Entry No. 60 — the Oklahoma City file — filed under: haunted
Skirvin Hotel
One of Oklahoma's most famously haunted hotels, with a notorious 10th floor tied to the tragic legend of "Effie" and reports of mysterious sounds, self-opening faucets, and apparitions.
The story
When the Skirvin Hotel opened at Park Avenue and Broadway in September 1911, it was the crowning jewel of Oklahoma City's boomtown skyline. But somewhere along the way, its grand oil-money legacy curdled into something far stranger. The prevailing story centers on "Effie," a maid who reportedly had an affair with hotel founder W.B. Skirvin in the 1930s. The story goes that when she became pregnant, Skirvin locked her away in a room on the 10th floor to quiet the scandal, where she eventually lost her mind and jumped from a window holding her newborn child.
Whether Effie was real or a modern urban myth cooked up by hotel staff, the hotel's reputation for bizarre encounters is oddly documented. When the property reopened in 2007 as a restored Hilton after sitting vacant for nearly two decades, the supernatural stories migrated directly into professional sports lore. Visiting NBA teams playing the Thunder have complained for years about sleepless nights on the upper floors, reporting self-opening bathroom faucets, heavy doors slamming on their own, and the faint sound of a baby crying in empty hallways.
What it's like
You step off Broadway into a glowing, impeccably restored luxury lobby where well-dressed travelers sip drinks at the Red Piano Lounge. Unless you book a night and get a keycard, you won't make it up the elevators to the legendary 10th floor. Local ghost tours stop on the sidewalk outside to recite the Effie story under the brick facade, but they don't have indoor access. The move here is simple: skip expecting an organized hallway investigation, pull up a chair at the lobby bar for a late drink, and keep an eye on the door.
The move: Book a ghost tour or investigation experience, then debrief what you (didn't) see over cocktails in the historic lobby bar.
📍 Before you go This is a working Hilton at Park Avenue and Broadway, so anyone can wander the grand lobby and settle into the Red Piano Lounge just off it — but the storied 10th floor is guest rooms, and getting up there means booking a night. Downtown ghost walking tours stop at the Skirvin and tell the Effie story from the sidewalk; they don't go inside, so pair the tour with lobby cocktails rather than expecting a hallway seance. There's no self-parking — it's valet or the public garages adjacent — and the OKC Streetcar stops practically at the door near Kerr Park, with Bricktown a half-mile walk east.
- 📍 Downtown Oklahoma City
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Hours: Added 2026-06-09 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- The Vault at The National — Trade one historic 1910s landmark for another by walking a block west to drink inside a subterranean 1931 bank vault.
- Overholser Mansion — History & Haunts tour — Pair the hotel's 10th-floor legend with a tour of OKC's early high-society mansion, complete with its own white-lady ghost lore.
- Flaming Lips Alley — Head half a mile east into Bricktown to balance the upscale paranormal atmosphere with a surprisingly gritty alley dedicated to local rock royalty.
Good to know
Can I go up to the haunted 10th floor if I am not staying at the hotel?
No. The upper levels are strictly reserved for registered guests, and elevators require keycards. Non-guests are limited to public areas like the lobby and the Red Piano Lounge.
Do local ghost tours go inside the hotel?
No. Downtown ghost walking tours stop on the sidewalk outside to tell the lore from the street; they do not enter the building or conduct seances inside.
What is the deal with parking?
There is no self-parking on site. You either have to pay for valet at the entrance or park in one of the public garages adjacent to the property.
Why do NBA players talk about this hotel so much?
Visiting sports teams staying at the Skirvin routinely report uncanny encounters on the upper floors—ranging from phantom crying sounds to bathroom fixtures turning themselves on—leading several players to publicly blame bad game performances on the hotel.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: okhauntedhouses.com · Official site · legendsofamerica.com · z94.com · Wikipedia · theplayerstribune.com
last checked: 2026-06-09