One of the last great hotels built by the Fred Harvey Company, La Posada was designed by legendary architect Mary Jane Colter, who loved to add mystery to her buildings. This Spanish hacienda-style masterpiece was meant to be the “crown jewel” of Harvey Houses along the Santa Fe Railroad. While the hotel itself downplays paranormal activity, ghost hunters and guests tell a different story.
The Haunting
When Debe Branning, director of Arizona’s MVD Ghostchasers, stayed at La Posada with her paranormal investigation team, multiple members reported feeling watched and sensed “guests from the past.” Footsteps echo down empty hallways, and some visitors experience the distinct feeling that they’re not alone in their rooms.
The spirits seem benign — perhaps former guests who loved the hotel so much they never wanted to leave.
The Campy Detail
Mary Colter’s architectural mysteries may have inadvertently created perfect conditions for hauntings. She incorporated hidden passages and secret spaces in her designs, adding layers of intrigue to the already atmospheric hotel. Rooms are connected in unexpected ways, hallways lead to surprising dead ends, and the building seems to breathe differently after dark.
Historical Context
La Posada opened in 1929 and closed in 1957, sitting abandoned for decades as the railroad declined and Route 66 traffic moved to Interstate 40. It was nearly demolished before being lovingly restored in the 1990s. The restoration may have awakened the building’s slumbering spirits — or perhaps they never left during the long years of emptiness, waiting patiently for the guests to return.
Today La Posada is considered one of the finest historic hotels in the American Southwest and is a mandatory stop on any Route 66 road trip.