The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia isn’t just a fancy playground for the rich and famous – it’s also a hotspot for some rather sophisticated spirits who refuse to check out. This historic landmark has been serving guests since 1778, and apparently, some of them liked it so much they decided to stick around… permanently.
History of the Greenbrier Resort
The Greenbrier Resort’s transformation from a humble hot springs destination to a luxurious retreat spans over two centuries, marked by presidential visits, wartime repurposing, and tales of supernatural encounters.
Hot Springs Resort
The spring’s reputation for therapeutic benefits spread like wildfire among the elite, attracting five U.S. presidents between 1830-1860.
The completion of “Old White” in 1858 – the resort’s first central hotel building – elevated the property from a simple health retreat to a sophisticated destination for the nation’s most distinguished guests.
Politicians swapped stories in mineral baths, southern planters discussed business deals in steamy springs, and judges sought relief from their ailments in the sulfurous waters.
Civil War
While Confederate soldiers nursed their wounds in makeshift hospital rooms, Union officers plotted strategies in the same halls where socialites once danced.
After West Virginia’s statehood in 1863, the property became a peculiar neutral ground – a former southern resort now technically in Union territory. The 1865 post-war reopening ushered in a fresh chapter, with the 1873 completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway transforming the once-remote retreat into an accessible paradise for pleasure-seekers.
The chugging of steam engines replaced the echoes of military boots, though some say those wartime spirits never quite departed.
Pre-WWII
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway’s 1910 acquisition of The Greenbrier sparked a transformation that would make even the ghostliest guests do a double-take. The railroad moguls, clearly not fans of subtlety, doubled down on luxury by constructing a swanky new central hotel in 1913, complete with a Mineral Bath Department where guests could soak their troubles (and perhaps a few spirits) away.
President Woodrow Wilson and his wife dropped by for Easter in 1914, probably unaware they were setting the stage for decades of presidential ghost stories. That same year, Joseph and Rose Kennedy chose The Greenbrier for their honeymoon – talk about a power couple’s paranormal paradise! The newlyweds reportedly explored every nook and cranny of the resort, though no one’s quite sure if they encountered any otherworldly residents during their romantic getaway.
As the 1920s roared into full swing, The Greenbrier joined the elite club of high-society haunts (pun intended), rubbing shoulders with Palm Beach’s sun-seekers and Newport’s old money crowd. By 1930, the hotel expanded to 500 rooms – that’s twice as many spaces for things that go bump in the night. Some guests swear they’ve heard phantom footsteps echoing through the expanded corridors, while others claim to catch whiffs of ghostly cigar smoke from the resort’s Roaring Twenties heyday.
The railway’s ambitious renovation created more than just additional rooms – it inadvertently crafted a labyrinth of hidden passageways behind the hotel’s elegant facade. Today’s visitors occasionally report glimpses of shadowy figures ducking around corners or disappearing into walls, leading some to speculate these mysterious apparitions might be the spirits of 1930s railway workers who never quite finished their final shifts.
Luxury Prison & Military Hospital
Picture sophisticated ambassadors lounging in their silk robes, sipping morning coffee while essentially under “house arrest” – though it’s arguably the fanciest prison anyone’s ever seen.
The real drama kicked in during 1942 when Uncle Sam decided the resort needed a complete career change. The U.S. Army swooped in, converting this swanky vacation spot into the 2,000-bed Ashford General Hospital. Those pristine ballrooms where society’s elite once waltzed became surgical wards, and the golf courses where Sam Snead perfected his swing turned into rehabilitation grounds.
Over 24,000 soldiers shuffled through these halls during its four-year stint as a military hospital – some guests swear they still hear phantom crutches clicking down the corridors at midnight.
After the war ended, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway reclaimed their prized property, bringing in the fabulous Dorothy Draper to wave her design wand over the place. She transformed those sterile hospital walls into a riot of bold colors and patterns – perhaps to chase away any lingering spirits of wartime gloom.
By 1948, the resort reopened with golf legend Sam Snead returning to his old stomping grounds, though some say he wasn’t the only one making a comeback. Late-night visitors occasionally report glimpses of ghostly nurses still making their rounds, checking on patients who checked out decades ago.
Greenbrier Bunker: Project Greek Island
In 1959, as Cold War tensions peaked, The Greenbrier embarked on its most clandestine transformation yet – becoming home to a massive underground bunker designed to preserve American democracy in case of nuclear apocalypse. Code-named “Project Greek Island,” this 112,544-square-foot facility was built right under the noses of unsuspecting guests, cleverly disguised as a new West Virginia Wing renovation.
The bunker came equipped with everything America’s legislators needed to keep democracy running while mushroom clouds bloomed overhead – dormitories for all 535 members of Congress, a cafeteria stocked with enough freeze-dried delicacies to make astronauts jealous, and even makeshift chambers for the House and Senate.
The facility maintained a perpetual state of readiness, with fresh water, air filtration systems, and presumably an impressive collection of board games to pass the time until the radiation cleared.
For 30 years, this concrete-and-steel insurance policy against Armageddon remained one of America’s best-kept secrets. Hotel staff maintained the facade by referring to restricted areas as “the painted numbers on the walls” or “the Governor’s Meeting Room.”
The secret proved too juicy to keep forever, though. In 1992, a Washington Post reporter crashed the party, publishing an exposé that revealed The Greenbrier’s hidden nuclear hangout. The government, realizing their secret bunker wasn’t so secret anymore, promptly decommissioned the facility.
Today, instead of housing anxious politicians awaiting news of nuclear winter, the bunker welcomes curious tourists. Visitors can explore the once-classified corridors where Congress planned to weather the apocalypse, including the 25-ton blast door that’s heavy enough to crush a tour guide’s corny bunker jokes.
The decontamination showers stand ready to rinse off radioactive dust that never fell, while the rows of metal bunk beds wait for congressional sleepover parties that never happened.
Legacy to Present Day
Under CSX Corporation’s ownership, The Greenbrier transformed from a haunted hideaway into a golfer’s paradise – though some say the spirits tagged along for the ride. Jack Nicklaus redesigned the Greenbrier Course in 1979, just in time for the Ryder Cup.
The 112,544-square-foot underground facility now offers tours where visitors explore the eerie corridors once meant to house Congress during nuclear war. Late-night security guards report strange echoes of political debates reverberating through the empty chambers.
Bob Cupp’s 1999 renovation of the Meadows Course stirred up more than just soil. Construction workers reported tools mysteriously relocating overnight, while early morning golfers claimed to see ghostly figures practicing their swings in the dawn mist. The Golf Academy opened that same year, though instructors joke about phantom golf tips being whispered to struggling students.
When Jim Justice acquired the property in 2009, he added modern amenities like The Casino Club and the Sports Performance Center. Yet even these new facilities aren’t immune to otherworldly visitors.
Guests at the Casino Club occasionally report seeing a dapper gentleman in 1920s attire placing phantom bets at the roulette tables, vanishing when approached. The infinity pool, with its stunning mountain views, becomes particularly active at dusk – some swimmers swear they’ve felt invisible hands creating unexplainable ripples in the still water.
The modern Wedding Chapel, one of Justice’s additions, has its own collection of spectral stories. Wedding photographers have captured mysterious orbs of light in their pictures, while brides report feeling gentle tugs on their dresses when no one’s around. Perhaps the resort’s long-departed guests simply can’t resist attending one more celebration at their favorite mountain retreat.
The Paranormal at The Greenbrier
The San Francisco 49ers took an even more dramatic approach, opting to bunk at the nearby sports facility rather than face the hotel’s spectral residents.
Hotel employees share tales of otherworldly encounters with surprising nonchalance. Some staff members maintain a strict code of silence about the supernatural activity, though their nervous glances speak volumes.
The Virginia Room stands out as a paranormal hotspot, as documented by a past guest and her friend in their impromptu ghost photography session. Using both a Kodak EasyShare digital camera and a disposable camera, they captured what appears to be a ghostly face hovering above the fireplace’s left side – complete with distinguishable facial features.
The encounter took an even spookier turn when one of them experienced an inexplicable “rush” near the fireplace, accompanied by cold spots in areas without air conditioning or fans.
The golf course emerges as the property’s most haunted location, according to one hotel insider. Players report peculiar phenomena during their rounds, including shadow figures darting between trees and disembodied voices offering unwanted putting advice.
Audio recordings from empty guest rooms reveal unexplained conversations, while visitors report being touched or grabbed by invisible presences – perhaps former guests who checked out but never quite left.
Website | Tel: (855) 453-4858 | Address: 101 Main Street West
White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986