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Fairmont Copley Plaza
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Fairmont Copley Plaza

The Grande Dame's Ghostly Guests

Opened 19127 min readBy Tim Nealon
The Fairmont Copley Plaza has been Boston's most prestigious hotel since 1912. This Gilded Age palace has hosted presidents, royalty, and celebrities, but its most loyal guests are those who checked in decades ago and never left. From the elegant ballrooms to the opulent suites, spirits from the Jazz Age continue their eternal revelry.

Did You Know?

  • Rooms used to cost $3.50 when the hotel opened in 1912.
  • The hotel's Oak Bar used to have a rotating merry-go-round bar from the 1930s to the 1970s.
  • Richard Burton and Elziabeth Taylor spent their honeymoon at the Plaza in 1964.

The Haunted Fairmont Copley Plaza.

There are many haunted hotels in the City of Boston, like the Omni Parker House or the Lenox. The Fairmont is no different.

People have often reported the most activity on the sixth floor. Strange noises seem to resonate all around the floor – noises that aren't from loud neighbors.

Besides, it's hard to blame whispers and bangs on someone next door when that room is empty... Or when they're coming from your own.

The History of the Fairmont Copley Plaza

The Plaza has a somewhat unique and bizarre history that makes it a stand-out choice to room with during your time in Boston.

Before the Plaza was a staple of Bostonian luxury, the location of the hotel was where the city's Museum of Fine Arts stood from 1878 to 1909. It was in 1909 where the museum was moved to another location a mile down the road - its current location. Thousands of pieces of art were moved via horse-drawn carriages.

The old museum was razed to the ground to make room for what would become the Fairmont Copley Plaza in 1912. The mayor at the time, John F. Fitzgerald (John F. Kennedy's grandfather) presided over the opening. Over a thousand people gathered from all over to see the grand opening - people like national dignitaries, civic leaders, and movie stars.

The opening was so anticipated that rooms were booked 16 months in advance with rates going at $3.50 per room.

The hotel helped pave the way to what modern hotels were expected to provide for their guests. It was the first air-conditioned hotel in Boston, the first hotel with an international reservations system, the first hotel that accepted credit cards, and the first to offer direct telephone dialing for guests.

One of the shining features of the hotel in its early days was the Merry-Go-Round bar that was established in the hotel's Oak Bar in the 1930s. It was made to look like a carousel and pivoted as patrons rotated in their seats. The bar was a staple of the hotel until the 1970s, and pieces of the former spinning bar can still be found on display at the Oak Bar.

With the 1930s also came the Second World War, where young men were sent to fight overseas. There were so many young men signing up to fight that the Plaza only hired elevator operators who were 65 years of age or older. Their arrangement encouraged young men to enlist, young men whose phantoms undoubtedly haunt Boston.

In 1964, over a thousand citizens were waiting in droves outside the hotel to see the newlywed Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Do their ghosts frequent their former wedding venue?

The hotel's rich and invigorating history makes it the perfect place to book a room and see what the hotel - and Boston – has to offer.

Death and Dying Ghost Tour

Ghost City's Death and Dying Ghost Tour is one of the best and only adult-oriented haunted tours in Boston.

During the Death and Dying Ghost Tour, the city becomes the storyteller as we venture to some of Boston's most haunted locations. We'll talk of death during colonial America - an experience you don't want to miss.

Visiting the Fairmont Copley Plaza

The Plaza remains one of the most-esteemed luxury hotels in Boston. Ask anyone, and they'll tell you it's the premiere place to stay.

when you book a room with the Fairmont Copley Plaza, you'll be given two tickets to our Adults-Only haunted tour, Death and Dying in Boston. You'll also receive two autumn-themed Cold Bourbon Cider cocktails - perfect for the season.

Fairmont Copley Plaza exterior

The grand facade of Boston's most haunted luxury hotel

The Grand Ballroom

The ballroom where phantom dancers still waltz

Written By

Tim Nealon

Tim Nealon

Founder & CEO

Tim Nealon is the founder and CEO of Ghost City Tours. With a passion for history and the paranormal, Tim has dedicated over a decade to researching America's most haunted locations and sharing their stories with curious visitors.

Experience Fairmont Copley Plaza on Our Tours

Fairmont Copley Plaza is often featured on these ghost tours in Boston

The Ghosts of Boston Tour - ghost tour group exploring haunted Boston locations at night
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The Ghosts of Boston Tour

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Looking for something fun, spooky, and memorable to do while visiting Boston? Whether you're traveling with kids, teens, or just a group of curious adults, the Ghosts of Boston Tour is the #1-rated all-ages ghost tour in Boston, earning an impressive 4.8-star rating from thousands of guests who've made lasting memories on this thrilling evening adventure.This isn't just a ghost tour, it's a journey through time, where the stories of Boston's haunted past come alive. Blending fascinating history, real ghost stories, and legendary figures from the American Revolution, this tour is perfect for families, first-time visitors, and even seasoned history buffs. It's spooky enough to excite the kids, deep enough to engage adults, and educational enough to leave everyone a little smarter, and maybe a little spooked.You'll visit haunted graveyards, historic homes, eerie alleyways, and the very streets walked by the patriots who sparked a revolution, and who, according to many, never truly left. Hear the chilling tales of restless spirits, colonial hauntings, and mysterious apparitions that continue to keep Boston's past alive; in more ways than one.

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The Death and Dying Ghost Tour - ghost tour group exploring haunted Boston locations at night
From$34.99
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The Death and Dying Ghost Tour

4.9 (1957 reviews)

The Death and Dying Ghost Tour offers a distinctly different experience for those interested in Boston's haunted history. Rated 4.8 stars and attended by thousands of guests, this tour is designed for mature audiences seeking a deeper understanding of how colonial Boston approached death, dying, and the afterlife.With mature themes, unfiltered storytelling, and no kids allowed, this tour is strictly for guests 16 and up. It's not just spooky. It's unsettling, raw, and historically grounded in the way death shaped daily life for early Bostonians. You'll explore how people prepared for death, how the dead were mourned, and why many of their spirits never moved on.While ghost stories are a key part of the experience, this tour takes a historical approach to the rituals, beliefs, and practices surrounding death in early America, exploring how these customs shaped both the living and the spirits they left behind. Through visits to historically significant sites, participants will gain insight into how fear, superstition, and religion influenced colonial attitudes toward mortality.

90-Minute Tour

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