Historic Mineral Springs Hotel
Alton, Illinois, United States
Hotel · established
The Story
A long-closed Alton hotel has an especially memorable ghost: the Jasmine Lady, sometimes sensed as a sudden perfume on the old staircase.
The Hauntings
The Jasmine Lady is said to leave the scent of flowers along the former hotel’s grand stairs. Other accounts center on the downstairs swimming pool, where visitors and ghost researchers have described footsteps, figures and voices. Local paranormal historian Troy Taylor has connected the pool stories to Clarence Blair, a young man whose fatal swimming accident was recorded. Separate stories of several children supposedly drowning belong to local lore, rather than a documented list of deaths. Researchers have documented their visits to the former hotel, including reports of unusual voices and sensations.
The History
The building opened in the early twentieth century as a mineral-water resort and was later repurposed. Its hotel era ended long ago, but the structure survives in downtown Alton.
A sense of place.
Visitor Experiences
Have you experienced something here?
This future chapter will bring together stories from the PHASM community. An unexpected encounter, a lingering feeling, or a quiet visit—your experience will be welcome.
Submissions are not open yet.
Sources & further reading.
Plan Your Visit
The historic building is at 301 East Broadway. Older tourism pages advertise investigations and museum experiences, but the American Oddities Museum has since moved to 301 Piasa Street. Current interior-tour permission at the original hotel is unconfirmed; do not use the new museum as an entry point.