With a history like ours, it’s no surprise that Arizona has its fair share of ghosts. Ranging from the overly friendly to potentially menacing, each ghost has its own story as to how it never left its favorite haunt. Check out these!

1. Abby Byr, Hotel Vendome

A room haunted by a woman and her cat? Sounds like my future. All joking aside, this video provides a brief narration of Abby Byr a former owner of the hotel who, along with her cat, died of heartache and starvation in her room after her husband left her. Some people say that the cat toys strewn across the room brings out the cat’s presence and others occasionally catch a whiff of Abby’s perfume.

2. Claude Harvey, Jerome Grand Hotel

Plenty of ghosts haunt this hospital-turned-hotel but the most famous is Claude Harvey, the hospital’s former maintenance worker. In 1935, he was found dead with a broken neck under the elevator in the basement. The coroner’s office requested an investigation as to whether the elevator could have killed him but, oddly enough, it was determined that was not possible. However, his death was officially labelled an accident. This led many people to suspect Claude had been murdered and that his body was placed under the elevator to prevent the suspect from getting caught. If that did happen, then the murderer managed to get away with it because no one was ever caught or prosecuted in relation to Claude’s death.

Since his death, there have been numerous sightings of Claude’s ghost in the basement area and stairwells. Some people claim to hear his coughing while others have reported seeing a strange figure that gives an unnerving presence that he has unfinished business to take care of.

3. Jacob Waltz, Superstition Mountains

Most Arizonans are at least partly familiar with this story and there are plenty of versions of it. A man discovered a massive goldmine deep within the rugged Superstition Mountains and ultimately took its location to the grave. Jacob Waltz, otherwise known as the Lost Dutchman, emigrated to Arizona from Germany in the 19th century and discovered the gold mine while prospecting. Waltz died in 1891 and is reported to have told one friend who nursed him in his last days the location of the gold. Some people believe that his ghost haunts the area to protect his wealth from being discovered.

Geologists agree that gold would be nearly impossible to find in the Superstitions but that doesn’t stop this tale from being told over and over. It has driven plenty of people to unsuccessfully search for the gold and a number of people have died in the process.

4. Julia Lowell, Copper Queen Hotel

In the little town of Bisbee is a hotel that draws in the paranormal crowd. The Julia Lowell room was named after the rather active ghost who reportedly still haunts the room today. Julia was a prostitute who used to "entertain" male clients in this particular room in the early 20th century. According to a number of sources, Julia fell in love with one of her clients and when he did not reciprocate those feelings, she killed herself.

Julia not only haunts her old room but she apparently attempts to continue to work as well. Male guests often report physical signs of her presence, including hearing an unknown woman speak to them, feeling their bedsheets move, and even receive a foot rub while sleeping. I wonder if I would be able to get a midnight foot rub as well?

5. Leone Jensen, Hotel San Carlos

Years ago, the Hotel San Carlos stood as one of the tallest buildings in Phoenix and was the epitome of high-class overnight stays for celebrities and politicians alike. However, the next ghost on our list never got the chance to see the hotel grow into such a classy establishment.

In May 1928, a few short weeks after the hotel opened in March of that year, 22-year-old Leone Jensen checked into the hotel but never officially checked out. She committed suicide by jumping out of her seventh story window after writing several suicide notes. While the reason for her jumping has never quite been confirmed, some speculate it was the result of either mental illness or a broken heart. Either way, Leone’s spirit continues to haunt the hotel. She is typically seen either on the hotel’s rooftop or standing at the foot of beds.

6. Madame Jennie Banter, Mile High Inn

This historic hotel was once a brothel during Jerome’s heavy mining days and the resident ghosts are another woman and cat combination. Madame Jennie Banter and her cat, Sipps, continue to roam the halls and rooms of this establishment, many years after they stopped running the business. Some guests report finding furniture or other items in their rooms moved around, which is often the doing of Madame Jennie, while others report feeling or seeing her pet cat.

Which of these ghosts would you like to encounter (or, alternatively, would prefer not to encounter)? Have you seen a ghost before? Let us know in the comments section below!