The Skirvin in OKC is the Most Haunted Hotel in Oklahoma
It's been called the most haunted hotel in all of Oklahoma and ranks in the top 5 of the most haunted locations in the entire U.S. The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City, OK. is the oldest hotel in OKC and has been listed as a historic landmark by both the Historic Hotel of America and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The hotel was originally built back in 1911 and is now over 110 years old.
The hotel has been renovated and improved throughout the years and has grown to it's current 14 story height that features 225 rooms. It's a very beautiful hotel and despite renovations it maintains it's historic look and feel both inside and out. It's like stepping back in time with all the decor, furniture, amenities and craftsmanship that the Skirvin possesses. It's incredibly elegant but terrifying all at the same time.
So when did all the paranormal activity start and what are the stories? The hotel got it's name from it's original owner and builder William Skirvin. The story goes that Mr. Skirvin was inappropriately involved with a hotel maid who got pregnant. To avoid all the controversy since he was a married man he locked the maid named "Effie" in a room on the 10th floor. She was a prisoner even after her child was born and never allowed to leave the room she was locked in. The only means of escape Effie thought she had was to leap out of the 10th story window along with her baby killing themselves. A tragic story, that turned into a ghost story.
I've never had the opportunity to stay at the Skirvin Hotel, but I've had friends and family who have. Most tell of hearing strange noises and seeing objects move by themselves. Some have even said they saw a female ghost wandering the halls and heard slamming doors, glass breaking and a woman and child crying.
These types of experiences have been reported by numerous people throughout the years. Even some NBA superstars who have stayed at the Skirvin while in OKC to take on the Thunder. A lot of them said they wouldn't stay there again due to the haunting. More than one person has left early during their stay.
There's been books written about all the strange happenings at the Skirvin and we could be seeing a movie sometime soon that details the history and ghost stories of the hotel. Most of the activity occurs on the 10th floor where the rumored suicide of Effie and her baby took place. The 10th floor was also a popular place back in the old days for gambling, drinking and other nefarious enterprises.
I'm thinking the family and I need to do a little ghost haunting and book a stay at the Skirvin to experience it for ourselves. With Halloween just around the corner it would be the perfect time to take a quick trip to OKC. Haunted or not it looks like a great place to stay and with it being in downtown there's plenty to see and do. I'm not too sure I want to see anything in the way of ghosts or the paranormal. I'd be happy for a vacation.