The Haunted Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska: History, Ghosts & Legends

Anchorage, Alaska

Photo: Wikipedia

In downtown Anchorage, Alaska, three towers rise above the city, offering spectacular views of Cook Inlet, the Chugach Mountains, and the rugged landscape beyond. Inside, polished furnishings, maritime artwork, and elegant dining rooms reflect the reputation of one of Alaska's most distinguished hotels.

But somewhere beneath the luxurious accommodations of the Hotel Captain Cook, an entirely different story has been circulating for decades.

According to local ghost lore, a mysterious woman haunts a restroom in the hotel's second tower. She is said to guard one particular stall, disturb unsuspecting visitors, and make her displeasure known to anyone who enters her territory.

It's an unusual haunting, even by the standards of America's most famous ghost stories. And unlike many hotel legends, this one has been discussed publicly by a local ghost-tour operator who claims to have witnessed its effects.

To understand the hotel's story, however, we must first return to one of the most devastating events in Alaska's history.

On March 27, 1964, a massive earthquake struck south-central Alaska. Measuring magnitude 9.2, it remains the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history.

The disaster caused catastrophic damage across the region. In Anchorage, entire sections of the city collapsed as the ground shifted beneath buildings, streets, and neighborhoods.

Amid the destruction, businessman Walter J. Hickel saw an opportunity to demonstrate that Anchorage would recover.

Rather than abandon downtown development, Hickel moved forward with plans for an ambitious luxury hotel. Construction began within months of the earthquake, and the first tower of the Hotel Captain Cook opened in July 1965.

The nine-story building contained approximately 125 guest rooms and represented a bold investment in a city still recovering from disaster.

Hickel named the hotel after Captain James Cook, the British explorer whose final voyage brought him to the waters of southern Alaska in 1778. Cook and his crew explored portions of the coastline while searching for the elusive Northwest Passage.

The hotel's maritime identity was reflected throughout its interior, from nautical artwork to the sailing-ship imagery that became part of its distinctive character.

The gamble succeeded.

As Anchorage grew, so did the Hotel Captain Cook. A second tower opened in 1972, followed by a third in 1978. The property eventually expanded into a sprawling complex with more than 500 guest rooms, restaurants, shops, and gathering spaces.

Over the years, the hotel welcomed prominent visitors, business leaders, celebrities, and travelers seeking a luxurious base for exploring Alaska.

Yet it was the second tower that became the setting for the hotel's most persistent supernatural legend.

According to the story, a woman died by suicide in a restroom shortly after the tower opened. Her identity, the precise circumstances of her death, and even the date of the alleged incident remain difficult to establish through reliable public records.

Nevertheless, the tale has become closely associated with the building.

Some versions describe the woman as an apparition dressed in white. Others focus less on her appearance and more on the strange disturbances reportedly occurring inside the restroom.

Doors are said to open or close unexpectedly. Lights reportedly behave strangely. Visitors have described uncomfortable sensations, unexplained movement, and the feeling that someone is occupying a stall that appears empty.

One stall in particular has become central to the legend.

In a 2016 report by Alaska's News Source, Anchorage ghost-tour guide Rick Goodfellow described a supposed presence in a basement women's restroom at the Hotel Captain Cook.

Goodfellow said a hotel operations manager had told him that one stall was kept locked because of a death there shortly after Tower II opened.

He characterized the alleged spirit as territorial and unpredictable, sometimes remaining quiet for long periods before becoming unusually active.

According to Goodfellow, three people had collapsed in that restroom during his years conducting ghost tours, each reportedly in the same location.

These are striking claims, but they remain accounts attributed to the tour guide rather than independently established paranormal incidents. The reported collapses do not, by themselves, demonstrate supernatural activity.

Still, the story raises an intriguing question: why would a ghost supposedly remain attached to such an ordinary, confined space inside a grand hotel?

In traditional haunting folklore, spirits are often believed to linger near places associated with intense emotion, tragedy, or an abrupt death. Whether such a connection actually exists has never been scientifically established.

At the Hotel Captain Cook, the alleged woman's story has acquired the familiar characteristics of a modern urban legend: a tragic origin, a specific location, unusual disturbances, and eyewitness accounts that become more dramatic with each retelling.

Yet unlike stories involving ancient castles or centuries-old mansions, this haunting supposedly began within living memory.

That makes the absence of readily verifiable information about the woman's identity particularly important. Without reliable documentation, the alleged death should be treated as part of the legend, not as a confirmed historical event.

There are also ordinary explanations worth considering. Restroom doors, plumbing systems, ventilation, electrical controls, and the movement of visitors can produce unexpected sounds and sensations.

Such possibilities do not explain every individual report, but they remind us that an unsettling experience and a supernatural explanation are not necessarily the same thing.

Whatever the truth, the story has become a distinctive part of Anchorage's paranormal folklore.

Today, the Hotel Captain Cook remains a functioning luxury hotel, far removed from the abandoned buildings and crumbling corridors often associated with haunted locations.

Guests enjoy comfortable accommodations, fine dining, and breathtaking views of Alaska's dramatic landscape. Its famous Crow's Nest restaurant, perched high above the city, offers a perspective of Anchorage that few visitors forget.

The hotel also remains a monument to Walter Hickel's confidence in the city's future following the 1964 earthquake.

In 2016, it joined Historic Hotels of America, recognizing its significance within the nation's hospitality heritage.

But somewhere amid the bustling restaurants, elegant rooms, and busy corridors, the legend of the mysterious woman continues.

Perhaps the stories are nothing more than unusual experiences woven into an entertaining local tradition.

Or perhaps there is something about that particular restroom that has yet to be explained.

Either way, the Hotel Captain Cook offers visitors something unexpected: a place where Alaska's remarkable history meets a ghost story centered not on a grand staircase or darkened bedroom, but on one seemingly ordinary locked stall.

And according to the legend, its mysterious occupant has no intention of giving up her privacy.

Visitor Information:
Hotel Captain Cook
939 West 5th Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501

The Hotel Captain Cook is an operating luxury hotel with guest accommodations, dining, and other amenities. It is not an abandoned property or a public paranormal investigation site. Visitors should respect guest privacy, restricted areas, and hotel operations.

For current accommodations, dining, and visitor information, visit the Hotel Captain Cook's official website.

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The Haunting of Portlock Ghost Town

Kenai Peninsula Borough, Portlock, Alaska

Hidden along the southern coast of Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula, Portlock Ghost Town is one of the most chilling abandoned settlements in the state. Isolated by dense forest, steep terrain, and unforgiving weather, Portlock was once a small but functioning fishing community. What ultimately erased it from the map was not economic failure or natural disaster, but fear so intense that an entire town fled.

Originally established in the early twentieth century as Port Chatham, the settlement later became known as Portlock. The town revolved around a cannery and subsistence fishing, with families living in modest cabins along the shoreline. For years, life was harsh but manageable. That changed during the 1920s and 1930s, when a series of disturbing events began to unfold.

Residents started reporting unexplained disappearances. Hunters and fishermen vanished while traveling short distances from town. Some bodies were later discovered badly mutilated, crushed, or torn apart in ways witnesses claimed were unlike bear attacks or accidents. Others were never found at all.

As fear spread, stories began circulating about something moving through the forest surrounding Portlock. Locals described a massive, upright figure watching from the tree line, capable of extraordinary strength. According to Indigenous Alaskan lore, the entity was known as the Nantiinaq, a powerful and dangerous forest being that avoided human contact unless provoked.

Eyewitnesses claimed to hear heavy footsteps pacing outside cabins at night. Some reported doors shaking violently, as though something attempted to force its way inside. Others described seeing large shapes moving silently between the trees, far too tall and fast to be human.

One particularly terrifying account involved a man reportedly dragged from his cabin and killed. Another described a body found crushed as though by immense pressure. These stories, repeated by multiple residents, created an atmosphere of constant dread. People refused to walk alone, even during daylight hours.

Families began sleeping in groups. Fires were kept burning through the night. Children were forbidden from leaving sight of adults. Despite these precautions, the fear did not ease. The forest surrounding Portlock came to feel alive, hostile, and watchful.

By the late 1930s and early 1940s, residents began abandoning the town. Some left suddenly, taking only what they could carry. Others fled under cover of darkness, leaving behind furniture, tools, and personal belongings. The evacuation was not orderly or gradual. It was urgent.

By the end of the 1940s, Portlock was completely deserted. Unlike many ghost towns, there was no attempt to rebuild, revive, or reclaim it. The land was simply left behind.

Those who venture to Portlock today often report an immediate sense of unease. The forest feels unnaturally dense, and sound behaves strangely, as though absorbed by the trees. The silence is often described as oppressive rather than peaceful.

Modern visitors, hunters, and researchers report hearing heavy footsteps circling campsites, branches snapping with no visible cause, and deep vocalizations echoing through the woods. Shadowy figures are frequently seen at the edge of vision, disappearing when directly observed.

Electronic disturbances are common. Cameras fail without warning, batteries drain rapidly, and GPS devices lose signal. Some visitors experience sudden disorientation, nausea, or panic that fades only after leaving the area.

While skeptics attribute Portlock's abandonment to isolation and harsh living conditions, the consistency of reports across generations tells a different story. Accounts of the Nantiinaq predate European settlement, and Indigenous elders have long warned against disturbing certain areas of the land.

Today, Portlock Ghost Town remains largely untouched. There are no preserved buildings, no guided tours, and no clear trails welcoming visitors. What remains is forest, shoreline, and the lingering sense that something still claims the land.

Portlock stands as a rare example of a place abandoned not because it failed to survive, but because those who lived there believed they would not survive if they stayed. Many who leave the area do so with one unsettling thought in mind: whatever drove the town away may still be there.

Visitor Information:
Address: Portlock Bay area, Kenai Peninsula
Alaska

Note: Portlock is extremely remote and accessible only by boat or air. Visitors should exercise extreme caution and respect the land.

The Haunting of the Old Jesse Lee Home for Children

Old Jesse Lee Home for Children – Kenai Peninsula County, Seward, Alaska

Photograph ©Seward Historic Preservation Commission

Address:
Seward, Alaska 99664
Website


In 1890, the Women’s Home Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church opened their doors to provide educational services. As time went on the school became a safe haven for unfortunate children. Many of the children that came there were from broken homes or orphaned. Many of the orphaned had lost both of their parents to a widespread flu epidemic. In 1925, the school/orphanage was moved to the outskirts of Seward, where it was home to more than seventy children and at least ten caring employees.

In 1927, one of the Jesse Lee students, Benny Benson, entered a contest to design Alaska’s state flag and he won! Benny was thirteen years old at the time. In August of that same year, Benny’s flag was raised for the first time in the state at the Jesse Lee home.

In 1964, an unexpected earthquake occurred. This is said to be the worst earthquake to take place in the state of Alaska. The Jesse Lee home was hit hard and the school suffered extensive damage. Worse than that, more than a dozen of the children were killed by the natural disaster, leaving sadness in the hearts of all who remained and marking the land with grief.

With most of the school too damaged to use and beyond repair, the Jesse Lee home was then moved to Anchorage where it is now known as the Alaska Children’s Services. However, the old home still stands, broken, battered and empty of life, outside the town of Seward.

The reports of paranormal activity at the old home are uncountable! Many who step onto the old grounds report the feeling of melancholy. The sounds of children giggling can be heard all over the grounds but no living child is ever found to be the source. Others have claimed to hear the sounds of a jump rope tapping on the sidewalk.

Many visitors have reported hearing the sounds of little feet running past them and then the sound of cheering follows, as if these lingering apparitions are still playing the games that they enjoyed in life.

The children’s lives at the Jesse Lee home were good and they were nurtured, happy and well taken care of. I suppose that is why these little souls have made the old home and its grounds their eternal play area.

As for the structure, all hope is not lost. Apparently, several of the children who resided there, as well as, several organizations, are trying to raise the money to refurbish the buildings. Their goal is to turn the old home into a museum so that everyone can learn about its history and enjoyment may still be found there.

The Haunting of the Golden North Hotel

Golden North Hotel –Skagway Hoonah Angoon County, Skagway, Alaska

Photograph ©Picture Ninja

Address:
Corner of 3rd and Broadway
Skagway, Alaska 99840
(907) 983-2451

This three story hotel and sports center is said to have spirits haunting rooms 14 and 23.

Room 23 is reported to be haunted by a young female apparition that has been nick-named “Mary” by the hotel staff. Mary died in the building of pneumonia while she waited for her lover to return from the gold fields.

Mary has been said to stand at the window in room 23, starring intently out, and waiting for her lover to return to her. This apparition has fully appeared to several of the hotel’s employees and was even caught in a picture taken by a tourist.

Some guests of room 23 have complained of the feeling of being choked; a symptom that might coincide with the symptoms of pneumonia.

Mary has been known to haunt room 14 as well and some have reported seeing a gray light formation moving around the room at night. Mary has also appeared fully in this room to unsuspecting guests.

Some guests of this room have complained to feeling really sick and nearly losing consciousness but when the gray light appears and then disappears, they say they instantly felt alright.

The Haunting of the Red Onion Saloon

The Red Onion Saloon – Skagway Hoonah Angoon County, Skagway, Alaska

Photograph ©Tara Long Lawner, 1999-2007

The Red Onion Saloon was originally constructed to be a bordello in 1898. Many of the apparitions that haunt the building were from that same era and came to Alaska during the gold rush. This period in time is riddled with shootings, accidents and incurable diseases. One such disease, diphtheria, had made its way into this Alaskan town during this period and killed many children.

Today, the second floor of the Red Onion is definitely haunted by restless spirits who are determined to make their presence known.

Guests and employees have made reports of footsteps going upstairs. No one lives upstairs and footsteps should not have been heard. One employee heard these footsteps, in addition to running and pounding noises coming from the second floor and called the police. When the police and the employee investigated, a shadowy figure was seen going down the hall and into one of the rooms. When they entered the same room, nothing was there.

Other reports of the second floor include; cold spots, the strong smell of a woman’s perfume that moves down the hallway and a shadowy apparition roaming around. Also, and this is kind of odd, it has been reported that someone, or rather, something, waters the plants on the second floor!

Address:
205 Broadway Avenue
Skagway, Alaska 99840
(907) 983-2414
Website

The Haunting of the Alaskan Hotel

Alaskan Hotel – Juneau County, Juneau, Alaska

Photograph ©Amanda Gragert, Capital City Weekly

Address:
167 South Franklin Street
Juneau, Alaska 99801
(907) 586-1000
Website

Built in 1913 by the McCloskey brothers and Jules B, the Alaskan Hotel is a byproduct of the Gold Rush that took place between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.

The hotel is only known to have one unsettled spirit roaming its halls; an apparition by the name of Alice. Apparently, in life, Alice was the wife of one of the miners seeking his fortune in gold. Alice’s husband went off to the mines one day and didn’t return when expected. Alice ran out of money and believed that her husband was not going to come back. With this in mind, Alice turned to prostitution for money and solicited her goods in the Alaskan Hotel. Apparently Alice’s husband did return some weeks later and when he found out what she had been doing, he became enraged and killed her in the hotel.

Since that day, many guests and employees have reported seeing Alice’s apparition throughout the hotel, especially in room 219. Guests repeatedly ask to be moved after being assigned to this room. Some have reported seeing Alice sitting on the bed there. Others have claimed that she touched them. Alice’s spirit has also been seen in the bar, in the hallways and in mirrors.

One very odd paranormal incident happened to a woman who had just recently begun working at the hotel. The woman went into one of the downstairs bathrooms and found it to be beautifully decorated in vintage nineteen-hundred, Victorian style furnishings. When the woman returned to the same bathroom later, the décor was modern and totally different than the first time she entered!

Even today, guest still make their claims and employees still find themselves looking over their shoulders, feeling someone might be there with them.