists such as Flaxman and Dave Harkins, founder of the Ozarks Paranormal Society, will lead participants through seminars, talks and extended overnight investigations.

“I think the biggest thing for me is being able to educate folks about the possibilities, the scientific probabilities of the continuity of life,” Flaxman said in an over-the-phone interview. “There’s a demonstration that I’ll be doing on Saturday that sort of melds quantum mechanics and spirit communication into one.”

Jason ‘Iakona’ Colobong of the podcast Paranormal Patrol, based in Kansas City, reflects on his own transforming experience at last year’s ESP Weekend.

Colobong said ESP Weekend 2024 was his team’s first foray into official paranormal investigating. They wanted to attend a public event hosted by experienced investigators so they could quietly sit back and see how things were done.

“Having our first formal investigation at the Crescent set the bar too high,” Colobong said. “Our first night at ESP 2024 was so filled with incidents and possible evidence that, when we go to other places, we find ourselves with far less, if any, evidence.”

They had an unforgettable encounter in Norman Baker’s bedroom, Colobong recounted, recalling how a mist-like figure climbed the stairs in time with the sound of footsteps. One of the other members of Paranormal Patrol, Jennifer Kohl, saw the mist-like figure while Colobong and Frank Pflumm were setting up the cameras and heard the footsteps themselves. When they turned around to see who it was, there was nothing there, but Colobong said Kohl asked over and over if they saw it. The two members didn’t and unfortunately did not have the camera recording when it happened. All three disappointed, but still Colobong said the encounter has been one of the highlights of their career so far.

The real difference between the Crescent’s paranormal event and others that the Paranormal Patrol has attended, Colobong said, comes in the overall experience. At the Crescent, visitors have guides and professionals who are all familiar with the common equipment used in the investigations. You don’t have to have a large set of skills or even equipment for ESP weekend because the staff is there to help and provide you with what you need, he said.

“This is one of the best ways to get yourself exposed to the paranormal world without risk or significant cost,” Colobong said. Paranormal Patrol plans to return to this year’s ESP Weekend.

So the question is: Are you ready to hunt or ready to learn? Whether you’re a believer, skeptic, or simply curious, the ESP Weekends allow you to delve into the Crescent Hotel and Spa’s historic mysteries.

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FAQ

14th annual Eureka Springs Paranormal Weekends

WHEN — Jan. 24-26 and Jan. 31-Feb. 2. See schedule at the link below.

WHERE — Crescent Hotel and Spa, 75 Prospect Ave., Eureka Springs

COST — $225 for all-events full-weekend pass. Discounted room rates start at $149 per night (for a 2-night stay).

INFO — reserveeureka.com/attractions/esp. Call (877) 342-9766 to reserve a room.