Banff Springs Hotel Ghost Stories!
Please Email your stories or comments to mike@taximike.com
*Please note, the Banff Spring Hotel denies that their hotel is haunted in any way. Whatever they may think, these ghosts are alive and well, on this web page! :)
P.S. I receive a lot of pictures that are clearly just dust on the lens. Some are even posted below. Please use your discretion when sending me photos.T.M.
http://www.zidaho.com/sharedcontent/northwest/nwbackroads/stories... - Banff Springs Hotel. Let's head north of the border to a luxurious, century-old castle – a place many believe is haunted. Guests and employees alike have an abundance of spooky stories to tell. Does the ghost of a former bellman still haunt the halls of the Banff Springs Hotel? Does a bride who died on her wedding day dance from beyond the grave? Two Northwest ghost hunters revealed mysterious photographs captured during their investigation. The Banff Springs Hotel is a 109-year-old castle nestled in the mountains of Banff, Alberta, Canada. Many believe the hotel is haunted. Over the years, employees and guests have reported strange occurrences – from tables moving on their own to sightings of Sam McAuley, a bellman who died in 1976. Sam loved the hotel so much, fellow bellman David Moberg remembers Sam retiring several times, but always returning to work at the hotel. Before his death in 1976, he promised to haunt the hotel from beyond. Shortly after Sam's death, David says a bellman wearing an old-fashioned uniform and matching Sam's description mysteriously appeared to help two women locked out of their room. Another guest reported seeing a bellman matching Sam's description walk right through a wall. Another possible visitor from the afterworld is the dancing bride. In 1932, on her wedding day, a bride reportedly died when she fell down a staircase. A year later in the middle of the night, workers reported heard mysterious music and saw the eerie image in the Rob Roy dining room of a bride dancing alone. Recently, two Northwest paranormal investigators decided to find out if the hotel is indeed haunted. Authors of "The Haunted Reality" and other books – Dave Oester and Sharon Gill – have captured on film what they believe to be ghostly entities. Using special detection devices, they look for sudden changes in temperatures or electromagnetic fields that Dave says can indicate the presence of ghostly entities. When Dave and Sharon's pictures came back from the developer, a strange shape Dave calls an ectoplasmic cloud was present. He believes it's a ghostly entity. But that's not all. A strange ray of light showed up on two pictures. Dave and Sharon believe it may be the face of Sam McAuley. They believe their photographs may be proof the Banff Springs is home to a bride from beyond and to a bellman who remains there in his afterlife. Note from Taxi Mike... While the Banff Spring Hotel was modelled after a Scottish Castle back in 1888, it was never a Castle and has always been a Luxury Hotel.
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on January 19th, 2018. Mike, I worked 2 summers at the hotel in 79-80. A veteran housekeeper told me she had seen a wandering bride go in and out of vacant rooms on many occassions. A waiter told me he had seen chairs moving in the dinning room by themselves. I recall one night walking through an employee tunnel and hearing steps behind me but no one was there. Sent from my BlackBerry. Dan.
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on April 17th, 2017. Hi Mike: I stayed at the hotel for a few days at the end of February, 2017. We were in a room on the 3rd floor. 321 I think. One night I woke up to someone playing with my feet. My vision is not the greatest without my contact lessons, so I did not see anyone. It sort of creeped me out. The next day someone in the group told us about the bride that died at the hotel and I relayed my story. Has anyone reported a ghost playing with their feet? Just curious. Carol. Note from Taxi Mike... No reports of foot fetish ghosts to my knowledge...
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on January 17th, 2017. Hi Mike, Found your website while trying to find some information on the history surrounding the weird little wing we stayed in the last two nights at Banff Springs Hotel. We had room 914, which my husband started saying was on floor 9 ¾ (Harry Potter reference) because it is actually on the 10th floor. You get off the regular elevator on the 9th floor and then have to go down a hall and nestled up against an outside wall is this older, small little elevator which you have to use to get to the 10th, 11th and 12th floors. Interestingly, all hotel rooms on these three floors are given the starting number of 9 even though they aren’t on the 9th floor at all. Anyways, there were only 4 rooms altogether on our small little floor and I’m not sure any of them were in use because we saw nobody else except one cleaning person, whom I am assuming was an actual live person and not an apparition. I tell you this so you know it is most unlikely that anybody was walking past the room and trying the door repeatedly all night. Which is what happened, both of the nights we stayed on the 14th and 15th, all night long every few minutes there was the distinct sound of someone trying the door and finding it locked. My husband was already asleep before the noise started the first night. At first I assumed it was a draft causing the door to move in the frame a bit and I attempted to stop the movement by putting a heavy couch pillow up against the door but it didn’t stop the problem, which went on through the night. The noise did not happen at all during daylight hours and I forgot all about it until last night and it was actually my husband who noticed it first around midnight, the same time it started the night before. He commented on it and then started looking for something to put up against the door to stop it, assuming like me that it was a draft. I have no idea if it was a ghost occurrence or not but I did grow up in Victoria BC where I spent many years of my life living in and/or staying in century-old houses so I am very familiar with the sound a closed door will make when a draft hits it, the small movement in the frame. This was different, this was distinctly the sound of someone trying the handle of the door and finding it locked. It didn’t really register the first night as I was already asleep when it started so I did the pillow thing in a bit of a fog but when I woke up yesterday morning I looked at the pillow and wondered why it hadn’t fixed the issue and then realized it was the sound of the door handle being tried. Then I decided I was having an over-active imagination and didn’t think twice about it again until it started again last night. If it was a ghost then he/she was just being mischievous as the noise would occur and be loud enough to wake me up, then I’d drift back off and be woken by it again a short while later. All night. So that’s what happened, if you happen to have any information on strange things that have happened on the 9th floor I’d love to hear about it as I’m coming up with nothing. Take care, happy hunting! Sincerely, Amanda... Hi sorry to bug you again but after I sent you the email about the door being tried I went back to your site and realized I should have firstly pointed out to you that we were not familiar with any details of any of the haunting activity for the hotel before our trip, in fact I’ve only learned about all these stories tonight. Second, as I continued reading this other story was posted about orbs on the 9th floor and they included pictures. I’ve taken a snippet off your site of the picture of the room that we stayed in! The furniture is completely different (I think they stayed there in 2010 so it was probably changed around at some point) but it is definitely the same room as the picture on the wall is still the same and so is the carpet. Also if you look on the outside of the hotel, there is only the one room on that floor that has the double-dormer window the others are all single dormer windows so I’m sure it’s got to the be the same room! Perhaps you can contact whoever sent you that story and ask them if they noticed the door being tried all night during their stay as well! Wouldn’t that be hilarious!... Another interesting snippet from your website, these pictures with the orbs and the kids. They are taken on the send level of Stephen Hall and that painting is actually quite unique. It is signed in the bottom left corner by “Enroh Nav 1903” as the artist … who was actually Van Horne himself who was apparently an artist as well as his other talents. Apparently there are more pieces of his art around the hotel with this same “Enroh Nav” signature because apparently it was his tongue-in-cheek response to how he felt about them having built the hotel backwards … Enroh Nav is Van Horne spelled backwards. Just a bit of trivia you probably already knew, but it’s interesting that both the orbs are right above the picture. I agree with you given they are in exactly the same spot in both pictures it is highly likely something on the lens, however, who knows maybe it is Mr Van Horne continuing his cheeky streak from the after life lol. Amanda
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on October 4th, 2016. Hi Mike, I found your website when trying to research if anyone else has had an encounter like mine. I stayed at the Fairmont Banff last week for a work conference and did not do any research on the resort before my arrival. I had no idea that it is supposed to be haunted. I stayed in room 291 and in the middle of my first night while in bed I became paralyzed by something taking over me. I was physically unable to move in my bed and was shown an image of a female in a white dress with candles on the ground around her standing in front of a mirror that she was touching. The mirror is what stood out the most to me because even though she was standing in front of it I could not see her face and it was disturbing. I finally felt a release and was able to move again and the vision was gone. Now having done some research I am unsure if it was the bride that passed or someone in room 873 but my experience will stay with me. Sonya.
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on November 2nd, 2015. Hi Mike, It's been a couple years since I've stayed at the Banff Springs hotel, but I wanted to share one particular experience I had while there. When I first arrived at the hotel I didn't know anything about it being haunted. In fact, one of my first memories of the hotel was us being passed by a bellman in haste. It wasn't until later that evening when we were leaving for dinner out the front doors that I made the connection that the first bellman's attire was completely different than the attire from the other bellman's at the front door. The bellman I had seen was wearing a green jacket with gold embellishments. He was also wearing the stereotypical bellman's hat in the matching color. He was holding brown luggage when he literally raced right past us. It wouldn't be until a few months later that i'd make the connection of what I had potentially witnessed. Today I phoned the Banff Springs Hotel to clarify if any of their Bellman's have ever sported green attire. Fortunately for me the concierge informed me that one of their Bellman's (who has been employed with the hotel since the mid 1970's) was on staff, and she would ask him. When the concierge got back on the line she relayed his response to me. He said that since he had been employed with the Banff Springs hotel the bellman's have never sported green attire. She then went on to inform me that if i was inquiring because of Sam the ghost, that he had worked at the Banff Springs hotel up until the 1960's. Nobody on staff could confirm what the attire would have been like for the bellman's during that era. I would love to know if anyone had any old pictures of him in his work attire, that way I could find out if I really did see Sam! Lisa.
mike@taximike.com -This is an Email I received from a website visitor on September 8th, 2014. I went to Banff Springs this year, in June, 2013 with my mom, dad and my younger brother. I didn't know anything about the ghosts because my family knows I get incredibly freaked out thinking about hauntings or anything scary. I was there for three nights and the first night I feel asleep right away no problems. In the middle of the night I woke up and saw a man in all white, with white hair (assumably the bellman Sam) standing by my bed staring at me. I thought I was seeing something so I rubbed my eyes and looked up again. He was still looking at me but as soon as we made eye contact he sprinted out of the room. But out of the room towards the side with the window, instead of going through the door. I thought nothing of it because I thought I was just seeing things so I tried to fall back asleep with little luck. In the morning, at breakfast, I told my mom about what I had seen and she laughed and told me that the hotel is known for being haunted and that I should look it up. But I refused to look it up until I was home, I saw no other signs of the ghost for the rest of my trip. I just thought I would share my story and get your thoughts. Maddi
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on May 29th, 2014. Hi, I just stumbled upon your site and wanted to share something that happened to me. My fiancée and I took a tour of the Banff springs last fall as we were considering it as a wedding venue. After the official tour from their coordinator we decided to loop back and explore a little on our own. We were going down the staircase that the bride allegedly fell on, my fiancée a couple of stairs ahead of me, when I overstepped myself and my heel slipped off the stair. Sure that I was going to fall I went to grab onto the closest thing to me and yelped but before I had a chance to make contact with anything I felt a pair of arms behind me grab my waist and pull me back onto balance. I definitely was pitched too far forward by that point to correct myself, and the force seemed to just set me back up straight without any over correction. I'm not one of those people that generally believes in ghosts but the physics of the whole scenario just seemed too impossible and part of me can't help but think maybe that bride found a chance to help another one. I'd love to hear your take on it! Jules.
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on October 10th, 2013. HI Mike, Found your website. Love the content, it’s my go to manual and info-guide for Banff. Especially interested in the ghost section, as you can tell I am a big ghost fan. I think I really enjoy the spookiness. You know what I mean. Anyways, I thought I would share with you my ghost story from the Banff Centre where I was attending a learning session to increase the level of my education and technical capabilities. We were working diligently in the main building on the third floor and there was an odd fog rolling in over the mountains. It looked similar to a cloud but more foggy, I immediately wondered what it smelt like. Not sure if you have ever been to the Banff Center but the view is phenomenal, I would highly recommend it to people who enjoy great views. Suddenly without warning, the door swung open and there was a chill that filled the air. I know it couldn’t have been the temperature outside because it was in October and I’ve lived in Canada my entire life. I also rarely leave Canada so I am well acclimatized. This was easily one the more peculiar moments in my life, as I was interested and called out to the ghost but others were frightened. We had a few Asians in the room with us, I am not sure if you have ever met one before but they are easily startled. My coworkers and I certainly didn’t feel alone in the room and the “vibe” definitely changed. It didn’t happen again for the rest of our education maximization sessions. I know we had an experience with a ghost however it didn’t look anything like they do in the movies. Especially ghost busters, I’m not sure if that movie is technically accurate. Anyways, not sure if this will be the scariest of ghost stories for your site but I am one thousand percent sure we had an experience with an entity. It’s my second favorite story to tell. My first involves sand and Mexico, I’d love to tell you over a bottle of corona at the Magpie and Stumph. It would be fitting because that is a Mexican restaurant and my story involves Mexico, however I am not Mexican. I have attached a picture of the door, its glass so you can see the view I referred to earlier. It’s a nice door, the building is well put together. Let me know if you would like a picture of me standing next to the door, I could send it to you. Later Days! Jamal
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on August 18th, 2013. Dear Mike, There has been a lot of talk about Room 873, but it turns out that it did not "disappear". They just connected it to room 875. A housekeeper at the hotel said that most people don't know that room 875 is actually two rooms that have been renovated, so the hotel made up the ghost story for publicity. Thanks! -Ruby
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on February 11th, 2013. Hi Mike, This is David from Calgary Alberta. Me and my family went for a day visit in Banff on September 7, 2012 and decided to tour the Fairmont Hotel in Banff before we came back to Calgary. We went to all the places where all the stories was about the bride, the bellmen, we went to the ballroom and took pictures but didn't find anything or feel anything out of the ordinary. As we left the hotel we decided to take some last pictures outside by the statue at 11:46pm took shot #416 of my parents and my daughter sitting and standing by the statue and as I took the second shot #417 at 11:47pm a second after me and my wife saw a blue image flying in the air crossing the statue. Then I quicky took another snap shot at it and it disappeared in picture #418. To me the figure looked like an old men with beard and a bowlerhat with a long coat and the hand fisted on the left side of the statue. Thanks. David
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mike@taximike.com -This is an Email I received from a website visitor on January 9th, 2013. Dear Mike just a quick note I was searching your page great work for a great Hotel keep it up , I would only ask that you and other writers get my grandpa Sam last name correct its McAuley and he passed away in 1975 Thanks. Some of those stories are great I have a lot of his stuff from our place in Banff. I worked many summers up there had most of my growing up there. I have copied his grave marker from the cemetery in Banff. Kevin
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mike@taximike.com -This is an Email I received from a website visitor on November 8th, 2012. I came across this link: simonpeplow.blogspot.com/2012/02/unpublished-photos-of-marilyn-monroe-in.html from when Marilyn Monroe stayed in the hotel. There's a picture of her sitting in a chair with three flares (little balls of light). Not sure if its anything, or if that's even the hotel. Just wanted to share... Jeff
TM response... without seeing the b&w negative, its hard to say. The one on the right looks like chemical contamination ie. fixer on the film/print before developer, but the other 2 are a little fuzzy but not fuzzy enough to be dust on the lens... ???
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mike@taximike.com - These are 2 Emails I received from a website visitor on October 12th & 27th, 2012. My wife and I spent a couple hours checking out the hotel the second week of October 2012. I did see the spot where the one picture on your site was taken with the two white orbs above the picture with the children and it was actually just plaster over some nail holes and the plaster was not completely removed. We did go up to the honeymoon suites that where under renovations and got an interesting picture that I have attached. Not sure what It is. We did also make it behind the wall of the previous door to room 873, I was too nervous being there that I forgot to snap any photos. It has been extended from room 875 which is currently under renovations along with the rest of the 8th floor. It would be nice to see some kind of article or literature about the events that happened at the hotel other then just rumour's. You can definitely feel a presence in the hotel in certain area’s mainly on the upper floors. On October 10, 2012, my wife and myself took a tour of the hotel like we always do when we're in banff. We toured a little further then we normally do this time because of the stories I looked up on the Internet. Long story short we went to the 9th floor to look around, we were up there for about 15 mins taking pictures and snooping around a little when we heard some commotion back at the what must have been a service room or holding area. We went passed the room which the door was wide open closing slowly and sounds of someone doing something inside. I figured we scurried past undetected and got to the elevator and out of their. Later as my wife and I discussed the day we were talking about the ninth floor and she told me of the black man that stood in the door way of that service room and smiled at us as we passed, wearing a white cooks outfit with black pants. I looked in that door the entire time we had visual access to the room and did not see one person in that room and figured we we clear of snooping around. My wife tells me that the man was in the door smiling as we passed the entire time we went passed the room. Thanks for letting me share. Colin
TM response... probably just a reflection from something on the wall. But it does have a wierd curve to it...
mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on June 13th, 2012. Hi Mike. I started doing my own research of the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, since finding out that it is haunted. I will be staying there this summer and I’m a little scared, to say the least. Found this old photo online and I’m wondering, “double exposure” or “ghost” (1/2 of man’s body on left side of photo)? Lisa
Hi Lisa, Thanks for your Email! I looked at the picture and it is for sure a double exposure. You can tell by the abrupt hard edge where the "ghosts" right hand is cut off. That would be the edge of the frame of the extra exposure. I tried to play with the contrast and levels to see if I could figure out what the second exposure is for the rest of the photo, but couldn't distinguish anything. FYI. I think this was the same website I found a group bellman shot with "Sam McAuley" in the centre... http://www.banffspringshotelstaffreunionwebsite.ca/pre1960s.htm
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mike@taximike.com - This is
an Email I received from a website visitor on May 2nd, 2012. Hi, was watching Ghost Hunters and asked my wife if they ever did an episode on it. She said they did but I dont see anything on the web, anyway I saw your site and read thru it. My wife and I were actually at that hotel in 1999. We heard about the bride ghost and the bellman but what was more interesting was all the stories about room 873 seem true to us. I went up to the room as it was still there. No door knob or room number, just a door. I could swear I heard a tv on as all employees agree, that was a notable occurrence.
mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on March 20th, 2012. Hello, This past weekend my family took a trip to Banff and we decided to tour the Banff springs hotel.. we took some pictures.
I have one with me standing on the winding staircase, when my daughter took the picture there was nothing there and when we looked at the picture, there was a light that was going across the screen. The day we went was very gloomy on the outside, it wasn’t sunny at all and it was snowing and raining all day long.
The second picture is of me and my two sisters and as you can see my sister as an orb by her shoulder. Again wasn’t noticed when my mom took the picture, we noticed it afterwards. We got so excited cuz my sister and I totally believe in the paranormal. Thanks, Joy.
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mike@taximike.com - This is
an Email I received from a website visitor on March 14th, 2012. Hi Mike. Just want to say thanks for all your stories, I get goosebumps whenever I read them! I was staying at the Banff Springs recently and was told a story that Stephen King's "The Shining" was based upon the beautiful Banff Springs. Being a fan of Mr.King, this information is actually false. The book was actually based on the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. The hotel is a very haunted building itself, and it is said that he had his own run in with a child ghost calling for his nanny, in room 217. The Banff Springs is still whoever my favorite place to stay and ghost hunt. Thanks for all the stories and info. -Dano
My reply... Dear Dano, Thanks for your Email. This is a question that I get asked very frequently in the taxi so I decided it was time to do a little research... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shining_(film) - The Shining was shot on soundstages at EMI Elstree Studios in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, Britain. The set for the Overlook Hotel was then the largest ever built, including a full re-creation of the exterior of the hotel. A few exterior shots by a second-unit crew were done at Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood in Oregon. These shots are notable because of the absence of the hedge maze, a nonexistent feature at the actual hotel. Some of the interiors are based on those of the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park. The Timberline Lodge requested Kubrick change the number of the sinister Room 217 of King's novel to 237, so customers would not avoid the real Room 217. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081505/trivia - The Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood in Oregon was used for the front exterior, but all the interiors as well as the back of the hotel were specially built at Elstree Studios in London, England. The management of the Timberline requested that Stanley Kubrick not use 217 for a room number (as specified in the book), fearing that nobody would want to stay in that room ever again. Kubrick changed the script to use the nonexistent room number 237.
I am posting your Email on the website as I think many visitors to the site believe that the room 873 story is very similar to the Shining story and believe that the film was shot there. Thanks again, Mike
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on November 12th, 2011. Hey Mike, I was very happy when I found your site regarding the Banff Springs Hotel. My hubby and I just got back from a week long getaway, It was amazing. The amount of history in that place blows your mind. I was hopeing that you might know a bit more about some of the details regarding the spirits of the Hotel. Right from time my hubby and I reached our floor, there was deffinitally an uneasy presence. Sometime I am not bothered by the vibes they give, although this one was unsetteling. We where staying on the 7th floor, room 730. When we entered the room, it felt very distant, I’m not sure how to explain it, I had a very uneasy feeling. There was deffintaly someone there. Not wanting to ruin by trip, I tried to ignore it the best I could, when i would get a glance of “him” or felt him there I look look the other way. Ignoring it for the first few days was working great, until one of my Massage girls mentioned that when she came to get me, she felt something else with me. Once someone else had confirmed it I did pay more attention which was very distracting. After my Massage when we where on our way back to our room, I grounded myself. I was very polite and told it it was time to go, that they didn’t need to be here anymore. That night which happened to be my Birthday .. I woke up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom. When I opened my eyes I was paralyzed, I was scared,I could not move , It felt like I was being pushed into the bed, I tried calling for my husband to wake up, but I had no voice. I could feel something over top of me. THen after a few minutes it went away. The last few days of the trip where good, our hotel room after that seemed a bit more relaxed. I would get pings of energy through the hotel, but not the kind of negitivity I recieved from our room. On the Last day, my hubby went down to start the truck, I was in the room alone. I glanced across the room and instantly the picture of a little girl, sitting on the chair in the corner poped into my head. She sat swinging here feet ... so I said goodbye. I was wondering if you have ever come across any of the other spirits, real names? This little girl really has my attention, I wish she would have come before I had to leave. Thanks, Bri. TM response... Hi Bri, Pretty chilling story there. Usually I get stories about "Sam" the bellman, who seems to be a friendly ghost. You seem to have stumbled on the "Room 873" ghosts, whom, if you believe the stories, are the ghosts from a husband who murdered his wife and child in room 873. This story is rumored to be the inspiration to the book & movie "The Shining". One of the reasons room 873 is blocked off is because of a child's fingerprints that keep appearing on the mirror, even after being cleaned off, among other strange happenings, so I'm told...
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on September 7th, 2011. Hi Mike my name is Dave I just wanted to email this picture from banff springs hotel elevator in main lobby by the gift shops when me and my wife were visiting banff on august 5/2011 we decided to tour the banff springs hotel and noticed the middle elevator door kept on opening and closing on its own and there was nobody by the elevator so we decided to go in and check out the 8th floor where the missing room is,after seeing the 8th floor we went back to the elevator with one of the employer the same elevator was opening and closing so we got in and came to the main level where the gift shops are and we decided to take a picture of the elevator door and this was the image we came up with.by the blue light on the elevator door it looks like an old mans face with a bushy mustache looking at us. thank u mike we just wanted to share our story and the picture. David L.
Original picture
Contrast enhanced by TaxiMike
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on June 19th, 2012. Hi Mike, this is J. You did a contrast change on a photo of a blue light, and a face. I think this might be a Intra-Dimensional, possibly Nephalim, or Arcturian, the tall crown head kind of makes me think it is Naphalim. I see you have an interest in this stuff, so I thought I would raise the stakes a little. Here is a photo taken next to a lake, this was a Inter-Dimensional Arcturian, 7th dimension, intersecting this time and space, and it looked like marble, it was taken outside Halifax. Notice the high forhead and deep set eyes like the face. The photo details is on right hand side of aperature and stuff, it has not been created. picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo Of course Banff is a very unstable energetic area as well. I am currently trying to find stories relating to the piece of land between Cascade Mountain and Norquay. Now, I know that many might think that this is not possible, so I will show you a photo I took of another Inter-Dimensional ET. They can be quite imaginative actually, this was given to me one day when I asked what these ones looked like, and they did this in light. The full shot: https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ Closeup: picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo As a note, I have seven races that come see me in physical that are benevolent to my path. I am also watched by THE DARK ONES, a group of beings that walk through this dimension, often called shadow people from Sirus "A". I am pretty sure that some of these sightings in the hotel are from them. That is the reason I never stay anywhere too long, and why I had to give up everything back east. This was fired at me from the sky one night at 11pm at night, just missing me before it exploded. USAF patrols the Canadian sky, to keep these beings out of our space as much as possible, suspect this came from one of those new sky patrol drones they just announced, probably a form of crown control. picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/ Just a note to say, that this stuff is very real, before I go and forget to make contact with you. The real action is the ET world. :-) That ghost stuff is often not what it appears. Remember, they can portray themselves as anything. J. TM - I don't write 'em, I just post 'em! Send your comments on THIS one to mike@taximike.com!
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on August 7th, 2011. My husband and i just vacationed in Banff. Our plan was to spend 3 nights at the Banff Springs Hotel and 2 Nights at the Rimrock Hotel. We checked in at the Banff Springs Hotel on July 30 to August 3, 2011. My efforts to capture an orb or anything unusual on camera was fruitless. We did, however, have a few strange things happen. We checked in around 1:00 am and went straight to our room. I flicked the light switch in the entrance to the room, it turned off. I flicked it on again, it turned off. This happened two more times. We asked to change rooms. My husband went to the lobby to get our new room key. He said he pressed the L key for the lobby, but it took him to the 4th floor. He then pressed the L key again, it took him to the 3rd floor. There was no one else in the elevator. We were moved to the new wing of the hotel. I thought that this section would be exempt of any strange activity since it was built in 1995. I was wrong. The next evening, I was playing music on my iPad via the Pandora radio station. I tried to turn off the music, but it would keep playing. I switched the mute button on, but the music kept playing. I powered off the device, but the music kept playing even when turned off! My husband is an engineer, who is very scientific about things. He thought it was weird. On my last night at the hotel, I had a dream that while I was sleeping, someone stood over me, put their hands on my shoulders as if to turn me over. I tried to scream but I had no voice. I was reaching for my husband, but in my dream, he did not wake up. Finally, I woke up from this nightmare, relieved that it was just a nightmare. What bothers me about this is that after I awoke, it felt as if the hands that were trying to roll me over were now resting on my back. I felt this deep, penetrating heat on my back where the hands were. Amy B. Michigan
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on February 15th, 2011. Hi Taxi Mike, I just came across your site and I was looking for a place where I can shared my disturbing experience at the Banff Springs Hotel, and where it seems someone would truly believe me without judgement. I stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel Thursday January 28 2010 to Sunday January 31, 2010. My mom had planned a weekend get away there to celebrate my 20th birthday. So my story starts with our check in we got there late late thursday night, maybe checking in around 10:30pm, when we pulled up we were greeted by a man who was african american wearing glasses and he seemed very nice, but he was wearing an outfit that no one else seemed to be wearing. He wore a black hat and suit from head to toe exposing no skin just a face. He had gotten all our luggage out and put it in the lobby while my mom went to park the car around back. This left time for myself and my best friend Jen to talk to this odd bellman, both of us looked down at his name tag and it read "SAM". Me and my friend looked at each other knowing that it was such a coincidence that This bellman had the exact same name as the ghost, and this "SAM" man looked nothing like the white, white haired man that was on the internet so we thought nothing of it. He asked us what our names are and we told him, and then he asked what we were there for and we said my 20th birthday, and he asked where we are from and we replied Calgary. So we ended our convo and ran out to get our mom. When we returned this odd bellman wasnt in sight, but we thought nothing of it, we thought he must of ran off somewhere. The next morning My best friend and I ran down the stairs to the lobby and saw an exact look alike of the bellman that helped us the night before. So excited that we have a new friend we ran up to him, and this time he seemed different. So we say hi because its nice to see a familiar face. He asks us what our names are. my friend and I look at each other like shouldnt he already know this? Then he asked us where we are from, and why we are at the hotel. I was like "Havent we told you all this last night?" then he said "Its nice to meet you, my name is Tony". My friend and I were shocked because was his nametag read "SAM" LOUD AND CRYSTAL CLEAR the night before? NO one could explain this at the hotel and the front desk and guests services said they have no one under the name sam as a employee and that Tony has every tuesday and thursday off so there is no way Tony was the one helping us late thursday night. The only explanation is that "SAM" the bellman morphed himself to look exactly like the hotel ambassador "Tony". To this day we get scared thinking that we met sam and we didnt even know it until we left. We even ask Tony if he owns any other name tags or goes by the name sam as a nick name or something and he said no his only nametag is Tony. Thats our story. Lisa M. My reply... Hi Lisa, Very chilling story you tell there! I know Tony very well. He is a 20+ year employee, won the Employee of the year when I worked there, and would not, could not, ever, wear a name tag that said "Sam" (even as a joke). He is one of the most recognized employees at the hotel. I have posted your story and appreciate you sending it to me. Thanks!
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on February 8th, 2011. Hi Mike, I worked at the Banff Springs hotel from June 2001 until Nov. 2001 and it was a great experience. On the main level of the hotel where the retail shops are there is a small winding staircase at the end of a hall, it almost looks hidden, and when you go up it, there is a little bathroom, but when you open the doors it feels like you went back in time hundreds of years. There are big mirrors and stain glass windows and the hairs on the back of your kneck stand up when you go in there. I swear there is something female in there, it feels like shes watching you, and when you walk past the big mirror you always can see out of the corner of your eye something walking behind you. I only went in that bathroom twice and never again, it really feels like you step into a different world and you wonder if you open the door if you will actually get out. Also the bride that died, she was coming down the stairs but she had big candles lining the stairwell and the wind blew in out of nowhere and her veil caught on fire. She freaked out and tripped and fell down the stairs. Also the man that killed his family is a very creepy story. I was told that when they renovated the hotel the workers uncovered this bricked off room and had no idea why it was, it was a full room with no doors. They didn t know that a man had killed his family in that room and when they opened it. The rumour is that they released the spirits that had been trapped there. It is one of those hotels where in the middle of the night you can hear pounding on the walls or the sounds of someone walking down the hallways when no-one is out there. It is an amazing place and the best time to visit is not in the peak season, it is when it is quiet. Just wanted to write you about what I had heard while I was there. Kristy
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mike@taximike.com - This is
an Email I received from a website visitor on November 13th, 2010. Hey Mike, I just wanted to say I greatly enjoy your site, my name is Dan McAuley and Sam is my Great Grandfather, I'm staying at the Banff Springs on the 27th and I'm hoping to run into him. Keep up the good work. Dan
Photo of Sam McAuley in 1965 with the Bellmen team from the Banff Springs Hotel. Sam is seated in the centre. Click to enlarge
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on November 1st, 2010. Mike, while on a business trip to Banff, in May 2009. I brought my bookeeper with me, as we did not stay at the hotel, we toured the next day. When we arrived and parked, I had to use the washroom, so did he. We found the Men's bathroom, I went in first, and as I was finished, my bookeeper entered. I informed him I would wait in the hallway, he agreed. I waited and waited and made my way down the hall to the gift store. Well 40 mins elapsed and finally he showed up, looking franticly for me. He said he went out a different door but encountered a bellhop that told him this happens all the time and led him through another doorway at the other end of the hotel. Upon investigation, there was only one way in and one way out. My bookeeper did not believe he had a paranormal experience. He is too christian for that, and nothing was going to convince him. We returned to the hotel one year later, and I took him in the washroom and asked him to show me this 'phantom door' he told me he entered through the door where there is a large mirror, same mirror that was there the following year. I believe this was Sam. I think he is a believer now. Marty
Gave me goosebumps... T.M.
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on April 27th, 2010. This was at the Fairmont when we were on our Honeymoon and was taken on a tour on Rememberance Day. I seen your website and thought you might enjoy these. By the end of the trip our room was also filled with spirit orbs and one pictures was very creepy, if you want I can forward you those as well. I didn't see the old man in the bottom corner until we were home and I was reviewing to see more spirit orbs in the pictures and realized that I actually have a ghost. Thank you, Holli Harty
Very Creepy!
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mike@taximike.com - This is
an Email I received from a website visitor on Feb 10, 2010. Hi Mike, My husband discovered your website today so I thought I would share my story with you. My husband and I were on our honeymoon back in 1987, and we stayed at the Banff Springs Hotel for two nights. I can’t remember what floor it was because it was so long ago, but I believe it was the 6th or 7th floor. Not knowing anything about the ghost legends there, I came in contact with Sam the bellman. About 2:00 in the morning, I was awaken by something, so I rolled over and saw this old man with a bushy mustache looking down at me over my husbands body. He was all white, you know like a ghost. I really didn’t think much about it cause I thought I was seeing things. I rubbed my eyes and kept looking in the same direction and this man was still looking at me. He did nothing to scare or harm me, in fact it was like we were checking out each other. Then he just fizzled out in thin air! I told my husband what I had seen the next morning and he laughed at me, I even drew a picture of this character. (I am an artist). We brought it up with the front desk and she said she never heard of such a thing. (Yea right) Three months later my husband saw an article in “Ski Magazine” about haunted ski resorts and it had a picture and a story about Sam the Bellman! He told me he now believes my Story. To this day
We tell people about my sighting of the ghost, and they just laugh. It was nice to read your website about all the other stories. Thanks, Linda Pelowski.
P.S. Hi Mike, No, I did not save [the scetch] because my husband was laughing at me. But it is the same sketch that is in the November 1987 issue of "Ski" magazine. That is why my husband believed me after he saw that issue. It was exactly like my sketch! I have attached a copy of that article. Thanks, Linda
Click here for full article in November 1987 issue of "Ski" magazine!
mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on Nov 5, 2009. I just came across your web page and found it rather interesting. I wanted to share my experiences while I was staying in Banff. I was visiting a friend who lives there and we took a journey to the Banff Springs hotel. While we looked around I took pictures of the surroundings, and as we have all heard the many ghost stories, my friend and I tested our luck and entered into one of the elevators. Without pushing a button we jokingly asked "Sam" to take us to the floor where he kept his tips. The doors closed and we went a few floors up and the doors opened. The hair on the back of our necks did stand on end and the thought alone of it may have been Sam was a little nerve racking. All in all a great experience, it is truly a magnificent place. Signed, Darnell Ross.
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on Nov 21, 2007 ... you be the judge! Hi Mike, I took a lot of pictures, but the two I’m attaching were the best. Let me know what you think. The orb in the hallway was taken in front of where Room 873 is supposed to be, and the other is in the Mt. Stephens Hall (ballroom where the bride perished). I’d like people to see them, with the hopes that someone else might also be able to capture something. Thanks, Karim Ahmed
Full Size - Click Here Weird eh!
* Hi Mike, In the picture which you have posted on the site, one of
my coworker and I looked at the picture and realized that there is
also a smoky or shadowy image by the chains that hold on to the chandelier.
It looks like a child crawling or picking something up from the christmas
tree. While I understand the photographer mentioned about the orbs
in the pictures, I thought this was something kind of interesting
to bring up to you. Thanks. Edward
Photo lightened by Taxi Mike... very weird! Full
Size - Click Here
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Taxi Mike: Was checking out links and found this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdngY1O4a8k
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mike@taximike.com - This is an Email I received from a website visitor on September 25, 2008 ... you be the judge! Hi Mike, My husband and I have today just returned home from our Honeymoon in Canada where we stayed at both the Banff Springs Hotel and Chateau Lake Louise. We have put our pics on the laptop and have found lots of orbs in both hotels. I have attached a few for you. Also in the Banff Springs Hotel, we stayed on the 9th floor - apparently the floor that "Sam" the old Bellman haunts. We didnt know anything about the hotels allegedly being haunted until we saw the orbs in the photos and as a result we then checked the sites out on the Internet. We didnt hear or see anything whilst we were there though. It would be interesting to see what you make of them?? Regards, Debbie and Pat
Chateau Lake Louise Full Size - Click Here
Banff Springs Full Size - Click Here
Banff Springs 9th floor Full Size - Click Here
Banff Springs Full Size - Click Here
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mike@taximike.com - This is
an Email I received from a website visitor on Feb 18, 2008 ... you
be the judge! HI Mike, Last night we were having dinner at the Italian restaurant
and the server told us about the ghost stories the bride the bellman
and all. This morning we went back to walk around and see if we had
and ghostly encounters. Nothing interesting and then we got home.
I literally just drove home from Banff and these are the pictures
my boyfriend and I took this morning near the Bow Valley Grill. ORBS!
Janet.
Full Size - Click Here
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mike@taximike.com - Email received
March 16th, 2008... Just reading your page again and thought I'd share
my own images of the ghosts photographed there. The first 2 photos
were taken on March 14, 2008, while visiting the hotel for the day
with my children. The third shot was taken in the same place as the
second, but over a year ago, on February 18, 2007, on a visit with
my fiance. In the second & third shots, the same 2 light spots
appear above the photo frame. We never saw anything in the hall until
after I uploaded the first photo, then a very evident orb can be seen.
Rebecca
Reply from TaxiMike: Interesting photos. Photographically speaking, the fact that the 2 pics with the orbs in the exact same place, suggests a reflection in the lens from something. I will have to check out the location at the Banff Springs to say more. I have posted your pics on my webpage if that's all right. Thanks for sending them to me! Cheers Mike
Reply from Rebecca: Yes, I wondered what could be causing the reflection, but didn't notice anything specifically. Not a problem putting them on your page. When I came back to work and shared the photos with coworkers, one remarked that her friend and another person shared the Bridal Suite at Banff Springs for a convention. They were unkindly greeted by a ghost, who made it apparent she didn't want them there, by turning on TVs, radios, messing up the room with the newspaper, and they even saw something like fairy dust emerging from one pillow. They changed rooms the next day. cheers! Rebecca
*Additional reply from Rebecca: I got married in Banff over the weekend and stayed at the Banff Springs hotel. We took a moment to investigate the 2 light spots on the wall of the second picture I sent and it turns out that they are just touch up spots on the wall, as there was a different picture hanging there at one time. So, you can remove that photo from your site, as it doesn't really qualify as a ghost shot. However, we did stay on the 8th floor, and my best friend's daughter took a few shots of the hall of room 873. There's an interesting light, similar to the one I got in Mount Stephen Hall.
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mike@taximike.com - This is
an Email I received from a website visitor on June 10, 2008. Hi Mike,
my friends and I were staying at the Banff Springs Hotel over Easter
weekend 2008, and decided to make a late night trip to the convention
center on Saturday night. We convinced one guy to get up on stage
in the movie theater (at the back of the convention center) and start
reciting William Shakespeare, and took some photos. Not all of the
photos I took in there had orbs in them, but I only included the ones
that do. The pictures are also really dark because all of the lights
were shut off. I'm a new fan of your website and please let me know
what you think. Thanks, Alix
*photos lightened by Taxi Mike.
Full Size - Click Here
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http://www.zuko.com/weird_and_spooky_places.htm - Nestled in the heart of the awe inspiring Canadian Rockies, Banff
Springs Hotel is world famous for it's regal ambiance and sumptuous
accommodations. This incredible 100-year old castle is also a historic
landmark. Built in 1886 by William Cornelius Van Horne, then General
Manager of the Canadian Pacific Railroad. Van Horne oversaw the challenge
to drive the historic railway through the Canadian Rockies. Banff
Springs Hotel opened in 1888, and has been a favorite haunt of the
rich and famous ever since. With such a rich and colorful history,
it is not surprising to hear tales of guests and loyal employees who
have lingered on, even beyond their departure from life. One very
sad and tragic tale involves a young bride and her elegant wedding
party in the hotel's grand ballroom. It seems that on the day of the
young woman's wedding, she was descending the ornate marble staircase
in her beautiful flowing white wedding gown. And, as the story goes,
an unexpected breeze (presumably from an open door or window) twisted
the gown's flowing train into her path, causing her to stumble. Attempts
by the groom to catch-hold of his young wife were in vain, and she
fell to her death on the polished marble tiles below. To this day,
there are recurring reports of a fleeting vision of a beautiful girl
in a long flowing white dress dancing in the ballroom or descending
the staircase. At other times, people have commented on brief but
chilling breezes brushing past them on the grand staircase. In another
tale, guests over the years have encountered a helpful and courteous
bellman named Sam, who has opened locked doors, helped with lighting,
and even parcels. When the guests of the ninth floor (Sam's favorite floor) try to engage Sam in conversation or attempt to tip him for
his services, he very quickly departs, "almost into thin-air"
as one guest put it. Guests who inquire about Sam are always stunned
to learn that Sam passed-away many years ago.
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http://www.ghosthaunts.com/banff.html - Banff Springs Hotel by Florence Cardinal. The Banff Springs Hotel
lies in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in western Canada, only a
two-hour drive from the city of Calgary, Alberta. Surrounded by mountain
grandeur, by the Bow River and Lake Louise, the Banff Springs Hotel
is a major tourist resort with all the amenities desired by travelers
from all over the world. Yes, it has everything, including a ghost
or two. In 1888, the Canadian Pacific Railroad forged its way into
the Rocky Mountains. Vice President of the CPR, William Van Horne
saw the potential inherent in the scenic beauty of mountains, rivers
and lakes, and the attraction of the wonders of the natural hot springs.
He decreed the building of a luxury hotel, and thus the 250 room Banff
Springs Hotel was born. But, during the building of the hotel, the
carpenters made a slight blunder. They created a room with neither
windows nor doors. They did what workmen the world over have always
done with blunders. They hid it, and the hotel was created with an
extra room that no one except the guilty workmen were aware of. The
existence of the room wasn't discovered until a fire in 1926. The
room was empty, naturally, but it was suggested that the existence
of the hidden room might have been responsible for strange phenomena
that had been occurring in the corridor that bordered the room. Shadowy
apparitions had drifted down the hallway late at night, and a phantom
bellhop offered his services to patrons in surrounding rooms. The
room was empty, and inaccessible, so perhaps it became inhabited by
people from -- the spirit world? The hotel was rebuilt in 1928 in
even greater luxury and became known as the Castle of the Rockies.
The rebuilt hotel and the removal of the mysterious room may have
eradicated the phantom figures from the hallway. But people say the
bellhop still exists. He wanders through the hotel, still offering
his services to patrons. He has even been known to open doors for
people who have forgotten their key. If you need him, just give him
a call. He's been dubbed "Sam." And he's not alone. Others
that wander the hotel are a bride who tumbled to her death from the
staircase, a bagpiper with no head, and a bartender who tells patrons
who have over-imbibed that it's time they went to their beds. If you
ever get the chance to visit Banff, it's a trip you'll never forget.
The mountains, the rivers and lakes, the hot springs - all magnificent.
And if you can get a room there (it's often full,) why not stay in
the Castle of the Rockies, the Banff Springs Hotel? Oh, and while
you're there, don't forget to tell Sam I said "Hi."
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http://www.ghosttraveller.com/canada.htm - A bride who was descending the staircase caught her dress aflame
on a candle then fell to a horrible death here. She is seen wandering
the hotel. Where room 873 was, a family was allegedly murdered and
their spirits tormented guests to the point that the hotel bricked
over the door. A little girl's fingerprints couldn't be washed from
the mirrors in the room
http://theshadowlands.net/places/canada.htm - Alberta - Banff - Banff Springs Hotel - A bride was coming down
the main staircase on her wedding day. The staircase was filled with
beautiful candles to celebrate the special event. The train on her
dress caught on one of the candles and the dress caught fire. In her
panic, she tumbled down the stair breaking her neck. Today, she still
be seen wandering through the halls of the Banff Springs in her wedding
dress. The stairs, although still there have since been blocked and
there were no other weddings in that area of the hotel.
http://theshadowlands.net/places/canada.htm - Alberta - Banff - Banff Springs Hotel - The missing room, 873 - The walls have been extended over the door; however you can clearly see where the door use to be. Employees of the Hotel claim that they are not allowed to speak of it. The rumor is that a family was killed in the room and guests regularly see the ghosts. Mean while no matter how much they cleaned the mirrors a little girl’s fingerprints return, so they blocked off the room.
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