Haunted hotel guide · Millersburg, Ohio
Haunted Hotel Millersburg, Ohio: The Gentleman in the 1920s Suit
A brick hotel in the middle of Holmes County that has been taking in travelers since the stagecoach era. Here is the ghost guests talk about and the history behind the building.
Hotel Millersburg stands on West Jackson Street in Millersburg, the county seat of Holmes County and the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country. A stagecoach stop and tavern opened here in 1824, and Sampson Bever put up much of the present building in 1847 as the Central Hotel. The hotel counts 1847 as its official start and describes itself as the third-oldest continuously operating hotel in Ohio.
Its ghost story is a quiet one. Guests and staff describe a well-dressed elderly man in a 1920s suit and hat who is seen in the lobby and halls and then disappears, along with footsteps, knocks and lights in empty rooms. The hotel does not market itself as haunted, which makes it a good pick if you want history first and a ghost story on the side. For more in Ohio see our guide to haunted places in Ohio.
Hotel Millersburg at a glance
Haunted Rooms Score
- Address 35 West Jackson Street, Millersburg, OH 44654
- Opened 1824 as a tavern and stagecoach stop; Central Hotel built in 1847
- Most haunted spots The lobby, the upstairs hallways and unoccupied guest rooms
- Best-known ghost An elderly gentleman in a 1920s suit and hat
- Booking Book on the hotel’s website or call 330-674-1457. No specific haunted room is named
- Good to know The Tavern Food & Spirits is on site, and the hotel also runs the 1847 Quilt Retreat Center
The ghosts of Hotel Millersburg
The gentleman in the 1920s suit
The ghost most associated with Hotel Millersburg is a well-dressed elderly man; Heritage Ohio says he has been seen in the lobby. Guests and staff who say they have seen him describe a suit and hat in the style of the 1920s, the decade after the building took the name Hotel Millersburg. He is usually seen in the lobby or walking the halls, and he is gone when people look again. No one has put a name to him.
Footsteps and knocks
The most common reports are sounds: footsteps in empty hallways and knocks on guest room doors with nobody outside. Heritage Ohio lists disembodied footsteps among the hotel’s activity, and guests add the feeling of not being alone in their room.
Lights and moved belongings
Other stories involve lights flashing or switching on and off in empty rooms, noises in hallways where no one is staying, and belongings moved around guest rooms while the guest was out or asleep. The Ohio Exploration Society adds that employees do not like to discuss their experiences. They are the kind of small, repeated reports that build a reputation over many years rather than a single famous event.
The most haunted rooms and places to look
- The lobby and first-floor hallway: Where the gentleman is most often reported. Look for the 1900 register page signed by Grover Cleveland on display.
- Upstairs hallways: Where guests describe footsteps and knocks at night.
- Guest rooms: Restored rooms that keep their 1800s character. No single room is singled out, so ask the staff which rooms have the most stories.
History of Hotel Millersburg
Millersburg was named the county seat of Holmes County in 1824, and the same year a tavern and stagecoach stop opened on this site. In 1847 Sampson Bever built much of the present brick building and called it the Central Hotel. The hotel treats that year as its official beginning.
The town modernized around it. Electricity arrived in 1888, with 26 streetlights and electric and gas lights in the hotel; the streets were paved with brick in 1890; and water, sewers, fire hydrants and telephones followed in 1895. In 1905 the Central Hotel was renamed the American Hotel, and after the First World War it became Hotel Millersburg.
Its most famous guest was Grover Cleveland. The hotel displays a register page dated December 8, 1900, signed by the former president, in the first-floor hallway. More than 750 antique pictures and calendars hang through the hotel and the Tavern, along with historic photographs of the hotel and village.
Today Hotel Millersburg has restored boutique guest rooms (Amish Country’s visitor bureau lists 32), the Tavern Food & Spirits on the ground floor and the 1847 Quilt Retreat Center, and it is a popular base for visiting Holmes County’s Amish villages.
Tips for a haunted stay
- Look for Grover Cleveland’s 1900 signature in the first-floor hallway.
- Book directly on the hotel’s website for the widest choice of rooms.
- Eat at the Tavern downstairs and ask the staff about the gentleman in the suit.
- Holmes County is busy on summer and fall weekends, so book early for those dates.
- Mansfield’s Ohio State Reformatory is about an hour away if you want a darker day trip.
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.
- Mortuary Manor Ghost Hunt, Toledo: Investigate a former funeral home in Toledo with the Haunted Rooms team.
- Haunted Grand Midway Hotel Ghost Hunt and Sleepover, Windber, PA: Ghost hunt in a historic hotel, then stay the night.
More haunted hotels nearby
- Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield: One of Ohio’s most famous haunted buildings, about an hour west
- Molly Stark Hospital: A former tuberculosis hospital near Canton
- The Buxton Inn, Granville: An 1812 stagecoach inn with the Lady in Blue
- Haunted hotels in Ohio
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 Hotel Millersburg haunted?
Guests and staff have reported an elderly gentleman in a 1920s suit, footsteps, knocks and lights in empty rooms. They are stories rather than proof, and the hotel does not promote itself as haunted.
Who is the ghost at Hotel Millersburg?
He has never been named. People describe a well-dressed elderly man in a 1920s suit and hat, usually in the lobby or halls.
How old is Hotel Millersburg?
A tavern and stagecoach stop opened on the site in 1824, and the present building dates mostly from 1847. The hotel calls itself the third-oldest continuously operating hotel in Ohio.
Did a president stay at Hotel Millersburg?
Yes. Grover Cleveland signed the register on December 8, 1900, and the page is displayed in the first-floor hallway.
Is there a restaurant at Hotel Millersburg?
Yes, the Tavern Food & Spirits on the ground floor.
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.
- Hotel Millersburg: A rich history
- Hotel Millersburg (official site)
- Visit Amish Country: Hotel Millersburg
- Heritage Ohio: 10 haunted Ohio hotels
- Ohio Exploration Society: Holmes County hauntings and legends
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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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