Bowers Harbor Inn
The Bowers Harbor Inn is famous for its haunting. Before becoming a resort the house belonged to an elderly couple for many years. Because the lady became quite infirm the husband had an elevator installed. The lady became rather deranged before finally dying, preceding her husband by only a few months. After that the house lay empty for several years. From the time the Bowers Harbor Inn began operating, the employees have reported seeing the wife in a second floor mirror, light switches that turn off and on by themselves, and the elevator taking unrequested trips up and down. Several times the manager has closed the place down for the evening, turning all of the lights off and locking the freezer door, only to find every light in the building (including those behind locked doors) blazing away, and the freezer door unlocked and standing open. There are also unconfirmed reports by patrons of the fireplaces lighting themselves.
I would like to see this for myself. I’m not saying i doint belive you but i have never seen a ghost and i would like to…
Comment by Sarah | 03.16.2006 | 10:26 am
That would be so… cool that would be sooo….. fun.
Comment by Sarah | 03.16.2006 | 10:28 am
I love that I’m going to see for myselfe……..
Comment by Sarah | 03.16.2006 | 10:29 am
I think that that would be an interesting place to visit as long as the ghost are friendly!
Comment by Bridjet | 09.20.2006 | 7:18 pm
I grew up in Traverse City but never visited this place. However, I have heard many stories. From doors slamming, inoperative (no power source) elevator running, faces in mirrors, lights turning on and off and glasses being thrown across the dining facilities, there are just to many stories to dismiss it.
Comment by Chad | 09.21.2006 | 10:34 pm
Sounds creepy. I am a scaredy cat and probably would not like to go in there! But i guess it would be kind of fun.
Comment by Nolan | 10.5.2006 | 11:10 am
Sounds creepy. I am a scaredy cat and probably would not like to go in there! But i guess it would be kind of fun. Bye
Comment by Nolan | 10.5.2006 | 11:11 am
wow
Comment by natalie | 10.9.2006 | 9:54 am
I make poop in my bed yesterday
Comment by jerry | 10.9.2006 | 4:39 pm
Hi again this is %/&$//&%
Comment by jerry | 10.9.2006 | 4:40 pm
this is awesome i live on what used 2 be a cemetery so thats awesome !!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment by darkangel | 10.9.2006 | 5:51 pm
It would be so cool and spooky to see a haunted house and ghost one day.But i dont think i would not….
Comment by Helena | 10.17.2006 | 6:12 pm
I visited the hotel in the 1980’s for my cousins wedding. When we were walking outside on the grounds of the hotel - I swear that I saw an image of a woman in one of the upstairs windows. (I thought it was a ghost).
Comment by Boni | 10.21.2006 | 9:15 pm
Really!?!…I live in Michigan and I think I will have to see this for myself.
Comment by Andrea | 10.23.2006 | 3:10 am
I believe in the Bowers Harbor Hauntings. I was visiting the Inn with two friends for dinner fall of 2004. I heard about the hauntings of the Inn before our visit. I and another woman were using the ladies restroom on the second floor. I was telling the lady about the hauntings. Just before leaving the restroom the door to the joining sitting room closed on us. During dinner the waitress asked what we were driving. She said that our lights were left on in the vehicle. My friend went to her car and found that not only were the head lamps were on but every light inside and out were on. The strange thing was it was still daylight when we arrived at the Inn. We never used the headlights.
Comment by Cindy | 10.28.2006 | 10:33 pm
I have been to the Inn for dinner many times. It is an incredible place to watch the sunset while having dinner. I stopped on the stairs to look into the infamous mirror…while I was waiting for Genivive to appear….the main entry door flew open behind me. There was nobody at the door. It was enough to make me believe she was in the room. As far as I can tell she is friendly. Some of the staff members had specific stories, but others did not (just a feeling).
Comment by Brad | 03.19.2007 | 8:53 am
Having lived in the Inn, (my mother was a part owner),I can verify the hauntings, as many different things occurred while we were there. Genavieve was never harmful, just mischievious. It has lent for many stories and fond memories!!
Comment by Sandi | 06.28.2007 | 10:06 am
Ok, I am going to the Bowers Habor Inn for dinner next weekend and I am definately NOT going to go to the bathroom…not even if i have to! I love ghost stories but i am the biggest baby after having to live in a haunted place for a year…so i dont really want to experience any strange occurances when i am alone. As far as eating dinner around a bunch of people and having something happen…im game! but i DONT want to look into a mirror and have a face starring back at me CREEPY!!!!!!
Comment by cara | 07.26.2007 | 3:25 pm
This isn’t completely true. I have been to Bowers, and after hearing of it being haunted, I asked one of the waitresses if it was haunted. She said it was, but there is a different legend behind it, and the ghost does different, but similar, things.
According to the waitress, the ghost was originally a woman who lived in the house that was previously Bowers with her husband. The husband grew ill, and required special care. He hired a nurse, who ended up being his mistress. When he died, he left his mistress all of his possessions and money. The only thing he left for his wife was the house. Out of despair and jealousy, the wife hung herself in the elevator.
The ghost supposedly throws things off of counters, and causes power outages. No one has claimed to see her in the 2nd floor mirror, as far as I know, because
the elevator is located, or at least permanently stopped, on the 3rd floor.
I myself have been to Bowers and seen the elevator. It really is creepy looking, partially because it’s so old and non-functional.
Comment by Zoe | 08.11.2007 | 1:16 am
I have been to BHI and it is beautiful!
When we were there Prom was going on during dinner.
I went upstairs to use the ladies room. It was empty and I did my “business”, but when i tried to flush the toilet it wouldn’t FLUSH!
A group of chatty prom girls came in and I felt like I had to hide out in there until the rest room was empty to avoid an embarassing situation.
As I waited, for what seemed like forever, at the stall door for the girls to leave the toilet behind me made a LOUD flush.
Is it possible for a toilet to flush like that?
I think it was Mrs. Stickney playing a silly trick on my nerves.
****
I think Traverse City State Hospital is the scariest place in the area.
Comment by lafekken | 08.17.2007 | 9:15 pm
We are writing a book that will include Bowers Harbor Inn (Haunted Travels of the Michigan Vacation Guide). We conducted an overnight investigation a this amazing restaurant (not a resort) this past May (2007) and came up with some surprising results.
Our research has revealsed that most of the old story behind the haunting is *wrong*. The truth, however, may be even more intriguing.
BTW the Ladies Room the faucets turning on by themsselves and toilets flushing on their own are not paranormal. Actually, we discovered it is a water pressure problem and poor seals … a very natural cause. There are, however, other events that we encounted and videotaped that cannot be explained so easily.
This other other haunted investigations and ghost stories will be detailed in our “Haunted Travels” book ( October 2008). You can check out our Myspace page for updates (www.myspace.com/storyteller586) or our website, http://www.hauntedtravelsMVG.com
Kat
Comment by Kat Tedsen | 08.22.2007 | 11:06 am
We are writing a book that will include Bowers Harbor Inn (Haunted Travels of the Michigan Vacation Guide). We conducted an overnight investigation a this amazing restaurant (not a resort) this past May (2007) and came up with some surprising results.
Our research has revealed that most of the old story behind the haunting is *wrong*. The truth, however, may be even more intriguing.
BTW the faucets turning on by themsselves and toilets flushing on their own in the Ladies Room are not paranormal. Actually, we discovered it is a water pressure problem and poor seals … a very natural cause. There are, however, other events that we encountered and videotaped that cannot be explained as easily.
This along with other haunted investigations and ghost stories will be detailed in our “Haunted Travels” book ( October 2008). You can check out our Myspace page for updates (www.myspace.com/storyteller586) or our website, http://www.hauntedtravelsMVG.com
Kat
Comment by Kat Tedsen | 08.22.2007 | 11:09 am
Ive ben here.
and i actaully caught that ghost on camera.
i go every year and every year something wierd happens.
i went to put the picture on my computer
and as soon as i did it
the computer crashed.
:/
Comment by kellie | 09.3.2007 | 9:15 pm
i am going there four my birthday during halloween!!!
Comment by Alexis | 10.2.2007 | 8:04 pm
A few years ago my family decided to go to Bower’s Harbor in for dinner. My sister and I went to find the bathroom and took a small “detour” on the way back. We found the elevator in which Geneivieve hung herself and decided it would be a good idea to go inside of it. Once inside, we shut the gate, decided it was creepy, and tried to get out. However, the gate would not open. As the elevator was located away from the resturaunt, no one was coming by to assist us. Eventually, I ended up lifting the gate off of the track to get us out. Let me tell you, it was kind of a scary experience.
Comment by Amanda | 10.7.2007 | 2:19 pm
I grew up in Traverse City as well and had a long career in Food & Beverage. I have know several managers of the Inn as well as many employees. Just about all who worked there for any peroid of time had experiences that could not be explained. One of her favorites is re-lighting all of the candles after they’ve been put out for the night. She plays with the music system. I don’t believe that the mirror that she had made to make herself look slim still exsists, but many sightings of her in it when it did.
There is a particular window on the second floor that she is seen in often. I have heard that she is very active in the ladies room as well. I’ve been in it and had my hair stand on end but that could be out of expectation. The property is beautiful, as well as the view and the menu is good.
Comment by Dawn | 10.26.2007 | 12:59 pm
My cousin-in-law is in a band and had to play at Bowers Harbor Inn. That night his band and him got to see the elevator. He decided to make fun of it. Well when he was getting ready to play his guitar it wouldn’t play. He checked it for damage nothing was wrong with it. The next day he checked it again. Guess what? It worked. Do you think that Genivive was upset and decided to punish him? Anyways, I thought it was pretty cool!
Comment by Grillz | 12.4.2007 | 11:36 pm
Back in 96′ our old cheerleading coach always read ghost stories to us on our way to games. Our favorite was always of Bowers Harbor Inn, which is aobut 40 minutes from our school. At the end of the cheerleading season she suprised us by having a dinner set up there. We had all heard the stories of Gennevieve hanging herself in the elevator shaft as well as her face appearing in a gilted mirror in the ladies bathroom.
After dinner, a few of us girls decided we needed a potty break. Now, from what we were told while there, the ladies bathroom used to be Genevieve’s sitting room. The gilted mirror was still in the bathroom at the time. We didn’t see any faces, but we did manage to get locked in the bathroom (the lock is on the inside) for about 10 minutes while toilet paper rolled around by itself on the floor…. creepy stuff, I am now a believer!
Comment by Lisa | 12.17.2007 | 1:03 pm
You have the location wrong. There is no such place as Bowers Harbor in Michigan. Bowers Harbor Inn is actually located in Traverse City, MI on old mission penninsula.
Comment by Lucy | 12.17.2007 | 1:06 pm
Ive been to Bowers Harbor Inn with my class 2 years ago. Our teacher thought it would be cool to surpise us with a visit to a haunted place. Of course me being who i was, was super excited. I ended up going into the bathroom to have the light shut on me.. which is really bad becuase im scared of the dark.. when the lights came back on the door wouldnt open. after about 5 mins my friend came and opened the door. saying she felt as thought i needed her. We went back to the table.. as i was still shaking i saw a fork fly off the table and hit the wall. Then the clock proceded to chime about 5 times.. mind you it was around 7:20 when it went off.. till this day I’m not sure if i would like to go back… the food was delicious though…if your thinking about going.
Comment by Erica | 01.27.2008 | 6:45 pm
Ive ben there so many times. I go there every year during the summer.
I took a picture of the elevator once, and I didnt see anything on the picture when I took it.
I came back downstairs to my family and reviewed the pictures and I found the woman standing right next to it. I showed the manager and no one could explain it any other way.
I downloaded the picture onto my computer when I got home, and as soon as I put in on the computer, it crashed.
It also got deleted off my phone.
=/
Comment by kellie | 02.18.2008 | 11:55 pm