10/18/2025 Haunted Locations: The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Happy Saturday! We are knee deep in the midst of spooky season, and this week I decided to do some research on some lesser known haunted locations. In my search, I came across this hotel located in Oklahoma, and let me tell you, it has quite the story and scandal surrounding it... not to mention a bunch of NBA players are firsthand eye witnesses to all the paranormal activity.

That being said, let's take a look at the history and alleged hauntings at the Skirvin Hotel.

The history and hauntings of The Skirvin Hotel:

The Skirvin Hotel was built in 1910 and opened its doors a year later. It is named after the man who founded/built it, an oilman by the name of W.B. Skirvin.

In 1911, the hotel had two towers, which were 10 stories tall each, with a total of 224 rooms. By 1930, a third tower was added, raising it to 14 stories tall, and it ended up with a total of 525 rooms.

During the prohibition, the hotel became a speakeasy (secret bar or nightclub). It had many noteworthy guests (musicians, politicians, mobsters). But the real secrets started when Skirvin himself began an affair with one of the maids.

THIS is where things start getting really weird, as the maid is said to be one of the most prominent ghosts haunting the hotel. Per Haunted Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City – Legends of America, it is said that Effie (the maid Skirvin had an affair with) soon got pregnant. To avoid a scandal, she was then locked in a room at the top of the hotel. After giving birth, she was still not let out, and with the depression she was already battling, she had had enough and threw both herself and her infant child out of the window.

What is most interesting about the hauntings, in my opinion, is how many NBA players have firsthand accounts. The reason this hotel is directly related to the NBA is because The Thunder often uses the Skirvin Hotel as their official team hotel during home games. It is also known for its luxurious accommodations and has hosted numerous NBA players and staff.

Urken (2022) states that the words "HELP ME" have been known to appear on foggy bathroom mirrors. It also cites a report of a former NBA player being inappropriately touched; the firsthand account can be found here:

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/columns/2016/11/01/the-morning-brew-metta-world-peace-encounters-amorous-effie-at-skirvin/60641194007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z119032e007000v119032b00xxxxd11xx65&gca-ft=162&gca-ds=sophi

So, tell me. Have you heard of this location before? Have you been there? Would you go? Let me know in the comments. And as always, if you do decide to visit here or any haunted location, respect the property, respect the owners, respect the residents... living or dead.

For more details about this story, how you can visit, and links to the shows, podcasts, documentaries, and resources used for this post can all be found below.

Resources:

• https://skirvinhilton.com/

• https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211028-the-skirvin-the-us-most-haunted-hotel

  Urken, R. K. (2022, February 28). The Skirvin: The US’ most haunted hotel? https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20211028-the-skirvin-the-us-most-haunted-hotel

• https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ok-skirvinhotel/

  Haunted Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City – Legends of America. (n.d.). https://www.legendsofamerica.com/ok-skirvinhotel/

• https://themorbidlibrary.com/the-haunted-skirvin-hotel/

  Lynch, C. (n.d.). The Haunted: Skirvin Hotel – The Morbid Library. https://themorbidlibrary.com/the-haunted-skirvin-hotel/

• https://www.pablo.show/p/we-stayed-at-the-nbas-haunted-hotel

  Torre, P. (2024, October 31). We stayed at the NBA’s “Haunted” hotel. PABLO TORRE FINDS OUT. https://www.pablo.show/p/we-stayed-at-the-nbas-haunted-hotel

• https://passporttoeden.com/skirvin-hotel-haunted/

  Varma, A. (2023, February 28). Suite experience: Is the Skirvin hotel haunted? Passport to Eden. https://passporttoeden.com/skirvin-hotel-haunted/