Haunted hotel guide · Salem, Massachusetts
The Haunted Salem Inn: Room 17, Katherine and the Phantom Cat
Three 19th-century houses run as one inn, a few minutes’ walk from the heart of Salem. The inn now names Room 17 its Haunted Room, and staff and guests have plenty to say about why.
The Salem Inn is made up of three historic houses on and near Summer Street: the West House, built in 1834 by Captain Nathaniel West, the Curwen House of 1854 and the Peabody House of 1874. Dick and Diane Pabich bought the West House in 1983 and turned it into an inn, then added the other two houses. Today the three houses have about 40 rooms between them, many with working fireplaces.
For years the inn said little about ghosts. These days it lists Room 17 in the West House as the Haunted Room, and staff and guests fill in the rest. They describe a woman they call Katherine in Room 17, who seems to take a dislike to men, a child laughing and running on the stairs, and a cat that darts between rooms although the inn has no cats. For the other places to stay in town, see our guide to haunted hotels in Salem.
Salem Inn at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 7 Summer Street, Salem, MA 01970
- Built West House 1834; Curwen House 1854; Peabody House 1874
- Most haunted spots Room 17 in the West House, the stairs and halls, the parlor
- Best-known ghosts A woman called Katherine, a laughing child, a phantom cat
- Booking the haunted room The inn itself calls Room 17 in the West House the Haunted Room. Request it by name or number when you book and confirm by phone.
- Good to know About 40 rooms across three houses, with working fireplaces in many. Pet and family friendly. No elevators or bell staff. A short walk from the Witch House, the Peabody Essex Museum and Essex Street.
The ghosts of The Salem Inn
Katherine in Room 17
Room 17 in the West House is the inn’s best-known room, and the one it now markets as the Haunted Room. Staff and guests report objects that move, shadows and the shape of someone sitting or lying on the bed. The ghost is a woman, usually called Katherine, sometimes Catherine, and occasionally Elizabeth, after Captain West’s wife Elizabeth Derby. That last name does not fit well: the couple separated in 1803, Elizabeth died at her home in Danvers in 1814, and the West House was not built until 1834.
The most repeated detail is that she does not care for men. Men sleeping in the room describe noises from the closet and heavy stomping. A psychic once claimed she was killed by her husband, which nobody has ever shown to be true. Ghost City Tours passes on a tip that a glass of whiskey left out keeps her happy; we repeat that without endorsement.
The laughing child
Staff describe hearing a child giggling and running up and down the stairs and along the halls when no children are staying, and the feeling of small footsteps following them. Older accounts call it a little boy.
The cat that is not there
The inn does not keep cats, but staff tell of a cat darting between rooms. Ghost City Tours reports that a guest called Cathy, staying in Room 11 in July 2012, felt something jump on the bed and paw at her feet, kicked it away and felt nothing more that night.
Fireplaces, candles and a balcony door
Other stories are smaller: logs vanishing from fireplaces, candles that disappear from where they were set down, and a guest called Mary in Room 40 who said in 2015 that the balcony door slowly opened and then slammed shut. The guestbook is said to include more, from missing belongings to figures seen on beds.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- Room 17, West House: The inn’s own Haunted Room, linked to Katherine. Ask for it by name when you book.
- Room 11, West House: Where a guest in 2012 felt the phantom cat on her feet.
- Room 40: The room with the 2015 balcony door story.
- Peabody House: The 1874 Dutch Colonial house built for John P. Peabody, a short walk from the West House, if you want somewhere quieter.
History of The Salem Inn
Captain Nathaniel West was a Salem sea captain and merchant whom the inn describes as the first Salem captain to sail around the globe. In 1783 he eloped with Elizabeth Derby, daughter of the merchant Elias Hasket Derby. The marriage was unhappy; the couple separated in 1803, and her divorce case caused a public scandal in 1806. Much later, around 1833 and 1834, West built a brick triple house at 5 to 9 Summer Street as an investment and lived in one of its three units. That building is today’s West House, also known as the West Cogswell House after William Cogswell, a Union general and later mayor of Salem, who lived there.
The Curwen House was built a few doors away in 1854 in the Italianate Revival style by James B. Curwen and his brother. The Peabody House followed in 1874 as a single-family Dutch Colonial home for John P. Peabody, who sold fine women’s furnishings.
In 1983 Dick and Diane Pabich moved to Salem from Norwood, bought the West House and converted it into an inn. They later added the Curwen House and, in 1995, began restoring the Peabody House. The three houses now have about 40 guest rooms between them, many with working fireplaces, and the inn names its rooms after historical figures and places, plus one Haunted Room.
Tips for a haunted stay
- Request Room 17, the Haunted Room, when you book and call to confirm; no room can be guaranteed.
- Book months ahead for October, when Salem fills up and prices rise.
- The inn is pet friendly, so ask for a suitable room if you are traveling with a dog.
- There are no elevators or bell staff, so pack light if you are on an upper floor.
- The Witch House, the Peabody Essex Museum and the Witch Trials Memorial are all within walking distance, so you can leave the car.
Want to investigate, not just sleep?
Sleeping in a haunted hotel is one thing. Investigating one after dark is another. On a Haunted Rooms ghost hunt our team takes you through the building with professional ghost hunting equipment, runs EVP sessions and lets you explore on your own during free roam.
- General Stanton Inn Ghost Hunt and Overnight VIP, Charlestown, RI: After-hours access to an inn that has taken guests since 1740, with rooms to sleep in.
- Captain Grant's 1754 Inn Ghost Hunt and Sleepover, Preston, CT: Investigate Connecticut’s most haunted inn, then spend the night.
More haunted hotels nearby
- Hawthorne Hotel: Rooms 612 and 325, a few minutes’ walk
- The Merchant: the 1784 Joshua Ward House on Sheriff Corwin’s land, around the corner
- Daniels House: a c. 1667 house near the waterfront
- Haunted hotels in Massachusetts
- Haunted hotels in Salem
Stayed in one of these hotels? Tell us what happened
We collect first-hand accounts from guests and add the best ones to our guides, with your first name and the date of your stay. We read every story before it’s published.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Salem Inn haunted?
Staff and guests say so, and the inn now lists Room 17 as its Haunted Room. The stories describe a woman called Katherine in Room 17, a laughing child on the stairs and a phantom cat. None of it is proven.
What is the most haunted room at the Salem Inn?
Room 17 in the West House, linked to the ghost called Katherine, who is said to make the most noise for men staying there.
Can you request Room 17 at the Salem Inn?
Yes. The inn lists it as the Haunted Room, so you can ask for it by name when you book. Call to confirm.
How old is the Salem Inn?
The main building, the West House, was built in 1834 for Captain Nathaniel West. The Curwen House dates from 1854 and the Peabody House from 1874.
Is the Salem Inn pet friendly?
Yes. The inn describes itself as pet and family friendly. Check the current pet fee and room options when you book.
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the hotel’s own website, historic records and news coverage. Ghost stories are reported as guests, staff and local historians tell them. Read how we rate haunted hotels.
- The Salem Inn (official site)
- The Salem Inn: West vs. West
- Historic Buildings of Massachusetts: West Triple House (1834)
- Ghost City Tours: The haunted Salem Inn
- North of Boston: Sleep at haunted inns and hotels north of Boston
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About the authors
The Haunted Rooms Team runs public ghost hunts and overnight investigations at historic venues across the United States. We research every hotel in our guides using hotel histories, local archives, news coverage and the accounts of guests and staff, and we review each guide regularly so you are not booking a hotel that has closed or changed its name. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
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