Clad in black from head to toe, she hangs her head as she exits an elevator. She keeps mostly to herself. Some may not even notice her. At times she’ll just stand at the end of the bed, checking on guests in her room as a mother would her child. At first there’s a chill, then warmth and the woman disappears as the guests drift gently back to sleep. She’s been there for some time now - waiting for her son to return from World War II.

Room 1106 is her home, yet she does not live there. You see, the woman in black is dead. Has been for many years. She’s one of the ghosts at the former Ben Lomond Historic Suite Hotel.

A beautiful woman in a long gown ascends gracefully up the grand staircase. She is regal, smelling of lilac perfume, her hair upswept. She wanders freely about the hotel, sometimes stopping the elevator on the fifth floor. A chill enters and the faint smell of lilac perfume lingers in the elevator car. She stays in room 1103 and seems quite adamant about being respected there, going as far as pushing a housekeeper out of the tub.

Built in 1870, the Ben Lomond Hotel boasts many otherworldly phenomena: strange mists, orbs of light, cold breezes in unventilated areas, faces changing on artwork and even a bodiless pair of pants. Fact or fiction?

Gerdi Curran, housekeeping manager for the last 11 years, says fact. In fact, Curran is the one who was pushed from the tub by the ghost of 1103.

"I didn’t see her in the room, only felt her and smelled the perfume. But I have seen her floating up the stairs," she said.

Michele Buck, a member of the Paranormal Ghost Investigative Research Society for 22 years, says Ogden is full of ghosts almost everywhere you go. Theresa Jodray, co-owner of The Raven’s Nest and paranormal specialist, agrees.

"I’ve seen most of them and felt the rest," Buck said. "There were basically three of them who interacted with me in the Union Station. There was a woman, probably from the ‘50s, named Shirley. The two other gentlemen were from eras farther back. One used to work there. He died of a heart attack. His name was Joe. Joe C. That’s all I got was a C. He liked to be at the Union Station so that’s why he stayed there. The other man was more refined. He didn’t give me his name, but he followed me all over the place."

Emma, a young spirit girl from the turn of the century with large eyes, shares The Raven’s Nest with Jodray and Lori Konkol. She likes to crouch in the corner and move the furniture. Only recently, as Jodray and Konkol have restored the building, has she opened up a bit and become more curious about those who share her building.

"She mainly hangs in the corner. She seems sort of imbalanced," said Jodray. "But she went up to one of the girls in here once and sniffed her. There are other ghosts around, too. There’s one next door at Jordy’s and there’s some in the Gallery.

"Buck related countless experiences of her encounters with the spirit world. She made specific reference to 25th Street, saying it was ripe with spiritual presence.

"So many things have happened down there. It’s just a playground for a lot of them," she said. "Some of them, I don’t think they even know they’ve passed. That’s why they’re still here."

So why do some people see the spirits and some don’t? Buck explained that the spirits can feel energy.

"If someone is very open, they’ll show themselves. Just like we know whether or not to let someone into our lives, it’s the same with them. They can feel the energy of a person just like we do," she explained.

Think you’ve never had an encounter? Think again. Buck said people have encounters everyday but they just don’t realize it.

"If you’ve ever been in someplace and you get a feeling like you’re being watched, you probably are."

And since Ogden is full of spirits--from Union Station, the old St. Benedict‘s Hospital and a myriad of locations in between--she just may be right.