Is the La Posada Hotel Haunted?
With six acres of fountains and gorgeous, landscaped grounds, the historic La Posada Hotel located in the Staab House, is a Victorian oasis built along the Santa Fe Trail in 1882. Its also a place where a fairytale turned into a tragedy. Over the years, the mansion has witnessed ravages of fire, dead children, and mental health issues. If you’re looking for a beautiful place to stay that’s packed with history, the La Posada Hotel has plenty of ghostly lore.
Notable Paranormal Activity:
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- Glasses flying off shelves to the floor.
- Multiple witnesses report seeing the ghost of Julie Staab.
- Chandeliers moving with no wind apparent.
- Gas fire places turning on and off by themselves.
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- Glasses flying off shelves to the floor.
- Multiple witnesses report seeing the ghost of Julie Staab.
- Chandeliers moving with no wind apparent.
- Gas fire places turning on and off by themselves.
The History of La Posada Hotel
In 1882, Abraham Staab, a wealthy U. S. Army supply contractor, built a 3-story brick, French Empire-style mansion on the old Santa Fe Trail. Abraham and his beautiful wife Julia raised their large family in the home for nearly 20 years. On the third floor, an airy ballroom decorated with the latest European furniture became the center for Santa Fe social gatherings hosted by Julia. Only 7 of the Staab children survived childhood. On top of that, Julia suffered difficult pregnancies that destroyed her physical and emotional health. Even worse, her seventh baby, a little boy, died right after his birth. Julia sank into deep mourning from stress and grief that turned her dark hair white. After her son’s death, every one of her other pregnancies ended in miscarriage or stillbirth. Worried, Abraham tried to lift his wife’s spirits and cure her poor health by giving her luxurious trips to exclusive European health resorts. But Julia continued to fade. By the time she died at age 52 in 1896, she spent her time alone in her room, pursued by rumors that she had lost her mind.
Surviving children grew up playing in the spacious house and grounds before a fire destroyed the ballroom on the third floor in the early 1900s. After Abraham’s death in 1913, R. H. and Eulalia Nason bought The Staab House in the 1930s and turned it into a hotel with adobe casitas that surrounded the mansion and carriage house. The place, now named La Posada, the Spanish phrase for “resting place”, gained a reputation as a popular inn and arts community.
The Hauntings of La Posada Hotel
If you believe the stories that surround the La Posada Hotel, Julia’s ghost still haunts the 19th-century mansion. A janitor first spotted her in 1979. Glancing up from mopping the floors, he saw a woman wearing a jet-black dress from the Victorian, hair swept back into a tight bun, watching him. Over time, other staff members noticed the woman, who vanished as quickly as she appeared. One hotel employee glimpsed a beautiful, transparent woman standing near one of the mansion’s fireplaces. Others have come across her resting in an armchair before she evaporated. A bartender described all the glasses flying off a shelf one at a time to shatter on the floor. She even spooked a hotel security guard who bolted from the premises.
Most supernatural activities center around Suite 100, also known as Room 256. Despite paranormal activities such as chandeliers swaying in an invisible wind, gas fireplaces switching on and off, and things disappearing from guest rooms, Julia’s ghost isn’t threatening. In fact, an avid gardener who favored roses, Julia is said to trail a scent of rose petals through the house. With its historic charm, charming ambiance, and luxurious Staab House restaurant, the La Posada Hotel is worth visiting next time you hit the Santa Fe Trail.
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