Entry No. 36 — the Phoenix file — filed under: haunted
The Hermosa Inn (Lon's at the Hermosa)
Cowboy artist Lon Megargee built this hacienda with his own hands in 1930 as home and studio; it's now a boutique inn hung with his original paintings. Staff still report his cowboy-hatted silhouette moving through the bar after close, slamming doors and breaking glasses — mischievous rather than menacing, by every account.
The story
In 1930, cowboy artist Lon Megargee laid adobe bricks by hand in Paradise Valley to construct his personal residence and studio, Casa Hermosa. Megargee lived the Old West culture he captured in his paintings, building a sanctuary designed to display his work. While the property was eventually converted into a boutique inn and home to the restaurant LON's, the hacienda remains hung with his original canvases.
The catch is that Megargee never quite vacated the premises. Long after the kitchen closes, staff and late guests report seeing a tall silhouette wearing a broad cowboy hat drifting through the bar area. Doors in quiet corridors slam shut on their own, and glasses have a habit of sliding off flat surfaces or shattering without a human hand nearby. By all accounts, the spirit is playful rather than hostile—a resident founder still checking in on his old studio.
What it's like
Pull off Palo Cristi Road into a serene, low-slung desert hacienda. If you're coming for a meal at LON's, reserve a table on the outdoor patio right before sunset to watch the evening light hit the adobe walls. Afterward, stroll through the main building to inspect Megargee's original paintings hanging on the walls, then pull up a stool at the bar and ask the night staff if any glassware has broken on its own lately.
The move: Book a sunset dinner on the patio at Lon's, walk the property afterward to look at Megargee's original canvases on the walls, and ask the bartender if anything's shattered on its own lately.
- 📍 Paradise Valley
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 5532 N Palo Cristi Rd, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253
Hours: Added 2026-07-19 — confirm current hours before you go.
⚠ Seasonal or scheduled — always check before you go.
Pair it with
- UnderTow (at Century Grand) — Follow up a night at a haunted 1930s hacienda with craft drinks inside a simulated 19th-century ship's cargo hold less than two miles away.
- 36 Below — Keep the night going by swapping Megargee's outdoor patio for an underground subterranean cocktail greenhouse in Arcadia.
- Hunt's Tomb — Pair Lon Megargee's 1930s desert retreat with another piece of 1930s Phoenix history—a stark white pyramid tomb perched on a Papago Park red-rock butte.
Good to know
Who built The Hermosa Inn?
Cowboy artist Lon Megargee built the hacienda by hand in 1930 as his personal home and art studio.
What ghost sightings are reported at the inn?
Staff and visitors report seeing a cowboy-hatted figure in the bar area after hours, along with doors slamming and glasses sliding or shattering on their own.
Do I need to be a hotel guest to see the property?
No. You can make a reservation for dinner or drinks at LON's, view Megargee's original paintings inside, and walk the grounds without staying overnight.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: azhideawaycollection.com · hauntedplaces.org
last checked: 2026-07-19