Although the Roosevelt Inn no longer operates as a bed and breakfast, its haunted legacy lives on. 

A new index published by HauntBound ranks it as Idaho's seventh most haunted location, based on the number of separate published accounts of paranormal activity.

“People reported things like bedsheets moving into disarray, papers flying and cupboards opening and closing by themselves,” HauntBound Editor Ben Fineman said. “They reported flashlights turning on and off and lightbulbs constantly coming unscrewed.”

Fineman said these reports came from a range of news articles, television programs and books. One of the most famous accounts of paranormal activity was a ghost-hunting event led by the International Paranormal Reporting Group in 2010, which The Press reported on. The team reported that a flashlight turned on and off by itself when members spoke to a spirit.

Originally a schoolhouse, the Roosevelt Inn was built in 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. John and Tina Hough owned the building beginning in 1999 and operated it as a bed and breakfast.

“A guest reported he woke up around 2:30 a.m. with the distinct feeling that someone was watching,” Fineman said. “A little boy was standing at the end of the bed, watching him.”

In 2025, Steve and Marie Widmyer purchased the Roosevelt Inn to save it from plans for demolition. They renovated it over the summer and reopened in September 2025. Today, the building operates as low-cost communal housing with a shared kitchen and living space. One room is available to rent through Airbnb, and the basement can be rented as an event space.

Building manager Duncan Menzies moved into the building in June 2025 and lived in the bell tower over the summer. He said his friends were shocked that he was willing to live there alone despite the rumored hauntings.

“You feel certain things,” Menzies said. “It’s a feeling when you’re in the kitchen that you’re not alone.”

Menzies said the previous owners told him about two paranormal presences in the building. One is a boy named Dennis, said to haunt the kitchen and basement. Menzies has also experienced lightbulbs frequently coming unscrewed, which the previous owners also reported.

“It doesn’t bother me,” Menzies said. “Whatever presence it is, it’s a friendly presence.”

In HauntBound’s ranking, the Roosevelt Inn has a high “family comfort” rating, meaning it's appropriate for paranormal enthusiasts of all ages. Fineman said the family comfort rating is high because the location is safe and the lore is not particularly gory or disturbing.

“It’s not a scary presence,” Fineman said. “None of it is malicious.”

HauntBound’s index lists 39 locations in Idaho with published accounts of paranormal activity. The two locations with the most accounts are the Idanha Hotel in Boise and the Idaho State Tuberculosis Hospital in Gooding. Fineman said HauntBound aims to guide people interested in visiting haunted places.

“We as humans don’t understand everything about the world, and there’s a natural curiosity to explore the edges of that understanding,” Fineman said. “This is an opportunity to do it in a way that is a little bit scary, but in a fun kind of way.”

    The Roosevelt Inn, Oct. 15, 2026.
  

    The Roosevelt Inn dining room, Oct. 15, 2026.
  

    The Roosevelt Inn living room, Oct. 15, 2026.
  

    Building manager Duncan Menzies on the stairs leading from the Roosevelt Inn basement.