Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Rhode Island Providence Providence Biltmore

Providence Biltmore

Rumors of the occult haunt this upscale 1920s hotel.

Providence, Rhode Island

Added By
Fred Cherrygarden
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
The interior of the hotel.   Kenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY-SA 3.0
The Biltmore Hotel in 2017.   Kenneth C. Zirkel / CC BY-SA 3.0
The red Biltmore sign in 2008.   Roger Williams / CC BY-SA 2.0
The Biltmore Hotel in 2011.   Angela N. / CC BY 2.0
The iconic neon sign at night.   Eden, Janine and Jim / CC BY 2.0
The Biltmore and City Hall   Tony Kent / CC BY-SA 2.0
Lobby of the hotel   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
Plaque on a pillar next to the front desk marking the water levels inside the Hotel during the 1939 flood.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
Sign next to the no longer working glass elevator in the middle of the lobby.   ickaimp / Atlas Obscura User
Biltmore Providence.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Interior.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Corridor.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
One of the rooms.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The Biltmore sign, 2022.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The Providence Biltmore Hotel first opened in 1922 as part of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels chain. It was built in Beaux-arts style and designed by Warren and Wetmore, the architectural firm responsible for Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Its construction was financially supported by Johan Leisse Weisskopf, a rumored Satanist.

Unusual features filled the hotel, from chicken coops on the hotel's roof to well as hot springs in the basement. In the luxurious Bacchante Dining Room, the hotel catered to contemporary luminaries such as Louis Armstrong, Douglas Fairbanks, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. During the Prohibition era, the Biltmore Hotel's basement operated as a speakeasy, said to be frequented by members of the mob. Over time, the hotel gained some notoriety in Providence.

The Biltmore was bought by Sheraton in 1947, then sold off in 1968. After its closing in 1975 it remained vacant for four years, facing imminent demolition. But Mayor Buddy Cianci worked with local businessmen to designate the hotel as a landmark and rehabilitate it. It reopened in 1979, and since then has changed its owners several times. In 2017 it was bought by its current owners, AJ Capital Partners, who renovated the hotel and renamed it the Graduate Providence.

Over the years, paranormal activity has been reported at the hotel, in the form of laughter from parties that can't be found, locks turning on their own, and ghostly apparitions. These reports have given the hotel a reputation as one of the most haunted hotels in the United States. In fact, elements of the Biltmore may have inspired some fictional hotels, namely the Bates Motel from Robert Bloch's Psycho and (along with the Stanley Hotel in Colorado) the Overlook Hotel in Stephen King's The Shining. While it might be a coincidence, the name of the main protagonist of The Shining, Jack Torrance, sounds a lot like Dorrance, the street on which the Biltmore is located.

Related Tags

Hotels Places To Stay Architecture Satanic Worship Haunted Relics Of The 1920s

Community Contributors

Added By

Fred Cherrygarden

Edited By

FrustratedFormerContributor, ickaimp, Michelle Cassidy, blimpcaptain...

  • FrustratedFormerContributor
  • ickaimp
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • blimpcaptain
  • SabCoo

Published

March 16, 2020

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20171024/providence-biltmore-sold-to-become-graduate-providence
  • http://ghostsofprovidence.blogspot.com/2009/02/biltmore-hotel.html
  • https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/design-and-architecture/the-designer-behind-american-horror-story-hotel-and-its-creepy-setting
  • https://www.messynessychic.com/2015/10/13/the-real-downtown-la-murder-hotel-that-inspired-lady-gagas-american-horror-story/
  • https://www.providencejournal.com/photogallery/PJ/20191031/NEWS/103109997/PH/1
Providence Biltmore
13 Dorrance St
Providence, Rhode Island
United States
41.824317, -71.413276
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Haven Brothers Diner

Providence, Rhode Island

miles away

‘Time Wave’

Providence, Rhode Island

miles away

Industrial National Bank Building

Providence, Rhode Island

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Providence

Providence

Rhode Island

Places 21
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Haven Brothers Diner

Providence, Rhode Island

miles away

‘Time Wave’

Providence, Rhode Island

miles away

Industrial National Bank Building

Providence, Rhode Island

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Providence

Providence

Rhode Island

Places 21
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Hotel del Coronado.

    San Diego, California

    Hotel del Coronado

    L. Frank Baum wrote part of the "Wizard of Oz" series in this wooden Victorian beach resort.

  • A celebrated architectural feat, the Blennerhassett hotel was adorned with elaborate window treatments, frescoes, and even a passenger elevator.

    Parkersburg, West Virginia

    The (Haunted) Blennerhassett Hotel

    The oldest hotel in West Virginia is reportedly frequented by ghosts.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
  • Ilidža, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Hotel Austria & Bosna

    In 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand spent his final night alive at this luxurious hotel.

  • Inside the dining room at Libušín

    Pustevny, Czechia

    Libušín a Maměnka

    A folk-art cottage and hotel straight from a Slavic fairy tale.

  • Lido, Italy

    Grande Albergo Ausonia & Hungaria

    An intricate ceramic tile facade adorns this five-star hotel.

  • A very MiMo office

    Miami, Florida

    The Vagabond Hotel

    This post-war motel embodies a little-known, Miami-born architectural style.

  • Osaka, Japan

    Dotonbori Hotel Front Pillars

    Surreal giant face-pillars welcome visitors from across the globe to this hotel.

  • New Port Richey, Florida

    Hacienda Hotel

    Built in 1927, this pink stucco hotel once hosted stars of Hollywood’s silent movie era. Now it's being brought back to life.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.