Haunted Hotels in Bakersfield

History and Hauntings:

Opening on April 12, 1928, during Bakersfield’s booming oil era, this Spanish Colonial Revival landmark was designed by architect John M. Cooper for $600,000 and quickly earned its reputation as the “finest hotel west of the Rockies.” 

Named in tribute to Padre Francisco Garces, the Franciscan missionary who first explored the region in 1776, the eight-story, 196-room hotel became the tallest building in Bakersfield and the centerpiece of downtown nightlife. Tragedy struck in the 1950s when a fire on the seventh floor claimed the lives of a family with children, and the devastating 1952 earthquake killed several people trapped in the hotel’s basement. 

The hotel’s most colorful chapter began in 1954 when Milton “Spartacus” Miller purchased the property and spent 45 years battling city officials, even mounting a fake missile on the roof aimed directly at City Hall. Following an $18 million renovation in 2010, staff and guests report persistent paranormal activity, particularly on the seventh floor where the fire occurred. 

A ghostly little girl tugs on shirts and aprons in the lobby and left a mysterious handprint on a café column that reappears after cleaning, while housekeepers glimpse a tall man in a long coat who vanishes when approached.