In the heart of Pennsylvania lies the Grand Midway Hotel, a former hostelry steeped in an eerie legacy that has drawn the attention of paranormal enthusiasts and ghost hunters for decades. Blair Murphy, who has lived in the building for over two decades, describes its character as having grown markedly more unsettling since he first set foot in it in 2001.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/haunted-hotel-102926-d5a67f55ddb642038355f1ed2c7f5fe3.jpg)
Murphy’s journey to residing in the Grand Midway Hotel began with a whimsical auction listing on eBay that offered the entire property for a mere £8,800. At the time, Murphy, who had moved from Los Angeles seeking a quieter lifestyle, seized upon it as a perfect escape from city life. “It always felt like the building found me more than we found the building,” he reflects. However, at the time of purchase, he was blissfully unaware of the hotel’s haunted reputation—a fact he later found out would come to define his years there.
Originally a 32-room hotel, the Grand Midway has transformed into Murphy’s private residence. Though he occasionally rents it out to paranormal investigation teams, his main focus has remained on raising his 10-year-old daughter, Luna, within its walls. Interestingly, while Murphy’s upbringing as the child of funeral directors desensitised him to death, living in a ghost-infested building posed an entirely different challenge.
Unusual occurrences have become a regularity in the hotel. Murphy is keen to stress that he doesn’t aim to convince anyone of the supernatural, but he acknowledges that strange phenomena occur almost weekly. Investigation groups often document ghostly sounds or electronic voice phenomena, while other apparitions manifest through moving objects. One such incident involved a ghost-hunting device alerting a team, only for a nearby lamp to topple over moments later—a mere coincidence, Murphy muses, yet it contributes to the building’s mystique.
The hotel is associated with a few notable spirits, two of which have profoundly impacted Murphy’s experience there. One is Martha Cerwinsky, who, at just 19, met her tragic end on the hotel’s front porch after being struck by fireworks in 1911. Murphy frequently dreams of her, suggesting she may still roam the premises. Another haunting presence, dubbed the “Man in the Hall,” was felt by Murphy shortly after moving in, creating an unsettling sensation of being followed.
In addition to restless spirits, the hotel features its own unique elements, including the Canopy Room, which Murphy describes as “clammy” and unnervingly charged. He believes that some intense event occurred within its confines, locking the spirit serviceably within the room. “Whatever’s going on in the Canopy Room is kind of locked in,” he explains, emphasising that its haunting does not extend into the rest of the hotel.
The Grand Midway Hotel no longer functions as a traditional accommodation, as Murphy discovered when attempts to list it on Airbnb resulted in confused guests expecting a standard hotel experience. Currently, the building is available for exclusive weekend rentals to paranormal teams from March through Halloween, giving them free rein to explore all 32 rooms while Murphy hosts.
Luna Murphy’s childhood is tinged with the supernatural ambience of the hotel. Initially unaware of its ghostly legend, she has adopted her father’s peculiar surroundings, turning them into a source of intrigue amongst her peers. Spurred on by popular culture, such as the series ‘Wednesday’, she has begun conducting tours for local children—often leaving them squealing in delight or fright.
Looking ahead, Blair Murphy has no intention of converting the Grand Midway back into a standard hotel. “I like that it’s very specific, it’s not a place for everyone,” he states, drawing a parallel to the infamous hotel featured in Stephen King’s ‘The Shining’.
Beyond its ghost tales, the Grand Midway boasts record-holding features such as a giant tarot card displayed on its ceiling and a massive Ouija board gracing its rooftop—both of which have been recognised by Guinness World Records. Murphy, an avid enthusiast of Gothic literature, also envisages creating an outdoor cemetery of artificial tombstones, aspiring to set a record for the most extensive collection of Anne Rice memorabilia.
After over twenty years inhabiting the Grand Midway Hotel, Murphy admits it has become increasingly “creepy” over time. For those unaccustomed to its hauntings, the experience could be daunting. Nonetheless, for Murphy, it remains a fascinating haven of history, mystery, and perhaps a few lingering spirits.