Hauntings of the Benham Schoolhouse Inn – where the spirits of students and teachers still wander the halls.
The Benham Schoolhouse Inn, located in the historic coal town of Benham, Kentucky, began as an all-grades school in 1926, built by the Wisconsin Steel Corporation (a subsidiary of International Harvester). The school served the children of coal miners and their families and continued operating as an educational facility until 1992. After the school closed, the building was transformed into a unique inn, preserving much of the original architecture, including the hardwood floors, terrazzo hallways, and even the lockers once used by students. It officially opened as the Benham Schoolhouse Inn in 1994, offering guests a chance to sleep in what were once classrooms and experience a piece of local history.
The inn retains many elements from its past, including the former gymnasium, which now serves as a banquet hall, and an old Home Economics classroom that has been repurposed as the kitchen for the inn’s restaurant, The Dinner Bucket. The building stands as a testament to the early 20th-century coal mining community and continues to play a vital role in preserving the heritage of Benham.

Haunted Hospitality
The Benham Schoolhouse Inn is not only known for its rich history but also for the numerous reports of paranormal activity within its walls. Guests and staff alike have shared eerie encounters such as hearing the sound of lockers slamming shut in the middle of the night, children’s laughter echoing through the hallways, and whispers that seem to come from nowhere. Apparitions have been sighted, orbs have been captured in photographs, and many visitors have reported feeling an unexplained sense of unease in certain parts of the inn.
These chilling occurrences make the Benham Schoolhouse Inn a unique destination, blending history and the paranormal for an unforgettable experience.
——Stories from Guests:—–
Below, you can play a bevy of stories from guests at the Benham Schoolhouse Inn and hear their experience.
Next, there are several youtubers, who have stayed at the Benham Schoolhouse Inn, looking to capture evidence of their paranormal encounters.
The stories provided were recreations of the experiences of visitors of the Benham Schoolhouse Inn from the website: https://www.hauntedplaces.org/

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