Resident ghost at Tilton Inn makes her presence known for spooky season

TILTON — The Atlantic Paranormal Society knows one thing: The Tilton Inn “definitely” has some phenomenal activity extending beyond the realm of reality.

Spontaneous closing doors, apparitions of children and even the stroking of hair by something — or someone — unseen are all part of the paranormal charm of the historic establishment. It’s a place readers can stay for a night — unlike the resident ghost, Laura Sanborn, whose soul has remained since the 1800s.

“The building has burnt down three times in the past, all with a span of approximately 100 years separating them. One of these particular fires is said to have claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl, named Laura, who is suspected to have never left,” reads the inn’s website.

All told, upward of eight people have died in the building throughout history, both in the fires and from diseases, like dysentery.

As far as accommodations go, the Tilton Inn at 255 Main St. boasts nine rooms, Onions Pub & Restaurant, and two apartments on the third floor. Each of the lodging quarters pays homage to notable and historical Tilton residents over the years, including Laura’s father Samuel Sanborn, and Thomas Tilton.

These two particular rooms, the Tilton and Sanborn rooms, are Laura’s known haunts — and the inn’s most popular. The listing on the inn’s website states, “This room has a queen size bed and is known to be ‘Laura’s’ room.”

TAPS, a group of ghost investigators based in Warwick, Rhode Island, eventually went on to produce “Ghost Hunters,” a popular television show on the SyFy channel. The crew were invited to the hotel in 2010 under previous ownership.

What they learned was not a surprise, but the level of spooky activity certainly was.

“There definitely seems to be some paranormal activity here,” said Jason Hawes, co-founder of TAPS, in the episode.

Episode 13 of season 6, dubbed “Uninvited Guests,” which aired Sept. 8, 2010, and is available to watch on Prime Video, details the accounts of the TAPS visit to the Granite State. Upon arriving at the Tilton Inn and setting up their gear, they staged an age-old test with the paranormal: the flashlight challenge.

Very clearly, viewers can watch the flashlight turn off and on by itself, indicating Laura was present at the time — but we’ll let you be the judge.

To find out more, visit thetiltoninn.com.