The Most Haunted Inn in Delaware
Or, The Old Man By My Mirror
I’m lucky, Traveler.
I’m lucky in that I could fulfill a dream I’ve had since I was a lad at 16, just the other day at age 40.
My high school Friday nights were different in 1999. I didn’t go out much. I certainly didn’t date all that much (I’m asexual, and cemetery dates weren’t as much of a thing in the 90s as they are now). But what I did to fill my time on a Friday night was one of two things. I either logged into The Shadowlands and read the locations listed on the website and what people had to say about them, or I cracked a book. (Yes, this is an affiliate link.)
I still have a copy of the National Directory of Haunted Places, Traveler. I still go through it to this day. And I remember, as a 16-year-old, that I would go to all of the places in that book.
And even though I have less hair than I did in the 90s, I have more swag and am determined to see these places one by one. It is my life’s goal and why I have this blog and my YouTube channel.
Delaware has more than a few robust entries in the Directory. Delaware is my home state, so I’m always looking for hauntings within. While looking up Easton, Connecticut, in the book, I was inspired again.
The first entry under the state of Delaware lies in Bethany Beach. Bethany Beach is one of the most southern towns in the state on the border of the eastern shore of Maryland. In the most extreme, southeastern part of Delaware is an inn. This is the Addy Sea Inn, the most haunted hotel in Delaware.
When I was 16, I couldn’t stay there. I had no credit card and was still on my learner’s permit. But I promised myself on one Friday night, as the weirdo teenager I was, that someday I would get to the Addy Sea. Then, life took over for decades before I would ever have the chance. Then, life changed, and I decided to go to every haunted place in the haunted places book. And then I kept running out of money and would have to get back to work. Then, work stabilized, but I had a strict schedule to adhere to and couldn’t have my extended road trips.
So, with money and nowhere to fly to during the winter, I was again reading the Haunted Places directory, and funny enough, staring at me from the front page of Delaware was the Addy Sea. I checked their website, and funny enough, they were preparing to open before their season on February 1st. Because we’re still in winter on the East Coast, I got a room overlooking the ocean at a discount. But I didn’t grab room 6 because it overlooked the sea, nor did I grab it because of the discount.
I booked a night in Room 6 of the Addy Sea Inn to hear the organ play.
According to the National Directory of Haunted Places, there are several haunted rooms at the Inn, and they all do something different. Over time, these stories have been made available on websites all over the internet, thanks to the early days of spreading lore so that people were aware of it all.
In Room 1, the bathtub (likely no longer in Room 1 as my room had a stand-up shower, and I’m to assume that they switched out the fixtures years back, but I could be wrong) is known to shake violently on its own. Disembodied footsteps can be heard in the second-floor hallway and on the roof. According to Hauck, these footsteps are attributed to Kurtz Addy, son of John Addy, founder of the Inn. I read somewhere that John Addy is the one who haunts the bathtub in Room 1, but I can no longer find the information. Paul Dulaney, a former professional swimmer who died working construction in nearby Ocean City, Maryland, is said to haunt Room 11. According to Hauck, Dulaney was a famous champion swimmer, but I can’t find him mentioned anywhere. It’s said in the same entry that Paul used to do maintenance work at the Inn for Mr. Addy, so it would make sense that in death, Paul Dulaney chose to return to his favorite haunt in life (pun intended). Paul Dulaney can usually be seen in the early morning hours, sitting at the edge of the bed, staring into the mirror.
As for me, I was drawn to the legendary Room 6. It’s said that organ music will begin to play from the room out of nowhere on a given night in Room 6, a small but lovely room at the end of the hallway that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean.
There are no organs on the Addy Sea property.
Disembodied, spontaneous music from nowhere is my exact wheelhouse, Traveler. I booked Room 6 right at the start of the season, February 1st. That Thursday, I made my long-awaited debut on the southern Delaware beaches.
I stopped in Rehoboth on the way down to Dewey and Bethany Beach. The boardwalk was mainly closed as it was the dead of winter, but I still found a few shops to peruse. I purchased some gifts, and on my way out of town, while looking for somewhere to eat, I found a bookstore!
Browseabout Books, according to their website, has been a staple of Rehoboth Beach since 1975. While I walked through Rehoboth, I saw a dragon out in front of the bookstore, reading a book. With that, I had to go inside.
Browseabout Books was fantastic, Traveler. I found the entire gamut of genres all over the store, mixed in with trinkets and plushies everywhere. Someone wrote a fiction book about Maggie’s Bridge of all places! And speaking of plushies, check out this cool Mothman of Point Pleasant plushie I picked up!
But as the clock moved towards 2:30, I wrapped up the bookstore fun, Traveler. Dudley and I were due in Bethany Beach, 20 miles south. We had a night with some creepy organ music on tap.
I was given the history of check-in, which was a relatively simple process. In the parlor, I was told that John Addy, a successful plumber, oversaw the construction in 1905. As he was a plumber, the Inn was the first building in Bethany Beach with indoor plumbing. I was shown to Room 6, where I was informed of the odd arrangement of the bathroom fixtures. The bathroom sink and stand-up shower are in the bedroom, and the toilet is in a closet.
So you’re aware, Traveler, there are no televisions in the rooms.
After setting the electronic lock on my door, I returned to the dining room. A cookies and cream cupcake was waiting for me with a small stick that read Room 6 on it. I sat and enjoyed my cupcake and Googled whether or not there was a Planet Fitness nearby (there was one in Milford, DE), and then I adjourned back to my room for what I thought would be a moment.
Room 6 is at the end of the hall that overlooks the beach leading to the Atlantic Ocean. As the waves crash against the shore, there is a beautiful view from the sitting area and the windows. The windows, however, open a clear view into my room, with the view directly from my toilet closet. I realized this would be complicated every time I used the toilet as I walked out to the site of the windows. In turn, I closed the shades.
This is where my adventure really began.
First, my tricky left hand got the weird pins and needles feeling that only tends to happen when I’m with a spirit. This is not something I can quantify, Traveler. It’s just ghost-hunting by feeling. I then felt overwhelmingly exhausted to the point of having to lay down, which is another factor. I felt unwell for an hour and could neither confirm nor deny it had anything to do with what was in the room.
After about an hour’s nap, I made a half-hour drive to the Planet Fitness in Milford and hit the weights and the treadmill. When I finished, I made the trip back, showered, and got ready for my miniature ghost hunt.
I can tell you two things, Traveler. One, yes, Room 6 is definitely haunted. But two, I didn’t hear any organ music, sadly. In fact, I got just about every response made available to me except organ music. I am producing the video of the experience as I write this, and you’ll find that video when I upload it to my YouTube channel.
That said, the bad energy and feelings were gone. In fact, I got a great sleep after my great shower.
I was due to head northbound when I woke up the following day. This time, I had no weird dreams and was grateful for that. I stayed for my incredible, complimentary breakfast from the kitchen staff and left one of my trademark vague and cryptic notes for the staff (with gratuity. Always remember the gratuity, Traveler). I was on my way to work.
It was an incredible stay. I’ll give the whole experience five out of five stars. It was a life’s dream of mine to stay at the Inn, and the Addy-Sea did not disappoint. I would return to stay in a non-haunted room as everything was so lovely. It was a wonderful getaway and an experience that will be difficult to beat.
That said, I’m back on the road. So, as always,
Safe Travels, Traveler.
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